320 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OP BIRDS. 
Cymindis. Now the only way that all these affinities 
can be reconciled is by supposing Milvus to belong to 
the circle of the buzzards, where it still remains, as 
before, a representation of the Fissirostres, althouyk in 
a different circle. 
(256.) On the location of particular types, or, in 
other words, of subgenera, in every department of zoo- 
logy, we shall take this opportunity of stating the 
opinion we have formed, after many years’ consideration 
(rf the subject ; and, in so doing, we trust not to be 
called upon again for the same explanation. True it is 
that zoological science has certainly not reached that 
point which will enable us to lUstinguish at once a sub- 
genus from an aberrant species. This discrimination 
must be the result of a much more refined analysis than 
naturalists of this age are accustomed to institute ; but 
this we maintain — and we appeal for its truth to the 
many instances we have already cited, and the many 
more that yet remain to be pointed out — that every 
subgenus and every aberrant species exhibits sufficiently 
strong indications of one or other of those forms we 
have already defined as the primary types of the 
WHOLE ANIMAL KiNODOM. We Care not how strongly 
this theory may be combated by the weight of great 
names, or by the opposition of mere asserters of their 
own opinions. We appeal to facts; not solitary, but 
innumerable ; and so long as these facts remain unem- 
ployed in the coustruction of any other natural system, 
so long must they remain unanswerable evidences in 
our favour. Whatever may be thought of our theory 
by the present race of zoologists, to whom it will 
naturally appear strange and startling, and however it 
may expose its author “ to the obloquy and censure 
which are the usual portions of an original discoverer,” 
we are well content to abide the decisions of another 
generation. Thus much for the theory of representa- 
tion. As to the rank of all circular groups above genera, 
we think that in ornithology by far the largest portion 
have been fully and completely determined, while time 
