124 The Scottish Naturalist. 



Irish and Gaelic : glas liis^ pale-blue weed. Welsh : glas lys. 

 Formerly called Glastum. 



Ancient Celts used to stain their bodies with a preparation 

 from this plant. Its pale-blue hue was supposed to enhance 

 their beauty, according to the fashion of the time. 



*'Is^/^7i- mo luibh." — OssiAN. 



Pale-blue is the subject of my praise. 



On account of the brightness of its manufactured colours the 

 Celts called it gwed {qiiede in French to this day), whence the 

 Saxon wad and the English woad. 



Thlaspi arvense — Penny-cress. Gaelic : praiseach feidh, deer's 

 pot-herb. Irish : preaseach fiadh, a deer's pot-herb. 



Capsella Bursa-pastoris — Shepherd's purse. Gaelic : ius na 

 foia, the blood-weed ; a?i sporran^ the purse. Irish : sraidin, a 

 lane, a walk, Welsh : purs y bugail, shepherd's purse [biigail, 

 from Greek /3vkoXo<;, a shepherd). 



Cochlearia officinalis — Scurvy grass. Gaelic : a maraich^ 

 sailor ; carraji, the thing for scurvy, possessing antiscorbutic 

 properties. ^^ F/aigh na cajya,''^ the plague of leprosy (Stuart). 

 " Duine aig am bheil carr,'' a man who has the scurvy (Stuart 

 in Lev.). Welsh : 7?ior luyau^ sea-spoons ; llysie'r blicg^ scurvy 

 grass (from biwg, scurvy). Irish : biolair tragha^ — biolair, dainty, 

 and t?-dgha, shore or sea-side. 



Armoracia rusticana {armoracia, a name of Celtic origin from 

 ar^ land ; mor or mar, the sea ; m, near to, a plant growing 

 near the sea). English : horse-radish. Gaelic : meacan-each, the 

 horse-plant. Irish : 7'acadal, perhaps from an old word rac, a 

 king, a prince, and adhai, desire — i.e., the king's desire. 



Raphanus raphanistrum — Radish. Gaelic : meacan ruadh, the 

 reddish plant, from the colour of the root. Irish : fiadh roidis, 

 wild radish. 



Cardamine pratensis — Cuckoo-flower, ladies' smock. Gaelic : 

 plur na cubhaig, the cuckoo flower. Gleoran, from glcote, hand- 

 some, pretty. The name is given to other cresses as well. 

 Biolair-ghriagain, the bright sunny dainty. 



Cakile maritimum — Sea gilly-flower rocket. Gaelic : fearsaid- 

 eag, meaning uncertain, but probably from Irish saide, a seat 

 (Latin, sedcs), the sitting individual — from its procumbent habit. 



{To be continued.) 



