PROVINCIAL NAMES OF BIRDS. 177 



the size of the common wild-duck. The morillons 

 are called douckers in Scotland, and gingling curres 

 in the West. The tufted ducks are blue-billed curres 

 on the Western, and dowers on the Eastern Coast, in 

 many parts round which the wigeon are only known 

 by the name of winder. The golden eye is commonly 

 called pied curre ; and the scaup duck is known by 

 the name of grey-back curre in the South and West, 

 and that of tea I -drake in the North. For these, and 

 all the various tribes of smaller wildfowl, the decoy- 

 men and poulterers have a sort of sweepstakes ap- 

 pellation, by putting them down as dunbirds and 

 dirers. Again, there are many absurd names for 

 other birds, such as Tommy Loos for the divers, Isle 

 of Wight parsons for the cormorants, and so on. 



On the French Coast, the same. We here find the 

 dunbirds, and others of their kind, provincially called 

 vignons ; the wigeon, sarcelles ; and coots, mar- 

 car eux, &c. &c. In short, it would be a waste of 

 time to explain the nonsensical terms by which only 

 birds are known in many places ; and more par- 

 ticularly as the naturalist or sportsman should be 

 provided with " Bewick," which has not only the 

 advantage of being portable as a pocket-companion, 

 but will answer his purpose far better than any other 

 work, during his pursuit in sport, or search of natural 

 history. 



The birds marked thus (*) are those of the Anas 

 kind fit to be eaten, and which are usually considered 

 as wildfowl. For the general pursuit of these specific 



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