544. 
ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 
Other, the whole of our domestic poultry : how can 
relations of analogy be more complete than these ? 
(284.) Our proposition is, that this circle of the 
Insessores will he verified by its internal affinities, 
independent of any support from the analogies we are 
now bringing forward. But to substantiate what has 
been said, and said most truly, that “ a natural group 
will stand any test,” we shall now compare this with 
the corresponding divisions in the class of quadrupeds 
as a collateral evidence of its correctness, and in sup- 
port of the remark we have quoted. 
Orders of 
Birds. 
Tribes of the 
Insessores. 
IX.SESSORES. 
Conirostres. 
Raptores. 
Dentirosircs, 
Natatores. 
Fissirostres. 
Grallatores. 
Tenuirostres, 
Rasores. 
Scansores. 
Orders of the 
Analogical CMracters. Mammalia. 
f Pre-eminent in their powers ") 
) of prehension, and in ge- f « 
j neral organisation j claws ( 
(, or nails not acute. j 
I 
I 
Rapacious, feeding upon 
other animals ; claws 
acute. 
Head very large ; feet obso. 
letc, or short and imper- 
feet j habits aquatic. 
J 
FEEiE. 
Cetace.%. 
Size diraimitive; upper jaw 
or mandible prolonged ; 
run or fly very fast ; eyes 
placed back in the head. 
I 
Glires. 
r Size large] head small j or." 
I naraented with append- 
ages ; granivorous or 
j herbivorous ; habits re- 
t markably docile. 
•Ungulata, 
(285.) Before we make any observations upon this 
table, wc shall take occasion to introduce some remarks 
upon andogies in general, arising from the degrees of 
this relation observed in the above table. Those between 
the Ime.'mores and the Manmalia are of course more 
remote than between the groups in the two first columns, 
for the best and most obvious reason, — that, as the 
animals themselves are more remote from each other in 
general confirmation, so must their analogies be equally 
remote. It would be strange, indeed, were it not so ; 
and yet so little do some writers appear to exercise 
their reason on this subject, that they actually bring 
