BARLEY BAR-TAILED. 13 



BARN-OWL [No. 227, White-breasted Barn-Owl ; No. 228, 

 Dark-breasted Barn-Owl]. This species has been separated 

 into the two forms noted, the White-breasted being the 

 resident species and the Dark-breasted a casual migrant. 

 The name Barn- Owl arises from its predilection for barns 

 and other old buildings : it occurs first in Willughby. It is 

 the White Owl of Pennant and other authors, and the 

 "Yellow Owl," "Church Owl," etc., of yet others. 

 Yarrell (1st ed.) calls it the " White or Barn Owl," and 

 the latter name has generally been adopted by later writers. 

 " White Owl " is derived from the white hue of the under- 

 parts : " Yellow Owl " from the tawny yellow upper-parts : 

 " Church Owl " from its partiality for churches. This and 

 other species of owls were formerly very generally regarded 

 as birds of ill-omen. Chaucer, referring obviously to this 

 species, says : 



The owle al nyght aboute the balkes wonde, 

 That prophete ys of woo and of myschaunce. 



An ancient belief that this bird shrieking at a birth portended 

 ill-luck to the infant is alluded to in Shakespeare (Henry VI, 

 pt. in, act v, sc. 6). 



The Owl shrieked at thy birth, an evil sign. 



BARN SWALLOW. A common provincial name for the 

 SWALLOW, so called from its nesting on the rafters, etc., 

 of barns and other out-buildings. 



BARRED WARBLER [No. 143]. So called from its grey-and- 

 white barred plumage. 



BARRED WILLOW WARBLER: The YELLOW-BROWED 

 WARBLER. 



BARRED WOODPECKER: The LESSER SPOTTED WOOD- 

 PECKER. (Bewick.) So called from the black and 

 white of its wings and upper- parts presenting a barred 

 appearance. 



BARREL TIT : The LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. (Provincial.) 



Barrow's Goldeneye. An American species of which one example 

 is erroneously thought to have occurred in Suffolk. 



BAR-TAILED GODWIT [No. 402]. The name is found in 

 Fleming (1828) and arises from the dusky bars on the white 

 upper tail-coverts. It occurs in Turner (1544) as " Godwitt 

 or Fedoa," and in Willughby as " Godwit, Yarwhelp, or 

 Yarwip." Pennant calls it G-odwit and Montagu the Com- 

 mon Godwit. Godwit is from A.-Sax. god-wihta (lit. good- 

 eating). 



