Clowder & Kindle

By venerable tradition, the fourth leader (i.e., the fourth article) on the London Times editorial page is intended to entertain rather than inform. It usually putters around as far as possible from the news. Last week it had its loyal readers in a dither over what to call a group of cats.

"There is no noun of assembly for cats," said the fourth leader. "Scorning to go about in packs or herds or even in a pride, they walk by themselves." Judge Basil Blagden of Cliffords Inn promptly begged to differ. "Sirs," he wrote, "You have, I believe, for once fallen into error ... Cats . . . assemble, on the rare occasions when they do so, in a 'clowder' and kittens in a 'kindle.' "

Quite right, said Reader Peter G. Masefield of Reigate, Surrey. "Some years ago I copied out, from an 18th Century book on the 'Lore of the Chase,' 88 collective terms for various birds and beasts, among them, on the domestic side, a 'kindle of kittens,' and a 'clowder of cats.' " In addition, he found "such antagonistic collections" as a "cowardice of curs," a "pride of lions," "skulk of foxes," "gaggle of geese" (which becomes a "skein" on the wing), "exaltation of larks," "murmuration of starlings" and a "rush of dun-birds." (A Liverpool University librarian noted that "clowder" was an obsolete variant of "dodder" and "clutter.")

All this inspired Reader "C.A.A." to try his hand at coining collectives—this time for clerics—and end the arguments on cats with doggerel. Wrote he:

"An explosion of canons"—what term could be apter

For use in describing a turbulent chapter?

Though some have been known, with indecent jocosity,

To call the episcopal bench "a pomposity,"

I venture to urge that with greater propriety

A party of prelates be known as "a piety."