1909 ] Trotter, English Names of American Birds. 361 



"Black-cap Titmouse" is Bartrarn's name for the species (Pants 

 atricapillus) and probably also its near relative P. carolinensis. 

 The "Olive-backed Thrush" was first so-called by Giraud (Birds 

 of Long Island, 1844, 92). T. fuscescens was called "Tawny 

 Thrush" by Wilson. "Bluebird" is an early name. The species 

 is figured by Catesby (I, 47) as "The Blew-Bird." Pennant 

 called it the "Blue-Backed Red-Breast" (Arct. Zool., II, 91). 

 Lanius ludovicianus was called the "Logger head Shrike" or 

 "Loggerhead" by Wilson, as its common name in the South. 



Most of our species of Woodpeckers early received their names 

 from color markings or other external feature, as "red-headed," 

 "yellow-bellied," "golden-winged," "pileated," "downy," "hairy," 

 "ivory-billed," etc. The word "Flicker," as a vernacular of 

 CoJaptes auratus, probably originated from the bird's call notes. 

 It is referred to by Wilson. 



VI. Names suggested by Locality (Place-Names) or in 

 Honor of Some Person. 



A curious misapprehension as to the significance of the current 

 English name of Ammodramus sandwiehensis savanna seems to 

 exist in ornithological literature as revealed by its orthography. 

 Wilson distinctly refers to the city of Savannah as the locality where 

 he states he first discovered the species (A. O., Ill, 55) and he so 

 spells its name in the English title. Its specific name, however, 

 he gives as "savanna." In our current literature this last appears 

 as the method of spelling the bird's name in English, which is 

 clearly misleading. In its general application "savanna" might 

 be very appropriate in view of the species' habitat, but Wilson 

 intended it otherwise and "Savannah Sparrow" is the proper form 

 of the English name. 



The term "Evening" in the vernacular of Hesperiphona vesper- 

 Una as given to the species by Cooper (Annals N. Y. Lyceum Nat. 

 Hist., I, 220) conveys, as does the scientific name, the idea of the 

 west or the place of sunset. 



Geothlypis trichas was called by Bartram "The olive coloured 

 yellowthroated wren" (Travels, 292). Of the bird's present 

 English name I find the following interesting reference in Edward's 



