Why Birds Are so Named. 27 



WHY BIRDS ARE SO NAMED. 



BY KATIE M. ROADS. 



"What's in a name?" Would some of the names of our 

 birds suit one as \ve.ll as another, or, as in other branches of 

 science, has there been some significance attached to them or 

 some characteristic described by them ? 



While some birds rest content with one name, some have such 

 marked pecularities as to attract the attention of different per- 

 sons and each person has given his own interpretation of these 

 by giving a name of his own. This may account for the 124 

 different names for the Flicker as compleid by Frank L. Burns, 

 in The Wilson Bulletin No. 31. While all birds have not this 

 motley array of names, the majority are supplied with several. 



In the following incomplete list it will be observed that the 

 names e.mployed involve practically every part of the^ bird's 

 external anatomy. The color involves the main color of the 

 bird as well as the color of the head, the back, the wings, the 

 tail, the imder parts, the sides, the biH,and eveji peculiarities in 

 markings. The shape and length of tail and bill, peculiarities 

 of feet and legs, the place it frequents, the call notes, the, song, 

 the imitation in either form, color, or notes, and other things, 

 including persons and places. While many of these names are 

 more or less useful in describing the bird, some of them are 

 distinctly misleading or misnomers. 



It will be impossible to collate all names which every bird 

 may be or may have been called by, therefore it seems wise to 

 limit this paper to the vernacular or English names in genex- 

 al use and of recognized standing in ornithological literature. 

 The different headings will often be sufficiently descriptive so 

 that annotations for each species will be unnecessary. A 

 supplementary paper on local names may follow this one if 

 such a paper may seem of sufficient interest. 



The Main Color Of The Bird. 

 White: Ivory Gull, Snowy Egret, Snow Goose, Snowy 



