168 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Nimble-tailor: The LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. (Slirop- 

 phire.) 



Nine-killer: The RED-BACKED SHRIKE. According to 

 Willughby, where this name occurs, it is a translation of 

 the German Neghen-doer (Mod. G^rm. Neuntodter), a term 

 applied becavise it Avas supposed to kill nine birds or other 

 creatures every day. The name is, howev^er, older than 

 Willughby, for it is foimd in Turner (1544) as " Nyn- 

 murder," and the latter gives the German equivalent as 

 "Nuin miirder " {=neunmdrder). 



Nocturnal Goatsucker : The NIGHTJAR. (Pennant.) 



Noddy : The COMMON GUILLEMOT. (Whitby, Yorkshire.) 



Noddy Tern. The name is found in Gould (•' Bds. Eur.," pt. 21) 

 and the species was included by Yarrell (1st ed.), it being 

 said, on insufficient evidence, to have occurred in our 

 islands. Noddy is originally a name applied by sailors to 

 the bird on account of its stupid habits ; being probably 

 derived from Fr. nodden, a sleepy nodding of the head : 

 hence signifying sleepy-headed or foolish, the word " noodle " 

 being akin. 



Nope : The BUI.LFINCH. (Staffordshire, Shropshire.) Occurs 

 in Drayton's Polyolbion xm, also in Willughby. Newton 

 thinks it to be a corruption of some form of Alp (q.v.) : the 

 original word perhaps being " an ope." In Dorset it 

 becomes " Mwope." 



Norfolk Plover : The STONE CURLEW. Montagu gives it 

 as a provincial name. It appears to have been first used 

 by Pennant (1766) for the species. 



NoRiE. A Shetland name for the PUFFIN. (Saxby.) 



NoRJO.N Gizer: The MISTLE -THRUSH. (Oxfordshire.) 

 The meaning is rmcertain, although Gizer is probably from 

 Gise (Old.Fr. gister) signifying a pasturer, from its habit of 

 frequenting fields. Swainson gives Norman Tlirush as a 

 Craven name for this species. 



NORTH AMERICAN PEREGRINE [No. 234]. This species 

 is almost invariably knowTi in America as the Duck Hawk. 



North Cock : The SNOW-BUNTING. (Aberdeen.) 



Northern Butxfinch : The large North European form of the 

 BULLFINCH. 



Northern Diver: The GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 

 (Pennant.) 



Northern Doucker : The BLACK-THROATED DIVER. 

 Montagu gives it as a pro\'incial name. 



Northern Fulmar : The FULMAR PETREL. (Jenyns.) 



