EXPLANATION OF THE CHART OF THE ORDERS OF NORTH 



AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The Orders of North American birds lend themselves with gratifying readiness to the purposes 

 of a landscape chart. In this way more than any other known to the author can the greatest 

 number of facts regarding the Orders and their relationships be set forth in a manner easily un- 

 derstood, and calculated to appeal to the eye. 



As with the mammals, the highest Orders are found in the tree-tops and the air ; and as nearly 

 as possible the relative sizes of the various Orders are shown. The birds of the highest and most 

 perfect organization appear at the top of the chart, and the lowest forms are those of deep 

 water, farthest from the land. 



The great size of the Order Passeres is strikingly apparent; and it is situated in the tree-tops 

 where its members live. 



The curious shape of the Order Macrochires is due to the fact that the Goatsuckers, Swifts 

 and Huniiming-Birds have so little in common that they are Tvellnigh separated; but' the larger 

 body — the Hummers — are closely related to the Perching-Bir.ds. . . , . 



The Order Coccyges is composed of two groups equally ill matched, the Cuckoos and Kingfishers. 

 The former touch the Perching-Birds, the latter the sharp-beaked fishers; but the association of 

 the two in one Order is jiot satisfactory, and not likely to stand. 



The Orders Columbae, Gallinae and Paludicolae are found on the uplands, immediately 

 above the Limicolae, or Shore-Birds. 



The Herodiones (Herons, Egrets and Bitterns) range along the shore from the sea, up the 

 river, to the interior lake, while the Anseres — Ducks and Geese — cover lake, river and sea. 



The Flamingo's Order — Odontoglossae — is of the shallow water of an estuary, connecting the 

 Herons and Ducks. 



The Steganopodes (Cormorants, Pelicans, -etc.) prefer the shallow waters of the sea, while the 

 Gulls and Terns (Longipennes) range from- shallow to deep waters. 



The Tubinares (Albatrosses, Fulmars, etc.) and Pygopodes (Auks, Murres, and other weak- 

 winged divers) are birds of deep water. 



For obvious reasons, it has not been considered a practicable matter to include on a landscape 

 chart the birds of the world, or even those of South America. 



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