190 DICTION AEY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Robin. In the older name Robin Redbreast (under which 

 it occui's in Turner, Willughby, Sibbald, and other old 

 writers) the word Robin is, it is said, a nickname, but even 

 if so there is no more reason to drop the Robin than to 

 drop the Mag in Magpie, and revert to the old word Pie. 

 Another instance is to be found in Jackdaw, although in 

 this case the Jack is not a nickname as sometimes supposed 

 (see JACKDAW). The name Redbreast alone occurs first 

 in Merrett's list (1667), and although increasingly frequent 

 in books in modem times it has never taken the place of 

 the name Robin colloquially. For other information on the 

 species see under Robin. Dr. Hartert has separated the 

 British resident form from the Continental, which occurs 

 on migration, hence the change of name. 



Red-breasted Duck : The FERRUGINOUS DUCK. (Lewin.) 



RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER [No. 118]. So called from 

 the orange-red colour of the throat and breast. 



Red-breasted Godwit : The BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. 

 (Bewick.) 



Red-breasted Goosander: The RED-BREASTED MER- 

 GANSER. (Edwards.) 



RED-BREASTED GOOSE [No. 281]. The name first occurs 

 in Pennant's " Arctic Zoology " (ii, p. 571). It is derived 

 from the chestnut-red of the chest and sides of neck in the 

 adult. 



Red-breasted Linnet : The LINNET (in spring-plumage). So 

 called from the crimson colour of the breast. 



RED-BREASTED MERGANSER [No. 313]. So called from 

 the reddish-brown of the lower-neck and upper-breast. 

 The name occurs in the later editions of Pennant, as also 

 in Montagu, but in the folio edition of Pennant (1766) the 

 species is called " Lesser Dun Diver," Edwards, however, 

 has Red-breasted Goosander. The name Merganser is 

 first found in Gesner (" Hist. Anim.," 1555). 



Red-breasted Moor Tit : The STONECHAT. (East Cleveland, 

 Yorkshire.) 



RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER [No. 386]. So-called from 

 the pale chestnut tint of the under-parts while in breeding- 

 plumage. It is the Red-breasted Snipe of Eyton, and the 

 Brown Snipe of earlier authors. 



Red-breasted Shoveler : The SHOVELER. (Bewick.) 



Red-breasted Snipe : The RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER ; 

 also the BAR-TAILED GODWIT, in spring-dress. (Mon- 

 tagu, " Om. Diet.," Supp.) 



