Oedek X.-CHARADEIIFOEMES. 
It is somewhat difficult to give a concise definition of the birds comprised 
in this Order. So few workers have ventured to discuss the affinities of the 
component parts, while still fewer have dealt carefully with the relationships 
as a whole, that really little is known in this connection. It has been 
generally conceded that the CTiaradriiformes are nearest related to the 
Lariforrms, while they have also affiances with the Ralliformes, but beyond 
that not much can be said. 
Sharpe in 1891 reviewed the recent attempts to classify birds, and 
glancing through that summarj^ I find them generally placed near the 
Lariforyms ; but very different sub-divisions are accepted by each individual 
writer. 
The latest authoritative svstematic account of the Order is contained 
1/ 
in the Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum, Vol, XXIV. This was 
completed as long ago as 1896, and as the method then adopted was utilised 
without alteration in the Handlist of Birds by Sharpe, it necessarily follows 
that it must be used as a basis in the present work. 
In my “ Reference List,” in deference to the lumping policy I there 
adopted, I used genera of wide limits and accepted the huge family Gharadriidoe 
proposed by Sharpe. My studies in the Procellariiformes and Larifor7nes 
indicated disagreement with the higher groupings in use in those Orders, 
but I did not make any alterations — simply pointing out the apparent 
discrepancies I noted in their treatment in the Catalogue of the Birdk in the 
British Museum. 
In the present Order, while generally adhering to that classification, I 
feel compelled to make use of different groupings and to give my reasons 
for not accepting the classification in the Catalogue in its entirety. These 
wiU be detailed under the genera affected. 
It should be noted that this group has offered such difficulty, that the 
only monograph yet written is that in the Catalogue. Previous to that two 
writers had specially interested themselves in the study of these birds, viz. 
Harting and Seebohm. While the fii'st-named contented himself with the 
rehabilitation of little-known species, the latter dealt with the birds from the 
geographical standpoint. This Geographical Distribution of the Charadriidoe 
Vr 
VOL. in. 
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