The Geographical Distribution of Animals, Volume 1 / With a study of the relations of living and extinct faunas as elucidating the past changes of the Earth's surface

by Alfred Russel Wallace

The Accipitres, or birds of prey, which were long considered to be the highest and most perfect order of birds, are now properly placed lower down in the series, their affinities being more with the aquatic than with the perching birds. The following is the arrangement adopted by Mr. Sharpe in his recently published British Museum catalogue of diurnal birds of prey:—

Sub-orders.		Fam.		Sub-families.
Falcones		94. Vulturidæ		Vulturinæ	Vultures.
				Sarcorhamphinæ	Turkey-buzzards.
		95. Serpentariidæ
		96. Falconidæ		Polyborniæ	Caracaras.
				Accipitrinæ	Hawks.
				Buteoninæ	Buzzards.
				Aquilinæ	Eagles.
				Falconinæ	Falcons.
Pandiones		97. Pandionidæ			Fishing-eagles.
Striges		98. Strigidæ			Owls.

The Grallæ or Grallatores are in a very unsettled state. The following series of families is in accordance with the views of some of the best modern ornithologists:

99. Rallidæ	Rails, &c.
100. Scolopacidæ	Sandpipers and Snipes
101. Chionididæ	Sheath-bills.
102. Thinocoridæ	Quail-snipes.
103. Parridæ	Jacanas.
104. Glareolidæ	Pratincoles.
105. Charadriidæ	Plovers.
106. Otididæ	Bustards.
107. Gruidæ	Cranes.
108. Cariamidæ	Cariamas.
109. Aramidæ	Guaraunas.
110. Psophiidæ	Trumpeters.
111. Eurypygidæ	Sun-bitterns.
112. Rhinochœtidæ	Kagus.
113. Ardeidæ	Herons.
114. Plataleidæ	Spoonbills and Ibis.
115. Ciconiidæ	Storks.
116. Palamedeidæ	Screamers.
117. Phænicopteridæ	Flamingoes.

The Anseres or Natatores are almost equally unsettled. The flamingoes are usually placed in this order, but their habits best assort with those of the waders.

Fam.
118. Anatidæ	Duck and Geese.
119. Laridæ	Gulls.
120. Procellariidæ	Petrels.
121. Pelecanidæ	Pelicans.
122. Spheniscidæ	Penguins.
123. Colymbidæ	Divers.
124. Podicipidæ	Grebes.
125. Alcidæ	Auks.

The last order of birds is the Struthiones or Ratitæ, considered by many naturalists to form a distinct sub-class. It consists of comparatively few species, either living or recently extinct.

Living		126. Struthionidæ	Ostriches.
		127. Casuariidæ	Cassowaries.
		128. Apterygidæ	Apteryx.
Extinct		129. Dinornithidæ	Dinornis.
		130. Palapterygidæ	Palapteryx.
		131. Æpyornithidæ	Æpyornis.

REPTILES.

In reptiles I follow the classification of Dr. Günther as given in the Philosophical Transactions, vol. clvii., p. 625. He divides the class into five orders as follows:—