48 
BIRD NAMES. 
HAT’S in a name ” ? is often quoted, when the worthy 
speakers intend to remark on the unimportance of 
a mere name. But it must be admitted that names 
are often surprisingly interesting, and the names of 
birds and beasts and flowers are especially so. A brief study 
of the derivations of the names of our birds is bound to be 
interesting, and is sure to repay the searcher with many out- 
of-the-way facts and quaint bits of folklore. Words, when they 
represent our wild birds, can be made to live ; and their study 
becomes, not the dry philology of students, but a really interest- 
ing bye-path of knowledge. Let us investigate some of our bird 
names, and we shall be surprised at the real meanings of some 
of them. 
Many names are onomatopoetic, that is, their meaning is 
suggested by their pronunciation ; many birds take their names 
from their colour or appearance, while others derive theirs from 
their habits, their favourite haunts or their usual food. 
Among onomatopoetic names one at once thinks of Cuckoo, 
Chiff-chaff, Owl, Shrike and Turtle (dove). These names are 
generally very old, and are often very similar in most languages ; 
thus Cuckoo, for instance, becomes in French “ coucou,” in 
German “ kuckuk,” in Dutch “ koekoek,” in Italian “ cuculo,” 
in Spanish “cuclillo,” and in Portuguese “ cuco.” “Pigeon” 
comes through French from Latin “ pipio,” to chirp, which 
word is itself derived from the tiny note of a nestling bird. 
Familiar examples of colour names are Blackbird, Goldcrest, 
Whitethroat and Blackcap; but “Fieldfare” comes under this 
heading, for the “ field ” has nothing to with pastures, but is 
derived from A.S. “ fealo,” yellow, the bird’s throat and breast 
being of that colour. We call a jay a jay because of its 
splendid plumage, for its name comes from Sp. “ gayo,” which 
is synonymous with our word “ gay ” ; few wdll deny this 
brilliant bird its name. " Robin ” may be derived from Lat. 
“rubecula” (its scientific name to-day), from “ rubeo,” to be 
red, but it seems more likely that our Anglo-Saxon forefathers 
gave this bird, on account of its pert familiarity, a proper name, 
Robin, which is a popular form of Robert. We know they were 
formerly fond of thus christening birds, for we hear of Jenny- 
wren, Jack-heron, and Philip Sparrow, while Tom-tit remains 
to this day The Starling is named from the starry spots on 
its plumage, and many other birds are directly or indirectly 
named from the dress they wear. 
A large number of birds are named from habits, haunts or 
food. Wryneck, Woodpecker, Lapwing, and Wagtail at once 
occur as examples of the first class, which need no explanation ; 
Dunlin (from Gael “dun,” a hill, and “ linne,” a pool). Plover 
(from Lat. “ pluvia,” rain, hence wet places) and Woodcock, 
furnish examples of the second ; and Kingfisher, Sparrow-hawk, 
