130 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 
Ivy OwL: The TAWNY OWL. (Willughby.) In casual use 
provincially. 
Jack: Properly the JACKDAW. A common provincialism. 
From its small size as compared with the other Corvi (see 
JACKDAW). In the days of falconry, Jack or Jack Merlin 
was also the term for the male of the MERLIN, which is 
of smaller size than the female, as is usual in the birds of 
prey. The male HOBBY was also in the same way termed 
Jack or Robin to distinguish it from the female, termed 
Hobby. 
Jack BAKER: The RED-BACKED SHRIKE. (Surrey, Sussex, 
Hants.) 
Jack Brrp: The FIELDFARE. From its cry. 
JAcK-CURLEW or CURLEW JAcK: The WHIMBREL. (Rutty.) 
lit. a small curlew. Curlew Jack is a Yorkshire name for 
the species. Swainson applies the name, possibly errone- 
ously, to the CURLEW. 
JACKDAW [No. 5]. Occurs in Merrett (1667). In Shakespeare 
it is “daw.” Willughby has “ Jack-daw.” Jack (properly 
a diminution of John) is used in this connection, not as a 
nickname, but to indicate insignificance or small size (lit. 
“boy ’’) and is therefore an equivalent of “ knave ” (q.v.). 
For other instances, cf. Jack-snipe, Jack-Curlew, ete. 
Daw (Mid. Eng.) is apparently onomatopoetic. In Lanca- 
shire a Jackdaw alighting on the window-sill of a sick-room 
is considered an ill omen (Harland and Wilkinson). A 
Norwich saying is :— 
When three daws are seen on St. Peter’s vane together 
Then we’re sure to have bad weather. 
Turner, writing in 1534, says of this bird that it is “ by the 
Latins named Monedula, as if it were Monetula, from the 
Moneta (money) which alone of birds, as Pliny says, it 
steals . . . Moreover, Ovid happily describes its thievish 
habits in the following lines :— 
Was changed into a bird, which even now loves gold, 
Monedula, the black of foot, in plumage black arrayed.” 
Jack DouckER: The LITTLE GREBE. (Shropshire.) From 
its small size and diving propensities. 
Jack Hawk: The KESTREL. (Arkengarthdale, Yorkshire.) 
Jack HERN or JacK Heron: The HERON. (Sussex.) 
Jack IckLE: The GREEN WOODPECKER. (Northants.) 
Jackie Foster: The LONG-TAILED DUCK. (Northumber- 
land. 
ns : The LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. In 
reference to the shape of its nest. 
