114 A GLOSSARY OF GREEK BIRDS 



MEAAMnvrOI (^continued'). 



A solar symbolism probably underlies this name and its correlative 

 iruyapYos. Cf. the references to 'Hpa/cX;)? fxe\diJ.7rvyos, ap. Diodor. Sic. 

 iv. 31, &c. 



MEAANA'ETOI = XaYw<|)ocos. An epithet of the Eagle. 



Arist. H. A. ix. 32, 61 8b fieXai jrjv XPoftv, ^al jj-eyedos eXa;^io-ror, KparicrTos 

 TovTcov [rau TTvyt'ipycov Koi nXdyycov]. oiiTos oiKet oprj Koi vAas* KoXfiTcu oe 

 (iekavderos koi \ay(o(j)6voi. eKrpe^ei Se fiovos ra TeKva ovtos Kai f^dyei. eWi 

 Se a)Ku/3oXoj Koi ev6rip.a>v Ka\ a(pdovos Koi acf^o^os Koi fjia)(^ifios Koi €v(pr]p.os' ov 

 yap juvvpi^ei ovSe XeXjjKer : cf. lb. vi. 6, 563 b ol 8e pieXaves, k. t. X. 

 Plin. X. 3 Melanaetus a Graecis dicta, eademque Valeria [MSS. in 

 Valeria], minima magnitudine, viribus praecipua, colore nigricans, &c. 



Aubert and Wimmer suppose a small species of Eagle, e. g. Aqidla 

 miniita., Brehni, to be meant ; Sundevall suggests the Peregrine Falcon. 

 As is mentioned above, s. v. Xaywijxji'os, I see no grounds for these or 

 any other concrete interpretations : the passage is mystical and prob- 

 ably foreign. Aubert and Wimmer have already called attention to 

 the want of meaning and irrational order of the six epithets ioKv'^oko's, 

 fvdi'jpcov, &c. 



On peXas as an epithet of the Eagle, see s. vv. deros, fA6p<|)i'os : cf. 

 O. Keller, op. c, p. 237. Both jxeXavdeTos and XaYweJxjcos are applied to 

 the constellation Aquila in the Comm. Alfrag. p. 106 ; and I am 

 inclined to think that the ' Black Eagle ' had originally a mystical 

 and astronomical meaning. Cf. s. v. peXajjiTruYos. 



MEAA'NAEIPOI- opviQdpiov TTOLov, Hesych. Perhaps connected with 

 8eipT)s (q. v.), rather than with fifjpi}. 



MEAEAfPl'l. Also ficXeaYpos, fj KaroiKiSios opuis, Hesych. ; ficXaYpiS, 



Salmas. ad Plin. p. 612. 

 A foreign _ word, connected with Sem. Melek ; as in IMelkart, 



Meleager, Melicerles, &c. (cf. Keller, Volksetym. p. 236, Lat. 



Etym. p. 180). 

 The Guinea-rowl, Numida sp. 



First mentioned by Soph. Meleag. fr. ap. Plin. xxxvii. (2) il, the 

 birds weeping tears of amber for the death of the hero. Mentioned in 

 connexion with amber also by Mnaseas ap. Plin. 1. c. 



A full description in Clytus Miles, ap. Athen. xiv. 655 c-f aaropyov 

 npos TO. eKyova to opveov' to p.iv peyedos opvidos yevvalov, rfjv te Ke({)a\rjv 

 fxiKpdu npos TO CTw/xn KOI TavTr]v y^iXrjV, in' avTi]: de \6(})op adpKiPOP, (TKKrjpov, 

 (TTpoyyiiXov, (^€\ovTa tvjs KiCpaXrjs oxinep ndTTaXov, tcai to ;^pw/xa ^vXoei8rj. 

 TO 8e a(op.a airav TtoiKiXov, peXavos ovtos tov \puipLnTOi oXov, tttlXois XevKo'n 

 Kol nvKuo'is SieiXrjppei'OP' rrapanXijaiai 6 flaip a'l dijXeuu toIs appeaLv, k.t.X. 



