594 
U. S. P. R. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY-GENERAL REPORT. 
As already remarked, however, I shall not attempt to introduce any special innovation in the 
usual arrangement of the orders of American birds, but merely indicate what has been done by 
more modern writers. The combination of Columbae and Gallinae in one order, (after Keyserling 
and Blasius,) is an unnatural one in some respects, hut it makes little difference in the present 
case. Both have a peculiar character of plumage ; the feathers large and coarse, the shafts 
thickened, and inserted by a fine point, so as to he easily detached. Both have the short hill; 
the hard vaulted apex of the hill, with its blunt point, and the nostril protected by a fleshy 
or leathery, sometimes tumid, scale, projecting over its upper edge, except in the Crypturidae 
and Megapodidae , where the nostrils are elongated and open. This latter exception is another 
instance of the difficulty of expressing the peculiarities of a group by a single character. 
The following characters will serve, in a general way, to distinguish the Columbae from the 
Gallinae. 
Columbae. —Hind toe on the same level with the rest, and short. Toes free, or the membrane, 
when present, extending only between the middle and outer toes. Legs weak. Nasal valve 
and skin at base of bill soft. Feathers of forehead extending in a point on the base of bill 
along the culmen. 
Gallinae. —Hind toe usually elevated above the level of the rest; when on the same level 
much lengthened. Toes generally connected at base by a membrane. Legs very stout, and 
sometimes greatly lengthened. Nasal valve and base of bill hard. Feathers of forehead parted 
by the backward extension of the culmen. 
Table of orders of birds , with their parallelism , according to Bonaparte. 
ALTRICES. 
PRAECOCES. 
I. PSITTACI. 
American, 
II. Accipitres. 
Old World. 
III. Passeres. 
Oscines, 
IV. Columbae. 
Inepti. 
Gyrantes. 
. Volucres. 
VII. Struthiones. 
VIII. Gallinae. 
V. Herodiones. 
Passeripedes,. 
IX. Grallae. 
Grallipedes. 
Cursores,. 
Alectorides. 
VI. Gaviae. 
X. Anseres. 
Totipalmi, 
Longipennes. 
Lamellirostres, Urinatores, 
Ptilopteri. 
