AN AUNT JANE STORY 



NAMES OF BIRDS 



"How did birds get their names, 

 Auntie" ? Alice enquired, as the group of 

 children at Woodland gathered around a 

 table covered with pictures of brilliantly 

 colored birds. 



"The ornithologist is responsible for 

 the long, difficult-to-remember nomen 

 clature, but the popular names of birds 

 describe their distinguishing characteris 

 tics. Think a moment, and you will find 

 that the popular name is usually simply 

 descriptive of a special color, a peculiar 

 song or call, or some striking peculiarity 

 in form or habit of life." 



"The Shrike gets his name from his 

 shriek, doesn't he? for his harsh, rasp 

 ing voice has suggestions in it of a bird 

 of prey," asked Howard. 



"Yes, and it is a bird of prey, too, 

 though classed among the singers." 



"I know where the Storm-petrel gets 

 its name, for it is a namesake of Peter, 

 so called because like him it seems to 

 walk upon the water," exclaimed Edith. 

 "You are right," Aunt Jane respond 

 ed, "sailors also call it 'Mother Carey's 

 Chicken' Mother Carey was perhaps a 

 witch because it foretells storms. It is 

 a small, dusky bird of graceful flight re 

 sembling the Swift in its motions. It 

 is said that it feeds its young at night 

 on an oily substance from its own 

 stomach." 



"I've often wondered," said Edith, 

 "about the queer name of the Lapwing." 



"That 'name refers to the birds' pecu 

 liar flight which is thought to be due to 

 its wide rounded wings, the steady and 

 ordinarily slow flapping of which impels 

 the body with a manifest though easy 

 jerk. This bird is found in most coun 

 tries except America. Its absence here 

 is to be regretted as it is not only excel 

 lent game and furnishes the plover's 

 eggs of commerce, but it is also a good 

 friend to the agriculturist sustaining it 

 self entirely on insect pests." 



"Isn't the Lapwing a Bible bird?" 

 Alice enquired. 



"The Lapwing of Scriptures is an en 

 tirely different bird" was the reply. "It 

 is the Hoopoe of conspicuous crest. It 



has no idea of the sanitary care of its 

 nest. The female scarcely leaves it dur 

 ing incubation as she is fed by the cock. 

 The Jews classed the Hoopoe with un 

 clean birds, but the Arabs reverenced 

 it and used it as a charm. 



"There is a bird with an odd name 

 which frequents the Yellowstone park" 

 Aunt Jane went on. "It is called the 

 'tallow hawk' because it is so fond of 

 grease. It will swoop down to the table 

 of campers or picnic parties and carry 

 off all the butter or any kind of fat it 

 can find. It is a lead colored bird only 

 a little larger than a jay." 



"I wonder" said John, "if travelers 

 put up with its pranks or if they shoot 

 it." 



No, birds are not allowed to be killed 

 in -the park, so it becomes very tame. 

 Most persons are merely amused by its 

 pilferings, though, of course, others are 

 annoyed." 



"I think the Umbrella Bird has a cur 

 ious name, why is it so called?" Edith 

 enquired. 



"It is a native of Brazil," was the re 

 ply, "and has two descriptive names. It 

 is about the size of a raven, with dark 

 blue, glossy plumage. Its crest is formed 

 of plumage two or three inches long, 

 thickly set and with hairy plumes curling 

 over the ends. These, when erected, re 

 semble an umbrella covering the head 

 and long beak. Its loud cry gives it also 

 the name of 'Trumpet Bird.' " 



"I can think of a number of birds 

 named for their color" said Alice, "such 

 as Black, and Blue Birds, Red Bird, and 

 Yellow-throat, White-head and others." 



"Many of the birds are named for 

 their note, cry, or call," said Howard, 

 "such as Dickcissel and Bob-white." 



"A few of them, too, for the shape of 

 the bill," added Edith, "as Crossbill, 

 Spoonbill, and Grosbeak." 



"Quite right," Aunt Jane responded. 

 "We may add, also, that the manner of 

 taking food has suggested various pop 

 ular names such as Sapsucker, Wood 

 pecker, Nuthatch. The Snake bird has 

 its name from the shape of its long neck, 



