The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-23

certain Macedonian family OF girls who
were changed into magpies.
And sill their tongues went on thouSh
changed 20 birds,
In endless cack ard vast desire Of words.
our aut horess instructs us that. though
II ia correct 20 speak OF a "hevy ~
quaus II Is more elegant 70 reserve that
term for a company OF ladies, the beau
ties among whom ere to be further en-
titled a GALAXY" But he mere gossips
ami 'unronditioned' women are only
''rnEgIe. "A somewhat invidious distino'
ton. inasmuch as a flock OF geese is also
technically included IN that expressive
word.
But e Is when we approach the Wild
fowl that wariness IL especially required
Perhaps the greater number OF the birds
Shat remain with or come 10. US during
the winter rack" more or less az that
season. These assemblages. however, arc
by no means 20 be spoken OF as packs.
or hooks. except in the few particular
Instances 20 which those terms are spe-
cially assigned We may refer general
b 10 "a plump" OK wlldfowl. but tech
n.cal precision insists upon almost A.
many distinctions as there arc species
In Dame Julianas time q was the thing
% speak OF congregation" OF plov-
ems. though the word stand" Is perhaps
more generally recognized. And now we
have 70 tread circumspectly. as II upon
eggshels The old faiconer would have
been declared not worth his salt II he fail
ed uominally 60 distinguish n herd Of
curlews from A trip OF dottrel or a
deserte" OF lapwinEs. lie must be a
past master in the me shades OF differ
ence between court" OF coots. a
bunch" or Syringe 81 teal a suit
of mallands ana q "gagglc" OF wild geese
Even the modern fowler carefully nurses
many of the o.d-w0rld terms-ancient
men ories OF hawk and hound-and knows
thht "a 'wisp' % suipe be- not 20 be CON
founded with "a "fali' OF woOicock. Tue
reason given for speaking OF a siege"
az herous was that the heron sits "as
70 81 siege. which may have been \ good
reason but is certainly not clear one
Nor IS plain why an assembly OF
rocks. apart from their hshitatiOns. should
nave been STYLED building Aud
there are other seeming Inconsistencies
of nomenclature which doubtless. how
over. had originally some kind OF natural
toundaison. Thus. company Of swans
was called = herd while the same
word was used a. descriptive Of a gather
ing OF one Of our smallest English birds.
che wren.
Nor was this nice etiquette Of the field
altogether confined 10 the inferior ami
mas Man himself is highly gregarious.
ANA his various groupings. according 10
occupation or otherwise. were the cause
OF many quaint and sometimes ridiculous
nouns 81 multitude. The "gentylmen who
had such greete delite In haukynR" seem
10 nave become 80 habituated 10 the strict
phraseology OF the pursuit that they car
ned the system into matters with which
D was only Indirectly concerned No
honot there was considerable wear ana
tear OF garments in tbs course Of tho
sport hut this affords no obvious reason
Nhy tne useful fraternity Of cordwain.rs
sHoui1 p dubbed "dronkenship OF cob
b.ers. Doubtless also then as nov. the
inner man or the sporting world required
frequent removal. ana to meet this de-
mahd a considerable number OF traders
ana serVingmcn were necessary. Rut tb.
lashlon Of classifying or grouping fber,
e'"ia ho' De restrained. and so we had "A
.'peIhAcie' OF bakers. a Temperance"
OF COOKS a 'draught" OF buffers a .eLos-
ynge' OF taveruers. a "lapgbter.. -
osters' ana a promise" OF tapsters Tbe
.ast-hamed body shows how often ,be
tnlns itself endures while the nars
l.'hkes' The stereotyped and oft-repeat-
coming. sir" Of the English waiter
-hlinseIf a decayed instiiutlon-is a suer
cieht indication Of his descent from ~.
promising iapsters OF the olden ,,r,o