. Key to North American birds. Containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland and lower California, with which are incorporated General ornithology: an outline of the structure and classification of birds; and Field ornithology, a manual of collecting, preparing, and preserving birds. Birds; Birds; 1887. PBINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF CLASS'IFICATION. 65 - 8'6 egg. of them scarcely pre-liistoric. One of the oldest of these is tl of Madagascar, of which we have not on
. Key to North American birds. Containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland and lower California, with which are incorporated General ornithology: an outline of the structure and classification of birds; and Field ornithology, a manual of collecting, preparing, and preserving birds. Birds; Birds; 1887. PBINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF CLASS'IFICATION. 65 - 8'6 egg. of them scarcely pre-liistoric. One of the oldest of these is tl of Madagascar, of which we have not only the hones, but the ^gg Dinornithes of New Zealand, were among the later of these to die, portions of sldn, feathers, etc., of these great creatures having been found. With the Moa-reniains are found those of liarpagornis, a raptorial bird large enough to have preyed upon the Moas. Finally, various birds have been exterminated in historic times, and some of them within the life-time of persons now liviug. The Dodo of Mauritius, Didus ineptus, is the most celebrated (jne of these, of tlie living of wMch we have documentary evidence down to 16S1; tlie Solitaire of Eodriguez, Pezophaps solitariiia, the Geant, Leguatia gigantea, and several others of the same Mascarene group of islands, are in similar case. The Great Auk, Alca impennis, is supposed to have become extinct in 18i4 ; a species of Parrot, Nestor pro- ductiis, was last known to be living in 1851; various parr(jts and other birds have likewise disappeared within a very few years. At least one North American bird, the Labrador Duck, Camp- tolmnus lahradorius, seems likely soon to foUow. (A. Newton, Encg. Brit, 9th ed., art. Birds.) antic 2Epyornis maximus The immense Moas, or § • PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF CLASSIPICATION. Having seen ^vliat a Bird is, and how it is distinguished from other animals, our next business is to inquire how birds are related to and distinguished from one another, as the basis of. Fig. 17.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1887
