S HOFFMAN on- Indian Bird Kami's. [Januan 



named, the particular designation would at once be furnished 

 without reference to size, as the Raptores have, in each instance, 

 names of a generic and specific character, or perhaps one only, 

 implying something with reference to peculiarities of the beak, 

 the claws, or the manner of grasping the prey. An instance of 

 this may be observed in a Falco sp? of the ' Crow ' Indians, viz : 

 the Absdroka, after which the tribe is named. The word 

 Absdroka is derived from a pit a ; ap an arrow point, a hook, and 

 Ha to kill; i.e., to kill with an arrow -pointed mouth. The 

 latter portion of the word is not clear. The word for Crow 

 ( Corvus) in the same language is pe-ri'-tski, and signifies -to 

 defile one's self.' With these few remarks I will proceed to the 

 list of names, under which further discussion will be continued, 

 when necessary. The orthography is phonetic, vowels having 

 continental sound, and but two characters are introduced for 

 which no representative sounds occur in English, viz : — 



X, similar to the German ch in iiacht. ox rather the Spanish j 

 in mujer. Equivalent to the Arabic ghain. 



J^ similar to German ch in >iicJit. The letters S., vSh., P., 

 or U., in parentheses, refer respectively to Selish, Shoshoni, 

 Pah-Uta, and Uta. 



i. Oreoscoptes montanus (Tozvns.) Baird. Sage Thrasher. Tsc- 

 num (P-)- — In the Pah-Ute mythology this bird was a/great soldier, but 

 on account of his being a cannibal, be was transformed into bis present 

 shape, and is compelled to dodge beneath the sage-brush. 



2. Cinclus mexicanus Swains. Water Ouzel. Si'-am-bo'- gua-tsi 

 (Sh.)- 



3. Sialia arctica Swains. Rocky Mountain Bluebird. N'l-yjhx/i- 

 h-wa'-ia (S.). This is also used as a generic term for all small birds of a 

 blue plumage. The Shoshoni generic term is wo-gwif-do-ia. 



4. Pyranga ludoviciana ( 11 '//s. ) Bp. Western Tanagf.r. Wa'-na- 

 wi-ni (P.)- The' Shoshoni general term for red birds is enk'-hu-tshue 

 from ink. red. and hn'-tshii . bird. 



5. Loxia curvirostra americana < ' ]Vils. ) Cones. American Crossbill. 

 Ai'-gu-sa' (S.). The distortion of the mandibles was caused by the 

 coyote. [Myth. 1 



6. Xanthocephalus icterocephalus (JSonap.) Baird. Yellow-headed 

 Blackbird. S'ke-k'itsa-ila' (S.) ; pa-ko'-rop (P.). 



7. Agelseus phceniceus {Lin/i.) Vieill. Red-and-buff-shouldered 

 Blackbird. KHtsk-kla (S.) ; ta'-pan (P.), so called on account of the 

 spots of color upon the shoulders, as he was an officer long ago. {Mytk.~) 

 Both terms above given are also used by the tribes as referring to black 

 birds generally. 



8. Sturnella neglecta And. WESTERN Meadow Lark. We--voif-%u-le 



