XXXVIU INTRODUCTION. 



tliougli tlieoretically I consider them a subordinate type 

 of the Rasores. 



The remaining birds have the toes all npon the same 

 plane, and the hallux is never wanting, though, in a few 

 instances, the inner toe is deficient. Among them, 

 some may be distinguished by their strong, curved, and 

 often toothed bill, furnished with a cere, or naked mem- 

 brane at the base; and by their strong feet, with generally 

 curved, sharp, and, often, partially retractile talons. They 

 are mostly of large size, and feed exclusively on animal 

 diet. They constitute the Birds of prey of British 

 authors, and are the Accipitres of Linnaeus, the Rapaces 

 of Illiger, and the Uaptores of Vigors. Several of 

 these birds have, still, a small web between their anterior 

 toes. 



The whole of the remaining birds, which are more 

 numerous than all the others put together, are the Passerine 

 birds of some, the Perching birds of others, the Insessores 

 of Vigors. They are chiefly distinguishable from the previous 

 orders by negative characters. They are, by many, divided 

 into two or more sub-orders, vtz.^ into Picai and Passeres by 

 Linna3us; Scansores and Passeres by Cuvier; Volucres and 

 Osciues by Bonaparte; into Scansores, Pica:, and Passeres 

 by Blyth and by Temminck into seven orders, each equiva- 

 lent to the previous five orders. As I consider that the differ- 

 ences, pointed out in these divisions by various natura- 

 lists, are not 2;reater than tliose allowed in the other 

 orders, and that, moreover, these lesser divisions would not 

 be of equivalent value to those orders, I prefer retaining 

 all under Insessores, as indeed most of our English writers 

 have done. 



Nearly in conformity, then, v/hh. Gray's 'List of Genera 

 and Sub-genera of Birds,' luul Ilorsiield's ' Catah^gue of 



