222 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



SPAR-HAWK or SPUR-HAWK: The SPARROW-HAWK. 

 ( Aberdeenshire . ) 



SPARLIN-FOWL or SPARKLING-FOWL : The GOOSANDER (female). 

 The first form occurs in Willughby and the second in 

 Pennant, Montagu, etc. 



SPARROW : The HOUSE-SPARROW. From A.Sax. Spearwa, a 

 sparrow. Occurs in Turner, and is the general English name 

 for the species, House- Sparrow being a book-name chiefly. 



SPARROW-HAWK [No. 249]. Probably from A.Sax. Spearwa 

 (Sparrow) and Hafoc (Hawk), Mid. Eng. Hauk. The 

 name " Sparrow-Hawk " occurs in Merrett's Pinax (1667), 

 where it is called Accipiter fringiUarius et nisus, after Aldro- 

 vandus (pp. 345-7). Turner's " sparhauc " is the GOS- 

 HAWK. In falconry the name Spa,rrow-Hawk was formerly 

 used to denote the female, the male being termed " Musket " 

 or Musquet Hawk (q.v.). 



SPARROW OWL. A name for the LITTLE OWL. (Hett.) 



SPARVE : The HEDGE-SPARROW. (West Cornwall.) From 

 A.Sax. spearwa, a sparrow. 



SPEAR SPARROW. The female REED-BUNTING is so called 

 in Hampshire. (Swainson.) 



SPEAR WIGEON : The RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, (co. 

 Kerry.) 



SPEASE or SPEETHE : The KNOT. (Holy Island.) Also applied 

 there to the BAR-TAILED GOD WIT. It originates from 

 the bird's wheezy note when on the ground. 



SPECHT or WODSPECHT. Turner gives this as the English name 

 of a Woodpecker, apparently the LESSER SPOTTED 

 WOODPECKER. (See Speicht.) 



SPECKLED DICK : The GOLDFINCH. (Shropshire.) 



SPECKLED DIVER or LOON : The RED-THROATED DIVER. 

 Occurs in Pennant, Latham, etc. Given also as a pro- 

 vincial name for the BLACK-THROATED DIVER by 

 Montagu, who, however, misprints it " Speckled Zoon." 



SPECTACLED GOOSE : The GANNET. (Provincial.) From the 

 bare circle of skin surrounding the eye. 



SPEEL-THE-TREE. A name for the TREECREEPER. (Hett.) 



SPEIGHT or SPEIGHT (corrupted also to Spite as in Wood-Spite) : 

 The GREEN WOODPECKER generally. From Ger. 

 Specht. 



SPEIKINTARES : The COMMON TERN. (Ross-shire.) 



SPEIR SHE'AG. A Gaelic name for the SPARROW-HAWK. 

 The latter word is properly written seabhag (=& hawk). 



