140 
ON THE CLASSIFICATION OP BIRDS. 
as the grallatorial type of 
the CxiculidcB, forms our 
genus Leptostoma ; and it 
j, is highly probable, al- 
if though their hills are 
‘'l shorter, that the two spe- 
cies above quoted will 
likewise belong to the 
same group. The head 
and feet, here represented 
of the natural size (fig. 
1 72. ), are completely th ose 
of a rasorial bird except- 
ing the toes, which indi- 
cate that link by which it 
is united to the cuckows. 
A more perfect union, in- 
deed, of the two circles of 
the Scansores and the 
Rmores could scarcely be 
imagined ; for, were the 
toes not placed in pairs, 
Leptostoma would, to all 
intents and purposes, be a 
rasorial genus. The wings 
are uncommonly short ; 
and its legs, for a cuckow, 
very long: it thus pre- 
serves its analogy to Cen- 
tropus, which is also a 
grallatorial type. 
(158.) The union of 
the three great tribes of 
lations, tpeoial pcrmiRsions, &c, aic necessarv to “ prevent coalition,” or 
rather clashing, among naturalists, artists, &c. The fallacy of this reason, 
ing is best shorvn in the case before us. Long before the bird in question 
came into the possession ot the Zoological .Society, I carefully examined, 
and named it in the catalogue of the Mexican Museum : the results, how- 
ever, I have never, until now, published ; and yet thiv very specimen has 
remained in the Society’s museum near ten years, without any published 
account of it tas far as 1 can learn) appearing, although it is certainly the 
