96 



THE OOLOQI8T 



asembled in one book, it undoubtedly 

 would be a large colume, and if the 

 meaning of these names were to ac- 

 company them, it would make very in- 

 teresting reading, as some of these 

 names have been in use for several 

 decades. It is the hope of the writer, 

 that when others read these lines, 

 they will be encouraged to contribute 

 their "local lists" to these columns 

 and we may thereby learn of the 

 local birds names in use in different 

 parts of the country. 



One of the most interesting names 

 to be found in this part of Iowa', is the 

 "Rain Crow," given to the Yellow 

 Billed Cuckoo. A good many farmers 

 have faith in this bird as a weather 

 prophet and believe that when the 

 bird sings, if the notes can be called 

 singing, rain will follow shortly. 

 Many farmers will relate times when 

 this country needed rain badly, the 

 Cuckoos were heard singing and rain 

 came up and saved the crops. I have 

 known the Cuckoo to be a prophet of 

 rain many times, but I do not think 

 it sung because it knew rain was on 

 the way. The Cuckoo's time to sing 

 is during very hot and sultry weather 

 when the sky is filled with great 

 rainy looking clouds and one seldom 

 hears them at any other time, except- 

 ing at night, to hear a Cuckoo singing 

 in the middle of the night is a rare 

 privilege but it makes one think of 

 the Cuckoo as a bird of mystery. In 

 the day time even the quality of the 

 Cuckoo's notes are apt to give one a 

 peculiar feeling but in the dark of 

 night they sound so weird and un- 

 canny that only a small amount of 

 imagination is required to make them 

 seem ghost-like. It is not strange that 

 in the days of witches and ghosts this 

 bird was held in awe by superstituous 

 persons. 



Here the Herons are called by a 

 variety of names. The common one 



is "Poke," but I have never learned 

 the meaning of this name. The Black 

 Crowned Night Heron is called "Blue 

 Crane." The Green Heron is called 

 "Black Crane," and the Great Blue 

 Heron is sometimes called "Stork." 



The large family of Hawks are 

 known chiefly as Chicken Hawks but 

 Owls are rare in this part of the state 

 and only one species has been given a 

 local name. This is the Barred Owl, 

 which is called the "Hoot Owl." 



Very few people who are not inter- 

 ested in birds are acquainted with the 

 Whip-poor-will because of its noc- 

 turnal life, but the Night Hawk is 

 usually thought to be a Whip-poor-will 

 and many people never learn the dif- 

 ference. 



Of course it is only natural that 

 the Brown Thrashers will be called 

 "Brown Thurshes," "Juncos," Snow- 

 birds," Chimney Swifts," "Chimney 

 Swallows," "Shrikes," Butcherbirds," 

 and the Goldfinches," "Wild Canaries," 

 because these names fit them well, 

 but it is hard to understand why the 

 Killdeer should be called a "Snipe,' 

 and the Wilson Snipe called "Snipe-0." 

 Many of the older men will tell you 

 how abundant the little "Snipe-0" 

 used to be when they were boys. 



Some other common names in this 

 part of the country are "Yellow-ham- 

 mers," (Flickers), "Mud-hens" (Am. 

 Coot), "Turtle Dove" (Mourning 

 Dove.), and most of all the Sparrows 

 known as ground birds. 



The Bobolink is occasionally called 

 "Skunkbird," because the black and 

 white markings on its back somewhat 

 resemble those of a skunk. 



The Bob White is also given a 

 queer name of "More-Wet," but it is 

 not used very much. The Bob White 

 is also often considered a weather 

 prophet and when it persistently 

 calls "More Wet," in the summer, 

 many farmers believe that rain is on 



