SCOTCH SEA. 209 



Dray ton also alludes to the popular belief in the unluckiness 

 of the " scritch-owPs dismal note." That a Screech Owl 

 " hooting " near the house is a sign of death has been 

 recorded as a Berkshire belief (" Folklore, "December, 1894), 

 while in Reed's " Old Plays " (vi, p. 357) we find : 

 When Screech-owls croak upon the chimney tops, 

 It's certain that you of a corse shall hear. 



SCREMERSTON CROW i The HOODED CROW. (Roxburgh.) 

 From the large numbers which frequent the sea-shore in the 

 neighbourhood of that place (Swainson). 



SCREW or DEVIL SCREW : The SWIFT. (Ackworth, Yorkshire.) 

 SCRIACHAG CHOILLE. A Gaelic name for the JAY ; lit. " wood 



screech." 



SCRIBBLING LARK: The YELLOW BUNTING. (Cheshire, 

 Yorkshire, Northants.) From the scribble-like markings 

 on its eggs. Also occurs as Scribbler. 

 SCULL. A name for the GREAT SKUA. 



SCUTTY. A Hampshire and Sussex name for the WREN. Pro- 

 bably for " Cutty." (See " Cutty Wren.") 

 SEA- AUK : The RAZORBILL. (Scarborough.) 

 SEA-BLTJE BIRD OF MARCH : The KINGFISHER. (Poetical.) 

 SEA COCK : The GREY PLOVER. (Waterford.) 

 SEA CROW. A provincial name for the CORMORANT 

 (Montagu); the RAZORBILL (Orkney and Shetland); 

 the COMMON GULL (Yorkshire) ; the BLACK-HEADED 

 GULL (Cheshire, Yorkshire); the HOODED CROW 

 (Northumberland, Yorkshire); the CHOUGH (Ireland). 

 According to Swainson the name has also been applied 

 to the GREAT SKUA. 



SEA DOTTREL: The TURNSTONE. (Willughby.) Bewick 

 gives Sea Dotterel. It is also an obsolete name for the 

 RINGED PLOVER. 



SEA-DOVE. A Scots name for the LITTLE AUK. 

 SEA DOVIE : The BLACK GUILLEMOT. (Forfar.) 

 SEA-EAGLE: The OSPREY ; also the WHITE-TAILED 

 EAGLE. The two were much confused by the older 

 authors. Occurs as " Sea Eagle " in Merrett (1667) who 

 says it is notably found in Cornwall, and also in Willughby, 

 but the latter adds the name " Osprey." Pennant and later 

 writers have " Sea Eagle, or Osprey," but their Sea-Eagle 

 is generally the immature White -Tailed Eagle. Even 

 Montagu in 1802 describes the Cinereous or White-Tailed 

 Eagle, the Sea Eagle (Falco ossifragus, Linn.) and the 

 Osprey. fSee WHITE-TAILED EAGLE.) 



