148 
TODUS. 
is not only given to one, but to all. The “ flood 
of light”, as it has been happily termed, which 
results from the demonstration of a single natural 
group, radiates, far and wide, upon all other such 
groups, and is again reflected back, with additional 
force, upon that which has been newly evolved. 
Of this description, in truth, do we consider the 
group we are about to illustrate. The views, now 
submitted to the scientific world, on the natural 
arrangement of this intricate family, have been 
“ slowly and painfully” elaborating for near eleven 
years, in which period, as may be supposed, they 
have undergone numerous alterations and revisions ; 
for so long as a single modification of form could 
not be explained and accounted for, we have 
studiously refrained from viewing our arrangement 
otherwise than as provisional. That it may not be 
found, hereafter, without errors, no one can sup- 
pose ; and yet we may be allowed the satisfaction of 
saying, that there is no one bird, belonging to 
this genus, which has yet fallen under our inspec- 
tion, but what may well find its place in the series, 
and furnish additional evidence that that series is in 
union with all those already established in other 
departments of nature. W e venture to make these 
preliminary observations upon two grounds : 1 . the 
scientific importance of the group before us ; and, 
2. as the reasons of our entering so fully into its 
detail. 
The types of the genus 
