DECOY 231 



it may be observed, still survives in English as the 

 " tine " of a fork or of a stag's antler. Anyhow it would 

 seem that the proper name of this bird should be written 

 in full " Mistletoe-Thrush," and not, as commonly, 

 " Missel-Thrush." * 



The origin of the word " decoy " is not generally 

 known. 



" I have had no doubt since I looked into the question 

 of the origin of our word decoy. It comes straight from 

 the Dutch " eende-cpy " — ^Duck-coy — " coy " meaning 

 more than a cage but almost any kind of enclosure for 

 keeping birds ahve. The " eende " not being under- 

 stood by Englishmen soon lost its first syllable, and then 

 you have the word exactly. I think I pointed this out 

 in a review I wrote somewhere of Payne-Gallway's book, 

 saying that it was absurd to speak of a Duck Decoy, 

 though of course onh might properly speak of a Decoy 

 Duck. 



Pijlstaart is nowadays even the common Dutch name 

 for the Pintail, which is almost translation of the word, 

 " pijl " (pronounced 'pile) being a spike of any kind. 

 Pijlstaart was also applied by Dutch sailors to the Tropic- 

 bird from its long spike-like tail, hence Pijlstaart Island, 

 corrupted into " PUlstart," a well-known place to the 

 North of New Zealand, and perhaps repeated in other 

 seas. " Staart " is, of course, tail, as in Redstart, Start 

 Point, etc.f 



Partly by reason of his physical infirmity, which 

 necessarilv made his hfe more sedentary than that of 

 others, ana* partly owing to his habit of discouraging 

 -visitors eXgept at stated hours, Newton had more time 

 for readiEg*than have most men, and he was blessed with 

 an uncommonly retentive memory. Sale-lists and book- 

 sellers' catalogues from aU countries filled his letter-box, 

 but he was not a collector of books, though his hbrary, 



* " History of British Birds," 4th edition, I. p. 260. 

 t Letter to Mr. T. SouthweU, May 5, 1903. 



