STUDIES OE THE MACBOCHIBES 
391 
of another form which may happen to possess an nnnotclied 
sternum, it means nothing so far as affinity is concerned. This 
becomes the more evident when the sterna themselves are 
fashioned upon essentially different plans, as is the case in the 
Oypseli and Trochili. 
Truly related organizations never exhibit such an array of in- 
harmoniously associated sets of morphological characters. And 
it is to the detriment of comparative anatomy, and all we may hope 
to effect by it, to summon to our aid such characters as “ short- 
ness ” (in the case of the humeri), as “ presence ” or “ absence ” of 
parts (as intestinal csecse), and other matters of purely physical or 
arithmetical interest, unless there can be shown in connection 
therewith actual similarity in form and arrangement of parts. 
Now in my first memoir (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885) upon this 
subject, I proposed that in the Passeres the Cypseli should be 
placed next to the lJininclinicl.ee ; for convinced, as I was, of their 
relationship, I for the moment did not take into account the 
artificial boundary lines of orders, genera, and what not, demanded 
on the part of systematists, simply having in my mind (after 
working many weeks over their several structures) their affinities, 
and not how they really ought to figure in print. 
Evidently this will not do, and we must assign them some 
position in the system which they can occupy with propriety in 
ornithological works, even if it does a little violence to the delicate 
and intricate kinships, which the morphologist can so often see 
with his mind’s eye, but which sometimes look so startling in 
type. 
There is but one way at present open to us to effect this, and 
that is, all the true Swifts in the world must have a group or an 
order created for them, as the order Cypseli, which I now pro- 
pose for their reception. This Order, were it represented by a 
circle, would be found just outside the enormous Passerine circle, 
but tangent to a point in its periphery opposite the Swallows, 
which latter are to be found just over the line of the arc. 
Eor the Tkochili I have already proposed a separate order in 
a former communication, and am to-day more convinced than 
ever of the correctness of that proposal. 
The time may arrive when we shall see more clearly the rela- 
tionship to other groups of birds of these markedly modified and 
highly interesting little forms, but in the meantime a very great 
amount of painstaking dissections upou avian types will have 
to be successfully undertaken. Agreeing with the Psittaci in this 
