On Mar 17, 2011, at 3:04 AM, Devorah the ornithologist wrote:

> speaking of incorrect bird names ... i really hate it when a
> journalist publishes a story about an ibis and includes a picture of
> an egret, as happened yesterday in a story i read.
>
> just sayin'

'Egrets. I've had a few.
But then again, to few to mention.

Sorry.

Why does "Peregrine falcon" sound fine but "Merlin falcon" sounds odd?

A quick check of the OED shows that "Merlin Hawk" and "Peregrine Hawk" were in common usage (a long time ago). And they're all Anglo-Norman in origin. Even Kestrel which I would have though might have been teutonic or norse. I guess they were all Hawks to the Anglo-Saxons.

Everyone makes the odd mistake. I've been corrected (by an ex-teacher on this list) for the Stellar's versus Steller's (dontcha love spelling correction by spelling correctors). Wait. Should it have apostrophes. Or not? Didn't the AOU change that. Or not? And I even knew the history of Stellar, err, Steller. Doesn't he appear in "Streetcar Named Desire"?

True story on meeting a birder for the first time: "Anything good?". "A Bee-wicks Wren". I just nodded. Should one point it out or just let it go (and let the birder make the same mistake with someone else)? Perhaps bird guide should include pronunciation guides too for those wacky English (or Spanish) names.

I think of this email list as more like an extended WOS-like meeting. Some of it is formal trip or rare bird reports. But most is the chattering around the edge after the main business is done. Would you correct someone in that circumstance? Sometimes, perhaps?
--
Kevin Purcell (Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA)
kevinpurcell at pobox.com
http://kevinpurcell.posterous.com
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