34 Mr. F. E. Beddard on the 
Order Alectorides^ of which Order it is furthermore con- 
sidered to represent a distinct family. Prof. Fiirbringer 
himself, though he discusses the general characteristics of 
Aramus under the heading ^^ Aramidse/^ comes to the final 
conclusion that it is to be placed as a mere subfamily of the 
family Gruidse, of which all the Old World genera — Grus, 
Balearica, &c. — should constitute a second subfamily^ Gruinse. 
Even with this reduction the importance attached to Aramus 
as a distinct type of bird appears to me to be due to a slight 
exaggeration of its peculiarities. A study of the osteology has 
convinced me that it does not help to explain the structure 
of the genus to regard it as extremely distinct from other 
Cranes_, using this word to include the Gruidse only. If 
Aramus is to be separated^ and given family — or subfamily — 
rank^ then it will be necessary to isolate at least Ba/earica 
in the same way, and possibly also Tetrapteryx. No advantage 
appears to be gained by the splitting up of so clearly definable 
a family as that of the Gruidse, of which Aramus is an out- 
lying member, and, even as such, not far removed from the 
remaining genera. 
My conclusions, in fact, completely bear out the view of 
the late Mr. Seebohm^, who placed Aramus as a genus 
of the family Gruidse in his suborder Grallse. As to the 
particular position, which the genus holds within the family, I 
shall have in the course of the following pages to point to 
a number of somewhat striking likenesses between it and the 
African genus Balearica, which in external appearance is as 
unlike Aramus as any other genus of the family, or indeed 
even more unlike. Without, however, insisting too strongly 
upon these points of resemblance as indicating a special 
affinity, I may remark that alliances between South-African 
and South-American animals have been shown to exist in 
a number of groups. 
The anatomy of Aramus has been dealt with and described 
by a number of naturalists. The muscles and viscera, with 
some parts of the skeleton, have been described by the late 
Mr. Garrod f? who quotes earlier authorities in his memoir. 
* < Classification of Birds ' (London, 1890), p. 39. 
I " On the Anatomy o^ Aramus scolopaceus,'' P. Z. S. 1876, p. 275. 
