166 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 
Nras or Nyas. A falconer’s term for nestling-Hawks. Derived 
from Fr. niais, from Low Lat. Nidax. In English it is 
generally found corrupted into ‘‘ Eyas”’ or “ Eyess.” 
NICKA-PECKER, NICKER-PECKER, or NICKLE: The GREEN 
WOODPECKER.  (Notts.) 
Nicor or Jack Nico: The GOLDFINCH. (North Wales.) 
NicHTsrRD: The MOORHEN. (Sussex.) From its dark 
plumage. The name is also given to the MANX SHEAR- 
WATER about Skellig Island, because it is only seen at 
night about the rock. 
Nieut-Cuurr: The NIGHTJAR. (Provincial.) From its noc- 
turnal habits and the churring noise it utters. 
Nicut-Crow: The NIGHTJAR. (Yorkshire, Northants., Corn- 
wall.) 
Nieut Hawk: The NIGHTJAR. (Fleming, Selby.) It is a 
common English provincial name for the species. 
NIGHT-HERON [No. 266]. The name seems to occur first in 
Pennant’s “‘ Arctic Zoology ”’ (vol. 11, No. 356), the young 
being described in the same work as ‘“ Gardenian Heron.” 
This appears to be the bird anciently known as the Night 
Raven, under which name it is figured in Albin (1738). 
Willughby, who terms the species the Lesser Ash-Coloured 
Heron, says it is called by the Germans Night Raven, 
“‘ because in the night-time it cries with an uncouth voice.” 
The scientific name Nycticorax also signifies Night Raven. 
Under the heading of the “ Bittour or Bittern,” however, 
Willughby writes: ‘This without doubt is that bird our 
common people call the Night Raven, and have such a dread 
of, imagining its cry portends no less than their death, or 
the death of some of their near relations: for it flies in the 
night, answers their description of being like a flagging 
collar, and hath such a kind of whooping cry as they talk 
of.” Goldsmith (“‘ Animated Nature”) confirms this by 
relating of the Bittern that he remembered “ with what 
terror the bird’s note affected the whole village.” Spenser 
also alludes to “the hoarse night raven, trompe of doleful 
dreere.”” The reference may, of course, be to the night- 
like plumage of the RAVEN. 
NIGHTINGALE [No. 180]. The name of this prime favourite 
among song-birds signifies literally “singer of the night,” 
it being the A. Sax. nihtegale (fr. niht—night and gale=a 
singer). Prof. Skeat says the middle n is excrescent. The 
name is found in Chaucer’s ‘‘ Canterbury Tales”: Turner 
(1544) writes it “‘ Nyghtyngall,” while Merrett (1667) and 
