Classification of Birds. 557 



ous, as our investigation of the contents of this order has not been 

 of that minute character to enable us to speak confidently of its 

 affinities and analogical relations. The order Natatores, or swim- 

 ming birds, closes the great ornithological circle, and is composed 

 of such families as habitually live upon the waters. They are cha- 

 racterized as having feet short in proportion to the size of the body, 

 generally placed behind the equilibrium, with toes rather long, and 

 more or less united by a thin membrane or web, and with the ex- 

 ception of the waders, are the only order which have the neck con- 

 siderably longer than the legs. The five great divisions which are 

 supposed to constitute the natural families of the order, are the 

 Analidee, I.aridce, Pelicanidce, Alcadce, and Colymbidce ; of these he 

 considers the two last, from the great development of the natatorial 

 powers, to be the primary types, but adds, that further investigation 

 is required, before the analogies of its primary groups can be satis- 

 factorily determined ; at present, he supposes them to stand thus. 



Families of Natatores. Tribes of Insessores. Orders of Birds. 



Colymbidse, Conirostres, Insessores, 



Alcadas, Dentirostres, Raptores, 



Pelicanidae, Fissirostres, Natatores, 



Laridas, Tenuirostres, Grallatores, 



Anatidae, Scansores, Rasores ; 



and though not fully convinced of the truth of his positions, we must 

 confess, his arguments in their favour are ingenious, and of consider- 

 able weight. Among the Anatidae, whose circle, in some of its 

 minor divisions, as that of the Anatince, has been successfully worked 

 out, he places those singular birds, the flamingoes, G. Phcenicop- 

 lerus, a transportation from the grallatorial order in which they 

 were left by other writers, but for which change, judging from what 

 we have seen of these birds, both as to structure and habits, he has 

 good grounds for doing. It thus, as an aberrant form, becomes 

 the grallatorial type of the Anatidee, and forms that link by which 

 the Natatores are united to the Grallatores. Of the families Co- 

 lymbidaz, Alcadas, and Pelicanidce, much remains for further exami- 

 nation, and he merely points out the known genera of each. The 

 Laridae or gull family, including the terns, gulls, albatrosses, skuas, 

 and petrels, is the fifth and last ; the circle being closed by the sub- 

 genus Pachypiila, Forst., which, in the form of the bill, indicates a 

 near approch to the family of the Anatidae. Among the Laridce 

 he has also placed the genus Dromas, Payk., the representative of 

 which is figured and described in the " Illustrations of Ornithology/' 

 under the title of Erodia Amphilcnsis ; but we cannot think Mr 



