190 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 
Robin. In the older name Robin Redbreast (under which 
it occurs in Turner, Willughby, Sibbald, and other old 
writers) the word Robin is, it is said, a nickname, but even 
if so there is no more reason to drop the Robin than to 
drop the Mag in Magpie, and revert to the old word Pie. 
Another instance is to be found in Jackdaw, although in 
this case the Jack is not a nickname as sometimes supposed 
(see JACKDAW). The name Redbreast alone occurs first 
in Merrett’s list (1667), and although increasingly frequent 
in books in modern times it has never taken the place of 
the name Robin colloquially. For other information on the 
species see under Robin. Dr. Hartert has separated the 
British resident form from the Continental, which occurs 
on migration, hence the change of name. 
RED-BREASTED Duck : The FERRUGINOUS DUCK. (Lewin.) 
RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER [No. 118]. So called from 
the orange-red colour of the throat and breast. 
RED-BREASTED Gopwit: The BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. 
(Bewick.) 
RED-BREASTED GOOSANDER: The RED-BREASTED MER- 
GANSER. (Edwards.) 
RED-BREASTED GOOSE [No. 281]. The name first occurs 
in Pennant’s “ Arctic Zoology ” (um, p. 571). It is derived 
from the chestnut-red of the chest and sides of neck in the 
adult. 
RED-BREASTED Lrnnet: The LINNET (in spring-plumage). So 
called from the crimson colour of the breast. 
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER [No. 313]. So called from 
the reddish-brown of the lower-neck and upper-breast. 
The name occurs in the later editions of Pennant, as also 
in Montagu, but in the folio edition of Pennant (1766) the 
species is called ‘“‘ Lesser Dun Diver.” Edwards, however, 
has Red-breasted Goosander. The name Merganser is 
first found in Gesner (‘‘ Hist. Anim.,”’ 1555). 
RED-BREASTED Moor Tit: The STONECHAT. (East Cleveland, 
Yorkshire.) 
RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER [No. 386]. So-called from 
the pale chestnut tint of the under-parts while in breeding- 
plumage. It is the Red-breasted Snipe of Eyton, and the 
Brown Snipe of earlier authors. 
RED-BREASTED SHOVELER: The SHOVELER. (Bewick.) 
RED-BREASTED SNIPE: The RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER ; 
also the BAR-TAILED GODWIT, in spring-dress. (Mon- 
tagu, ‘“‘ Orn. Dict.,” Supp.) 
