Order— PAS SE RI FORMES. 
Stejneger, commenting upon his Order Passeres, observed that it included 
more than half the known species of the birds of the world and further that 
it had been written, “ A hundred classifiers, a hundred so-called systems,” and 
therefore decided “ to propose number one hundred and one, at least for our 
own use.” 
To review the hundred and one attempts would occupy much more space 
than can be allotted here, but still it seems necessary to remark upon some of 
these, though not with the intention of adding “ system one hundred and two.” 
In recent years no attempt has been made to deal with the higher classification 
of birds, “ subspecies ” having been the highest grade dealt with by most ornitho- 
logists. Recently when the question of genera was brought up before the 
British Ornithologists’ Club the opinion of the majority of the subspecies students 
was that genera did not exist in nature but were merely matters of convenience ; 
but as has been already pointed out neither do subspecies exist in nature, a heresy 
too daring to publish. Subspecies is the name given to a geographical variation 
of a bird form, which is more or less constant. The obliteration of the con- 
necting links by factors, ofttimes unrecognisable to us, determine species. A 
number of species may be met with which have not varied a great deal in 
colour pattern and structure, and these represent a higher group which is called 
a genus. Genera, so diverse that though of the same alliance are recognisable 
as different at sight, are further grouped and a family series is then named, 
and so the classification proceeds. 
It is now admitted that all schemes of classification must be based upon 
evolutionary principles and therein lies most of the trouble in connection with 
the present Order. The Order is regarded as the climax of evolution in avian 
form and it is very difficult, if not really impossible, to determine the lowest 
and highest forms in the Order. By fixing upon some single feature some extra- 
ordinary complications have been presented to the non-observant ornithologist, 
and such have been accepted as quite natural whereas they were undoubtedly 
unnatural. The best instance is that of a rare Australian bird, Atrichia clamosa 
Gould, which on account of the lack of a single organ was placed against all 
the other Passeriform species and classed with a bird to which it has no direct 
relation whatever, the Lyre Bird. 
vol. vni. 
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