12 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



PEOVINCIAL NAMES AND KESOETS OF CEETAIN 

 BIEDS IN THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND. 



By J. E. McClymont. 



The Blackbird is the most abundant of the birds which are 

 par excellence singing-birds in that part of Eoxburghshire which 

 is situated between the Teviot and the Eule. Although it has 

 several provincial names, not one of them is Lowland Scotch, for 

 Blackie cannot be accounted a provincial name. The love-song 

 of the merle is not easily forgotten. It consists of a series of 

 crisp and harmonious phrases rendered with great precision and 

 distinctness from a lofty branch. The pauses in the song are no 

 less eloquent than the melody, and constitute an essential differ- 

 ence between its lay and that of other songsters of the fields and 

 woods. 



The Chaffinch is, next to the House- Sparrow, the most 

 plentiful of the resident Finches ; large parties of them are 

 often to be seen in autumn and early winter, picking up a liveli- 

 hood on country roads. The Chaffinch is called the Shelfie in 

 the south of Scotland. The word is probably an abbreviation of 

 sheldapple, and sheldapple is compounded of sheld and dapple ; 

 the name was doubtless bestowed on the Chaffinch because of 

 the variety of colours in the body-plumage, and of the speckling 

 on the wing-coverts of the male. In captivity I have found 

 Chaffinches to be sprightly and intelligent birds, playful when 

 two are together, assiduous bathers, much given to prying into 

 every corner of their habitation, and keenly observant of their 

 owner's movements. 



In the southern Scottish counties the Sky-Lark begins to 

 sing in April, and sings till August. In these counties, " If the 

 lift were to fa' the laverocks wad be smoored" is a proverbial 

 saying which is often quoted. It is, I think, not quite certain 

 that the words lark and laverock have a common origin and 

 history. Laverock has, I believe, been traced to an Icelandic 



