﻿282 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



not dark or sombre : and both will be more particularly 

 noticed in a future volume. The reader should bear in 



mind, that our present object is directed to the cha- 

 racteristics of groups, not of individuals : our task is 

 not that of the biographer, or the collector of anecdotes, 

 but rather that of the general historian of this part of 

 creation. 



(234.) The genera composing this family may be 

 here slightly mentioned, although our present state of 

 knowledge will not allow so full an exposition of their 

 affinities and relations as could be wished. The diffi- 

 culty of procuring such large birds for minute examin- 

 ation, the rarity of most of them, and the few specimens 

 that are in our museums, are all serious obstacles to 

 attaining that acquaintance with the natural series of 

 this family which can alone substantiate our present 

 disposition of the genera. It has been stated, indeed, 

 that, of the two typical groups, the first, or the restricted 

 genus Vultur, has no caruncles or wattles either on the 

 head or neck ; while the possession of these appendages 

 is stated to be the chief distinction of the vultures of 

 the new world, forming the genus Cathartes. Our own 

 observations, however, lead us to consider these as se- 

 condary, and not primary, characters ; in proof of which 



