Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 20:01:58 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: David Mozurkewich Subject: Re: Wigeon -v- Widgeon Redux In-Reply-To: <5.2.0.9.2.20040302132900.028e95b0@popd.ix.netcom.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Phil, Thanks for your research on this. We now know when the spelling changed but the more interesting question is why. I don't have have access to the old references you seem to have available so before you take the good advise being offered and do something useful with all your free time, why don't you use some of it to refute my explanation. The early 80's was a time when many American bird names were changed to bring them into agreement with the names used in England. For example, our gallinule became Common Moorhen. My guess is that the British have always used the Wigeon spelling and our name change was for consistency with them. Do you have the old BOU lists (if there are such things) or even old field guides from that part of the world? Dave David Mozurkewich Seabrook, PG MD USA mozurk @ bellAtlantic.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================