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Cuvier, the great classifier, divides the feathered tribe into six orders birds of prey, passerines, climbers, gallinaceans, wading, and web-footed birds. In order to prevent confusion, the orders have been subdivided into families, the families into groups, the groups into genera, and the genera into species." "How are they all to be recognized?"
Sumichrast had only a few minutes left us, when we heard a report, and he reappeared carrying a magnificent bird, whose red plumage had a purple metallic lustre. "We have never met with this fine fellow before," said Lucien. "It is the most brilliant of all the American passerines," I replied "the Ampelis pompadora; but its splendid attire lasts only for a very short time.
They were the first of this family that we had killed, and Lucien in vain tried to make out what he called their relationship. "They are neither passerines," said he, "nor palmipedes. Climbers, too, have differently-made feet." "Your doubts are very natural," interposed my friend; "even ornithologists are very undecided on this point.
When l'Encuerado heard that we had coyotes near us, he made up a second fire for the night. The eastern sky was beginning to grow pale, and as we were supping we saw the paroquets in couples flying over our heads towards the forest. Humming-birds were flitting in every direction, and flocks of other passerines flew from one bush to another.
Nevertheless they class pigeons among the gallinaceæ, looking upon them as a link between this order and the passerines." "Why don't they make an order for them by themselves?" "Bravo, Master Sunbeam! your idea is an excellent one, but it has been already proposed; several naturalists reckon an order of columbidæ.
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