water-witch

plural water-witches · alternative water witch · alternative waterwitch

1. A grebe (Podicipedidae spp.)

   ... bird was never seen again, dead or alive. There was a mystery about it , and when some one older and wiser than he told him it was a water witch or hell diver, the mystery was only half solved. Where did it go? How could it stay[…] Fortunately for the dabchick, […]

   1902, Florence Merriam Bailey, Handbook of Birds of the Western United States: Including the Great Plains, Great Basin, Pacific Slope, and Lower Rio Grande Valley, page 9

   2 more examples

   […] I knew that another pair of Grebes had chosen this secluded pond for their home. Careful search revealed only a deserted or incompleted nest, and I continued until I came to a weedy stretch. Examining it with binoculars, before entering, as it was quite open, I espied another of these elusive water-witches upon its nest.

   1914, Arthur A Allen, "At home with a Hell-Diver". in Bird-Lore, volume XVI, number 4

   The grebes and loons are not edible, […] nevertheless, the bird is often hunted, although the sportsman finds it a wary victim, for there is no bird in the world more difficult to shoot than a "water-witch." One instant it will be swimming[…] It is amazing how long a grebe can remain submerged.

   1920, The Nature Library, page 10

2. A grebe (Podicipedidae spp.):
   1. In particular, a pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps).

      The Hell Diver seen was probably the Pied Bill Grebe, […] it surely is a water witch and has disappeared.

      1901, The Conservative, page 10

      2 more examples

      ... Grebes are highly aquatic expert divers but labored fliers. […] a "water-witch" [Blanchan 1902: 12]. The Pied-billed Grebe is represented at CA-44.

      1989, Joan C. Brown, A Taxonomic Analysis of Avian Faunal Remains from Three Archaeological Sites in Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles County, California

      ... my first nest of a "water witch," the pied-billed grebe. What's a grebe? Scientists would like the answer to that one. There are at least 20 species of grebes found around the world. All are birds incredibly adapted to aquatic environments[…]

      2012, Steve Maslowski, Wings on the Water: The Great Gallery of Ducks, Geese, and Loons, Ampry Publishing, LLC, →ISBN, page 234

3. UKdialectalA storm petrel.

   [see chapter title, viz.:] Song of the Water-Witch (The Stormy-Petrel)

   1915, Herbert Randall, “Song of the Water-Witch (The Stormy-Petrel)”, in Cape Cod Magazine: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Cape Cod Interests, page 8

   2 more examples

   Ten or fifteen dark little birds […] these are "Mother Carey's chickens," the "water-witches," Stormy Petrels, which are so familiar to the eye of the sailor, and the sight of which he dreads so much; […]

   1874, Alfred Edmund Brehm, Bird-life, tr. by H.M. Labouchere and W. Jesse, page 866

   There is no doubt that the stormy petrel has learned to imitate the motion of the waves, flying with motions not unlike those of certain fish. […] These strange little "water-witches" or Mother Carey's chickens are familiar to all sea-travellers.

   c. 1917, Royal Dixon, The human side of birds, page 215

4. fantasyUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: a witch who lives in, controls, is able to dowse or find, or is otherwise connected with, water.

   […] plays with the stormy petrel, / And answers the sea-gull's call. […] the water-witch, gray and ancient, / And hearing the tales she tells.

   1890, Katharine Pyle, “The Sea Princess”, in St. Nicholas: An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks, page 824

   2 more examples

   The water-witches of Meterik inhabit the islands. There are fifteen of them. They argue all the time over minutiae. They throw magic spells at each other for fun. Normally they show not too much interest in humans. That changed[…]

   2018 July 5, Patrick Ameye, The Improved Original, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 218

   "... even if he wanted to, he couldn't hold that rod steady." I smiled , remembering the water witches of my youth. They were mystical, mysterious people. Only one of them hit good clean water every time and plenty of it, and […]

   2019 May 21, JoAnn Franklin, Bring the Rain: A Novel, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN Invalid ISBN