THE NAMES OF ANIMALS, FROGS, AND 



FISH 



WHEN, during the lazy autumn days, the 

 living creatures seem for a time to have 

 taken themselves completely beyond our ken, it 

 may be interesting to delve among old records and 

 descriptions of animals and see how the names by 

 which we know them first came to be given. Many 

 of our English names have an unsuspected ances- 

 try, which, through past centuries, has been 

 handed down to us through many changes of 

 spelling and meaning, of romantic as well as his- 

 torical interest. 



How many people regard the scientific Latin 

 and Greek names of animals with horror, as being 

 absolutely beyond their comprehension, and yet 

 how interesting these names become when we look 

 them squarely in the face, analyse them and find 

 the appropriateness of their application. 



When you say "wolf" to a person, the image 

 of that wild creature comes instantly to his mind, 

 but if you ask him why it is called a wolf, a hun- 

 dred chances to one he will look blankly at you. 

 It is the old fault, so common among us human 

 beings, of ignoring the things which lie nearest 

 us. Or perhaps your friend shares the state of 

 mind of the puzzled old lady, who, after looking 



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