On Wed, 2 Aug 1995, Don Baccus wrote:
> Ray:
> >=09However, I have been considering the postscript to your note with=20
> >regard to hyphenated names of species.
> >=09b) Names based on calls, particularly those with three or more=20
> >words making up the title, i.e. whip-poor-will, chuck-will's-widow.
>=20
> Interesting that poorwill isn't hyphenated, presumably due to the
> fact it only has two syllables.

Actually, Poorwill has gone *beyond* hyphenation (it is=20
*hyper-hyphenated*) -- the two words have merged into one.=20
=20
> >For that matter,=20
> >Flammulated Owl is just that, not Flammulated Screech-Owl, which we woul=
d=20
> >want to distinguish from Flammulated Pygmy-Owl.
>=20
> Or long-eared vs. great horned!

But consider Short-eared Owl and Long-eared Owl: =20

Short Eared Owl
Long Eared Owl

Hypenation makes it clear that we are dealing with owls having long and=20
short =93"ears," n=94ot two kinds of "Eared Owls," one of which is short,=
=20
and the other of which is long [?!]. I don'=92t see what all the fuss is
about. Hyphens in names, like turn signals and correct spelling, exist to=
=20
enhance communication, period. If they were being used in a way that=20
obfuscates meaning, that would be worth arguing about. But no one has argu=
ed=20
that they are being used illogically, just that they are "=93too much troub=
le.=20

Also, when two words are joined in the final part of a name (the=20
"noun" or "kind-of-bird" part), it is usually (always?) a cue that there=20
is more than one species of bird that uses that name, for example there=20
are multiple species of Scrub-Jays. =20

And besides, the hyphen makes a Scrub-Jay seem more exotic, like a=20
Tody-Tyrant, or a Koa-Finch...

David Wright
dwright at u.washington.edu

PS: Is "displacement behavior" hyphenated? =20