The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-08-10
OF ONE NAME BUT NOT ALIKE.
English and American Birds That Bear the
Same Name Though Quite Distinct.

Or ONE NAME BUT NOT ALIKE.
English and American Birds That Bear the
Same Name Though Quite Distinct.
American readers of English books that deal
with country life and hunting are frequently
puzzled by allusions to and descriptions of birds
which do not at all tally with what Americans
know of birds called by the same names in this
country. This confusion would be cleared up
if the reader could have seen a college, of
birds recently on exhibition at the Smithsonian
Institution. This collection was made by Mr.
Ridgway, the Curator of that Department. 1t
gave at a glance all the birds which, while
known by the same names in this country and
in England, are quite distinct in appearance
and often in other more important respects.
The collection has just been dispersed in conse-
quence OF changes in the department. but it
Will be of interest to give here description of
the birds which composed it,
lt has always been mooted question among
sportsmen and those who were not professed
ornithologists whether the American bird in this
locality called partridge, farther north a quail
was really a quail or a partridge. 1t seems
though, that it is neither, and that its true name
is bob White," so called from the peculiar
sound of its call. The true partridge is Euro
Pean bird, and can be found frequently in Eng
land. 1t is much larger bird than the Bob
White, although not so large as the ruffed
Grouse, called partridge in the North, where the
Bob White is called quail. The true partridge
does not migrate, changing its habitation only
because OF food considerations and its flights
are rarely over half a mile. The true quail, as
found in Europe, is entirely different from the
partridge, differing very much in size and con-
slderably in shape. Its neck is much shorter,
lts head OF different shape, and its color much
lighter 1t is also migratory bird every win
ter lying southward across the Mediterranean
into Africa and returning in the spring. 1t
seems to be impossible to introduce the quail
into America, as on account of this migratory
instinct it flies southwark and the covey is usu-
ally lost in the waters of the ocean.
me BOD White is as nearly an intermediate
species between the quail and the partridge as
bird can well be. 1t partakes of the shape of
both, is exactly between the two in size and IFS
color is nearer that of the partridge and its
markings that of the quail. 1t is also known as
the Virginia partridge, and differs from the
other species to be found in certain localities in
america almost as much as it does from the
european birds. Two notches, or teeth on their
lower mandible, however, serve to distinguish
the bird and classify all the varieties as belong
Ing to the one family. Among the other yarie-
ties OF American partridges may be mentioned
the blue or scaled partridge, ranging from
Texas to Arizona, bird much smaller than the
Virginia partridge and more like the quail the
Massena partridge, with similar range of habi-
tation; valley quail, darker bird beautifully
marked, and mountain partridge. These birds
are all finely crested birds of beautiful plumage
out much inferior to our Eastern Bob White as
game bird. They do not lie to dog but es-
cape by running.
The pheasant is another bird in which this
popularity OF nomenclature is to be noted No
true pheasant is indigenous to any part of
America, although several species, the Chinese
or ringed pheasant the golden pheasant and
one or TWO Japanese species, have been intro
duced with some success in our Western States
particularly Oregon. Our pheasant is in reality
the ruled grouse, and totally unlike the true
pheasant, which is strikingly beautiful bird,
the size of our domestic fowl, with handsomely
penciled plumage of metallic hues, proud.
graceful carriage, and elegant, tapering tail. 1t
can also be found in parts of Europe.
In England the name robin is applied to a
little bird of the thrush tribe not so large as
our bluebird, while in America it is applied to
can robin. Our robin is several times as large
as the English bird and does not resemble it in
habits or appearance. Both are of the thrush
tribe, but of different families
The European blackbird is a thrush closely
resembling our American robin in size. form,
habits, and even song. The male however, is a
wholly deep black, with an orange-vellow bill.
The American blackbird belongs to the oriole
lings of the Old World 1t does not resemble
at all the European bird, except, perhaps, in
shape.
The American oriole is a bird peculiar to this
country, put beng in color somewhat like the
oriole of the Eastern Hemisphere the early set
Tiers gave 1t that name. 1t is also called the
hung-nest from the peculiar structure of its
home
,r The word for bunting in German is ''aaaner.n
Inc bird is something like the woodpecker, and
III England became known as the yelow-am
mer, later yellow-hammer. That name became
applied to the American golden-winged wood
Pecker, bird Unfortunately known as the
Kicker, the wakeup, and the high-holder
The European ortolan is a species of bunting,
ana is well known from the delicate flavor of its
lesh' In America the name Ortolan is applied
to two very dssmlar birds, the reedbird, also
known as the bobolink and skunk blackbird,
and the sora rail, the latter of which in no posi-
bic way resembles the European ortolan.
The true jack-snipe is a European bird and
much smaller than the bird we know by that
name Our jack-snipe is more like the English
snlpe, although the ornithologist easily distin-
guishes it, The name is likewise applied in
America to the pectoral sandpiper, also called
the meadow-snipe and grass-snipe
The bird we commonly know as the turkey
buzzard is in reality vulture, and is scientii-
cally known as the turkey-vulture The true
buzzard is the European hen-hawk and resem-
6les the hawk family much more closely than it
does the Vulture.