32 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 
us first look to the five principal divisions of the 
thrushes, and see in what manner they represent ihe 
primary orders of birds. 
Subfamilies of 
Orders of Birds. Analogies. . Thrushes. 
Ivorssonss, {Feet formed both for perching and} ayeraiine 
Peron: prereset prominent tooth ; met Myotherine. 
NATATORES, Feet remarkably short. Brachypodine. 
GRALLATORES, Rahat Bhat Detar lB tail short it Oriolina. 
RASoREs. i pia ea aera oe Crateropodine. 
In this, as in all our preceding tables, each of 
the two columns form their own circle of affinity, the 
last group passing into the first, as in the instance of 
the Crateropodine, or long-legged thrushes, and the 
Meruline, or true thrushes. We thus have the following 
representations. The order of perching birds (Jnses. 
sores), and the Meruline, are the most perfectly con- 
structed in their respective groups, although the tooth 
of their bill is small and imperfect. This character, 
however, is very conspicuous in the rapacious order 
(Raptores), and in the division of ant-thrushes, both 
living entirely upon animal substances. The shortest 
footed birds are found in the swimming order (Nata- 
tores), and this also is the peculiar characteristic of the 
short-legged thrushes (Brachypodine), and is that by 
which they are separated from all their congeners. The 
orioles, living only upon very soft food, have the mouth 
particularly smooth, and thus typify the Grailatores, or 
wading order, whose food is precisely of this description. 
The analogy between the gallinaceous order and long- 
legged thrushes (Crateropoding), is particularly beau- 
tiful: ‘the short convex wings; the broad spreading 
tail ; great heaviness in flight; a size superior to all 
others in their respective circles, are the typical distinc- 
tions of both: even the nostrils are formed on the same 
principle ; the membrane by which the aperture is de- 
zended, and which, in other birds, is soxt and pliable, 
