180 THE ORNITHOLOGICAL GUIDE. 



William Macleay, but its absurdity is self-evident. 

 To illustrate Mr. Selby's proposal, the situation of 

 the Rose Muflin may be exhibited as follows : — • 



Rose Muflin, (Afedula rosea.) 



1. Kingdom. Animal-kingdom, Animalia. 



2. Division. Vertebrated-dlvision, Vertebrata. 



3. Class. Bird-class, Aves. 



4. Order. Perchers, Insessores. 



5. Tribe. Fissirostral-tribe, Fissirostres. 



6. Family. Treeling-family, Silciadoe. 



7. Section. Tit-section, Parlance. 



8. D omits . Tit-domus, Parites. 



9. Genus. Muflin, Afedula. 

 10. Species. Rose, Rosea. 



With regard to the orthography, I have in some 

 instances departed from the usual mode : this has 

 been blamed by those who may truly be said to 

 resemble silly sheep who would as soon follow their 

 leader into a well as into a pasture, and with whom 

 custom (right or wrong) is law, the least departure 

 from which is no less than sacrilege. Mindless of 

 the cackle of these gentry, I have altered where 

 alteration seemed to be necessary, though it must 

 eventually be carried much further. Several of the 

 names of the birds are taken from the cry, as Peewit, 

 Cucoo, Chifchaf, Hoopoo, Tucan, Cocatoo. It should 

 therefore, of course, be the aim to make the written 

 symbols represent the model as closely as possible, 

 which is not the case if more letters than are 



