Ordee MENUKIFORMES. 
This is the only order peculiar to Australia, and two species, which I 
separate generically, are pecuhar to South-east Austraha. With a large 
hterature it is still somewhat a mystery bird, being peculiar in so many 
respects. 
Latham ranked it as a Gallinaceous form, while Vieillot placed it with 
his Birds of Paradise. Such extraordinary positions incited interest, but 
while the authors mentioned thought it worthy of generic distmction Wagler 
classed it, against all nomenclatural rules, past and present, in the genus 
Megapodius, a genus proposed more than twenty years later than Menura. 
Later from anatomical features it was classed even among the “Passerine” 
birds, a position it has held until recently, when it was given ordhial rank 
though placed next to the Passeriformes. It seems possible that this 
association is incorrect, but no anatomist in recent years has dealt with 
this bird, and the early workers had httle material to deal with. 
To recapitulate briefly, it was placed among the Passeriform birds 
on account of anatomical features which were undoubtedly over-valued, 
and these have never since been correctly estimated. When Eyton con- 
cluded that its internal structure showed affinity with Pteroptochus no 
attempt was made to ascertain the reason of the resemblances, so the 
matter was left in abeyance. Huxley included it in his group equivalent 
to the Passeriformes of to-day, but he contrasted this form with all the 
rest indicating at once its abnormal nature. Later Newton associated 
with it, as agreeing in some of its peculiarities, the genus Atrichia and these 
were accepted as being closely aUied and still opposed to the remainder 
of the Passeriform birds, though included in the order. 
Sharpe took the correct course in separathig these and determining the 
Menurce as of ordinal rank, while removing Atrichia to the end of the 
Passeriformes; but he intended Atrichia to be the most archaic, and hence 
should have been next to Menurce, which error he at once corrected. 
I am convinced of the propriety of separating the Lyre-Birds as a 
distinct order, and have left them next to the Passeriformes, but am also 
certain that this is not their correct place. It is interestmg to give 
Sharpe’s diagnosis of the order. 
“ Nesthng thickly covered with down. Furcula complete ; sternum 
392 
