BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="l_raty" data-source="post: 3237929" data-attributes="member: 24811">I searched quite a few old dictionaries, I admittedly couldn't find the word listed in them as a demonym. However, see [<a href="https://archive.org/stream/llebourbonll00laca#page/n161/mode/2up/search/mascarins" target="_blank">here</a>] (1880), where it is said that it was used in this sense by "the vulgar". (The French had changed the name of the island into "Bourbon": the word may have remained in use locally and in the lower classes, but would have been basically unknown in France.) See also [<a href="https://archive.org/stream/notessurlledel00mail#page/158/mode/2up/search/mascarin" target="_blank">here</a>], where a local duck is given the same name on the same island.Seconded. I've yet to find something in Linnaeus' works that I would not be able resolve in just a few moments with it. :t:</blockquote>