I just received this in private mail, thought I'd share.

--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: Luke Cole <crpe at igc.apc.org>
To: birder at juno.com
Subject: Re: Old bird names
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 21:43:07 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19961111214250.3f87e45c at pop.igc.org>

At 04:12 AM 11/5/96 EST, Cliff Drake wrote:
>Since we're on the subject of old (or odd) bird names, can anyone tell
me
>why the Leach's Storm-Petrel is also known as Mother Carey's Chicken?
>

CLIFF:

If you haven't gotten an answer yet, here's my best shot:

Mother Carey's chickens is used to refer to all storm petrels in general,
and specifically to the Leach's and Wilson's Storm Petrels.

Lowery, in his Birds of Louisiana (3rd ed. 1974), offers this explanation
of
the derivation of the name, quoting seabird authority Robert Cushman
Murphy:
"The name of this vague demigoddess -- no doubt the wife of Davey Jones,
has
been trqaced by some to the prayers addressed by storm-tossed
Mediterranean
sailers to the Virgin, the mater cara, or 'dear mother."

Others concur in this explanation, noting that "mater care" or "dear
Mother"
was a call for divine help in stormy weather. It was believed to be bad
luck to kill a storm petrel.

Feel free to post this to Tweeters, which I have had to unsubscribe to
for a
while.

Best,
Luke Cole
San Francisco, CA
crpe at igc.apc.org


--------- End forwarded message ----------

Thanks Luke