1909 ] Trotter, English Names of American Birds. 355 



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imitative vernacular name for the species of Parus I find first in 

 Audubon. The name "Veery," given to the Tawny Thrush 

 ( Turdus fuscescens) in imitation of its note, is first used as a syno- 

 nym by Nuttall. 



"Warbler," as a general term for small song birds of the Old 

 World family Sylviidse, has come down from a word in several of 

 the old European tongues (Old French, Old High German, Middle 

 English — Wcrbler, Werbelen), meaning to whirl, run round, 

 warble, as a bird (Skeat). In its special application to the species 

 of Sylvia, which we owe to Pennant (1773), it included the Ameri- 

 can W T arblers (Mniotiltida?) which were later separated as a distinct 

 family (Sylvicolidse) under the title of "Wood Warblers." "Wood 

 Warbler," however, has not prevailed and "Warbler" continues to 

 be the current vernacular for the various species of this character- 

 istic American family, though, as we are well aware, the name 

 belies the insect-like notes, drawling monotones, lispings, and 

 wheezing performances of the majority of the species. A few do 

 really warble in the accepted sense of the term (Geothlypis), but 

 most speak in a tongue peculiarly their own. 



Kalm (Travels, Eng. Trans., II, 151) speaks of "Whip-poor-will" 

 as the English name of Antrostomns voci ferns. A confusion appears 

 in Bartram (Travels, 292), who has it "Night hawk or Whip-poor- 

 will." Antrostomus carolinensis is called by Bartram (292) "the 

 great bat, or Chuck Wills Widow." "Night-hawk" is given by 

 Wilson, though this species (Chordeiles virginianus) appears to 

 have been described by Catesby under the name of "The Goat- 

 sucker of Carolina" (I, 8). 



Colinus virginianus has long proclaimed his proper title of 

 "Bob-White," which has now become the accepted name of the 

 species, superceding the older and less distinctive terms of "quail" 

 and "partridge." 



IV. Names Suggested by Some Peculiar Habit or Habitat. 



"Flycatcher" is a name of obvious application given to an Old 

 World group of birds. From the peculiar habits of certain American 

 species the term "Tyrant Flycatchers" has become current. The 

 "Kingbird" is first so-called by Bartram. Catesby figures the 



