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Ruffed grouse sounds pretty good for the bird’s name. It makes sense, it’s got a heck of a ruff of feathers about its neck. So who came up with Bonasa umbellis, Bonasa depending on who’s definition, can mean noble, buffalo, or good when roasted, I’ll go along with the first and last, but buffalo.
Then there’s Odocoileus virginianus, more commonly known as white tail deer. Meaning, the hollow toothed deer from Virginia. I’m left wondering, Do Minnesota deer have hollow teeth, any with dentures?
Northern pike, Esox lucius, literally means water wolf, to me, that’s spot on. So be careful when you dangle your toes off the dock.
Aurora borealis, this one has so many different meanings, but my favorite is the northern dawn, at very high latitudes, which just sounds cool, especially the part about being up there.
And finally what about Ely, Minnesota. “That year the miners incorporated the town of Florence, population 177, near the east side of Shagawa Lake on a site now known as Spaulding. Florence was named after the daughter of the Chandler mine’s Captain Jack Pengilly (also the town’s first mayor). After ore was discovered farther west, the town relocated, changing its name as well. Since it was discovered that the name ‘Florence’ was already used by another village in Minnesota, ‘Ely’ was chosen in honor of mining executive Samuel B. Ely, a big promoter of Vermilion Range ore.”
When it’s right, it’s right, you simply can’t get better than that.
- The Trout Whisperer
