No. 2] The Birds of Old English Literature 5 



Sub. F. Fregilinae. Choughs. 

 Gen. Graculus. True Choughs. 



V. ceo. Chough {graculus graculus). ME. choughe, 

 cheo. The chough was formerly very abundant in Great 

 Britain, but of late years its numbers have become greatly 

 reduced. Cf. Hudson's British Birds. 



WW. 260. II, 367. 32: cornicula, cio ; 286. 5; ~ cyo ; ZdA. 240. 67: ~ 

 tiope ; Ep. 240 : ~ cyae ; Er. 240 : ~ ciae ; &. Gl. 307. note : ~ cheo ; WW. 

 132. 4 : gracculas uel monedula, ceo ; JE Gr. 70. l6 : hac comix, tSes ceo. 



F. Sturnids. Starlings. 



Gen. Sturnus. Typical Starlings. 



VI. I. staer. The word generally used in OE. for 

 starling {sturnus vulgaris). 



ME. stare, ster ; OHG. starra; G. staar ; D. steer ; Ice!. 



stari; L. sturnus. 



Cp. S. 526, Ep. 908 : sturnus, staer ; Er. 908 : ~ sterm ; Ld. 203 : ~ ster ; 

 WW. ■s.yi,. 8 : stronus, staer ; 286. 29 : stirnus ~ ; &. Gl. 307. 7 : turdus ~ ; 

 Lehdm. 2. 320. 4 : gebrsedne staer ; Lind. Mt. 10. 2g, Lk. 12. 6 : staras ; WW. 

 132. 9: turdella, se mare staer; in commenting upon this Wright says, ' One 

 would suppose that mare is an error for Icessa' 



2. staern. Starling; sometimes confounded with j^^«r;2, 

 a sea-bird. 



WW. 132. 27 : stronus, staern. 



3. staerling. Starling; < steer, starling + ling. ME. 

 sterlynge, starling. This form is not recognized by the 

 Cent. Diet, or Skeat as an OE. word, yet it appears in an 

 nth cent, gloss. Cf. Herrig's Archiv yS. 215. 



ZdA. 241. 54 : sturnus, staerlinc. 



F. Fringillidse. Finches. 



VII. I. fine. Finch. ME. finch, fynch; OHG. fincho; 

 G. fink, finke ; W. pine, a chaffinch. The word fine is 

 probably in imitation of the call note of the male chaffinch, 

 which is thought to sound like 'fink' or 'pink.' 



WW. 286. 12, 404. 14, cp. F. 331, Ep.-Er. 423 : fringella, fine ; ZdA. 241. 

 49 : fringilla ~ ; WW. 380. 17 : cinctu! '^ ; Ld. 219 : fringella, umc. 



Fine appears in the local name Fincesstapel : Cod. Dip. 

 6. 287. 



