Classification of Birds. 4.59 



•* the most highly organized of all those which form the grand 

 division or order of perchers, of which in consequence it is pre- 

 eminently typical. The distinguishing characteristic of the tribe is 

 the conic-shaped form of the bill, which is also less decidedly notch- 

 ed than in the members of the dentirostral, while the full and per- 

 fect development of the feet at once distinguishes it from the three 

 aberrant circles of the Fissirostres, Tenuirostres, and Scansores. 



Its primary divisions or families he considers to be the Cor- 

 vidaz and Sturnidoz, forming the two typical groups ; the Buceri- 

 dce, Musophagidoz, and Fringillidoe, the aberrant, although the 

 mode in which these three unite to form a circle within themselves, 

 is not yet discovered. The Buceridce are described as a small, and, 

 in a great measure, an isolated family, as no immediate link with 

 other groups has yet been satisfactorily made out. It is at present 

 restricted to a single genus, which, however, contains several spe- 

 cies. He makes it the Fissirostral type, in consequence of the pe- 

 culiar habit its members exhibit, viz. that of throwing up their 

 food in the air, and catching it before it is swallowed, — an analogy 

 in accordance with the habits of the Pelicanidse, also a fissirostral 

 type in its own order. The Corvidce, or crows, which he deems 

 the nearest allied to the last, though several intervening forms are 

 wanting to complete the connection, is not only the family typically 

 representing the great order Insessores, but in the genus Corvus 

 of its subfamily Corvince, or true crows, " exhibits the greatest per- 

 fection, and the most varied powers with which nature has invested 

 this class of animals." The natural series of its subordinate divi- 

 sions is indicated by arranging the genera under the subfamilies 

 Frigillince, Corvinaz, Garrulince, Crypsirinee, and Coracince, the 

 disposition of which, under their appropriate genera and subgenera, 

 will be found on a reference to the synopsis at the end of the vo- 

 lume. We observe that he very properly excludes from this family 

 the genera Epimachus, Coracias, and Gr acuta, which by other au- 

 thors were considered to belong to it ; for ourselves, we had long since 

 placed the Rollers among the Fissirostres, in near connection with 

 Enrystomus and other birds belonging to the family Meropidce. The 

 Sturnidce, or starling group, he further divides into the minor divi- 

 sions of Sturnince, Lamprotornince, Scaphidiirince, Icternince, and Age- 

 laince. The Scaphidiirince, so named from the structure of the tail, 

 which is boat-shaped or concave on its upper surface, contains those 

 largeglossy crow-looking birds disposed under the genera Scaphidura, 

 Sw., Quiscalus, Vieil., and Scolecophagus, Sw., all natives of America. 

 He also places in it that splendid bird the Astrapia gularis of Vieil- 



