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BIRD NAMES AND LORE. 



MAX E. PEACOCK, 

 The Manor, Bottesford, Lincolnshire 



To any one who will give the matter a few hours study and 

 attention it will become evident that the names by which we 

 colloquially call our birds are derived for the most part from 

 some trait of character or coloration. No better example of this 

 can be given than Vanellas vanellus ; here we have the Latin 

 name distinctly pointing out the mode of flight and sound 

 thereby made. If we look to its English names we shall find 

 much more depicted: — Peewit, Peasweep, Peawit, Pyewipe, 

 Feaswipe, Tufted Pyewipe, Green Pyewipe, Green Plover, Lap- 

 wing, and several other like forms. Most of these names are 

 given in imitation of the cry, but Lapwing denotes its mode 

 or manner of flying and the noise thereby made. Tufted Pye- 

 wipe points to its crest ; Green Plover to its colour. The family 

 of Terwyt or Turret no doubt take their name from this bird. 

 They bear Peewits as their coat-of-arms. The French local 

 form is ' Dix huit.' We have taken this bird as a type to show 

 what we mean, but it is by no means the only one. 



The origin of our bird names may be roughly divided into 

 seven primary heads as follows : — No. L, Colour; No. II., Cry; 

 No. III., Motions; No. IV., Formation; No. V., Habits; 

 No. VI., Habitat; No. VII., From peculiarity of Nest. 



These primary heads may again be divided into sub-classes. 

 To show what we mean we will give an example of the first two 

 heads : — 



Primary Head No. I. 



Sub-Div. I. — General colour. 

 ,, II. — Colour of head. 

 ,, III. — Colour of legs. 

 ,, IV. — Colour of parts mentioned. 

 ,, V. — Shape, etc., of colour. 

 Now for examples of these sub-divisions : — 



Sub-Div. I. — Golden Oriole, Blackbird. 

 ,, II. — Blackcap, Redcap, Redpoll. 

 ,, III. — Redshank, Greenshank. 

 ,, IV.— Black-backed Gull, Red-necked Grebe. 

 ,, V. — Ring-Dove, Spotted-Crake. 



i go i February i. 



