Spotted Towhee, Pipilo Maculatus

Day 179: Once known as "Rufous-sided Towhee" here in the Pacific Northwest and considered to be one and the same with the eastern species, Pipilo maculatus (Spotted Towhee) was separated from Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Eastern Towhee) in 1995 after decades of debate. The bird, however, is only indirectly the subject of this discussion. Instead, we're going to talk Latin.

Ironically, both "maculatus" and "erythrophthalmus" could be applied to either species. Both are spotted and both have red eyes. That's what the two terms mean. Now while most of you won't readily be able to pull up from memory many English words with roots in "erythr-," but "ophthalmus" should ring a few bells. Have you ever been referred to an ophthalmologist for an eye problem? That medical professional may have used an ophthalmoscope to look into your eyes. Yes, "-ophthalmus" is a clue to an identifying characteristic: it tells us to notice the bird's eye. If you happen to have some medical background, you might recognize "eryth-" as being part of the word for a red blood cell: erythrocyte. "Eryth-" in "erythrophthalmus" further indicates that the eye is red.

Let's move on to "maculatus." This one is easier. The English term "maculate" is not one you hear commonly, but it is a valid adjective and means "spotted" or "stained." However, don't strain your brain in trying to remember that. Just think of its opposite: immaculate. Something "immaculate" is without stain or spot.

Seriously, folks, you use a lot more Latin in your daily conversation than you probably realize, Greek too. English is a youngster as languages go, and "modern" English (i.e., English in a form you'd be able to understand with relatively little difficulty) is only about 500 years old. Step back a little more than a century into Chaucer's day and "woot ye wel what I meene of this" as it applies to the English of his era. If you think of Latin as a "dead language," think again. It's alive and well in scientific nomenclature, and also in our everyday speech.