IzL/L CoUES on OrnitJiofhilologicalities. [April 



No. 714. ^uerqiiednla. Wharton saj^s perhaps from KspKoupos. a light 

 vessel used bj the Cyprians, or from KapKaipw = I ring (VaniQek) ; the 

 latter as we supposed and said. Professor Skeat says the name is from an 

 onomatopoeic base, qiierq or kark, significative of any loud noise. 



No. 719. Aix or ^Ex. Though we wrote A'ix, as the usual form, we 

 distinctly stated our preference for ^-Ex, simply not changing the form 

 while in any uncertainty. Wharton (/. c.) says y^x without hesitation. 



No. 728. Harelda. We said this was a nonsense-word, invented by 

 Leach. Why does not our critic inform our readers that we were mis- 

 taken.' For, as the 'Zoologist' reviewer points out, Harelda \% the Ice- 

 landic name of the duck. '■'■Anas caudacuta Islandica Harelda ipsis dicta,''' 

 says Willughby (Ornithologia, 1676, p. 290). 



No. 739. Psrspicillata. Of our explanation of this word the 'Zoolo- 

 gist' reviewer, not Professor Merriam, says : ^ "How far astray an etymolo- 

 gist inay be led by guessing is comically illustrated by Dr. Coues' deriva- 

 tion of ■perspicillata. The true meaning of the word must be 'covered 

 with looking-glasses,' from speculum a mirror, in reference to the white 

 patches on the head." But we still think that we 'guessed' aright, as a 

 matter of fact, though we may have been etymologically astray, in suppos- 

 ing the sense of the word to be 'spectacular' 'conspicuous,' or, as .one 

 might say, 'a sight to behold.' Witness Phalacrocorax perspicillatus, 

 applied to a corinorant of conspicuous characters, but not in the least 

 spotted as if 'covered with looking glasses.' Witness also Pelecanus 

 conspicillatus, where the same root- word appears in the obvious sense of 

 'conspicuous,' 



No. 746. Sula. We gave French Le Sule; Wharton, citing BrLinnich, 

 says Norse sule, said to, mean a dolt, an awkward fellow. The English 

 name 'booby' for one of the Gannets may tend to confirm this significa- 

 tion, or implication. 



No. 750. Phalacrocorax. See under Fulica^ No. 686. 



No. 7S2. Rissa. As we said, this is Icelandic Ritsa, name of the bird. 

 Wharton adds, "derivation unknown." Will Professor Merriam give the 

 derivation .'' 



No. 792. Sterna. To the several related words we cited, and of 

 which sterna is a late Latinization, Wharton adds Frisian stirti, Grm. 

 Tanner, Swedish tdrna, Norwegian terne, English tar nay ; and adds, 

 "derivation uuknown." If Professor Merriam's excursions in the etymo- 

 logical field reach so far as this from Athens and Rome, will he not give 

 us the root of this group of words? 



No. 808. Anoiis. A question of orthoepy here. We marked the word 

 as a trisjdlable, and Wharton follows suit. Are we both right or both 

 wrong, Professor.? We fancy that Plato said nozvce, or something like 

 that, — in one syllable at any rate, — when he talked to his pupils of o-w}j,a, • 

 *I/i)X,rj and voiJs. 



