ORNITHOLOGY (Gr. ornis, a bird, and logos, a discourse), that branch of zoology of which the subject is birds. By Aristotle, Pliny, and others of the ancients this study was prosecuted to some extent, along with other parts of natural history; but it is only in modern times that ornithology has assumed the rank of a distinct branch of science. The first modern author to attempt a scientific classification of birds seems to have been Pierre Belem noted also as an ichthyologist, whose .11istoria Avium was published about the middle of the 16th century. Sonic of his classes are very heterogeneous assemblages; but the tiast three, viz., birds of prey. web-footed birds, and gralbe, are so natural as to have been acknowledged, with some modification of their limits, in all subsequent systems. In the 17th c. much progress was made is the observation and description of species, not only of the birds of Europe, but of other parts of the world. In the latter part of the century attention began to be given to the anatomy of birds. An ornithological system, more perfect than that of Mon, was proposed by Willughby about 1676, and afterwards matured and improved by Ray. _On this system that of Linne was founded. During the 18th c. the progress of ornithology was very rapid. The birds of many countries were described in works specially devoted to them, and the habits of birds began to be carefully observed; but the system of Untie, as framed by him before the middle of the century, continued to prevail almost unmodified till the publication of envier's Mune Animal in 1817. Latham, Lacepede, Illiger, Temminek, and others had indeed previ ously proposed systems more or less different from it; and systems have since been pro posed by others, particularly by Mr. Vigors and Mr. Swainson, who have endeavored to accommodate the classification to certain first principles which they supposed to pervade nature, but which other naturalists in general regard as fanciful. The system of envier
is now generally received by ornithologists, as that of Untie formerly was; not, however, without modifications, by which it has been seught to accommodate it to the progress of science, and some of the names introduced by other authors have obtained very general acceptance. The system of Linne divided birds into six orders—ae,eipitres, pica, anseres, gralke, galllince, and passeres. That of envier also divided them into six orders—birds of prey (the accipit•es of Linne, now often called mast/4$), passerine birds (passerime, now more generally called inses .s or perching birds, including most of the Liunean passeres, and part of pea), dim ers (scansores, part of the Linnean pica, and often designated zygodactyll or gallinneeolls birds (now often called rasores, the Linnean gallime, but including also the pigeons oTForintbidtr, which Linne placed among pa.Nsero), often called waders (graUatores, the Linnean grallce), and birds (galiai pes, now also known as natalores or skimmers). These orders are noticed in separate articles. Perhaps the most important modification of Cuvier's system which has been proposed is the separation of the brevipennes or struthious birds from gralke, and their formation into a distinct sometimes called cursores or runners; and next to this may be mentioned the proposed separation of columbidos from gallinaceous birds.—The progress of ornithology since the commencement of the Mlle. has been very rapid; every department of it has been assiduously cultivated, and many of the works published have been not only of great merit, but very sumptuous and beautiful. The works of Audubon and Gould perhaps merit particular notice.