92 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



such as that of the ' Wild Huntsman.' " Macquoid, as 

 cited above, says that in Nidderdale the coiuitry people say 

 that the Nightjars embody the souls of unbaptised 

 infants doomed to wander for ever in the air, and call them 

 "gabble-ratchets," i.e. "corpse hounds." The Cheshire 

 and Shropshire name for the same S]oecies, " lich fowl," 

 also signifies " cor j)se -fowl." Nelson and Clarke ("Birds 

 of Yorkshire"), while repeating the Nidderdale 

 legend, say that in the Thirsk district the bird is called 

 " Gabble-ratch," because it ratches (hoots) on the gables 

 of houses. For an article on the etymology of the name, 

 see " Notes and Queries," series iv, vii, p. 439. 



Gabhar-adheir a Gaelic name for the COIVEMON SNIPE. 



(Western Isies.) 

 Gaddel: The GADWALL. (Merrett.) 



GAD WALL [No. 288]. Occurs first in Merrett's list (1667) as 

 " Gaddel," a name which is probably a corruption of 

 Gadwall, inasmuch as Merrett says it is called Gaddel by 

 the bird-dealers. Willughby and Ray call it the " Gadwall 

 or Gray." The latter term is of com'se an allusion to its 

 dull colour, but the derivation of the former is apparently 

 unknown. Macgillivray calls it Gadwall Teal. The young 

 or female PINTAILS are also called "Gadwall" on the 

 Northumberland coast (Bolam). 



Gae : The JAY. (Scotland.) 



Gafr y Gors: The COMMON SNIPE. (ISiorth Wales) lit. 

 " goat of the marsh." 



Gair-fowl. See Gare-fowl. 



Galley-bird or Gally-bird : The GREEN WOODPECKER ; 

 lit. merry or laughing bird (see French Galley -bird) . 



Gallinfle : The MOORHEN. 



Gallinule Crake : The LAND-RAIL. Possibly a reversal of 

 Crake Gallinule. 



Galrush : The RED-THROATED DIVER. (Dublin Bay.) 



Gambet Sandpiper : The immature REDSHANK. Pennant, 

 Montagu, etc., described it as a separate species. 



Gambo Goose : The Egyptian Goose (Hawker), the Spur- 

 ivinged Goose (Macgillivray). 



Game Hawk : The PEREGRINE FALCON. (Scotland.) 



Gan or Gans. a Welsh name for the GANNET, with the same 

 significance. 



GANNET [No. 318]. This species is mentioned by Turner 

 (1544) who calls it " Goose of the Bass," and says it nests 



