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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SKELL-. Also in forms skel-, scale-, skail-, skeel-, skiel- and deriv. skeeling-, only in combs. scale-drake, skell-, skeel-duck, skiel-, skeel(ing) goose, -güs, the sheldrake, Tadorna tadorna (Kcb. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XI. 14, scale-duck; Uls. 1907 Northern Whig (30 Nov.); Sh. 1932 J. M. E. Saxby Trad. Lore 199, skeeling-goose, -güs). In n. Eng. and Ir. dial. as scale-. Also applied to the oyster-catcher, Haematopus ostralegus (Ork. 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 188, sk(i)eldrake), and in form skelderdrake (see 1806 quot. and Skeldro).Sh. 1793 J. Mill Diary (S.H.S.) 159:
Scale drakes, equal to the wild duck in size.Inv. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XVI. 224:
The wild goose, solan goose, cormorant, scale-drake.Ork. 1806 P. Neill Tour 195, 203:
Skeel-goose, Shieldrake, Anas Tadorna. In Orkney it is sometimes also called skeeling-goose or skeel-duck. In Shetland scale-drake. . . . Sea-pie, Haematopus ostralegus — This bird is in Orkney also called scolder, skeldrake, and skelder-drake, probably from its incessant shrill discordant call when disturbed, which may not unaptly be compared to what the lower orders in Orkney term skeldering or scolding.Slk. 1817 Hogg Tales (1874) 150:
He gaed as fast as a skell-drake.Bte. 1820 J. Blain Hist. Bute (1880) 23:
Scale drakes and ducks, near as large as a goose.