I am a little shocked at my own choice of name in this case, not quite pleasing my imagination with the idea of a Coot-footed Fairy. But since Athena herself thinks it no disgrace to take for disguise the likeness either of a sea-gull or a swallow, a sea-fairy may certainly be thought of as condescending to appear with a diving bird's foot; and the rather that, if one may judge by painters' efforts to give us sight of Fairyland, the general character of its inhabitants is more that of earthly or marine goblins than aerial ones.
Now this is strange! At the last moment, I find this sentence in Gould's introduction: "The generic terms Phalaropus and Lobipes have been instituted for the fairy-like phalaropes."
XI.A.
TITANIA INCONSTANS. CHANGEFUL FAIRY.
- Tringa Lobata. L.
- Phalaropus Fulicarius (Gray Phalarope). G.
- Phalaropus Lobatus. Latham.
"Phalarope with indented festoons," English trans. of Buffon.—It is of no use to ring the changes farther.
XII.
152. RALLUS AQUATICUS. WATER RAIL.
- Rallus Aquaticus. L., G., Y.
- Râle d'Eau. F.
- Samet-Hennle—Velvet (silken?) hen. Ges.
- Schwartz-Wasser-Hennle. T.?
- Vagtel-Konge. Danish.
- Porzana, or Forzana, at Venice.
- Brook-Ouzel—Velvet Runner. B.
I take this group of foreign names from Buffon, but question the German one, which must belong to the Water Hen; for the Rail is not black, but prettily gray and spotted, and I think Buffon confuses the two birds, as several popular names do. Thus, the Velvet Hen also, I fancy, is the Water Hen; but Bewick's Velvet-Runner partly confirms it to the Rail. I find nothing about velvet said in describing the plumage.