8 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



he doubted its distinctness from the KNOT. Swainson 

 gives it as an Irish provincial name. 



ASH-COLOURED SHRIKE: The GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 

 Bewick (1st ed.) calls it the Great Ash-coloured Shrike. 



ASH-COLOURED SWAN: The GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 

 (Swainson.) 



ASHY-HEADED WAGTAIL [No. 77]. A South European 

 form recorded on two occasions. 



ASIATIC GOLDEN PLOVER [No. 364]. A subspecies of the 

 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, breeding in eastern 

 Arctic Asia, hence its name. 



ASIATIC HOUBARA. See MACQUEEN'S BUSTARD. 



ASSILAG: The STORM-PETREL. (St. Kilda Martin ; also 

 Hebrides Swainson). Derived from Gael, easchal, a storm. 



Associations of Birds (terms denoting). Curlews : a " flock " 

 Wild Geese : a " string " or a " skein "Grouse : a " pack " 

 Partridges: a " covey," also a " brace " (two) Quail : a 

 " bevy " Rooks : a " congregation " Snipe : a " whisp " 

 Starlings : a " gathering " or " murmuration " (many 

 together) Teal : a " flock " Wigeon : a " company " 

 (many together), a " bunch " or " trip " (30 or 40) or a 

 "little knot" (10 or 12). 



ASTRACANNET: The VELVET SCOTER and also the GREAT 

 NORTHERN DIVER (Northumberland). 



ATHENIAN OWL : A name for the EAGLE-OWL. (Macgillivray.) 



ATTAGEN. The Attagen of the Ancients has been identified 

 by old authors with various species, i.e. the WOODCOCK, 

 female BLACK GROUSE, Godwit, etc. Turner favours 

 the Heather-Hen or the Godwit, while Merrett gives the 

 name to the latter. Willughby says the Attagen of Gesner 

 is the Hazel-Grouse. The Attagen of Brisson, however, 

 seems to be the RED GROUSE. 



ATTEAL, ATTEILE, or ATTILE. An ancient Scottish name, occur- 

 ing also in the Orkney dialect, for a kind of Duck, sup- 

 posed by Baikie and Heddle to be the COMMON 

 POCHARD, but Professor Newton was inclined to think 

 it to be the TEAL. 



AUER-CALZE. The CAPERCA1LLIE was so called north of 

 Inverness according to Pennant ; and it appears under 

 this name in Hector Boethius (1526). 



AUK: The GREAT AUK; also the RAZORBILL (Yorkshire 

 coast). Occurs also as " Alk." From Icel. alJca, an auk ; 

 thence also Lat. alca. The word seems to have no certain 



