No- 2] The Birds of Old English Literature 1 1 



ME. nyghtgale, nightingale ; OHG. nahtigala, nahtagala ; 

 G. nachtigall ; cf. Icel. ncetrgali. 



WW. 344. 27 : achalantis uel luscitiia uel roscinia, nihtegale ; Cp. A. 121 : 

 ~ nehtggale ; Ep.it: ~ nctigalae ; Er. 26: ~ nectggela ; WW. 433. 24: 

 luscinia, nihtegale; Cp. L. 330: ~ naectegale ; WW. 247. 11: fungalis, 

 luscinia, nihtegale ; ZdA. 240. 39 : ruscinia ~ ; WW. 260. 5 : rusunia ~ ; 

 287. II : philomella ~ ; Ep. 857 : roscinia {luscinia) nectaegalae ; Er. 857 : 

 ~ necegle ; Ld. 212 : ruscinia, nectigalae ; Ep. 673 : noclua, naecht(h)raebn, 

 ali dicunt nectigalae ; Er. 673 : ~ necthraebn, nacthegelae. 



2. heapene. Nightingale. 



WW. 355. 32 : ardonecB, hearpen. ' The L. word is here probably a cor- 

 ruption of the Greek, aJiSdveg, nightingales' (Wright). 



3. geolewearte. Nightingale. 



WW. 132. 23 : luscinus, geolewearte. 



4. frocx. Nightingale. 



WW. 433. 25 : luscinius, frocx. 



Riddle 9 is interpreted as the nightingale ; sometimes 

 also as the pipe. 



Ic Surh mu3 sprece mongum reordum, 

 wrencum singe, wrixle geneahhe 

 heafodwoSSe, hlude cirrae, 

 healde mine wisan, hleoSre ne mitSe, 

 eald aefensceop, eorlum bringe 

 blisse in burgum, Sonne ic bugendre 

 siefne styrme : stille on wicum 

 sittaS nigende. Saga, hwaet ic hatte, 

 tJe swa scirenige sceawendwisan 

 hlude onhyrge, haeletSum bodige 

 wilcumena fela woSe niinre ! 



Gen. Erithacus. Redbreasts. 



XX. I. rudduc. 'R.eAhrea.st {erithacus rubeculd) ; <^rudu, 

 redness, with diminutive suffix -uc, E -ock. ME. ruddocke, 

 ruddok; cf. W.rhuddog. 'Ruddock continued long to be 

 the regular English word for the redbreast or robin ; and 

 I am not sure that it has entirely disappeared from our 

 local dialects ' (Wiilker). 



JE. Gl. 307. note: rubusca, ruduc ; WW. 131. 26: rubisca, luAiac ; 286, 

 II: ~ salthaga ««/ rudduc. 



