WIND HO VER— WOOD-CHA T 104 1 



WINDHOVER, a common name for the Kestrel (page 477). 



WINDLESTRAW, a local name for the Whitethroat. 



WINDPIPE, see Trachea ; but also, with 



WIND-THRUSH, WINE-THRUSH (Germ. Wein-drossel) and 

 WINNARD, a name of the Redwing (page 777). 



WING, see Carpus, Cubitals, Flight, Humerus, Primaries, 

 Radius, Remiges and Ulna. 



WIRE-BIRD, a Plover of the genus jEgialitis (Killdeer, p. 

 482) peculiar to the island of St. Helena, on the arid plains of 

 which, more or less covered with " wire-grass " {Cynodon daciylon), it is 

 a resident. It is allied to and, until Mr. Harting {Ihis, 1873, pp. 266- 

 269, pi. ix.) shewed its distinctness, was confounded with ^. pecuaria, 

 a species widely distributed in Africa. A. sandse-helends is however 

 the larger of the two, and like most birds peculiar to oceanic islands 

 has broader and comparatively shorter wings. 



WITTE KRAAI (White Crow) and WITTE OOGJE (White- 

 eye), Dutch names adopted by colonists in South Africa for '^'E.o- 

 TBROi^i percnopterus (page 621) and Zosterops capensis respectively. 



WOBBLE, a bird so called by some of the early voyagers to 

 North America, and supposed to be the Gare-fowl, but almost as 

 likely to refer to any other species of Alcidx which flutter their 

 wings. {Cf. Skeat, Etyviol. Did. sub wabble, another form of the 

 word.) 



WONGA-WONGA, a large and fine Pigeon, Leucosarcia picata, 

 inhabiting the eastern part of Australia, which from its esculent 

 qualities would apparently be well worthy of domestication, if that 

 end could be attained, which is not improbable seeing that the 

 species will breed in confinement. It is said to feed mostly on the 

 ground on the seeds and fruit-stones that have fallen from the trees 

 among which it lives. Of a deep slaty-grey above, with a white 

 gorget bordered above and below by deep black, black triangular 

 spots on its white flanks, and buff lower tail coverts, to say nothing 

 of its pink bill and legs, it is rather a noble-looking bird. 



WOOD-CHAT, a name for which no earlier use can be traced 

 than to Ray's posthumous work (Synops. Meth. Av. p. 19) published 

 in 1713, when it is applied to a species of Shrike (p. 843), Lanius 

 auriculatus or rufus, which has since borne it, though how this bird, 

 being only a chance visitor to Britain, came to earn a distinctive 

 English name, and one so unmeaning, is not easily understood.^ 



^ JFald-Katze, is one of its German names. Ray may have rendered this 

 literally ' ' Wood-Cat," and his Editor (Derham), or the printer, not knowing what 

 was intended, may have turned the last syllable into Chat. 



66 



