TERN TIERCEL. 237 



THROSTLE : The SONG-THRUSH (chiefly in English literature 

 and poetry). Still, however, used provincially (Lancashire, 

 Staffordshire, and other northern counties, also Ireland). 

 Thrustle is a Shropshire form. From A.Sax. throsle, appa- 

 rently a diminutive of A.Sax. thrysce, a thrush. Shake- 

 speare has " The throstle with his note so true." It occurs 

 in Merrett and in Willughby, while Turner (1544) has 

 " Throssel," and Skelton spells it Threstill. Pennant (1766) 

 gives Throstle as the name for the species. 



THROSTLE COCK : The MISTLE-THRUSH. (Roxburgh.) 



THRUSFIELD : The SONG-THRUSH. (Shropshire.) 



THRUSH. Properly the SONG-THRUSH, although Turner 

 (1544) gives " Thrushe " as the particular name of the 

 MISTLE-THRUSH. From A.Sax. thrysce, a thrush. Some 

 authorities refer to Greek o-Tptxetv=to twitter ; Lat. strix 

 =& screeching or twittering owl is from the same root. The 

 literal significance would therefore be a singing or 

 twittering bird. 



THRUSHEL or THRUSTLE : The SONG-THRUSH. (Shrop- 

 shire.) A corruption of Throstle. 



THRUSHER : The SONG-THRUSH (Sussex, Berks., Bucks.), e.r 

 being a Saxon terminal. 



THRUSH-LIKE WARBLER: The GREAT REED-WARBLER. 

 (Yarrell.) 



THRUSH-NIGHTINGALE [No. 181]. This Scandinavian and 

 east European species has been recently added to the 

 British List. 



THUMB-BIRD: The GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. (Hamp- 

 shire.). From its size, being about that of a thumb. Thum- 

 mie is also a name for the CHIFFCHAFF. 



TIDEE or TIDIFE. Old English names for a TITMOUSE 

 (see Tydif). 



TIDLEY GOLDFINCH : The GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN is so 

 called in Devonshire. (Montagu.) 



TIDLEY or TIDDY WREN : The WREN. (Essex.) 



TIERCEL, TERCEL, or TASSAL : The male GOSHAWK, and also 

 the male PEREGRINE FALCON. Mr. Harting says the 

 term is derived from the male being supposed to be about 

 a third smaller than the female ; some authorities state, 

 however, that of the three young birds usually found in the 

 nest two are females and the third a male, hence the 

 term tercel. The correct term for the male Peregrine 

 is Tiercel-gentle, in the same way as the female is called 



