﻿ORDERS. 



Jl 



to size, or it is highly ornamented, or it is of some par- 

 ticular or unusual structure. The bill, in the most typical 

 examples, is short and thick, not conic, like the perchers, 

 but having the upper mandible more arched than the 

 under, and the nostrils covered with a hard or horny 

 substance : such, at least, are the characters found in 

 the order which more especially represents this type ; but, 

 in other groups, the bill is modified, so as to point out 

 the secondary analogies of the birds. A much more 

 general characteristic is the great size of the foot in all 

 its parts and proportions. Hence we find that the birds 

 in question live merely upon the ground ; and that in 

 proportion to the strength of their feet, is the shortness 

 of their wings : their food also is more restricted to the 

 vegetable world than any other birds, and they scratch 

 the ground in search of seeds with their strong feet, and 

 are assisted in the same operation by their robust bills. 

 All the groups which represent this type, in some mode 

 or other, evince either attachment or confidence towards 

 man ; and they are peculiarly susceptible of being tamed 

 or domesticated. 



(13.) The recapitulation just made of the chief 

 characters of the primary types of the animal kingdom, 

 as they appear in the class before us, will be sufficient 

 to recall the attention of the student to what has been 

 said upon the same subject on a former occasion* ; 

 when the definitions of these types were extended to all 

 animals. The further modifications to which they are 

 subject in the different groups, will be noticed as they 

 occur. Bearing in mind, however, the foregoing indi- 

 cations, the student will be prepared to understand more 

 readily those definitions of the primary divisions of the 

 class, which we shall now enter upon. 



(14.) All birds belong to one or other of the follow- 

 ing orders: — 1. Raptores, or rapacious birds ; 2. In- 

 sessores, or Perchers ; 3. Rasores, or Fowls ; 4. 

 Grallatores, or Waders ; 5. Natatores, or Swim- 

 mers. We call these divisions Orders ; but it is more 



* Classification of Animals, p. 257. 



