114 A GLOSSARY OF GREEK BIRDS 



MEAAMriYrOI {continued). 



A solar symbolism probably underlies this name and its correlative 

 iruyapyos. Cf. the references to 'Hpaiikrjs pe\dp7rvyos, ap. Diodor. Sic. 

 iv. 31, &c. 



MEAANA'ETOI = Xayw^oi/os. An epithet of the Eagle. 



Arist. H. A. ix. 32, 618 b peXas rfjv XP° av i K( " peyeOos eXd^ioros, Kpariaros 

 tovtccv [ra>v nvydpycov Kai nXdyyoop], ovtos oIkci opt) Kai vXas' KaXdrai 5e 

 peXavdeTos Kai Xayacpovos. eicrpecpei 8e povos ra re<va ovtos Kai c£aycu ecrri 

 de q>kv(36Xos Kai ev6r]pa>v Kai ti<p6ovos Kai acpofios Kai pdyipos Kai ev(prjpos' ov 

 yap pivvpiCei ovbe XeXrjKtv : cf. lb. vi. 6, 563 b ol de peXaves, k.t.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. XayoxjxWs, 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 o*kv&6Xos, 



fvdfjpCOV, &C. 



On peXas as an epithet of the Eagle, see s. vv. d€T<5s, p-optj^os : cf. 

 O. Keller, op. c, p. 237. Both fieXaydeTos and Xayw^oyos 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. p.eXdy.trvyos. 



MEAA'NAEIPOI* opviddpiov noidv, Hesych. Perhaps connected with 

 SeipTjs (q. v.), rather than with deipr]. 



MEAEArPl'l. Also jieXeaypos, q KaroiKidios opvis, Hesych. ; p-eXaypis, 



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) 11, 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. 655 c-f aaropyov 

 irpbs to. eKyova to opveov' to pev peyedos opviQos yevvatov, Tqv 8e K€(paXfjV 

 piKpav npbs to awpa Kai TavTt]v yj/i\rjv, eV aiiTrjs 8e X6<pov adpKivov, crKXrjpov, 

 VTpoyyvXov, i^i\ovTa ttjs KecpaXrjs oaairep naTTaXov, Kai to xP^H- a £vXoeidr). 

 to 8e o-a>pa anav ttolkIXov^ peXavos ovtos tov %pd)paTOS oXov, nTtXois XcvkoIs 

 Kai ttvkvoIs BieiXqppevop' 7rapanXrjOiai 6'* elaiv al OijXeLai tols appeaiv, k.t.X. 



