SNOW SPADGE. 221 



" Soland Goose." The derivation appears to be from the 

 Gaelic suilear, meaning quick-sighted, from Suil=eye, and 

 gheur=sh&np. Skeat, however, preferred Icel. Sula or 

 Sulan (the n being the definite article). 



SOLITARY SANDPIPER [No. 391], A North American 

 species, originally described by Wilson, who conferred on 

 it the name solitarius from its solitary habits. 



SOLITARY SNIPE : The GREAT SNIPE. So called from its 

 being commonly met with in this country singly. The 

 name occurs in Bewick (1804). 



SOLITARY THRUSH : The STARLING (immature). Occurs in 

 all old authors as a separate species, so called from its 

 greyish-brown plumage, somewhat resembling that of a 

 thrush, and its supposed solitary habits. It will be found 

 * described as a British species in the Supp. to Montagu's 

 " Orn. Diet.," 1813. 



SONG LINNET. A Yorkshire name for the LINNET. 



SONG-THRUSH [No. 158, British Song-Thrush; No. 157, 

 Continental Song-Thrush]. So called from its pre-eminence 

 as a songster. The name was first used by Merrett and 

 also occurs in Willughby and in most modern authors. 

 Hartert has recently separated the resident British form 

 from the Continental form, which visits our coast on 

 migration. In " Science Gossip " (vol. in, p. 141) a popu- 

 lar belief regarding this bird is referred to, to the effect that 

 it acquires new legs and casts the old ones when about ten 

 years old. 



SOOTY SHEARWATER [No. 327]. This Petrel, a near ally 

 of the GREAT SHEARWATER, is so called from its % 

 sombre plumage. 



SOOTY TERN [No. 422]. The name, which originates in the 

 sooty-black of the upper-parts, is found in Jardine's edition 

 of Wilson (vol. m, 1832). 



SORE-HAWKS. A falconer's term for hawks of the first year, 

 taken while still retaining immature-plumage. Said to be 

 from Fr. soret, signifying a dusky colour, but Newton 

 thinks it akin to " sorrel," and properly applicable to 

 those with reddish plumage. 



SOUTHERN SANDPIPER : The KNOT, when changing to summer 

 plumage. (Hett.) 



SOUTH EUROPEAN GREY SHRIKE [No. 108]. A southern 

 form of the GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 



SPADGE or SPADGER : The HOUSE-SPARROW. (Northern 

 counties.) A vulgar corruption of Sparrow. 



