YOUNG OF THE GALLINiE. 141 



above their ground enemies from among these. They 

 have also to close their wings among interruptions, 

 and v^^ith as little rustling of the wing or that which 

 disturbs it, as possible. The broad wing and the 

 loose and moveable nature of its articulation, answer 

 another purpose in the economy of these birds, 

 which though not so immediately important to the 

 individual, is equally so to the race : the females 

 gather their young under their wings in the early 

 stages of their existence. This protection of nature 

 appears to be necessary, as the young of these birds 

 are but lightly covered with down, as there is no 

 formal nest for them, and as they are, even in the 

 perching species, unable to perch till they are fledged. 

 They have, however, more use of their legs, more 

 general activity, and are better fitted for finding their 

 own food when they have the skill, than the young 

 of any of the preceding orders. 



This state of the young when produced, corrobo- 

 borated as it is by their general structure and habits, 

 very clearly points out the place of the gallinaceous 

 birds in a natural system of arrangement. If the 

 birds of most powerful wing, and of which the air is 

 the principle element — the races which most perfectly 

 answer the definition of the term bird, in being most 

 exclusively dependent on their wings, — are to be 

 placed foremost in the system, as they unquestion- 

 ably ought to be ; and if the gradation is to be regulai 

 from them to the races which are wholly dependent 

 on the earth, and can neither fly nor swim, and pro- 

 ceed from them to those which are wholly dependent 

 on the water ; then, unquestionably, the proper place 

 of the gallinidse is immediately before these ground 

 birds, which have less power of flight than they, and 

 after the pigeons. 



