NAMES OF ANIMALS, FROGS, AND FISH 257 



been some native African name. In the vista of 

 time, our earliest glimpse of it is as bubalus, 

 which was applied both to the wild ox and to a 

 species of African antelope. Fallow deer is from 

 fallow, meaning pale, or yellowish, while axis, as 

 applied to the deer so common in zoological gar- 

 dens, was first mentioned by Pliny and is doubt- 

 less of East Indian origin. The word bison is from 

 the Anglo-Saxon wesend, but beyond Pliny its 

 ultimate origin eludes all research. 



Marmot, through various distortions, looms up 

 from Latin times as mus montanus, literally a 

 mountain mouse. Badger is from badge, in allu- 

 sion to the bands of white fur on its forehead. 

 The verb meaning to badger is derived from the 

 old cruel sport of baiting badgers with dogs. 



Monkey is from the same root as monna, a 

 v^oman; more especially an old crone, in reference 

 to the fancied resemblance of the weazened face 

 of a monkey to that of a withered old woman. 

 Madam and madonna are other forms of words 

 from the same root, so wide and sweeping are the 

 changes in meaning which usage and time can give 



to words. 



Squirrel has a poetic origin in the Greek lan- 

 guage; its original meaning being shadow-tail. 

 Tiger is far more intricate. The old Persian word 

 tir meant arrow, while tighra signified sharp. The 

 application to this great animal was in allusion to 

 the swiftness with which the tiger leaps upon his 



