122 dictionaey of names of british birds. 



Hern, Hernshaw, Hernseugh, Hernsew, Hajrn, Harnser. 

 Harnsey : The COIVBION HERON. Vulgar contractions 

 of Heronseugh. " Hern or Hernshaw " occurs in Merrett 

 (1667). The fii'st four are North Country, and the last three 

 East Anglian names. Whitaker gives Herring Sue for 

 Nottinghamshire, and Nelson and Clarke give Heron- 

 sew, Herring-sew, Heronseugh, Heron-sue, Heronshaw, and 

 Heronshew for the Yorkshire districts. 



Heron. See COMMON HERON. 



Heronseugh. An old English name for the HERON, the 

 precise meaning and derivation of which is doubtful. Some 

 authorities derive it from the Sanskiit hansa. It occui's 

 as Heron-sewe in Chaucer, which has led to the supposition 

 that the " sewe " is derived from Old Eng. sewe, a dish, 

 in reference to the bird as a table dainty. 



Herring Gant : The GANTLET. (Norfolk.) 



HERRING-GULL [No. 431]. The name occurs in Willughby, 

 also in Pennant and succeeding writers. 



Herring Spink: The GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. (East 

 Suffolk.) So called from being often caught in the rigging 

 of the boats during the North Sea fishing when on migration 

 (" East AngHan," iv, p. 115). 



Hew-hole: The GREEN WOODPECKER (see Hickwall.) 

 The name occurs in Turner (1544) and in Willughby. 



HiCKinAJLL. A pro\dncial name for the BLUE TITMOUSE (see 

 Heckymal.) 



Hickwall: The GREEN WOODPECIvER, according to 

 ]\Ierrett, but Willughby applies the name to the LESSER 

 SPOTTED WOODPECKER, as do also Yarrell, Bewick, 

 and. other authors. Ne^vton derives the name from A.Sax 

 higera or higere, lit. a laugher ; in which case the GREEN 

 WOODPECKER would appear to be the species intended. 

 Another form of the word is Hickway, from which Ne\vton 

 thinks the names HighaAv and Hewhole may be corrupted. 



High-hoe : The GREEN WOODPECKER. (Shropshire.) Occurs 

 in Willughby (1678). Heigh-hawe and Hayhoe are other 

 forms of the word, Avhich Newton thinks comes from 

 A.Sax higera or higere (see Hickwall), but it has been 

 thought to refer to the height at which the bird makes 

 its nesting-holes. 



HiLLAN Piet: The MISTLE-THRUSH. (Aberdeen.) Pro- 

 bably " Highland Pie." 

 Hill Bird : The FIELDFARE. (Scotland.) 



