Where spirit-birds may fold their wings And gleaners of divinest things May gather sweets immortal.-BRIDGE. The parrot's grave and burial inscription: Ossa tegit tumulus, tumulus pro corpore magnus, -Ov., Am. II, 6, 59. Another funeral poem, in honor of a parrot which belonged to Melior, a friend of Statius. How the parrot spent his last day and night: Psittace, dux volucrum, domini facunda voluptas, Birds with the gift of speech are summoned to the funeral: Huc doctae stipentur aves, quis nobile fandi -STAT., Silv. II, 4, 16. Cf. Plin. X, 117, 120, 121, 124; Apul., Flor. II; Manil. V, 379. A description of the parrot. His powers of speech. His last rites. and the words uttered by the birds at his funeral: 'The raven. "The reading cornix is attractive (cf. Plin. X, 124 et al.), but quique is then of course impossible. Occidit aeriae celeberrima gloria gentis Caesareum et queruli quondam vice functus amici, Or leave me here as now, -STAT., Silv. II, 4, 24. Bill, parrot-like and old with cracked voice, harping, screeching. -WHITMAN. That screaming parrot makes my blood run cold.-MoODY. Other references to the parrot and his powers of speech: Quis expedivit psittaco suum chaere, Venter, negatas artifex sequi voces. -PERS., Prol. 8. Greek was the language of small talk, love talk, parrot talk. -GILDERSLEEVE. Cf. Macaw; and gold-green parrot, human-tongued, Behind us at our evening meal The gray bird ate his fill, Swung downward by a single claw, And wiped his hooked bill.-Whittier. QUERQUEDULA. Κερκουρίς and κερκιθαλλίς have been assumed as possible originals for the cerceris in Varr., L. L. V, 79. Cf. Keller, Lateinische Volksetymologie, p. 52. Kɛρжηdηs, as a gloss, also occurs. Vid. Thompson, op. cit. s. v. v. Nñtta, Bosxág, and yλaúxɩov. The querquedula is probably the Teal (Anas crecca) or the Garganey (Anas querquedula). Cf. Gesner, op. cit., p. 103. "Easdem omnino Ferrariae in Italia rustici qui in foro vendebant, nomen interroganti mihi scavolos et cerceuolos (quasi querquedulas) appellarunt. Mediolani audio garganello dici, quod nomen aliqui etiam aliis anatibus aut · mergis improprie tribuant. Eliota Anglus querquedulas interpretatur teale." American parallel: Teal. He told how teal and loon he shot.-WHITTIER. Above the marshy islands flew The green teal and the swift curlew.-MAURICE THOMPSON. A possible reference to the fall migration of the querquedulae: Et ratione Aut frigidos nimbos cito ac caduciter ruentis The teal and mallard wanton o'er the flood.-ALSOP. O Nature! gentle is thy might: Thy action is repose; the Eagle's flight Is tranquil as the teal that sails so light REGULUS. Τροχίλος and probably ὄρχιλος, βασιλεύς. Wren. Henry Van Dyke: The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. It is noteworthy that the wren, although one of the most observable and sociable of the smaller birds and about which much later lore has collected, seems to have touched the ancient poets scarcely at all. This is due, as in several other cases, largely to the fact that no great metamorphosis myth with the wren gained popular acceptance. Cf. int. al. Newton, op. cit., p. 1050. The myth of the wren as 'King of all the birds' is post-classical. The fire-crowned king of the wrens, Where the land you call your own, Through the blossom-world of May, Little king?-HENRY VAN Dyke. The wren's song is like that of the bee-eater and swallow: Regulus atque merops et rubro pectore progne Consimili modulo zinzizulare sciunt. Sibilous shivering voice. (Wood-wren.) -Anth. Lat. 762, 43. -GILBERT WHITE of Selborne. For other references vid. Plin. VIII, 37; Plin., Ep. I, 5, 14. Then came the wren with carols gay, There are notes of joy from the hang-bird and wren. When first the wren Was heard to chatter.-BRYANT. There's the hum of the bee and the chirp of the wren. -BRYANT. The wren Comes twittering from his brushy den. -MAURICE THOMPSON. And from his pigmy house the wren looked out. Wrens sing all the winter through: frost excepted. RUSTICA. Σκολόπαξ and ἀσκαλώπας. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticula. American parallels: Woodcock, snipe. A table bird. Compared with the partridge: Rustica sim an perdix, quid refert, si sapor idem est? The seasons send -MART. XIII, 76. Their wildest wanderers: the secret snipe, That on the borders of the slimy field The woodcock in his moist retreat, Heard not the falling of their feet.-HOSMER. Bubbling within some basin green So fringed with fern, the woodcock's bill Scarce penetrates the leafy screen.-STREET. SCOLOPAX. Σκολόπας and ἀσκαλώπας. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticula. American parallels: Woodcock, snipe. A striking description of the appearance and feeding habits of the bird: |