VERNACULAR NAMES. 5 



rule Spain was flourishing, when all that is 'worth seeing 

 was built, all that is artificially good being remnants of the 

 work of the then industrious Moors. Where are the latter now 

 as a nation 1 



As a proof of the inaccuracy of local nomenclature, a single 

 name is often applied to several species, sometimes not even 

 belonging to the same genus. Thus Aguila, Aguiluclio, 

 according to the ideas of the individual, may be any of the 

 Diurnal Accipitres, from a Lammergeyer to a Lesser Kestrel ; 

 and they are even occasionally used to designate the Raven ! ! 



So Bvjo applies to all Owls, Culiblanco to all Wheatears ; 

 Chorlito, the real name of the Golden Plover, is used for 

 various Waders ; while Pitillo, Frailecillo, Andarios, Correrios 

 are indefinite names applicable to any small Waders and some 

 larger ones. Pito real near Gibraltar is Picas major, our 

 Great Spotted Woodpecker ; near Seville it is Gecinus Sharpti, 

 the representative of our English Green Woodpecker ( G. viridis). 

 Carpintero in Central Spain, according to Lord Lilford, is 

 Picus major ; near Gibraltar it is the Great Titmouse (Parus 

 major]. Lavandera, or " washerwoman," according to localities 

 is either a Wagtail or a Green Sandpiper. Quebrantahuesos, 

 " bone-breaker," properly applies to the Lammergeyer ; but 

 where that species is absent it is usurped by the Neophron. 



These, among other instances, prove local names to be only 

 an assistance, and not always to be taken to signify the bird 

 to which they are affixed. 



On the other hand, some names are distinctive, as Alejaruco, 

 Bee-eater ; Abubilla, Hoopoe ; Abujeta, Godwit ; Alcaravan, 

 Stone-Curlew, &c. 



The Moorish Arabic names are for the most part copied 

 from Favier's MS. ; but none are quoted unless corroborated 

 by reference to natives of the localities in which the birds 

 were shot. It may be further added that, as it is a matter 

 of considerable difficulty to express Arabic words by English 



