Mergus
Latin name: | Mergus |
Other names: | Mergis, Mergo, Mergulis |
Category: | Bird |
Generic term for a sea bird
General Attributes
The Latin word mergus referred to any unspecified sea-going bird, rather than being the name of a specific bird. The term is found in some bestiaries and encyclopedias. The text in Cambridge University Library, Kk. 4. 25 says it gets its name from mergendi, Latin for "merge" or "sink", suggesting a diving bird.