4 CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



is the use of attempting to classify such an infinite series, from a few bones, belonging to 

 half a dozen broken links of the endless chain ? 



The total number of species of birds known to ornithologists may be roughly estimated 

 at 10,000, which are distributed amongst these Orders approximately as follows: — 



_ , , Anseriformes 1000 



lotal Dum- 

 ber of spe- Cuculiformes 1900 



cies of birds. Passeriformes 5980 



Charadriformes 1100 



Struthioformes 20 



Species of Birds . . . 10,000 



The birds treated of in this volume belong to the Order Charadriformes, which may 

 be divided into seven Suborders without much difficulty : — 



Crypturi, or Tinamous 40 



Gallinse, or Game Birds 310 



JSradri- Gl ' allfE > OT Cl ' aneS alld Rails 150 



formes. Limicolae, or Plovers and Snipes .... 280 



Gaviae, or Gulls and Auks 200 



Procellaridae, or Petrels 100 



Impennes, or Penguins 20 



Species of Charadriformes . . 1100 



Of these seven Suborders, the one to which our attention must be directed is the Limi- 

 colae, which appears to consist of one large family, surrounded by seven small ones : — 



Pteroclidse 1 , or Sand-Grouse 16 



Families of Turnicidae 2 , or Hemipodes 25 



Limicol8e - ThinocoridEe 3 , or Quail-Plovers .... 6 



Droinadidae 4 , or Crab-Plovers 1 



Charadriidse, or Plovers and Snipes . . . 192 



Otidida? 5 , or Bustards 28 



Parrida? 6 , or Jacanas 10 



Chionidse 4 , or Sheathbills 2 



Species of Limicolae . . 280 



1 "The Sand-Grouse are borderers, and although lower thau the Grouse in many respects, being 

 but little removed from the strnthious type, yet are related, and that intimately, to the Plovers and the 

 Pigeons. 7 ' (Parker, Trans. Zool. Soe. v. p. 237.) 



