GOLFAN GRASS. \ J //^ \ 



GORSE-BIRD, GORSE HATCHER, GORSE THATCHER. Provincial 

 names for the LINNET ; on account of its frequenting 

 and nesting in the gorse. 



GORSECHAT, GORSE HATCH, or GORSE HOPPER : The WHINCHAT. 

 From its partiality to gorse. 



GOSHAWK [No. 248]. Literally " Goose-hawk," from A.Sax. 

 Gos goose and ^a/oc=hawk. The name Goshawk appears 

 in Merrett (1667) and in Willughby. Merrett calls the bird 

 Accipiter palumbarius after Aldrovandus (p. 342), who 

 describes and figures this species under the latter name. 

 Turner (1544) also alludes to Accipiter palumbarius, ex 

 Pliny, but erroneously identifies it as the SPARROW- 

 HAWK. Linnaeus described the species under the names 

 of Falco gentilis and F. palumbarius, and although the latter 

 has been generally accepted, the name gentilis, as standing 

 first, must replace it. In falconry the name Goshawk was 

 applied to the female, the male being termed Tercel or 

 Tiercel (q.v.). In Ireland the name is also applied to the 

 BUZZARD and the PEREGRINE FALCON, and in the 

 Shetlands to the latter species. 



Goss LINNET or GORSE LINNET. A Yorkshire bird-catcher's 

 name for a supposed variety of the LINNET, those bred 

 in gorse being considered to sing better than those reared 

 in hedges. 



GOUDSPINK : The GOLDFINCH. (Scotland.) 



GOURDER : The STORM-PETREL. (Smith's " Hist, of Kerry.") 

 Swainson gives Gourder or Gourdal as a Kerry name. 



Gow (=Gull) : The COMMON GULL. (Aberdeen). 



GOWDY DUCK : The GOLDENEYE. (Orkney, Shetland, and 

 East Lothian.) 



Go- WEST : The LONG-TAILED DUCK. (Redcar, Yorkshire.) 



GOWK. An old name for the CUCKOO, still very generally 

 used in Scotland and also North Ireland. It occurs in 

 Turner (1544) as " gouke." The derivation seems to be 

 from A.Sax. geac. Newton, however, gives Norse gj(/>k, 

 Swed. gok. According to Saxby the name Gowk is applied 

 in the Shetlands to the COMMON SNIPE. 



GOWK'S FOOL. A North Country name for the MEADOW- 

 PIPIT, on account of the frequency with which it is vic- 

 timised by the CUCKOO. 



GRAND DUKE and DUCHESS. Macgillivray gives these as names 

 for the male and female EAGLE-OWL. 



GRASS-CHAT : The WHINCHAT. (West Yorkshire.) 



