ARRANGEMENT OF VIGORS. 39 



been called the Quinary arrangement of Nature. And if- ft 

 shall indeed be found, upon subsequent and more extensive 

 investigation, that this arrangement exists absolutely in na- 

 ture, the discovery of it will be of infinite importance in all 

 our Zoological researches. 



In accordance with these principles, Mr. Vigors proposes 

 to ai range the Birds in groups of fives, thus: 



Pedibus conslringentibus. C Raptor es or Birds of Fret. 

 Birds endowed with feet form < Insessores or Perching 

 ed for grasping. 1_ Birds. 



r Rasores or Gallinaceous 



Pedibus baud constrinzentibus. \ ,, ' , T . r 



,,. , , , ... 5 . ■ j Grallatores or Wadi\g 

 Biros endowed \\\\\\ teel iuca-< „ 



, . r. • * \ Birds. 



uable Oi grasping.* 3 >~ T1 r 



F » u t s # Natatores or Web-footed 



^ Birds. 



To understand more easily this arrangement, two dia- 

 grams (from Mr. Vigors' paper) are subjoined ; one of the 

 above families, and another of one of the subdivisions into 

 which Mr. Tigors proposes to arrange Birds. The six 

 primary orders of Linnaeus are by Mr. Vigors converted 

 into five, by placing the Pice and Passeres together. 

 This has been done, as it appears, in accordance w ilh na- 

 ture ; but ?\Ir. Vigors quotes Cuvier as countenancing 

 Ihis arrangement. " Malgre tous mes efforts," says this 

 celebrated naturalist, " il m'a ete impossible de trouver, 

 ni a Texterieur, ni a 1'interieur aucun caractere propre a 

 separer des passereaux ceux des genres compris parmi les 

 Piece de Linnaeus qui ne sont pas grimpeurs." 



It will not be convenient to enter into minute details of 

 this arrangement here ; those who desire more information 



* Although this is the general character of this division, yet 

 there will be found in it many exceptions. Some of the Ra- 

 sores, as well as Grallatores, perch, and consequently 

 grasp. 



