MUTE NETTLE. 165 



( ; ' Birds of Shakespeare "), we find the life of a man com- 

 puted at 81 years, while " the life of a goose is three times 

 that of a man ; and the life of a swan is three times that of 

 a goose ; and the life of a swallow is three times that of a 

 swan ; and the life of an eagle is three times that of a 

 swallow ; and the life of a serpent is three times that of an 

 eagle ; and the life of a raven is three times that of a 

 serpent ; and the life of a hart is three times that of a raven ; 

 and an oak groweth 500 years, and fadeth 500 years." This 

 last computation is not so far from the truth, but the 

 others are obviously absurd. 



MUZZEL THRUSH. A corruption of MISTLE-THRUSH. 

 MWOPE : The BULLFINCH. (Dorset.) 



MWYALCHEN. A Welsh name for the BLACKBIRD, properly 

 applicable to the female, the male being called " Aderyn 

 ddu." 



MWYALCHEN DDWR. A Welsh name for the DIPPER ; lit. 

 " water blackbird." 



MWYALCHEN Y GRAIG. A Welsh name for the RING-OUZEL ; 

 lit. " rock blackbird." 



MYNIAR CIAF : The JACK-SNIPE. (North Wales) lit. " lesser 



peat hen." 



NANNIE WAGTAIL: The PIED WAGTAIL. (Notts.) 

 NANNY REDTAIL : The REDSTART. (Cleveland, Yorkshire.) 

 NANPIE. A Lincolnshire and Yorkshire name for the MAGPIE ; 



in Craven it becomes " nan-piannot." Swainson also gives 



" Pie nanny " as a Lonsdale name. 



NAUK or NACK : The GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. (Holy 

 Island.) A corruption of Auk ; also applied to other 

 Divers. Swainson also gives Naak as a Scottish name for 

 the species. 



NEEDLE-TAILED SWIFT [No. 201]. This Asiatic species 

 derives its name from the projecting spines at the end of 

 the tail-feathers. 



NETTLE-BIRD : The WHITETHROAT. (Leicestershire.) 

 NETTLE-CREEPER or NETTLE-MONGER. Provincial names for the 

 WHITETHROAT, and also the BLACKCAP; and said 

 to be applied to the GARDEN-WARBLER in Craven. 

 The REED-BUNTING also occurs as Nettle-monger in 

 Morton's " Northamptonshire." The name is most appro- 

 priate for the first-named bird, which chiefly frequents 

 nettle-beds. 



