SPARROW— STARLING 335 



spug, spur, spurd, spiirdie, spurg, spurgie (hedge — Keith), spyng ; 

 Thack or thatch-sparrow, titlene, tree-sparrow ; Whin-sparrow. 



Supposed 'from Icelandic word "sporr," lit. a flutterer. The 

 terms Baois and Gallan or gallun-strathaire — or strathaire alone — 

 are neither complimentary to the sparrow, the former signifying 

 lust, lechery, which is applicable, this bird being proverbial for 

 lewdness ; the other term signifies an idle fellow (which, by the 

 way he is not, in his own way), gallan struidhear, a wasteful or 

 prodigal stripling seems the origin however. 



North or South the sparrow ranks somewhat low among the 

 feathered tribe; the very term "ciolachaire," implies picking and 

 stealing, while among numerous descriptions given in Lowland 

 works on ornithology, etc., his character is to say the least of it 

 "shaky." The following description is a fair sample: "A low 

 cunning fellow with many bad habits, persecuted and held in con- 

 tempt, the Holy Scriptures assessing his market value at two for one 

 farthing, or five for two. Dirty, rusty-coated, stumpy-shaped, hurried 

 ungraceful flight, tuneless voice, a mere metallic chink aggravat- 

 ingly persistent, all betray his mean origin. Nothing is sacred 

 from him — a housebreaker, a thief and greedy glutton, even 

 suspected of picking holes in cro]is of young pigeons to get at 

 the corn within ; a noisy braggart and a cowardly vagabond." 



Despite all this, he is useful too, destroying myriads of insect 

 pests, and though not held very lucky, if seen the first bird of a 

 year, indeed even supposed to foretell the death of a child in the 

 house — if such there be — he has had the attribute of actual 

 blessedness attached to him. Despite his hardy habits, he takes 

 ill with captivity, and requires much manipulation ere consenting 

 to partake of food, such as being bobbed on or pulled by the tail ! 

 Sparrows have three broods a year and lay six eggs each 

 brooding. 



Be sin na glaisein ri gloir thar cairbh na speirige. 



That were the sparrows' praise (or noise) over the hawk's 

 carcass. Exulting over a fallen foe. 



SPARROW-HAWK (see Hawk). 



SPOONBILL (see also Duck). — Gob-cathainn or spaineach. 

 Blue-winged shoveller, broadbill ; Kirk-tuUoch ; Maiden duck ; 

 Sheldrake, shovelard, shovel-bill, shoveller, spoonbeak ; Whinyard. 



STARLING. — Druid, druid-bhreac, druid-dhubh, druideag, 

 druidean ; Stalag, stalog, stale ; Trodan, truid, truideag, truidean. 



Black-star or starling ; Chepster, chepstow, cow-bird ; Dow- 

 breck; Gyp, gypstarnel or starnill ; Jacob, joey, johanner ; Sheep- 

 rack, shepstare or starling, shepster, shepstert (North), solitary 

 thrush, staer (A. S.), stare, starenil, starn, starnel, starnil (North), 

 steare, steer, Stirling. 



