Tl6 A GLOSSARY OF GREEK BIRDS 



ME'MNQN, s. pepvovis, s. MeixfOkos opyis. The Ruff, Machetes 



pugnax, L. 



Mosch. iii. 42 ov too~ov dwoiaiv iv ayKeai jraida tov 'Aovs \ 'nrTdp.evos 7rep\ 

 o~dpa Kivvpino Mepvovos opvis. Paus. x. 31, 6 pepvovides tcus opvicrlv icrriv 

 ovop.a, Kara de eros ol 'EWrjcnrovTioi (paaiv avras iv elprjpevats fjpepais levat 

 re eVl tov Mepvovos tov rdcpov, kcu otzoctov tov pvrjparos devdpcov io-r\v 

 fj ivoas ^n\6v, tovto kcu vaipovcriv al opvides kcu vypols rots Trrepois tov 

 Alcrrjnov tcS vdaTi pulvovai. Ael. V. I ovkovv tovs opviOas tovs iTrcavvpovs 

 tov rjpaios d<piKvelo~6ai Kara irdv eros, kcu biaipfivdai re kol dta(rxi£eo-#ai 

 els e\6pav kcu diacpopdv, kol pd\ecr6ai pd\r)v Kaprepdv, k. t. X. : cf. Anecd. 

 Paris. Bekk. ii. p. 25. See also Dion. De Avib. i. 8 ; Quint. Smyrn. 

 Posthomer. ii. 645, et seq. ; Plin. x. (26) 37 ; Ovid, Met. xiii. 607, 

 Amor. i. 13, 3 ; Solin. c. 40. 



The identification, first suggested by Cuvier (Grandidier's Pliny, loc. 

 cit), is certain, the combats or ' hilling ' of Ruffs being unmistakeably 

 described : for modern descriptions, see Montagu, quoted in Yarrell, 

 4th ed. vol. iii. p. 428. At the same time, it is evident that the myth is 

 a very ancient one, and its connexion with this particular species of 

 bird and its peculiar annual combats may be a late version of an old 

 and mysterious story: cf. Creuzer, Symb. ii. 181, &c. In other words, 

 though Pausanias and Aelian undoubtedly alluded to the Ruff, I do 

 not for a moment believe that Moschus did so. Vide s.v. Airtyuxoi. 



ME'PMNOI, s. \i4p\xvy]s, Hesych., also Cram. Anecd. Oxon. i. 64, 24. 

 A kind of hawk, sacred to Cybele, Ael. xii. 4 ; according to 

 Hesych., identical with Tpiopxtjs. 



ME'POvp. The Bee-eater, Merops apiaster, L. Mod. Gk. peXiao-ocpdyos, 

 ueXio-o-ovpyds (Erh.), and on Parnassus fiopydprjs (Heldr.). 



In Arist. H. A. vi. I, 559 depoty, S. elpo-^r (Bk.), ov 8' ol Boioorol KnXovaiv 

 depoiva: cf. Hesych. depones, opved tipq, also Schol. in Ar. Av. 1354 ; 

 deponovs, Suid. in verb. dvrineXapyelv : rjepoyjs s. rjeponos, Boios, ap. 

 Anton. Liber, c. 18. A name similar to fiopydprjs used by Scotus, aves 

 quae dicuntur Graece Boareia, ovant in foraminibus terrae, and by 

 Albertus M., quam obarcham Graeci vocant : cf. Schneider in Arist. 1. c. 

 According to Bent (Cyclades, 1885, p. 325), p.epovnas now means in 

 Syra simply a bird, opvts. 



Arist. H. A. ix. 13, 615 b <paa\ de rives Kai tovs peponas dvreKTpecpeadai 

 vno tSov €K.y6vu)V ov plovov yqpdo-KovTcxs dXXd kcu evOvs, oTav oloi t coaiv' 

 rov de narepa Ka\ Tqv prjrepa peveiv evdov. f) 5' Idea tov opvidos to>v 

 nTepoov eVrl rot pev vnoKaTO) a>)(p6v, ret de indveo atcrnep rrjs oXkvovos Kvdveov, 

 ra. 8* eV uKpoav tg>v nre pvyloav ipvdpd (cf. Plin. x. (^^) 51). tiktci de nep\ e£ 17 

 en™ vno rt)v dtrtopav [it breeds in Greece about the middle of April, 

 Lindermayer], iv toIs Kpr]p,vols toIs paXctKois' eladverai §' euro) kcu TCTrapas 



