440 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 
WE are indebted to the ‘Fishing Gazette’ of October 12th for 
these interesting extracts from the ‘Scotsman’ :— 
TECHNICAL TERMS FOR AN ‘‘ ASSEMBLY” OF Birps.— ‘I have 
compiled the following list of technical terms, each applicable to an 
assembly of a particular species of birds, and should be glad to 
obtain additions :—A covey of grouse and a pack of grouse; a nid of 
pheasants ; a bevy of quail; a herd of swans; a skein of geese (when 
on wing); a gaggle of geese (when on water) ; a team of wild ducks 
(when flying) ; a paddling of wild ducks (when on water); a lord of 
mallards ; a company of widgeon; a rush of dunbirds; a spring of 
teal; a bunch of teal; a dopping of sheldrakes; a covert of coots; 
a herd of curlews; a sedge of herons; a congregation of plovers; a 
desert of lapwings; a walk of snipes; a whisp of snipes; a fling of 
oxbirds ; a hill of ruffs; a muster of peacocks; a flight of doves; a 
building of rooks; a herd of cranes. The last three I have taken 
from the following passage in Washington Irving :—‘ There appeared 
to be an unusual number of peacocks about the place, and I was 
making some remarks upon what I termed a flock of them, that were 
basking under a sunny wall, when I was gently corrected in my 
phraseology by Master Simon, who told me that, according to the 
most ancient and approved treatise on hunting, I should say a muster 
of peacocks. ‘In the same way,” added he, with a slight air of 
pedantry, “we say a flight of doves, a bevy of quails, a herd of cranes, 
or a building of rooks.”’ ’—A. B., in ‘ Scotsman,’ Sept. 14th, 1912.” 
“Srr,—In your to-day’s ‘‘ Nature Notes,’ A. B. states that he 
would be glad to obtain additions to his list of technical terms for 
an ‘assembly’ of birds. Here are a few:—A bevy of quail, a cast 
of hawks, a trip of dottrel, a wisp of snipe, a flight of doves or 
swallows, a plump of wild-fowl, a watch of nightingales, a clattering 
of choughs. Should not, may I ask your correspondent, a sedge of 
herons be a siege, a congregation of plovers a stand, and a nid of 
pheasants a nide? As I am writing, may I be permitted to add a 
few technical terms in regard to animals—namely, a skulk of foxes, 
a sounder of hogs (wild boars), a troop of monkeys, a pride of lions, 
a sleuth of bears, and a gang of elk.—I am, &c., CHARLES H. Rocus, 
71, Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh (‘ Scotsman,’ Sept. 16th, 1912).” 
