28 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 
tributed, with the first and great divisions of birds into 
orders. | | 
Orders of Birds. Analogies. Pe tia 
Upper mandible abruptly hooked and ‘4 
RAPTORES. furnished with a tooth more or jae myothera, t 
prominent. 
Bill, in the typical groups, gradually ? p- 
INSESSORES. f curved, the tooth obsolete. Pitta, 
yee more or less entire; wings short, 
convex; feet very strong, and ¢atyophonus. 
formed for walking. 
RasoreEs. 
Bill straight, or somewhat inclining 
cnssaronee, } Mi ic a et nt 
1 : 
NATATORES. Feet partially syndactyle. Dasycephala. 
(28.) The two first analogies on this table, or those 
between the Raptores and Myothera, and between the 
insessores and Pitta, require no illustration, since the 
bills are modelled on the same plan in each. The 
Rasores, or the gallinaceous birds, are the largest in 
existence; as they live upon the ground, their feet are 
very strong; and their wings, not being much used, 
are short: now all these are characteristics of the genus 
Myophonus ; both these analogous groups, in fact, have 
a strong, but an entire, bill ; the most typical examples 
among the Rasores (as the pheasants, fowls, peacocks, 
&c.) have the feathers on the neck of a pointed form, 
and richly glossed with metallic colours: Myophonus is 
the only genus of its family which puts on these pecu- 
liarities. The striking representation of the wading 
birds, given in Cinclus, is palpable to the most in- 
different observer: it is, perhaps, one of the most beau- ° 
tiful analogies in creation; while that between the 
swimming order of Natatores and Dasycephala is shown 
in the partial union of the toes. 
(29.) By comparing the ant-thrushes with the five tribes 
of perching birds (Insessores), we shall get explanations 
on several other parts of their structure. 
Tribes of , : 
eae rears, Analogies. Genera. 
DeENTrIROSTRES. Bill abruptly hooked. Myothera. 
_ CONIROSTRES. Bill more conic, the notch small. Pitta. 
Bill entire; shafts of the tail ad 
SCANSORES. ending in naked points, Dyoronte, 
