Essex.— I have met with the following local names for birds when wildfowl shooting at Leigh, Essex.-A. H. Smke (7, Finsbury Circus). J
God wit. Prine.
Oystercatcher. Olive.
Knot. Male.
Scaup and Pochard. Dunbird.
Eedshank. Tuke.
Dunlin. Oxbird.
Brent Goose. Black Goose.
Bernicle Goose. Bar-goose.
Sheldrake. Bar-gander.
Black-backed Gull. Saddle-back.
Scoter. Black Duck.
Gadwall. Sand Wigeon.
West Cornwall.—I add the local names of some of our mammals, birds, &c, in West Cornwall : —
Badger. The Grey.*
Mole. Wunt or Want.
Short-eared Owl. Woodcock Owl. Around Dartmoor, in Devonshire the "Red Owl."
Missel Thrush. Home-screech.
Song Thrush. Grey-bird.
Fieldfare. Blue-bird.
Redwing. Winnard.
Wheatear. Wittol; Whitass.
Starling. Stare.
Hedgesparrow. Spawe.
The Tits (all except the Long-tailed Tit). Pridden-pràl. { On Dartmoor these birds are called "Heckymals."
Yellow-hammer. Gladdy.
Pied Wagtail. Water Wagtail; Dishwasher; Dish-lick.
Chaffinch. Copperfinch.
Bulfinch. Hoop (very rare).
Kestrel. Windhover.
Nightjar. Dorhawk; Goatsucker, Night-hawk.
Jay. Jay-pie (rare).
Lapwing. Peewit.
Hooded Crow. Marazion (or Market Jew) Crow.
Oystercatcher. Sea-pie; Sea Magpie.
Little Grebe. Dabchick.
Guillemot. Is, I believe, The Murre.
Lizards and Newts. Padzypows.%
Small Frogs. Quilkin.
Blindworm. Long-cripple.
On Dartmoor the Common Snake is the " Long-cripple," and the large Dragonfly is the "Long- cripple's Horse."
Insects, crustaceans, and fish open a wide field in this direction of local names. Of the snails the shelled ones are with us "Jeanyakes" (an old Cornish name which has survived, but with
There is a large family or little clan of people in this neighbourhood whose
nickname is "Badger." They are a pugnacious lot, and will never themselves use
this word "grey," nor permit it to be used with impunity in their presence. If they
want to express the colour grey they use the word "blue."
+ These two names suggest a derivation of the word "Wheatear." The bird takes its name from its white rump (White-tail = Wittol), and hence the second name above given, softened into Whitear or Wheatear.
J Old Cornish, which translated literally means "Tree Babbler."
§ From pedzhar or peskwar, old Cornish for "four," and pow, old Cornish for "foot."
