I. The maps of the spiral pattern of neutral hydrogen in the outer and intermediate regions of the Galaxy resulting from the 21-cm studies at Leiden and Sydney may be compared with the optical structure of other galaxies. If, as seems probable, most hydrogen arms coincide with or follow closely the optical arms marked by the blue supergiant stars, a comparison of the HI pattern with photographs in blue light should be meaningful. Such a comparison may lead to the identification of the galaxy type to which our Galaxy belongs. The regularity and symmetry of the HI spiral pattern indicates that our Galaxy is a normal system, and one to which, in principle, a definite type in the revised classification scheme (de Vaucouleurs 1958, 1959) can be assigned. If this assignment can be made successfully it should assist in the interpretation of the radio observations of the inner regions. There is a good possibility of at least restricting the range of galaxy types consistent with the HI spiral pattern of the outer regions because there is a high degree of correlation between galaxy type and multiplicity of the spiral pattern.