Re: "Common" Gull
Phil Davis (pdavis@ix.netcom.com)
Sun, 25 Jan 1998 12:41:37 -0500
Rick -
Yes, but I have a witness that claims to have video tape of you, at
Conowingo, calling the bird ... under your breath ... a "Mew Gull" ...
My comment is strictly from an AOU standpoint, which my lawyer says is what
I must abide by ... I hope you do get an answer from your "source" ...
love to see it.
Phil
At 05:31 AM 01/25/1998 -0500, you wrote:
>Phil:
>
> Its not likely to be much of a war, what with everyone else hitting
>the delete key as soon as they see the header...
> Irrespective of how the AOU worded their account (now there is
>arrogance on my part), the European bird is still correctly referred to,
>anywhere in the world, as Common Gull. First, the name has precedence,
>dating from 1758. The name Mew dates from 1831. To say Common is
>technically an indentifiable form of Mew is backards. Mew, discovered and
>named later, is technically an identifiable form of Common. (Actually, and
>I say this without offering any proof - it is a separate species and there
>is no doubt it will be treated as one before long). Mew was orginally
>described as a separate species and then lumped. When it was, we should
>have reverted to the name Common, but we are a bit jingoistic and are
>attached to our names (witness loon vs diver and jaeger vs skua).
> Calling the bird Mew is redolent of the silliness we exhibited when
>we changed the name of Peregrine Falcon to Duck Hawk and Merlin to Pigeon
>Hawk just to show we were not in thrall to the rest of the Europeans.
> Actually, it is just tradition and conservatism. We do not like to
>change well established names, even when they are wrong. Neither do the
>Europeans. Ther are having a fit over the suggestion that they change the
>name Swallow to Barn Swallow.
>
> Have at....
>
>Rick
>
>PS _ I've sent a note to a member of the AOU Check-List Committee. If he
>agrees with me I'll pass it along. If he doesn't, I'll deny under oath that
>I ever got it unless the special prosecutor agrees to a deal...
>
>Phil Davis wrote, in part:
>>
>>In the sixth edition, Larus canus is "officially" (per the AOU) given the
>>common name of "MEW GULL". At the end of the species account there is a
>>note that reads: "Also known as COMMON or SHORT-BILLED GULL". ... Some
>>(possibly most) Atlantic coast records are referable to the European L. c.
>>canus ..."
>>
>>I think that until the AOU splits L. canus into two or more species, L. c.
>>canus is still technically an identifiable form of the MEW GULL, called the
>>COMMON GULL ... at least as far as us Norde Americanos are concerned.
>
>>... your turn ...
>
>
>
>"Everywhere I go I'm asked if the university stifles writers. My opinion is
>that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a bestseller that could
>have been prevented by a good teacher." Flannery O'Connor
>
>Rick Blom
>rblom@blazie.com
>Bel Air, Maryland
>
>
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Phil Davis
home: PDavis@ix.netcom.com Davidsonville, Maryland, USA
work: PDavis@OAO.com Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
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