THE QUINARY SYSTEM. 



XXXV 



more or less to resemble this type, they are said to be more or less 

 typical. " The centrum or perfection of a group," says Mr. Mac 

 Leay, "is in fact that part of the circumference of the circle of 

 affinity which is farthest from the neighbouring group, and exactly 

 the same thing with what in the Horce Entomologicce has perhaps 

 more happily been called type''' # Again, we are expressly told 

 that one portion of a group is always normal, that is, according 

 to rule or corresponding with the type ; and another portion is 

 always aberrant ; that is, wandering from the rule, or not perfectly 

 corresponding with the type ; all which terms are borrowed from 

 Robinet, De Blainville, or other foreign writers. For instance, the 

 group of vultures ( Vulturidce, Vigors) being arranged according to 

 this plan, the normal character, we are told, is "general conforma- 

 tion powerful ; head and neck bare of feathers ; organs of smell 

 strongly developed." f The aberrant character is, " general confor- 

 mation weaker; head and neck less bare of feathers; organs of smell 

 less developed."" J All these vultures, as well as the animals in any 

 similar group, whether normal and corresponding with the type, or 

 aberrant and not conformable thereto, are said to have an affinity 

 with one another, alleged to be real, natural, and, of course, a 

 portion of the plan of the Deity; while they have an analogy, or 

 representative and symbolical resemblance, in form, and other 

 characters, to some other group or groups of animals. The vul- 

 tures, for example, while they have both an affinity among the 

 members of their own group, and a more distant one with the 

 groups of eagles and of owls, have an analogy (but no affinity) 

 to dogs and to insects which feed on carrion (Necrophaga, 

 Latreille.) 



The MacLeayan systematists, upon grouping animals by their 

 affinities, also arrange them in a circular series, uniformly con- 

 sisting of Jive members, whence the system has been called the 

 Quinary system. These five members also are said to be com- 

 posed of two normal or typical, and three aberrant ones, — the vul- 

 tures, for example, thus : 



* Linn. Trans, vol. xiv. p. 59. 

 f Zoological Journal, ii. 374. 



c 2 



% Ibid, p. 377. 



