156 ornithologist's text-book. 



tern without further consideration ? The reasons why- 

 such errors are to be found in the circular system, 

 as hitherto developed, are obvious. In the first 

 place, it is not to be expected that an arrangement 

 so complicated as the Quinary can be brought to 

 perfection at the first trial ; and, secondly, its very 

 errors prove to us that it is the natural system. 

 For these errors arise* from our not knowing proba- 

 bly one fourth of the species that actually exist, 

 and a natural system cannot be complete if any 

 one link is wanting. In the Rapt ores one family 

 is wanting, and this is without doubt either extinct, 

 or yet remains to be discovered. Whatever any 

 particular development of this system may be, there 

 can, we think, be little doubt that the principles on 

 which it is based, are founded on the laws of 

 Nature, and that can be said of no other classifica- 

 tion that has hitherto been promulgated. And if 

 founded on Natural laws, the details, which are 

 of course a minor consideration, will come with 

 time, when we shall have gained a more extensive 

 knowledge of species, and a more accurate acquaint- 

 ance of the habits of species already known. For 

 these reasons it is that we think it would be expe- 

 dient to adopt the Quinary System* in a work on 

 general Ornithology. Our next consideration will 

 be the nomenclature of birds, both scientific and 

 vernacular. 



One of the advantages of the system of Vigors, 

 is the uniformity which prevails with regard to the 

 terminations of the appellations. Thus the orders 

 end in ores, as Raptores, Insessoras, Rasorav, 

 Grallator^s, and Natatores. (The tribes are an ex- 

 ception to the rule : — four of these terminate in 

 rostres, and the fifth in ores. This requires revi- 



* A complete elucidation of this profound theory will be found 

 in Swainson's Northern Zoology, in his volume in Lardner's Cyclo- 

 paedia, and in the Linncean Transactions, Vol. XIV. 



