32 
ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 
US first look to the five principal divisions of the 
thrushes, and see in what manner they represent the 
primary orders of birds. 
Subfamilies of 
, , Analogies. Thrushes. 
Orders of Birds. . . ^ . 
f Feet formed both for perching and i 2derulin(e. 
INSESSORES. J walking; omnivorous i 
„ ( Bill with a prominent tooth ; insec. 1 
Kaptores. i tivorous. 
Natmoues. Feet remarkably short. Brachypodmo:. 
C Wings long, pointed ; tail short j ? 
Grallatores. j soft substances. i 
CBiU horny, hard, generally ^'^^^^^flcrateropodim. 
Rasores. ^ggj very strong. ^ 
In this, as in all our preceding tables, each of 
the two columns form their own circle of affinity, the 
last group passing into the first, as in the instance of 
the Craterrjpodmm, or long-legged thrushes, and the ^ 
Mei-ulinm, or true thrushes. We thus have the following 
representations. The order of perching birds {Inses. 
sores), and the Merulince, are the most perfecUy con- 
structed in their respective groups, although the tooth 
of their hill is small and imperfect. This character, 
however, is very conspicuous in the rapacious order 
(Rantores), and in the division of ant-thrushes, both 
living entirely upon animal substances. The sl'O’-test 
footed birds are found in the swimming order {Nafa- 
tores), and this also is the peculiar characteristic of the 
short-legged thrushes (^Brachypodina), is ‘"'‘t °y 
which they are separated from all their congeners. The 
orioles, living only upon very soft food, have the mouth 
particularly smooth, and thus typify the Grallatores, or 
wading order, whose food is precisely of this description. 
analogy between the gtillirittceous order and long- 
legged thrushes {Crateropodirue), is particularly beau- 
tiful : “ the short convex wings ; the broad spreading 
tail great heaviness in flight; a size superior to all 
others in their respective circles, are the typical distinc- 
tions of both : even the nostrils are formed on the same 
principle ; the membrane by which the aperture is de- 
lended, and which, in other birds, is soft and pliable. 
