Greetings all
Whilst reading an article by D. Goodwin in Emu 66 (pp 237-51), I encountered
a new word. The article was entitled "Notes on Behaviour of some Australian
Birds", and, in reference to the White-browed Babbler, he says: 'When
probing in crevices of bark and elsewhere it did not appear to "zirkeln"'.
Now zirkeln is a word that just has to be investigated, but even though I
checked English dictionaries, German dictionaries, bird dictionaries, and
more, no joy was to be had. What on earth does "zirkeln" mean? No one
seems to know! Not only is it an unknown verb, it is used as something the
bird didn't do! Some quite good guesses were made as to what the bird
didn't do while probing crevices of bark. Spontaneously combusting.
Playing an Abyssinian nose-flute. Hiding from Mir. Tap-dancing. Bowling
legspin to Sachin Tendulkar. All good guesses, and, most probably, quite
true. I doubt the wretched bird did any of these things. Does anybody have
the remotest idea what the bird actually might have been doing? I, and many
other perplexed potential zirkelners, would just love to know!
Cheers
Geoff Price.
_______________________________________________________________
Geoff Price
Director of Tipping and Sweepstakes
HANZAB Assistant Editor
Birds Australia
415 Riversdale Rd, Hawthorn East 3123
Ph: (03) 9882 2622.
Fax: (03) 9882 2677
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