PINUT—POTTERTON. 183 
PotuarREUN. A Gaelic name for the DUNLIN in the Long 
Island ; signifying “‘ bird of the sand-pits ” (Gray). 
POMATORHINE SKUA [No. 440]. It is the “ Pomerine 
Skua ” of Selby and Yarrell (1st ed.), and the Pomerine 
Gull of Gould (‘‘ Birds of Europe,” pt. 1, 1832). It is first 
noticed as a British bird in the ‘‘ Sale Catalogue of Bullock’s 
Collection ” (April, 1819, lot 61, p. 32) where it is referred 
to as “ allied to the Arctic, but greatly superior in size.” 
Poot Snipe: The REDSHANK. (Willughby.) Albin calls it 
the “‘ Poole Snipe,” but the derivation is no doubt from the 
former word (pool, or pond, snipe). 
Poor WituieE: The BAR-TAILED GODWIT. (East Lothian.) 
Imitative of its call-note. Also called Poor Wren. 
Por. A name for the REDWING according to Swainson. 
Port. Willughby gives this as a Cornish name for the 
PUFFIN. The BULLFINCH is also so called in Dorset. 
Swainson thinks in the latter case it is a derivation of 
Alp. Itis also applied to the RED-BACKED SHRIKE in 
Hants. 
PoreLeR. An old name for the SPOONBILL. 
Poprngay: The GREEN WOODPECKER. — (Provincial.) 
Dutch Papegay. Properly a Parrot, but probably used to 
denote any brightly plumaged bird. Occurs in Turner as 
‘““Popiniay,” and in Aldrovandus as “ Popiniay”’ and 
‘“‘Popingay.” Shakespeare has : ‘To be so pestered with 
a popinjay ” (“ Henry IV, act 1, sc. 5) which has been held 
to refer to a parrot, but without any good reason, for the 
reference is obviously to the human popinjay (i.e. an idle 
fop). He elsewhere (“‘Cymbeline,” act 11, sc. 4) speaks of a 
gaudily-dressed person as a Jay, whichis, of course, equally 
a term of contempt or derision for an over-dressed foppish 
fellow, in a word, a popinjay. A popinjay was formerly 
a gaudily-painted bird set up as a target for archers. The 
name is, or was until recently, in provincial use for the 
Green Woodpecker, which on the wing presents a clumsy 
and gaudy appearance. 
Porring WiGkoN: The GOLDENEYE and the RED- 
BREASTED MERGANSER. (Drogheda Bay.) Because 
they pop up and down so suddenly (Swainson). 
Post-BirD: The SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. (Kent.) On 
account of perching on a post waiting for flies. 
PorreRTON HEN: The BLACK-HEADED GULL (Aberdeen.) 
Swainson says, on the authority of Mr. Harvie-Brown, 
that it is from a loch of that name, now dried up. 
