44 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 
CHAFFIE, CHAFFY,:CHAFFER, or CHAFFIN: The CHAFFINCH, 
Popular contractions. 
CHAFFINCH [No. 37]. The name appears in Turner (1544) as 
‘“ Chaffinche ” and in Merrett (1667) as “ Chaffinch,” also— 
in Willughby (1678) by the latter name. “So called 
because it delights in chaff” (Kersey’s Dict., 2nd ed., 
1715); the bird being a frequenter of barn-yards, ete. 
Other derivations are, however, possible, i.e. from Mid.-Eng. 
chaufen, to warm, indicating the reddish or “ warm ” 
breast of the male. Finch is A.Sax. finc—finch ; Modern 
German fink, Old High German fincho. From the same 
root as the Welsh pinc=—finch, but also applied to anything 
smart or gay. Newton thinks it is from the spink or pink 
note of the Chaffinch originally. The Welsh name for the 
Chaffinch is Winc, also from the note. Jesse says that in 
Scotland it is known as “‘ drunken sow ” because the song 
has been construed into “ Drink, drink till you’re fou, wee 
drunken sowie.”” Chambers says that in Scotland and the 
North of England the plaintive note of this bird is taken 
as a sign of rain, and that when the boys hear it they 
imitate the note and its consequences thus: “ Weet! 
weet ! Dreep, dreep!”? A West of England belief is that 
about the 25th of March this bird always cries “ Pay your 
rent—pay your rent—pay your rent.” 
Cuair: The SPOTTED FLYCATCHER.  (Worcestershire.) 
From its note. 
CHALDER, CHALDRICK, CHOLDRICK: The OYSTERCATCHER. 
(Orkneys.) 
CHANCHIDER: The SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. (Montagu.) 
Swainson renders it Chancider, and also gives Chamcider 
as a Hampshire name for the SEDGE-WARBLER. 
CHANGELESS Swan. Macgillivray’s name for the Polish Swan. 
CHANNEL GoosE: The GANNET. (North Devon.) 
CHarRBoB: The CHAFFINCH. (Derbyshire.) 
CHARLIE Murrire. A common Scots name for the WHITE- 
THROAT, from its habit of puffing out the feathers of 
the throat. 
CHAseR: The ARCTIC SKUA. (Redcar, Yorkshire.) From its 
habit of pursuing other species. 
Cuat: The SEDGE-WARBLER (Thames Valley); also the 
WHEATEAR (Northants.) 
CHATTERER: The WAXWING. Occurs in Pennant (fo. ed., 
1766), but in the later editions it is called Waxen Chatterer. 
