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THE NATURALIST. 
ON THE IMPROPRIETY OF PLACING THE COLUMBIDjE 
IN THE ORDER RASORES. 
By ThomasAllis, 
Curator of the York Philosophical Society. 
Recent as well as more ancient authors differ in their classification of the 
ColumbidcB ; some placing them in the order Rasores, others separating them 
from it, and some even including the Struthionidce in the Rasores. Of this num¬ 
ber is Mr. Selby, certainly no mean authority. He says, in the Naturalist's 
Library^ “ The Pigeons or family of Columhidee'^ are now, in accordance with 
their true affinities, admitted into the order of the Rasores^ or Gallinaceous 
Birds, of which they form one of the five great groups or divisions, the other 
four being represented by Pavonidce^ Tetraonidm^ Struthionidce^ and Cracidce. 
In this order they constitute what is termed an aberrant family (considering the 
Pavonidce and Tetraonidce as the typical groups); and from the affinity that several 
of the members composing it shew to the Insessores or Perching Birds, they 
become the medium by which the necessary connexion between the Rasorial 
and Insessorial birds is supported; such indeed appears to have been nearly the 
view taken of this interesting group by the earlier systematists, whose classifica¬ 
tion was not always conducted on those philosophical views which guide the 
naturalists of the present day; as we find the Columbidce arranged alternately 
among the Insessorial and Gallinaceous birds, or sometimes as an intermediate 
order separate from both.—An investigation of their habits and economy, both 
external and internal, shewing the close approximation that some species make 
to the typical Rasores^ is, however, sufficient to prove, that their affinity to the 
true Gallinaceous birds is much stronger than that which connects them with 
the Insessores^ though the latter is sufficiently so to support the requisite con¬ 
nexion between the two orders.” 
Thus far Selby. According to Cuvier, the Columbidce is considered as the last 
family of the Gallinaceous order. A writer in Partington’s Cyclopedia takes 
a different view of the subject, and considers them as a distinct order; I coincide 
with him in this respect, though I do not agree with him in all the facts on which 
that opinion is founded; he says:—“ The poultry tribe are, we believe, without a 
single exception, polygamous." I thought every one had known that the Par¬ 
tridge was monogamous; and I believe the whole of the Cracidce (which are 
* It should be, “ the Pigeon family or Ed. 
No. 8, VoL IL 
