Bob,

According to *A Source book for Biological Names( E.C. Jaeger. 1955. Thomas
Pub.), Aythya comes from the Greek aithya meaning "seabird."*

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
>Tweets,
>
>I need your help, please. Every day in the biology class at Sequim High
>School, Shirley Anderson, the teacher, gives the students a "species of
>the day," in which the students learn scientific name, habitat, and
>characteristics of a local plant, animal, or other organism. Part of
>learning the scientific name includes the English translation of the
>Latin name.
>
>Today they studied Redhead, _Aythya_ _americana_. Shirley cannot find
>the English translation of _Aythya_ and neither can I. Nothing in the
>high school library helped, either. Does anyone out there know the
>English translation of _Aythya_, or the origin of this name? If anyone
>has the book _Words for Birds_ (now out of print, I think) it would
>undoubtedly say, but I don't have a copy.
>
>This is a true test of the value of the internet!
>
>Thank you in advance for your reply.
>
>Bob Boekelheide
>Sequim
>
>