114 A GLOSSARY OF GREEK BIRDS 



MEAAMHYrOI (continued'}. 



A solar symbolism probably underlies this name and its correlative 

 iruyapyos. Cf. the references to 'HpaxXij? /zeXa/iTruyo?, ap. Diodor. Sic. 

 iv. 31, &c. 



MEAANA'ETOI = Xayw<|)oj'os. An epithet of the Eagle. 



Arist. H. A. ix. 32, 6l8b fj.\as TTJV XP av ) Kc " P-eycQos eXa^toro?, KpartCTros 

 TOVTUV [rail/ irvydpyav KOI nXdyyatv]. OVTOS oiKei oprj Kal v\as' KaXeircu fie 

 fzeXai/aeros' KCU Xaywcpovos. KTpe<pei Se p.6vos TO. TCKVO. OVTOS KOI e^dyei. eo~Tl 

 de MKvftoXos Kal evdrj^cov Kal acfrdovos Kal a(pojBos KOI p,d^tfj,o5 KOI ev(pr]p,os' ov 

 yap fjLLWpi^ei ouSe XeXr/fcej/ : cf. Ib. vi. 6, 563 b 01 8c peXaves, K. r. 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. Aquila 

 minuta, Brehm, to be meant ; Sundevall suggests the Peregrine Falcon. 

 As is mentioned above, s. v. XayoxjxJp'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 a>Ku/3oXos-, 

 cv0r)p,a>v,- &C. 



On fjieXas as an epithet of the Eagle, see s. vv. deixSs, |J.op<f>i/og : cf. 

 O. Keller, op. c., p. 237. Both /AeXaixxeTog and Xayw^oi/os 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. jxeXdpruyos. 



MEAA'NAEIPOI- opvddpiov KOIOV, Hesych. Perhaps connected with 

 Setp TJS (q. v.), rather than with dcipr). 



MEAEArPl'l. Also (AeXeaypos, 17 KaroiKiSios opvis, Hesych. ; fxeXaypis, 



Salmas. ad Plin. p. 612. 

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



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



Etym. p. 180). 

 The Guinea-Fowl, Numida sp. 



First mentioned by Soph. Meleag. fr. ap. Plin. xxxvii. (2) n, 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. 655c-f aa-ropyov 

 irpbs TO. eKyova TO opveov* TO p.ev p.eyedos opvidos yevvaiov^ Tr]v 8e Kf(pa\f]V 

 fUKpav rrpos TO troi/^a Kal TavTrjv \l/i\fjv, eV avrrjs 8e \6(f)ov crapKivov, o-K\r]p6v } 

 aTpoyyvXov, e^e^oi/ra TTJS KefpaXrjs a>o-7Tfp TrcrrraXov, K.al TO XP^P"^ ^XoeiS^. 

 TO 8e aai/Jia affav TVOLK'L\OV^ peXavos OVTOS TOV ^pa)/naroff oXou, Trrt'Xoi? \fVKols 

 Kal nvKvols dii\T)iJL[j.ei>ov' TrapanXfjaiai 6' elalv al dfjXeiai TOIS appecriv, K. r. X. 



