Beast

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.