288 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIROS. 
excited more attention among modern naturalists, and 
has given rise to more controversy than any group in 
the whole circle of ornithology. In the present ad- 
vanced state of science it is quite unnecessary to ad- 
vocate the imposition of classical names to the different 
groups it contains, since they have been long distin- 
guished by the vernacular ones of eagle, hawk, buzzard, 
&c. The real difficulty lies in determining the natural 
series, and in separating those modifications which are 
typical of natural genera, or subgenera, from those which 
merely belong to aberrant or annectant species. It is 
quite clear that neither of these important objects can 
ever he accomplished by consulting figures, which are 
often incorrect, not only in their details, but in giving a 
false character to the bird *, or the ordinary descriptions 
found in systems, where it generally happens that those 
points of structure which chiefly point out the relations 
of the bird are entirely omitted ; w’hile minute par- 
ticulars as to colour, &c., of no essential importance to 
the main question, are prominently brought forward. 
It may be urged, indeed, that such classifications are 
provisional, and are merely proposed until the group is 
better understood ; but we question much whether any 
real advantage to the cause of science, and more esjic- 
cially to the establishment of the circular system, is 
eventually gained by such premature attempts to prove 
its truth, particularly in those groups which, from their 
intricacy, more especially require rigid analysis. On 
the other hand, it must be confessed that such analysis, 
in the present instance, is attended with peculiar diffi- 
culty. Most of the exotic raptorial birds, or at least 
several of the most remarkable forms, are rare ; and 
there are no collections in this country, public or private, 
which contain more than a very insignificant portion of 
the existing species. These considerations, which carry 
with them the impossibility of determining the rank of 
the numerous divisions proposed by Savigny, Cuvier, 
* This is particularly the case in the figures of falcons oontained in the 
Planches Colonies. 
