What the Latin Name of the Mockingbird Means
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* Professor Don Salper’s article “Nature’s Silver Lining” (July 24) on the song of the mockingbird made very interesting reading. He errs, however, in describing “polyglottos” as many-tongued--a reference quite likely to the highly developed syrinx (avian voice box) of this remarkable bird.
To the Linnaeus binomial classification of our western mockingbird ( Mimus polyglottos leucopterus ), the modifier “ leucopterus “ has been added as a reference to the white spots on the wings seen from above as this handsome bird glides over the ground.
R. ALVIN GRAVELLE, M.D.
Northridge
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