﻿.'320 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



Cymindis. Now the only way that all these affinities 

 can be reconciled is by supposing Milvus to belong to 

 the circle of the buzzards, where it still remains, as 

 before, a representation of the Fissirostres, although in 

 a different circle. 



(256.) On the location of particular types, or, in 

 other words, of subgenera, in every department of zoo- 

 logy, we shall take this opportunity of stating the 

 opinion we have formed, after many years' consideration 

 of the subject ; and, in so doing, we trust not to be 

 called upon again for the same explanation. True it is 

 that zoological science has certainly not reached that 

 point which will enable us to distinguish at once a sub- 

 genus from an aberrant species. This discrimination 

 must be the result of a much more refined analysis than 

 naturalists of this age are accustomed to institute ; but 

 this we maintain — and we appeal for its truth to the 

 many instances we have already cited, and the many 

 more that yet remain to be pointed out — that every 

 subgenus and every aberrant species exhibits sufficiently 

 strong indications of one or other of those forms we 

 have already defined as the primary types of the 

 whole animal kingdom. We care not how strongly 

 this theory may be combated by the weight of great 

 names, or by the opposition of mere asserters of their 

 own opinions. We appeal to facts ; not solitary, but 

 innumerable : and so long as these facts remain unem- 

 ployed in the construction of any other natural system, 

 so long must they remain unanswerable evidences in 

 our favour. Whatever may be thought of our theory 

 by the present race of zoologists, to whom it will 

 naturally appear strange and startling, and however it 

 may expose its author ct to the obloquy and censure 

 which are the usual portions of an original discoverer," 

 we are well content to abide the decisions of another 

 generation. Thus much for the theory of representa- 

 tion. As to the rank of all circular groups above genera, 

 we think that in ornithology by far the largest portion 

 have been fully and completely determined, while time 



