8 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



he doubted its distinctness from the KNOT. Swainson 

 gives it as an Irish provincial name. 



AsH-coLOURED Shrike : The GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 

 Bewick (1st ed.) calls it the Great Ash-coloured Shrike. 



Ash-coloured Swan: The GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 

 (Swainson.) 



ASHY-HEADED WAGTAIL [No. 77]. A South European 

 form recorded on two occasions. 



Asiatic Golden Plover [No. 364]. A subspecies of the 

 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, breeding m eastern 

 Arctic Asia, hence its name. 



Asiatic Houbara. See MACQUEEN'S BUSTARD. 



Assilag: The STORM-PETREL. (St. Kilda— Martm ; also 

 Hebrides — Swainson). Derived from Gael, easchal, a storm. 



Associations of Birds {terms denoting). Curlews : a " flock " — 

 Wild Geese : a " string " or a " skein " — Grouse : a " pack " 

 — Partridges: a " covey," also a " brace " (two) — Quail : a 

 " bevy " — Rooks : a " congregation " — Snipe : a " whisp " 

 — Starhngs : a " gathering " or " murmuration " (many 

 together) — Teal : a " flock " — Wigeon : a " company " 

 (manv together), a " bunch " or " trip " (30 or 40) — or a 

 "little knot" (10 or 12). 



Astracannet: The VELVET SCOTER and also the GREAT 

 NORTHERN DIVER (Northumberland). 



Athenian Owl : A name for the EAGLE-OWL. (Macgini\Tay.) 



Attagen. The Attagen of the Ancients has been identified 

 by old authors mth various species, i.e. the ^^'OODCOCK, 

 female BLACK GROUSE, GodA\at, etc. Turner favours 

 the Heather-Hen or the God\Adt, while Merrett gives the 

 name to the latter. Willughby says the Attagen of Gesner 

 is the Hazel-Grouse. The Attagen of Brisson, however, 

 seems to be the RED GROUSE. 



Atteal, Atteile, or Attile. An ancient Scottish name, occur- 

 ing also in the Orknev dialect, for a kind of Duck, sup- 

 posed by Baikie and Heddle to be the COM^ION 

 POCHARD, but Professor NeA\i;on was inclined to think 

 it to be the TEAL. 



Auer-c.alze. The CAPERCAILLIE was so called north of 

 Inverness according to Pennant ; and it appears under 

 this name in Hector Boetliius (1526). 



Auk : The GREAT AUK ; also the RAZORBILL (Yorkshire 

 coast). Occurs also as " Allc." From Icel. alka, an auk ; 

 thence also Lat. alca. The word seems to have no certain 



