74 JOrnKAL, NATJJTIAL IILST. SOCIETY OF SIAM. Vol. 1. 



It may be a})propi'iate to make a few remarks' here on the 

 subject of tlie Siamese names for birds. In Siamese, the word for 



Jjird is VJfl (Nok), and llii.s is usually prc'fixed to the particular 



species to be described — thus, yn pn yiQ^ (Nok ti t'hong, literally, 



the Goklbeater-bird, i.e., the Coppersmith or Barbet ), in much the 

 same way as we say Weaver-bird or Tailor-bird. In hjuglish, 

 however, these descriptive names are the exception, whereas 

 ill Siamese they are the rule — only a very few birds not having 



the syllal>le Nok prefixed to llieir names, such as fll {Ka, C'row), 

 liT'3 ( l^'<-''i'J, V^uUure), etc. Domestic poultiy, again, and otlier alhed 

 species, liave special names of their own, as [fl (Kai, l^'owl), with 

 its derivatives In >3Q^ {Kai-rKjuwiuj, Tnrkt^y), [fl VIT {Kai-fa, JMieasant), 

 In U"l (A'ai-^;a, Jungle Fowl), \'\]\f\ [Kai-uTi, literally, l^'icld Chicken, 

 a name projjoi-ly a])plicable to the large (Jrey Quail) ; ['\}f] (Pad* Duck), 

 with its derivatives ll|f) \iT (/V;^/-7ar//i, Teal), etc. ; l^iy (//a/t, Coose) ; 

 and VIW [ll'iiHjx.'t Swan), 



The term \IT\ nJS '^U (AW; Irarhih) is a general one a])i)lied to 

 small l)irds of more or less inconspicuous plumage, and is also used, with 



descriptive affixes, to denote particular species— thus xif] nT2 ^11 nTS ill 

 { Ndh- hrnrliili iinttiai), i.e., \\\i^ conuiion Tailor-hiid. It has also to be 

 reiuai'ktMJ t.hat, colhKjuially, the prefix f) ( / ),1I denoting a i'cinale of 

 low ranlv, is often applied to ;i nuinlier of birds, c. (/., fjm ( /-ka, 



Crow); tJUT'^ {i-r>'iiij, Vulture); ;jn f] aiDU { A'ok t-Tu, Swallow), 

 tVc. it is, however, usually omitted both in pt)lite conversation and in 

 writing. 



Need lens to say, Siamese names vary according to locality, as do 

 popular names in most (Countries, and even in tlu^ same locality 

 different names will olten Ije given to the same bird — probabl^y owing 

 to want of exact knowledji-e of the l)ird itself. I iiavo endeavoured to 



•The d of Fed i.s proiioiiiiccil more like a t. 



f 'flit' N ol' lldiKjK is silent. 



\ To lie jiioiiouiiecd like the i'lii^lisii Vnwt'l /'.'. 



