CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



Order III. PASSERIFORMES. 

 Passerine Birds, Hdmming-Birds, Swifts, and their allies. 



This group of birds may be defined as iEgithognathoua Gymnopsedes. They may be 

 regarded as the great central or dominant group of birds at the present time, by far 

 the most numerous in species, the most highly and the most recently differentiated, 

 and consequently so intimately connected, that the genera are very difficult to define. 

 The Humming-Birds and the Swifts are the most aberrant families, the former being more 

 or less Schizognathous. 



Passeri- 

 formes. 



Order IV. CHARADRIFORMES. 



Penguins, Divers, Grebes \ Auks, Gulls, Petrels, Plovers, Snipes, Cranes,. 

 Rails, Pheasants, Tinamous, and their allies. 



This group of birds may be defined as Schizognathous Dasypsedes, to which may be 

 added the Carinate Dromgeognathous birds. The latter (the Tinamous) are an intermediate 

 link between the Charadriformes and the Struthioformes, but appear on the whole to be 

 nearest related to the Phasianidse than to any of the Struthious birds. The Penguins are 

 very aberrant, but do not belong to any other Order. 



Charadri- 

 formes. 



Order V. STRUTHIOFORMES. 



Ostriches, Cassowaries, Aptertx, and their allies. 



This group of birds may be defined as Noncarinate Dromseognathous Dasypsedes. 

 It represents the Ratitee of most authors, a small survival of a once numerously represented 

 Order, novr rapidly approaching extinction. It may be regarded as the least changed 

 group of birds, dating very far back in its origin, and consequently showing wide gaps 

 between the genera. 



Some ornithologists have created Orders to include fossil birds. This seems to me 

 to be absurd. The consistent evolutionist must believe that a perfect series of intermediate 

 forms exists, or has existed, between every species of bird now known and the original 

 species (half bird, half reptile) from which all birds and many reptiles are descended. What 



' It is impossible for a field naturalist to regard the Grebes as nearly related to the Divers. Their habits 

 under water are entirely different ; they never use their veings under water as the Divers and Auks do, but, 

 like Ducks, keep them pressed tight to their bodies. They cover their eggs, as is usual amongst Ducks, 

 but absolutely unknown amongst Divers and Auks. Finally, Charadriform birds lay smooth, coloured and 

 spotted eggs, or, like the Petrels, show that they have only recently ceased to do so. Grebes, on the other 

 hand, lay rough eggs without a trace of a spot, and exactly resembling eggs of the Cormorant, Pelican, and 

 other near allies of the Duck. The arrangement of their palatine bones notwithstanding, there can be little 

 doubt that Grebes are modified Ducks. Possibly a future biologist may discover some character by which the 

 Grebes may be removed from the Charadriformes to a more natural position. 



b2 



struthio- 

 formes. 



Fossil birds. 



