Mrs. Brackmann, 5th and 6th Science and English

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Did you know that the original choice for America’s National Symbol was not 
the bald eagle? From the start, the eagle was a controversial choice. Ben 
Franklin believed another bird should have been chosen for our national seal 
describing it as courageous and “a true native of America.” Find out about 
that “other” bird, and how our national symbol was chosen.

Eagle Vs. Turkey: America's First Bird Controversy

Nations often adopt animals as symbols: England has its lion, India its 
peacock. On the afternoon of July 4, 1776, just after the signing of the 
Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress appointed a committee 
made up of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin to select a 
design for an official national seal.

The three patriots had different ideas and none of them included the bald 
eagle. They finally agreed on a drawing of the woman Liberty holding a shield 
to represent the states. But the members of Congress weren't inspired by the 
design and they consulted with William Barton, a Philadelphia artist who 
produced a new design that included a golden eagle.

Because the golden eagle also flew over European nations, however, the 
federal lawmakers specified that the bird in the seal should be an American 
bald eagle. On June 20, 1782, they approved the design that we recognize 
today.

At the time, the new nation was still at war with England, and the fierce-
looking bird seemed to be an appropriate emblem. But from the start, the 
eagle was a controversial choice. Franklin scowled at it. "For my part," he 
declared, "I wish the eagle had not been chosen as the representative of this 
country. He is a bird of bad moral character; he does not get his living 
honestly. You may have seen him perched in some dead tree where, too lazy to 
fish for himself, he watches the labor of the fishing hawk and, when that 
diligent bird has at length taken a fish and is bearing it to his nest for 
his young ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes the fish. With all this 
injustice, he is never in good case."

Some people have since questioned whether the eagle would have been chosen to 
adorn the seal had the nation not been at war. A year after the Treaty of 
Paris ended the conflict with Great Britain, Franklin argued that the turkey 
would have been a more appropriate symbol. "A much more respectable bird and 
a true native of America," he pointed out. Franklin conceded that the turkey 
was "a little vain and silly," but maintained that it was nevertheless 
a "bird of courage" that "would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the 
British guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat 
on." Congress was not convinced, however. The eagle remained our national 
symbol.

In truth, both the turkey and the bald eagle are native to the Americas. But 
if the issue is a bird that represents our nation, Americans can't really lay 
exclusive claim to either species, since both traditionally ranged in Canada 
and Mexico as well.
 
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                              THE NAME GAME

Sometimes the common name of a species makes perfect sense; the Bald Eagle is 
one obvious example. But sometimes a name tells us more about the fickle 
nature of humans than about the creature it describes. Test your knowledge of 
common names with a special eNature quiz.

Q. What's a daddy-long-legs?

A. It depends on a person's location. In England the term is used to describe 
a type of spider, usually in the family Pholcidae, common in homes and other 
buildings. These are the spindly legged spiders often seen hanging in messy 
webs near ceilings. Americans call them Cellar Spiders.

A daddy-long-legs stateside is another type of arachnid, in the order 
Opiliones, also known as Harvestmen. These creatures are found outdoors, 
usually in moist, dark places where they hide during the day. While they look 
like spiders and have eight legs, they're not spiders.

There's also a type of fly that's referred to as a daddy-long-legs. These 
insects are more appropriately called crane flies -- a reference to their 
long legs, similar to those of the birds called cranes. These flies are also 
known as mosquito hawks or mosquito eaters. And though crane flies resemble 
mosquitoes, they could never eat one because they lack functional mouth parts 
as adults.

Q. What's the difference between the Eastern Towhee, the Spotted Towhee, and 
the Rufous-sided Towhee?

A. Time is the main factor with these bird names. Originally the Eastern 
Towhee and the Spotted Towhee were considered distinct species. Biologists 
later decided that these were simply two forms, or subspecies, of a single 
species, the Rufous-sided Towhee. More recently, though, opinion has swung 
back, and current field guides again recognize the Eastern Towhee in the East 
and the Spotted Towhee in the West.

Q: What do the Long-tailed Duck, the Northern Pikeminnow, and the Gray Pine 
have in common?

A. The common names of these three species have been modified to eliminate 
terms that were disrespectful to Native Americans. The Long-tailed Duck was 
formerly known as the Oldsquaw, the Northern Pikeminnow used to be known as 
the Northern Squawfish, and the Gray Pine was called the Digger Pine, a term 
applied to several tribes of California natives who dug for edible roots and 
bulbs.

Q: What's the difference between the Prairie Rattlesnake, the Northern 
Pacific Rattlesnake, and the Great Basin Rattlesnake?

A. These are all forms of a single species, the Western Rattlesnake. Each is 
a distinct subspecies that occupies a different geographic region. The 
Western Rattlesnake is also known as the Timber Rattlesnake in the Sierra 
Nevada and the Rockies -- a misnomer because the true Timber Rattlesnake 
exists only east of the Rockies. Such is the problem with a lot of folk names 
or regionalisms.

Q: What's the difference between Steelhead and Rainbow Trout?

A. These two names refer to the same species. Inland versions of the fish 
that remain in freshwater all their lives are called Rainbow Trout, while 
coastal forms that migrate to the ocean and return to streams to spawn are 
called Steelhead.

Even more confusing is the history of the scientific name of the species. 
Prior to 1989, the fish was officially known as Salmo gairdneri, and now it's 
Oncorhynchus mykiss. Why? Paleontologists looking at fossil evidence 
concluded that certain "trout" were actually more like Pacific Salmon, which 
are in the genus Oncorhynchus. The species name was changed when someone 
realized that a specimen collected in Asia and named mykiss at the time was 
actually the same species. Because the name mykiss appeared first, it was 
then applied to all members of the species.

Confused? You're not alone. But take comfort in the knowledge that no matter 
where you live or what you call it, the beautiful black, white, and red 
towhee scuffling in the leaf litter is as fascinating to watch as ever.

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Mrs. Brackmann, 5th and 6th Science and English

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