The folio,vin.. ' ' m.y 1» a meaou.-o iltatr.ito this. A pair of P t a t o » » 1 W * » c .o Boaght to England fioni Japan and
S ~ - - t - „,• Derby' at
ben mated IS a ben of P i « .. » » . W . o » By judirion b.oedmg then descendant, («Inch pronod tert.lo a . often B B
1 are M B M M i g r a i n * H H likeness species, "'Ad lt g W * | *»
i p s tbem from tbo imported birds,-tb. f.reiS„ stain which was ¡„tr.ducl, bavieg been apprently cat,rely B H B
* ‘ ' of sexes of the same species „ d c t o . d by tb e .d ^ tr o n aiready given of .hat l | | | I H J | | |
I S d . - i ,il „1 ddlerinl e ,. .e j f i p K p * a ll have been, ,v be be pljs.eal
otherwise it may safely be asserted tliat, should they not bo .continued aft the same degree as when they originated the i differences
differences
exbibiled’by Urn sniped, the variety wmtltl bo enable to transmit its peculiarities to ite descendants, and would not be i
i disturbing
''"Ttomdfyiii" i I differences and bestowing upon slight variation. speeide xnlnes, docs not advance tbo science of Onnthologj-, but
H H M H H H H i t ^ C U threshold of hi, lovestigatioos soonlled■g e e * ., between winch and ‘"mu. .
1,0 u unable to nnd attributes the reason-net always con-ccUy-to Ins own nont ol dricmninntaon. -
The emnlniion to be lirst, which in many instances is so commendable, shonld, in the description of spec.es, be toinpcrcd with
moderation and the desire for the fullest research greater than that, o f publishing incomplete investigations, as to be
the case lest — perhaps n o « » knowledge of the ubpscl h o ^ d ta lo the preeodence. I
■■ F r A x t e r n , must of nnccndty .be the motto of all diseiples o f nat.mo, oho seek only to learn the troth through thou- studies,
and desire. to gather up the productive grains whicli so. often lie hidden , in the chaff.
T h eFuror-Spedfieus, even more than .the Fkmr. Geturien, so prevalent in these later days, is to .be deplored, as tending more to
embarrass and perplex, tin... to tl.ro.v the much needed .light upon the subject, which those imbncd will, the pashm doubtless inton,led
one, Wlmt may wc consider tbo true explanation of the term.
— — H I not necessarily require an animal to have chanwtcnt radically distinct from all others, and a
few sB-bt'aml imperfectly defined variations arc alone sufficient for the establishment of sncb n rank, then, indeed must at a lt bo j
' a . fault, dependent upon the variable and oft changed opinions of atory writer. A bird which requires .ajielosely - w r i t t p m « ^ ,
cxpbwation, in order i!» t the «%bi difference i t . may ¿ossess from otbei- forms, may be uudorstoed and seen, is ofttane moie bkel) to
’ have endcigene changes from .'its parcnt .form .prodeced hy local effects, than to be an independent species, bill, a ta ll .events, is banlly
¿„titled t0 the same rank with that one whiel, beat, the mark of its separate origin distinctly upon it, and 1 cl on bo e c o g _ c l
at onec Physical causes, sncb as food, climate nnd soil,.produceIgreater.alterations than they arc usually accredited with, aot only in
' ' the shape, of tbo body and its auxiliaries, but also in. the color of plumage, and many a so-called species is only a local race, changed
from the p'arent form by the force, ofcircumstauces.
I It will 1m aebnowlodged by every naturalist, tlmt all variations, nomatter how trivial they may appear, which may be detected in
any specimen, should be noticed and reported. To emit this would indeed be to lessen materially the .value of scientilie labors; but at
I V.he same time it.may with equal force be asserted that to elevate these individuals which present sue!, slight yeriatloue from allied forms,
into, a separate, distinctive rank, is far mere likely to be pregnant with evil, than. would be to omit mentioning the differences
perceived, altogether. , •• " . ' ' ’ ' .-A JkI --
Should a well-balanced restraint be placed upon the desire to describe as distinct those examples which so often carry with them
the conviction of only being offshoots from other forms, from which they vary in-110 important charactersshould a difference in shade
of color or a slight alteration in size, not be considered entirely sufficient in itself to establish specific rank,—and a patient waiting for
knowledge to confirm a .supposition, take the place of the habit whfeh i s sadly prevalent,. of anno.uncing as a definite conclusion a .
judgment arrived at from suspicions frequently made on a .most imperfect basis; we might. assuredly, hope that, although. species (!)
would not multiply so fast, yet our knowledge of Ornithological science woiild increase as rapidly, investigation^ would be carried.oil with
equal earnestness, fewer errors would arise to baffle and perplex, and more real -progress, eventually he made.
t t is ¡mnarent in these later days, that there is an inclinatiqn.among some, to classify as distinct every specimen which, may differ
which it . seems unwise to
t.apparent .t
v degree from others, and on a critical examination of the birds contained i irk, I find s
consider even as local races, while, others dp not appear to possess sufficient claims for separation; Which shonld entitle them to any
consideration. •
Very many have been the1 systems, of classification for birds, nearly all of which have contained some commendable points, but no
oqa of which has been sufficiently perfect to cause its adoption to .the exclusion of the rest. Indeed, in this, like the belief, as for, that
which may be necessary to constitute a species,, it would seem that naturalists have their individual opinions, and arrange the groups
of" -their respective branches according to their own ideas. In Ornithology, the practice has universally been, until lately, to place the
birds'of prey, on account of their strength and power of flight,' at the head of the system. Might may make right, but it assuredly
does not intellect, or that which, in the dumb animal, is its substitute, and possessing which in a. greater or less degreo, elevates or
lowers the subject; therefore it seems far more plausible to give the first rank to tlios^birds which are most sensitive to outward
impressions* whose abilities to express their feelings of joy. and sorrow, greatest and easiest of comprehension, and whose nervous
organization is most delicate and perfect. .
° The heavy and cowardly eagle, the repulsive and sluggish vulture, whose food is carrion, and whose custom is to gorge itself until
incapable of locomotion, and then remain stupidly .inactive until relieved by nature, certainly are not fit subjects to outrank those
species whose, active life .is a delight to all who meet with them, whoso instinct and ingenuity approach closely to reason, and whoso
courage, that God-like virtue, fails not even unto death.
All indeed, accomplish that for which they were summoned into shape; but if. there is any classification in. nature, and we are not
simply, in aid of our own lack of knowledge, fashioning one to enable us to comprehend each other, then, assuredly, it would seem most
proper that the dull, inert, and stupid, should’ not take, precedence of all that is gay, and bright, and joyous.
; The system which .has been mainly accepted in the. following arrangement, and which has very deservedly found groat favor with
Ornithologists, is the. one . proposed by Prof. Lilljeborq of Upsala. He, in his synopsis, preferring the progressive method, as more in
correspondence with the physiological and geological ¡development, commences with the lowest forms and. finishes with the highest,
i. Vol. I. lo P. Ver
Irritability, used in the sense of vivacity and activity, is considered to be the most distinguishing ch arac ter, an d ju d g ed b y this
test, the Passerine birds naturally assume the first rank. In conjunction with the above, the n a tu re of the u pper wing coverts and
the carotides communes, are deemed of great importance in ascertaining the relative affinity of birds, and aiding towards the formation
of a connected system, as far as it may be' possible with so many links in the chain wanting.
Birds are included in the following arrangements: AH those which have the largo upper wing coverts on th e first row o f th e
cubitus so short as not to reach beyond the middle of the- cubital quills, are possessed of only one carotis communis, th e sinistra.
Those, on the contrary, which have the same coverts, forming several rows, and extending beyond the middle of the cubital quills, have
two carotides communes, one dcxtra and one sinistra. There are some exceptions to this rule, such as Gypselus, Trochilus, Merops,
Psittacus, Rhea, Phoenicopterus, Podiceps and Pelecanus; of which genera, although the wing coverts are long, the various species have
only one carotis communis.
Beginning with the highest or lowest, forms is a mere matter of preference, and .does not in any way interfere w ith the arrangement.
“The eagle, then, in these pages is dethroned; the nightingale reigns in his stead. In that moral crescendo where the bird
continuously advances in self-culture, the. apex and the supreme point are naturally discovered, not in brutal strength so easily overpassed
by man, but in a puissance of art, of soul, and of aspiration, which man has not attained, .and which beyond this world, transports him
in a moment to the further spheres.” ; V ’. >'' i-fii;-'V"--T-'
I commence the recapitulation of the birds necessary to be considered in this work with the
P A S S E R E S .—-OSOIlSrES.
F A U L T I.— TURDIDiE.
SUB-FAMILY TURDIN2E.
G E N U S T U R D U S .
Turdus. Linn. Syst. Nat. (1735.)
1. TURDUS AUDUBONI.—T. PALLASH.
Turdus Auduboni. Baird. Rev. Am. Birds, p. 16.>^.;
Merula Silbns. Swain. Philos. Mag. VoL I. (1827). p. 360.
Having carefully examined the type, No. 10,886, kindly sent to me by Prof. Baird, I am unable to distinguish any characters
sufficient to 'cause its .separation from T. Pallasii. The back is slightly more - inclined to an olivaceous hue and paler than in most
specimens o f T. Pallasii; the rump also paler. The wing is about half an inch, and the tail a quarter of an inch longer than the
ordinary lengths of the common species, but as Prof. Baird chose the largest of his specimens for his type, as stated in his Review, it
may, with perfect propriety, be deemed an extreme size, and not to be taken as a specific character. The lengths of the bill, tarsi, and
toes, agree with those of T. Pallasii.
2. TURDUS CONFINUS.=T.'MIGRATORIUS.
The typical example of this bird having also been placed in my hands for- examination, it appears to be a Turdus Migralorius,
in worn aud faded plumage; the latter circumstance not infrequently occurring with birds which exist exposed to the rays of a tropical
sun in sandy districts; although this peculiarity in plumage is not always confined to such localities, for during the period in which this
type was in my hands, I had the opportunity o f comparing it with a robin in faded plnmage, shot upon the Hudson river, and received
by Mr. J. G. B e ll, which resembled Prof. Baird’s specimen so closely as to be distinguished from it only with difficulty. The type was
obtained at Todos Santos, Cape St. Lucas.
GENUS HARPORHYNCHUS.
Harporhynchus. Cabanis. Wieym: Archiv. (1848).' Vol. I. p . 98.
3. HARPORHYNCHUS CINEREUS. . Vol. I. Plate L
F AM I L Y II— PA R I D J .
SUB-FAMILY PARINiE.
G E N U S P A R U S .
Parus. Linn. Syst. Nat. (1735.)
4. PARUS OCCIDENTALIS.==P. ATRICAPILLUS.
PARUS OCCIDENTALIS. ' Baird. Birds of N. Am. p. 391.
. j am unabi0 to distinguish any characters possessed by this Tit, which should entitle it to be separated from the P. Atricapfflus.
The very slight difference in the hue of the plumage from that .of the common species, as pointed out by its describer, is not sufficient
to warrant the establishment of a specific rank.