Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 22:04:49 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Joel Martin Subject: Re: More bird names MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The name "Sparrow Hawk," which we held on to for a long time, in the Old English was "Sparhawk." Similarly "Goshawk" was the "goose hawk" but fortunately we never called it by that name. Most big raptors have been called "chicken hawks" at one time or another. Adult accipiters were known by rural folk as "blue darters" or "squirrel hawks." The Merlin, which we called Pigeon Hawk for many years, was also known as "bullet hawk" and "little blue corporal." I have a wonderful old book called "Birds of America," edited by T. Gilbert Pearson, with color plates by Louis Agassiz Fuertes. It was printed in 1936 and gives a quaint but excellent snapshot of our avifauna of that era. Birds were matter-of-factly characterized as good or bad, and an inordinate portion of the text discusses the birds' stomach contents and whether or not they were beneficial to the farmer. But one thing I love is the inclusion of popular names in each bird's description. Here's a sampler: Common Murre: Foolish Guillemot; Guillem, or Gwilwym; Tinker; Tinkershire; Kiddaw; Skiddaw; Marrock; Willock; Scuttock; Scout; Strany; Lavy; Frowl American Golden-Plover: Three-toes; Green-back; Muddy-belly; Toadhead; Hawk's Eye; Squealer; Frost-bird; Trout-bird; Prairie Pigeon There are many, many more. Joel Martin Catonsville, MD jcdlmartin@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================