[ 1 
CLASS II. AVES. BIRDS. 
THIS beautiful and cheerful portion of created nature confifls of 
^flirnals having a body covered with feathers and down j jaws protrafted 
^nd naked; wings 2, formed for flight, and 2 feet. They are aereal, 
''ocal, fwift and light, and deltitute of external ears, lips, teeth, 'fcro- 
womb, bladder, epiglottis, corpus callofum and its arch, and 
'^'aphragm. 
. feathers are difpofed over each other in the form of a quincunx, 
^ttermixed with down, diftinft from the quill and tail-feathers, convex 
above, concave beneath, narrower on the outer lide, lax at the fore- 
hollow and horny at the bafe, with a central pith, and furnifhcci 
each fide the elongated fliaft with parallel, approximate, diftina, 
'at lamina; compofing the vane ; they vary in colour according to age, 
feafon or climate, except the quill and tail-feathers, which are 
®tore conftant and chiefly charafterize the fpecies. 
The eggs are various in number, fize and colour, but always co- 
}®red with a calcareous (hell, depofitedin an artificial nett, and hatched 
the genial warmth of the parent. 
-The body is oval, terminated by a heart-fliaped rump, and furnifhed 
over with aereal receptacles communicating with the lungs or 
'flroat, neceflary for flight or fong, and which may be filled or 
^‘cd at pleafure ; the rump has 2 glands, fecreting an unauous fluid, 
'yhich is preffed out by the bill to anoint the difeompofed parts of the 
leathers ; bill horny, extending from the head, either hooked at the 
for tearing the prey, or llender for fearching in the mire, or flat 
and broad for gobling, and is ufed for building nefts, feeding the young, 
^'^htbing, or as an inftrument of offence and defence; eyes lateral, 
^Urniflicd with orbits and a niftitant membrane ; ears truncate, with- 
auricles ; wings compreffed, confifting of moveable joints, and 
^°Vered with quills and feathers ; legs placed ufually near the center 
gravity, with toes and claws of various fliapes ; t ail ferving as the 
■•^adder or direftor of the body. 
. They are moftly monogamous, or live in Angle pairs, and migrate 
^tito milder climates upon defe£I of food or warmth, and a few become 
*°tpid in winter. . .. 
The generic charaSers are taken from the bill, tongue, noltn s, 
caruncles and other naked parts. 
They are divided into 6 orders. 
1 . ACCIr 
