MOUNTAIN—MUTE. 163 
MvRr-BHUACHAILLE. A Gaelic name for the GREAT NORTHERN 
DIVER. (Mainland) lit. “the herdsman of the sea.” 
MuRDERING Pre: The GREAT GREY SHRIKE. From its 
habit of impaling mice, small birds, beetles, etc., on thorns, 
and from its pied plumage. 
Murre: The RAZORBILL. Willughby gives it as a Cornish 
name for this bird. It is now more generally applied to 
the COMMON GUILLEMOT in the south-west of England 
and south Ireland, as well as on the Yorkshire coast. 
Murret Hen or Morret Hen: The GREAT SKUA. (York- 
shire.) The first is used at Redcar and the second from 
Flamborough to Scarborough (Nelson and Clarke). 
Musket-Hawk or Musquet-Hawk. An old name for the male 
SPARROW-HAWK. From Old Fr. mousquet or mouchet, 
from mouche, a fly, an allusion to its small size. The name 
of the musket appears to have been borrowed from the 
bird, and alludes to its smaller and more handy size than the 
cumbrous early matchlock. 
MussEL CracKER: The OYSTERCATCHER. (Teesmouth.) 
MussEL Crow. A name for the CARRION-CROW. (Hett.) 
Musset Duck: The SCAUP DUCK. (Norfolk and Teesmouth.) 
The COMMON SCOTER. (Humber.) 
MussEL PeckerR: The OYSTERCATCHER. (Belfast, Forfar.) 
MUTE SWAN [No. 273]. Swan is from A.Sax. Swan or Swon. 
The name was formerly often spelt Swanne. It occurs thus 
in the ‘Northumberland Household Book” and Wither- 
ington’s ‘“‘ Order, Lawes and Ancient Customs of Swannes ” 
(1632), etc. Turner (1544) has “‘ Swan,” as also has Merrett, 
Willughby and later writers. The sexes are known re- 
spectively as Cob (q.v.) and Pen; the young being called 
Cygnets. This latter name, however, although now only 
applied to the young, is the old Norman name for the Swan, 
as it is also in its original Latin form, i.e. Cygnus. ‘“‘ Mute 
Swan” is a modern name, found in Bewick, Jenyns and 
Yarrell (1st ed.), but older authors callit the ‘‘ Tame Swan.” 
That the Swan was a royal bird until at least 1632 is 
certain. Nelson (‘Laws Concerning Game,’ 1753) writes 
“Swan is a Royal bird, and by Stat. 22, Edw. IV, c. 6, 
None (but the King’s Son) shall have any Mark or Game of 
Swans of his own, or to his use, except he have Lands and 
Tenements of Freehold worth five marks per Annum, 
besides Reprises; in pain to have them seised by any 
having lands of that value, to be divided betwixt the King 
and the Seizor.” The eggs also were protected by a separate 
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