SYSTEMATICALLY ARRANGED BY DR. T. T. KAUP. 
I give these schemes of the families, as at present I think them 
most properly arranged ; hut I do not answer for their not being 
still susceptible of many modifications, by restricting or enlarging 
them. All this can only be done, by giving Monographs of the 
single families, by which either superfluities will fall off or wants 
be discovered. 
Many families cannot be divided into subfamilies, as, for instance, 
the Alccdidce , but merely into five genera with subgenera ; others, 
as yet considered as groups of families, may, upon a closer investi- 
gation, prove to be but subfamilies, as, for instance, probably the 
family Trogonidce is but a subfamily, which represents the swallow 
type among the Musophagidice. The Nectarinidce form a sub- 
family, representing the Luscinidce among the Certhidce, and the 
Turdidce arc a subfamily of the Luscinidce. 
The Paradiseidce show, in more than one respect, the Gallina- 
ceous type ; and I think it very likely that they must be ranged 
with the Oriolidce* as a subfamily. The family Colidcc will pro- 
bably not hold good as a family, but must probably be considered 
as a member of a subfamily, representing the Pelicanidce among 
the Fringillidce. Where with propriety I am to place the Mega- 
podidfx , I know as little as yet as where to fix the Mcenura. 
These arc questions which are still to be solved and decided by 
the investigation of the respective families. Nothing, therefore, 
is more a desideratum than monographical essays on large fami- 
lies, as on the Psittacidee, Cuculidce, Fringillidce, Muscicapidce , 
Hirundinidce, Luscinidce, &c., in order partly to find out fixed 
boundaries, partly to know what constitutes a family, a subfamily, 
a genus, or a subgenus ; and moreover, to ascertain what families 
may be divided into subfamilies and which may not. By such 
ei-.viys a very great number of analogies, overlooked or unobserved 
>} myself, will yet appear, which will serve to prove still more the 
genera already fixed. Future times will not be contented with 
outward analogies alone, but search for them even in the skeleton 
and body, in which a new series of distinctive characters will pre- 
sent themselves. 1 
When all this at some later time shall have been done then 
the zoologist may, from the retirement of his museum, advise the 
120-33 
* Or Corvidce. 
