8 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 
he doubted its distinctness from the KNOT. Swainson 
gives it as an Irish provincial name. 
ASH-COLOURED SHRIKE: The GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 
_ Bewick (1st ed.) calls it the Great Ash-coloured Shrike. 
ASH-COLOURED Swan: The GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 
(Swainson.) 
ASHY-HEADED WAGTAIL [No. 77]. A South European 
form recorded on two occasions. 
Asiatic GOLDEN PuLovEeR [No. 364]. A subspecies of the 
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, breeding in eastern 
Arctic Asia, hence its name. 
Astatic Houpara. See MACQUEEN’S BUSTARD. 
AssitaG: The STORM-PETREL. (St. Kilda—Martin; also 
Hebrides—Swainson). Derived from Gael. ecaschal, a storm: 
Associations of Birds (terms denoting). Curlews: a ‘‘ flock ”— 
Wild Geese : a “ string ” or a “ skein ”—Grouse : a “ pack ” 
—Partridges: a “covey,” also a “ brace” (two)—Quail: a 
“bevy ”—Rooks : a “ congregation ”—Snipe : a ‘“ whisp ” 
—Starlings: a “gathering” or “ murmuration”’ (many 
together)—Teal: a “ flock”—Wigeon: a “company ” 
(many together), a “bunch” or “trip” (30 or 40)—or a 
“little knot ”’ (10 or 12). 
ASTRACANNET: The VELVET SCOTER and also the GREAT 
NORTHERN DIVER (Northumberland). 
ATHENIAN Ow: A name for the EAGLE-OWL. (Macgillivray.) 
ATTAGEN. The Attagen of the Ancients has been identified 
by old authors with various species, i.e. the WOODCOCK, 
female BLACK GROUSE, Godwit, ete. Turner favours 
the Heather-Hen or the Godwit, while Merrett gives the 
name to the latter. Willughby says the Attagen of Gesner 
is the Hazel-Grouse. The Attagen of Brisson, however, 
seems to be the RED GROUSE. 
ATTEAL, ATTEILE, or ATTILE. An ancient Scottish name, occur- 
ing also in the Orkney dialect, for a kind of Duck, sup- 
posed by Baikie and Heddle to be the COMMON 
POCHARD, but Professor Newton was inclined to think 
it to be the TEAL. 
AUER-CALZE. The CAPERCAILLIE was so called north of 
Inverness according to Pennant; and it appears under 
this name in Hector Boethius (1526). 
Auk: The GREAT AUK; also the RAZORBILL (Yorkshire 
coast). Occurs also as “ Alk.”? From Icel. alka, an auk ; 
thence also Lat. alca. The word seems to have no certain 
