11.21.2002
I was looking for the origin of the term "murder of crows" when I found a discussion on a word origin forum covering just that topic.
Apparently, the use of murder to mean a group of crows is poetic but not scientific. The reference isn't noted in the OED. But it is noted in An Exaltation of Larks by James Lipton. So are the following uses of collective nouns, many of which have been in use for many years by hunters, fishermen and other common (non-biologist) folks:
A covey of partridges
A rafter of turkeys
A brood of hens
A fall of woodcocks
A dule of doves
A wedge of swans
A party of jays
A company of parrots
A colony of penguins
A cover of coots
A sord of mallards
A dissimulation of birds
A peep of chickens
A pitying of turtledoves
A paddling of ducks [on the water]
A siege of herons
A charm of finches
A skein of geese [in flight] a tidings of magpies
A cast of hawks
A deceit of lapwings
An ostentation of peacocks
A bouquet of pheasants
A congregation of plovers
An unkindness of ravens
A building of rooks
A host of sparrows
A descent of woodpeckers
A mustering of storks
A flight of swallows
A watch of nightingales
A murmuration of starlings
A spring of teal
A parliament of owls
An exaltation of larks
posted by Lisa Thompson on 8:56 PM link | comments []
11.18.2002
what I hear:
Cormorants calling as individuals startle and fly from one group to another; flapping take-off of brown pelicans; lapping high-tide water on the pier and on the beach; a loud truck from across the bay speeding towards Marshall; concentrated sigh of my bird-watching dog flopping on the boards of the pier.
see:
Cormies spread out as far as I can see, more than 400 now by my best count. They move, you see, and are difficult to count. Brown pelicans amongst the cormorants. Four or five harbor seals swimming and diving amongst the birds -- food must be rich and prevalant. A rowboat heading towards the shore opposite and to the south, three men leaving a moored boat? The hills to the east and even directly across to the northeast are mere impressions of outline inside the misty white of sea and sky. The steely water is rippled but glassy, reflecting the flora of the near cliffs.
feel:
The wind picks up speed and blows from the southeast, cold and steady.
see:
The water surface is textured by the wind. The glassiness is gone, replaced by small surface waves.
hear:
The air rushes past my ears.
feel:
Contentment and longing. Energized yet yearning for a morning nap. Desire for unending days with no plans and only time stretching before me...unflinching possibility. It's beautiful but it hurts.
posted by Lisa Thompson on 8:17 PM link | comments []
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