On the Classification of Water Birds Author:Elliott Coues Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: groups. But final appeal ranst not he made from all other characters to these ; but from these?as one of many sets?as collateral testimony?to the total of the re... more »st. As the sole basis for a system of ornithological classification, the scheme will probably remain in critical abeyance only until the time when its brilliancy shall have been forgotten, and its unsoundness alone be remcm- bereil. Professor Lilljeborg's systemf begins with the same three primary divisions that Nitzsch adopted after abandoning Katitce, and reducing them to an order of Cumorei. Further, however, it differs materially and is in some respects unique. It is particularly to be observed of this system, that no single set of characters?no special theory?guided its formation. The author takes a general average of characters, and seeks to harmonize, as far as pssible, con- flicting views of such ornithologists as have been led to propose schemes based upon special investigations. Bonaparte's ideas respecting Al/rice and Pr(ttuce; Nitxsch's researches ou the Carotids and Pterylosis ; Sundevall's re- sults regarding wing-coverts and flexor muscles of the feet; Cabanis' studies on the scutellation of the tarsus and other points ; Muller's generalizations re- specting the lower larynx; not to mention other data, have all been brought into use, judiciously estimated, and carefully coordinated. It is certainly the most caiholic' system that has ever been proposed ; there are intrinsic rea- sons why we might anticipate its high excellence. Having already given some reasons for my belief that all carinate birds at least may be primarily divided into three groups, I need not repeat them, in assenting unreservedly to the Tray in which Professor Lilljeborg draws the lines dividing Natatores, Cursores and Insessores....« less