SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 197 



might turn out to be renderings from the English. The French Huitricr 

 certainly looks as if it were taken from Catesby, who wrote in French as 

 well as in English. — Alfred Newton (Magdalene College, Cambridge). 



[We should be glad if any other correspondent can throw further light 

 on this subject, and explain the derivation of the provincial name " Olive," 

 which is applied to the Oystercatcher by Albin, and is still in use on the 

 coast of Sussex. — Ed.] 



"The Sea-blue Bird of March."— In Mr.H. T.Wharton's note upon 

 this subject (p. 117) it would appear that the poet or commentator has rather 

 missed the meaning of " halcyon days." It is quite true that the weather, 

 and consequently the sea, is perfectly calm during the early winter in the 

 Grecian Archipelago ; I have known it particularly so for several years 

 about Christmas, at which time we have often had brilliant sunshine and 

 blooming roses. I have also noticed at this time that Kingfishers seemed 

 unusually abundant; in fact, I think that this bird is observed more 

 frequently flitting about the shallow seas and lagoons during a continuance 

 of fine weather than at any other period. I have always understood the 

 term "halcyon days" to mean brilliant weather, when the Kingfisher is 

 likely to be more frequently observed on the move. The term alcyon or 

 halcyon — i. e. the Kingfisher — has been supposed by most Hellenists to 

 have some reference to a^?, the sea. Mr, Wharton, in the lately published 

 ' Ibis liist of British Birds,' says (p. 81), " Etymology unknown ; often 

 written halcyon, because of the fancied derivation from aA?, the sea." 

 With all deference to Mr. Wharton, I would suggest that what he terms 

 the fancied derivation may be the real one, and that it may be derived from 

 «Af, the sea, and ximvoi or xvd-vtoi = dark blue, that is to say, something 

 a dark blue sea colour, almost synonymous with the " Sea-blue Bird." 

 If this be granted, " halcyon days" will have no reference to the Kingfisher, 

 but will mean simply days when the sea is " deeply, darkly, beautifully 

 blue," which, of course, could not happen, save in sunny weather, when the 

 sea reflects the glowing sky. — Montague Browne (Leicester). 



SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



LiNNEAN Society of London. 



April 3, 1884.— Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., F.R.S., President, 

 in the chair. 



^^Mr. R. Morton Middleton exhibited a Jackdaw, with so much white on 

 the scapulars and secondaries as to cause a considerable resemblance to a 

 Magpie. This bird had been seen and observed for some time at Castle 

 Eden, Durham, prior to its dying from an injury. 



