58 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



CONTINENTAL COAL-TITMOUSE. See COAL-TITMOUSE. 



CONTINENTAL GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. See GOLDEN- 

 CRESTED WREN. 



CONTINENTAL GREAT TITMOUSE. See GREAT TITMOUSE. 



CONTINENTAL HEDGE-SPARROW. See HEDGE-SPARROW. 



CONTINENTAL REDBREAST. See REDBREAST. 



CONTINENTAL SONG-THRUSH. See SONG-THRUSH. 



COO-DOO : The COMMON EIDER. (Berwickshire and East 

 Lothian.) From its crooning note (Bolam). 



COOPER : The WHEATEAR. (South Pembroke.) 



COOSCOT or- COOSHOUT : The RING-DOVE (Craven and Tees- 

 dale) ; from A.S. cusccote, a wild pigeon (see Cushat). 



COOT [No. 461]. The name occurs as " Cout " in Turner 

 (1544) and as Coot in Merrett (1667). The derivation 

 seems to be from the Welsh name Cwta-iar, lit. " short- 

 tailed hen," from its very short tail. Newton observes it 

 is in some parts pronounced " Cute " or " Scute," and 

 thinks it is perhaps cognate with Scout or Scoter. Most 

 of our eighteenth century writers from Pennant to Montagu 

 call it the " Common Coot." Col. Hawker observes that 

 " if a gentleman wishes to have plenty of wild-fowl on his 

 pond, let him preserve the Coots, and keep no tame Swans. 

 The reason that all wild-fowl seek the company of the Coots 

 is because these birds are such good sentries to give the 

 alarm by day, when the fowl generally sleep. But the 

 Mute Swans will attack every fresh bird that dares to 

 appear within reach of them not so with the c hoopers ' 

 they are the peaceful monarchs of the lake." According 

 to Thompson the MOORHEN is called Coot in some parts 

 of Ireland, where " Bald Coot " is then the distinctive 

 appellation of the COOT. Coward and Oldham also give 

 Coot as a Cheshire name for the Moorhen. 



COOT-FOOTED TRINGA. Edwards's name for the Phalaropes, the 

 GREY PHALAROPE being termed Great Coot-footed 

 Tringa and the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE being 

 termed Cock Coot-footed Tringa and Red Coot-footed 

 Tringa (female). 



COPOG : The HOOPOE ; signifying " crested." (North Wales.) 

 COPPED WREN : The GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. (Rutty.) 

 COPPER FINCH : The CHAFFINCH. (Devon, and Cornwall.) 



From the colour of the breast in the male. 

 COPPER HEAD : The TREE-SPARROW. (Cheshire.) From 



the colour of the cap. 



