26 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



of Brisson's Echasse (1760), although according to Wilson 

 used long before in America. I may point out, though, 

 that in Bewick's "Brit. Birds" (1st ed., vol. ii, p. 5, 1804) 

 mil be found a cut of a sportsman walking in the Avater on 

 stilts, placed as a tail-piece to the account of the " Long- 

 legged Plover," which suggests both the bird's present 

 name and its habits. 



Black-winged Stilt-shank. Macgillivray's name for the 

 BLACK- WINGED STILT. 



Black Woodpecker. This fine North European and Asiatic 

 species has frequently been recorded as British, but no 

 really authentic British examples are known and it is 

 therefore yet denied a place on the British List. 



Black Wren: The HEDGE-SPARROW. SAvamson says it 

 is an Irish name for the species, on accoimt of the dusky 

 plumage. 



Blacky-top : The STONECHAT. (Provincial.) 



Blakeling: The YELLOW BUNTING. (Northumberland 

 and Yorkshire.) 



Bleater: The CO^LVION SNIPE. From the pecuHar noise 

 it makes during its love-flight. Also occurs as " Blutter." 



Blethering Tam : The WHITETHROAT. (Renfrew.) 



Blind Dorbie : The PURPLE SANDPIPER. (North Shet- 

 land.) 



Blind Dunnock : The HEDGE-SPARROW. (Somerset.) 

 Smith says it is from its stupid blindness in not distin- 

 guishing the Cuckoo's egg laid in its nest. 



Blood Hawk : The KESTREL. (Oxon.) 



Blood Hoop, Blood Olf, or Blood Ulf : The BULLFINCH 



(se3 Alp). The term " blood " is from the salmon-red 

 tint of the under-parts. 



Blood Lark : The YELLOW BUNTING. (Provincial.) Also 

 the TREE-PIPIT. (Cheshire.) 



Blood Linnet : The LINNET. (Norfolk.) From the crimson 

 of its breast in breeding-plumage. 



Blue-back, Blue-bird, Blue Felt, Blue Rump, or Blue- 

 tail. The FIELDFARE is so called in various localities 

 from the blue-grey tint of the loAver-back. Blue-tail is 

 noted as used in the Midlands and West Yorkshire, and is 

 a misnomer, as the tail is dark broMTi ; Blue-Back is a 

 Cheshire name. 



Blue-backed Crow : The HOODED CROW. (Thirsk, Yorks.) 



