22 ARTAMUS—A UK 



used for the species of the genus Ceriomis, also known as Tragopans, 

 which are supposed to have more affinity to the true Pheasants. 

 In each case the ocellated j^himage has suggested the allusion to 

 the well-known personage in classical mythology. 



AETAMUS, a genus of true Passerine birds founded by Vieillot, 

 and of late use as an English word. They are the " Wood- 

 Swallows " or " Swallow-Shrikes " of some authors, and by many 

 are considered to be the nearest neighbours of the Hirundinidse 

 (Swallow), making some approach to them in their long Avings, 

 and habit of catching insects in continuous flights. If it be granted 

 from their possessing patches of Powder-down that they should 

 form a separate Family Artamidx, its true alliance must still be 

 guessed at. Some 15 species have been descril^ed, more than half 

 of them being found in Australia, while one inhabits India. 



ABTEBY (adj. arterial). Arteries are the vessels through 

 which the blood leaves the heart ; no matter if this blood be arterial 

 or venous, as, for instance, is that which flows through the pul- 

 monary arteries (see Vascular System). 



ATTEAL, ATTEILE or ATTILE, a word, presumably a bird's 

 name, occurring with variations of spelling in many old Scottish 

 records (as, for example, in 1600, Act. Jac. VI. cap. 23), and 

 apparently used in Orkney for some kind of Duck so lately as 1848 

 according to Baikie and Heddle [Hist. Nat. Oread, p. 79), who, 

 possibly by mistake, apply it to the Pochard. The same was done 

 in 1886 by Mr. Thomas Edmondston [Etymolog. Glossary of the 

 Shetland and Orkney Dialect), who associates it Avith the old Norsk 

 Tjaldr, which he calls " Turdus marinus" but is properly the 

 Oyster-CATCHER. Of unknown etymology, it may be connected 

 with the Scandinavian Atteling-And or Atling, which again may be 

 cognate Avith Taling, the Dutch for Teal. 



AUK (Teutonic Alk), the old English name for the Razor-bill, 

 and perhaps the Guillemot, of modern writers ; but as apj:)lied to 



the former now only in provincial use, 

 though maintained in a collective sense for 

 members of the Family Alcid-iv. With the 

 prefix " Great " or " Little," it signifies 

 respectively the Gare-FOWL and the bird 

 so well known to Arctic seamen as the 



EOTCHE. 



The greatest number of forms belong- 

 HoRN.BiLi.ED Auk. (After ■ ^^ ^j^jg family inhabit the North Pacific, 



and have been separated into various genera. 

 Some of them exhibit the seasonal shedding of the outgrowths on 

 the sheath of the bill and on the head that, as in the Puffin, are 



