1S84.J COUES on Oniit/iopliilologiciditiea. ^43 



does our genial critic agree with us that niuncnius is sjnonj'mous with 

 arquata or arcuata? We really believed it to be so; but Mr. Wharton, 

 says: "it more likely refers to arqnatiis ;«or^«5 = the jaundice ('when the 

 skin turns to the yellow colour of the rainbow' j, in allusion to the legend 

 about Charadrius^ Galbnla, Icterus, etc." 



No. 659. Garzetta. To our correct statement that this is the Italian 

 name of the corresponding European species, may be added the information 

 given by Wharton, that it is also spelled Sgarzetta, as dimin. oi garza 

 or sgarza, a heron. 



Nos. 66O4661. Hydra9iassa, Dickroinanassa. There is a very queer 

 point involved here. We can speak positively, for the latter of these 

 words was a coinage of our own. See 'Ibis,' 1S83, P- 224, where the full 

 explanation is given. In our 'Check List,' the -uassa is said to be veiTora 

 or VTJero-a, a water-fowl ; so it fs, in the case of Dickroinanassa, that being 

 actually what we had in mind in coining the word. But we meant it 

 to be upon the model of Hydranassa, which is compounded of aya«ro-a, a 

 queen, Baird's coinage of Hydranassa being suggested by Audubon's 

 epithet "lady of the waters.' 



No. 666. Botaurus. We queried the reference of this word to bos- 

 taurus. Wharton (1. c.) considers it akin to bittern, etc., and "certainly 

 not derived from bos -\- tanrus, though perhaps confused therewith in popu- 

 lar etymology." 



No. 678. Porzana mariietta. Italian porzana, as we gave ; said by 

 Wharton to be also written Sforzaua, and Forzane (latter probably 

 a plural form), and of etym. ignot. Will Professor Merriam enlighten 

 us."" Maruetta we. ga.vQ as also Italian, and as said to be equivalent to 

 anything by the sea. Wharton says it is probably not Italian, as it does 

 not occur in Count Salvadori, and that it is Latinized from French la 

 Maronette. Will Professor Merriam enlighten us here.'' 



No. 686. Fidica. We gave this as good Lat. fulica, a coot, same as 

 fidix, gen. fiilicis (said to occur in Cicero), and as related to fuligo, soot, 

 from the bird's dai-k color. Wharton says "akin to <))a\-aKpo's = bald- 

 headed, and Eng. bald. On this understanding fidica would not have 

 anything to do with fuligo, but would refer to the frontal shield of Coots. 

 The common bird-name Phalaropus fulicarius is in evidence that Whar- 

 ton is right, the Greek name of the Coot being (/aX.apis, from paXapos- 

 Compare also Phalacrocorax, meaning literally 'bald-headed raven.' 

 Will Professor Merriam give an opinion here.? 



No. 692. Aiiser. Our supposition that atiser is related more or less 

 radically to a?ias and so to viro-a, a duck, probably escaped Professor 

 Merriam's attention. Wharton saj's (1. c.) : "cognate with xr[v, Skt. 

 katisas, Grm. gans (our 'gander'), Norse gaas, A. S. gos = goose, 

 gandra = gander, ganot = gannet, Eng. goose ; originally hansjr. Pro- 

 bably from the root of x.oiivw, \ajj-Ktii = I gape." 



No. 699. Bernicla. Will not Professor Merriam kindly gi%'e us his 

 views on this word.? If he will turn to the place, he will see there is 

 possibly an opportunity for him to dispel much glooin. 



