310 On the Affinities of the Falconidce. 



parte, a figure of which has been given by Geof. St. Hilaire 

 and Savigny.* 



Brisson, in his elaborate work, divides the Diurnal Birds 

 of Prey into three grand groups, or genera; viz., 1st genus 

 Accipitrinum ; 2d. genus, Aquilinum ; and 3d. genus Vulture. 

 In the first of these divisions he includes the Sparrow- 

 Hawks, Goshawks, Falcons, Buzzard s, and Harriers ; in 

 the second, the Eagles properly so called, Sea-Eagles, 

 Caracaras, and Harpies ; and in the third, all those species 

 which are popularly known under the name of Vulture, or 

 rather those Rapacious Birds whose necks are more or less 

 denuded of feathers, and including also, though an excep- 

 tion to this rule, the Laemmergeyer, or Gypaetos barbatus, 

 Cuv. 



This admirable arrangement for the time was almost 

 entirely neglected by contemporary naturalists, its place 

 being supplied by one, which, though far inferior in merit, yet 

 it was much more simple, and well adapted for the state of 

 science at the time I allude to than that of Linnaeus. In fact 

 most of the divisions of Brisson, borrowed in part from the 

 ancients, have been found to be based upon characters which 

 authors now have, and are adopting; and if ornithologists 

 had followed his system in many places, instead of clinging 

 reverentially to that of the illustrious Swede, the student 

 would not now have been perplexed with the innumerable 

 list of synonyms presented by many groups. For many 

 years the system of Linnaeus was considered the standard 

 work, and adhered to with almost religious veneration, and 

 owing to the vast inroad of new species, we had arrang- 

 ed under one and the same genus, species that had scarcely 



* Descrip. d' Egypt ou Recueil des Observ. et des Recherches qui ont 

 et§ faites in Egypte pend, 1' exped. de 1' arm. Franf. Zool. par Geof. St. 

 Hilaire and Savigny. A copy of this magnificent work is in the Li- 

 brary of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta. 



