HC: Now that you
have mastered the nomenclature of all these species, what new connections among
names, behavior, plumage, etc., have you discovered? What was the most
intriguing?
JS: It is both interesting and amazing that the
binomial system perfected by Linnaeus more than 250 years ago endures to this
day, practical, resilient, and valid. As we worked our way through the research
and writing of this book, it became more and more evident that the early
taxonomists and ornithologists possessed a deep knowledge of classical
languages and literatures; the names they assigned to avian genera and species
reflect their easy familiarity with classical Greek and Roman myth, history,
literature, geography, even geology, as well as with the languages themselves.
It surprised us that not all binomials were
helpful; some were misleading, some inaccurate. We found at least one name to
be a nonsense word. The genus Xema
appears to be such a word concocted by William Elford Leach for the genus of
Sabine’s Gull. (More about William Leach later.) Many species names are
eponymous, such as henslowii or swainsonii, which do not describe any
distinguishing marks of the bird itself—not much help to an observer in the
field, but interesting as ornithological history.
Most binomials, however, augment and enhance the
description of distinguishing marks. The binomial of the Red-eyed Vireo, for
example, is Vireo olivaceus; the
specific Latin term is a descriptive adjective
that calls our attention to the olive-green plumage of this small bird. While
the common name focuses on the red irises of this species, the Latin binomial
affords the observer another important distinguishing mark to look for when
identifying it.
These examples and many more served throughout
this enterprise to deepen our interest in and appreciation of scientific
nomenclature.
JP: I can’t say that I have mastered the nomenclature
of these species, but I certainly learned a lot working alongside Jim. His
special background for this enterprise awakened new insights into language,
history, biology, art, and literature. Though Aristotle, Pliny, Nuttall, and
Newberry were familiar names from other scientific studies, I found their
contributions and connections to the naming of birds to be quite fascinating.
I was responsible for including the regional or
folk names for these birds, and I found they often were more useful than the
attributes provided by the scientific name or even the common name. Wilson’s
Warbler, for example: Alexander Wilson was a remarkable scientist, writer,
poet, and painter, but his name alone is not as descriptive and helpful as the
regional name “black-capped warbler.”
Other useful, colorful, or humorous names include
“thunder pumper,” “bog bull,” and “look-up,” which tells you a lot about the
sound, location, and demeanor of an American Bittern. “High hole” and “yarrup”
suggest where to look for the nest of a Northern Flicker and what to listen
for. “Golden slippers” takes your eye to the feet of the Snowy Egret for a
positive identification. Coming upon a “hang-nest” suggests the “hammock-bird,”
the characteristic suspended home of the familiar Baltimore Oriole. The tree
trunk antics of a “topsy-turvy-bird” help confirm both the White-breasted
Nuthatch and the Red-breasted Nuthatch. But be careful, “fly-up-the creek” can
apply to both the Belted Kingfisher and the Green Heron.
HC: What were
the quirkiest factoids that you discovered?
JS: Two quirky things come to mind. The name of
the Slovenian Ornithological Association (OAI) is IXOBRYCHUS, which is the
genus of the Least Bittern. And the quirkiest? William Elford Leach (see
above), a British zoologist, named many genera and species that occur under,
on, and over the sea. While the numbers vary, it is said that he used anagrams
of the name “Caroline” possibly thirteen times in scientific binomials. The
identity of “Caroline” remains unknown.
JP: One of the quirkiest bits of information was
that accompanying the ordinary and common European Starling. It seems that this
bird from Europe was first released in Central Park, New York City, in 1890 and
1891 by a Eugene Schiefflin, a great fan of William Shakespeare and also
president of the American Acclimatization Society. A goal of this group was to
introduce all the bird species mentioned in the works of Shakespeare to New
York’s public parks. The group’s greatest success was the European Starling
(see Henry IV, part 1).
JS: Thanks for the interview. We think that our book
will be both helpful to birders and interesting on many fronts. It has been
described as both scholarly and quirky. We hope its readers will find it to be
all these things.
