CHAP, x.] SPECIFIC NAME. 375 



to reject and abjure all parade of luxury and empty 

 splendour."* 



The Quail is remarkable on many accounts, besides 

 that of having suggested a pleasing emblem to the 

 naturalist whom we have quoted for a motto. Its usual 

 specific name (to begin with that), though not quite 

 appropriate, is curious. The epithet "dactyl-sounding " 

 is given to describe the call of the male bird, which con- 

 sists of three notes repeated at short intervals in loud, 

 clear, and bell-like tones. As it is our natural wish 

 that these Essays should become popular, we shall, for 

 that reason, be relieved from the charge of pedantry in 

 stating that " dactyl " is a metrical foot originally used 

 in Greek and Latin versification consisting of three 

 syllables, one long and two short, denoted thus - ^ u in 

 the scanning of verses. The term is derived from the 

 Greek word $<x.x.ruXo;, dactylus (itself a dactyl), meaning 

 "finger," a member that has three joints, one longer 

 and two shorter. The words curricle, gloomily, bounti- 

 ful, are English dactyls. But the Quail does not sing 

 exactly in dactyls. The reader will perceive that in 

 the instances we have given the accent is always on the 

 first syllable ; but the Quail's call marks the second as 

 the strongest, and is easiest expressed by musical nota- 

 tion 



fcjjfetfsga 



and so on, keeping always to the same note in the scale. 

 It is generally, not always, preceded by two or three 

 frog-like croaks, and the whole strain may be taken to 



* Temminck, Hist, des Pig. et Grail., torn. i. p. 2. 



