On the Vernacular Name of the Genus Harporhynchus. 



That well- known genus of American birds, of which Harpo- 

 rhynchus rufus is the type, is almost universally called in Eng- 

 lish, by every ornithologist, or indeed by every one who knows 

 the species in the United States, a Thrasher. In New England, 

 and to the southward and westward, it is known as the Brown 

 Thrasher. We find it printed Thrasher in the A. O. U. Check- 

 List, without any synonymic term or terms, as is also the case in 

 such an authorative work as Coues's ''Key to North Ameiican 

 Birds." Now it is of interest to know that our British ornitho- 

 logical friends call these birds Threshers, spelled with an e in the 

 first syllable, instead of an a. Recently Professor Alfred Newton 

 submitted me the proof of a contribution of mine to his extensive 

 work on Ornithology, now passing through the press, wherein 

 this word occurred, — spelled Thrasher in my text, but Thresher 

 in a supplementary note of his own. Upon his attention being 

 called to it, I received from him the following in his reply : "I 

 have not the least wish to interfere with your use of Thrashers, — 

 there is some authority for it among English writers,— but I be- 

 lieve Thresher to be more correct (A. S., perscan or pirscan ; Mid. 

 Engl , presohen; Chaucer, threshen; Seal , preskja; Old Dutch, 

 -derschen; Germ., dreschen; Gothic, thrisken) and prefer that 

 form tor my own use — though, of course, giving it the sound of 

 short a, as in many other words, e.g., Derby. Thrash would 

 seem to indicate a pronunciation like Thrash (almost tbrarsh) — 

 which is local and vulgar. A. N." This communication is dated 

 Magdalene College, Cambridge, England, Nov. 12, 1892. Accord- 

 ing to this it would seem that our old, time-honored name of 

 Thrasher, strictly speaking, should give way to the more correct 

 -appellation of Thresher. B. W. Shufeldt. 



Takoma, D. C, Nov. 39. ^ ^ /fn*^ 



Local Names of N. Oaroliaa ffirdB. 

 O. S. Brimlay. 



Brown Thbasher, sometimes called Swamp 

 Sparrow or Swamp Kobin, names applied to 

 any brown bird with a speckled breast. 



O.&O. XIV. July. 1889 p. 109 



The Harporhynchus rufus is a bird of many names suggested 

 by more than one striking j^oint in its character. Its strong color 

 and mimicking voice gives us JPox-coIoured Thrush (Bartram 

 and others) ; Ferruginous Thrush (Wilson) or Ferruginous 

 MocJiingbird (Audnbon); Rufous-tailed Thrush. Grive 

 rouge (Canada), Sandy Mockingbird (Dist. of Col.), Brown 

 or Red Thrush, Red Alavis (recalling an English songbird), 

 and Brown Thras/ier. 



The last of these ( Thrasher) is perhaps the most often heard 

 of all its names in the Northern and Middle States. The word is 

 undoubtedly another derivative from the root of thrush just as 

 the Swedish trast is ; or you may say that it came from the root 

 of the verb to thresh (in Anglo-Saxon therscan), the original 

 meaning of which was to make a rattling noise, — one of the 

 most prominent of the utterances of this garrulous bird. 



Its imitative powers have given it several names, such as two 

 or three quoted above ; American Mockingbird (Wisconsin) ; 

 FrencJi Mockingbird (Southern States — distinguishing from 

 AI. -polygloitus) ; Carolina Mockingbird, and so on. In the 

 name Corn-planter (New Jersey and Massachusetts) we have 

 a recognition of the time of its apjDearance in the spring, when 

 the maize-seed is being put into the ground. "While you are 

 planting your seed," says Thoreau, "he cries — 'Drop it, drop it — 

 cover it up, cover it up — pull it up, pull it up, pull it up.'" 



Bull, N. O. O. 8, Apii. X88S. p. 76". 



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892. T/ie BrOTVn Thrush. {Harporhynchus Rnfiis.^ By Wilmot. 

 pp. 323, 324.— On its habits. -XIJ. 

 1658. Fliitlerbudgct. By Olive Thome Miller, /i/rf. , No. 355, May , 

 18S7, pp. 67S-6S2. — Harporhynchus rufus in captivity. a^tilaa^lo MOtiii I 



