214 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



not much exceeding a sparrow, which made a foul spoil 

 of the apples. Their bills were thwarted crosswise at the 

 end, and with these they would cut an apple in two at one 

 snap, eating only the kernels." In this case, of course, 

 the meaning ascribed to the name by Swainson and others 

 is incorrect. 



SHELLCOCK, SHERCOCK. Local Cheshire names for the MISTLE- 

 THRUSH. (Coward and Oldham.) 



SHELL DTJCK : The SHELD-DUCK. (Lancashire.) The 

 GOOSANDER is so called on the Shannon. 



SHELL-TURNER. A name for the RINGED PLOVER. (Hett.) 



SHEP or SHEPPY : The STARLING. (North and West York- 

 shire.) 



SHEPSTER, SHEPSTARE, or SHEPSTARLING : The STARLING. 

 Equivalent to Sheep-Stare and Sheep-Starling. The first 

 is a Cheshire, Yorkshire, and Northern Counties name, the 

 second and third are Craven (Yorkshire) names. 



SHERCOCK. A Lancashire and Yorkshire name for the MISTLE- 

 THRUSH. The etymology is doubtful ; it may be, how- 

 ever, that "sher" is a corruption of shire (A.Sax. seer) as in 

 sheriff, hence the literal signification would be " cock of the 

 shire." Hett gives " Shirlcj^ Cock " for the same species. 



SHERIFF'S MAN : The GOLDFINCH. (Shropshire.) From its 

 bright plumage, suggesting a showy livery. 



SHETLAND WREN. See WREN. 



SHEILDRAKE : The SHELD-DUCK. (Pennant.) 



SHIPSTER, SHIP-STARLING. Yorkshire names for the 

 STARLING ; ship is a corruption of sheep. 



SHOE-AWL or SHOEING-HORN : The AVOCET. From the shape 

 of its bill. 



SHOOI : The ARCTIC SKUA. (Shetlands.) Imitative of its 

 cry. 



SHORE-BIRD : The SAND-MARTIN. Occurs in Merrett and 

 also in Willughby. 



SHORE-LARK [No. 64]. The name is found in Gould's " Birds 



of Europe." 

 SHORE-SANDPIPER : The GREEN SANDPIPER (?) Occurs in 



Bewick. 



SHORE SNIPE : The COMMON SANDPIPER. (Perth.) 

 SHORE TEETAN: The ROCK- PIPIT. (Orkneys). 

 SHORT-EARED OWL [No, 225]. The name first occurs in 



Pennant (1766). 



