# Multitudes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 1999, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314 "1999-10-29T14:00:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 1999, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314/1 "1999-10-29T14:00:00Z")
Have any of you ever seen this T-shirt (and I would assume it’s a poster as well)? It lists more than a few terms for groups of animals. Here’s some that I remember: -murder of crows -charm of finches -parliament of owls -leap of leopards I know this is a _really_ General Question, but if any of you know some of the more obscure terms for these groups (i.e., i already know a group of lions is a pride), could you list them here? It’s a bit of a personal project, and I can’t find that shirt anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 1999, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314/2 "1999-10-29T14:28:00Z")
An exaltation of larks. A boast of Dopers? ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 1999, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314/3 "1999-10-29T14:39:00Z")
Ye gods, help me! ## Please, Dopers, let this thread die a quick death! I’ve accidentally checked the wrong box, and will now be getting emails for everyone’s response. I’m going to mail the mod to ax this thread, and then I’ll start it over, but for now, just don’t post. Pretty please? And the problem with small furry animals in corners is that, just occasionally, one of them’s a mongoose. Terry Pratchett, _Witches Abroad_ ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 1999, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314/4 "1999-10-29T14:40:00Z")
I coulg C&P a list but it would be a post of Nanobyte-proportions. I’ll list URLs with lists tho: ## [http://www.geocities.com/~vesta2000/words.htm](http://www.geocities.com/~vesta2000/words.htm) [http://ww1.comteck.com/~revenger/collectivenouns.html](http://ww1.comteck.com/~revenger/collectivenouns.html) [http://www.kreme.com/writing/w1.html](http://www.kreme.com/writing/w1.html) [http://members.aol.com/LauraErick/collectivebirds.html](http://members.aol.com/LauraErick/collectivebirds.html) Back off, man. I’m a scientist. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 1999, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314/5 "1999-10-29T14:51:00Z")
Okay, birds only. Try a cursory web search and you can find many others. ## A bevy of quail A bouquet of pheasants [when flushed] A brood of hens A building of rooks A cast of hawks [or falcons] A charm of finches A colony of penguins A company of parrots A congregation of plovers A cover of coots A covey of partridges [or grouse or ptarmigans] A deceit of lapwings A descent of woodpeckers A dissimulation of birds A dole of doves An exaltation of larks A fall of woodcocks A flight of swallows [or doves, goshawks, or cormorants] A gaggle of geese [wild or domesticated] A host of sparrows A kettle of hawks [riding a thermal] A murmuration of starlings A murder of crows A muster of storks A nye of pheasants [on the ground] An ostentation of peacocks A paddling of ducks [on the water] A parliament of owls A party of jays A peep of chickens A pitying of turtledoves A raft of ducks A rafter of turkeys A siege of herons A skein of geese [in flight] A sord of mallards A spring of teal A tidings of magpies A trip of dotterel An unkindness of ravens A watch of nightingales A wedge of swans [or geese, flying in a “V”] A wisp of snipe **Dopeler effect:** The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 1999, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314/6 "1999-10-29T16:48:00Z")
Hie thee to a bookstore or library and get a copy of James Lipton’s **An Exaltation of Larks** that describes the rationale of and history of “terms of venery.” To eliminate the e-mail: Before you log off, e-mail **Nickerz** , asking him to lock this thread. It’s a legitimate GQ topic, but you can start it over again after the e-mail encrusted version is locked. * * * Tom~ ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 1999, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314/7 "1999-10-29T18:10:00Z")
I have nothing to add… Except an e-mail to Flypsyde’s box! _giggle_ * * * Yer pal, Satan ---
**Author:** ![Timothy\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Timothy\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timothy_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 1999, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314/8 "1999-10-29T18:38:00Z")
My all-time favourite is “A brace of dentists”. (I’m sure that’s not the official term, but then, who’s in charge of picking these things?) As for Flypsyde, he is receiving “An annoyance of email”. ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 1999, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314/9 "1999-10-29T18:40:00Z")
Aye, but let’s just hope I don’t receive a “singularity of pink slips”. * * * And the problem with small furry animals in corners is that, just occasionally, one of them’s a mongoose. Terry Pratchett, _Witches Abroad_ ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 1999, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multitudes/4314/10 "1999-10-29T18:41:00Z")
I’ll take pity on the Flyp and take care of business, Nickrz will be along later. your humble TubaDiva/SDStaff Div for the Straight Dope