Posted by David La Puma on August 13, 2001 at 18:12:52:
In Reply to: Re: A Saturday stroll in posted by SF birder with little Latin and less Greek on August 11, 2001 at 20:48:15:
And how much hubris is present when we decide all birds should be referred to by English common names? I’ve heard many Latin-Americans refer to the birds by their Latin names- making them MORE UNIVERSALLY communicable. In many cases, the latin names are much more descriptive than the common. Note (if you're attention span can take it) the interesting common names used in the post. I consulted the Guide to birds of the West Indies and found that the common names used in the post were those from Cuba. I thought that was pretty neat! (and should come in handy soon when we can all get there legally) I guess we should expect that any diversion from the norm would be followed by some pin-headed response.
::life gotten::
David