155 



LECTURE V. 



VV E are now entering upon a beautiful and ex^ 

 tensive branch of Natural History, called Orni- 

 thology or the History of Birds. These animals 

 far exceeding Quadrupeds in point of number, 

 it was highly necessary that they should be dis- 

 tributed into orders, and genera, in order to faci- 

 litate the knowledge of the species. In this part 

 of Zoology, as in Quadrupeds, we shall pursue 

 the Linnsean arrangement, with some variations 

 and transpositions. 



I know not whether it may be thought neces- 

 sary to be very particular in the description of a 

 bird, as distinguished from a quadruped, but as 

 there are some circumstances which are important 

 in the comparative anatomy of these animals, it 

 may not be improper to give a slight general 

 description of them. 



