The Scottish Naturalist. 223 



abhran donog (O'Reilly), — abhran is the plural of abhra, an eye- 

 lid, and donog, a kind of fish, a young ling. The fish's eye- 

 lids ; more likely a corruption of aran tunnaig, duck's bread or 

 meat. 



It was used by our Celtic ancestors as a cure for headaches 

 and inflammations. 



Arace/e. 



Arum, formerly aron> probably from the ancient Celtic root 

 a?-, land, earth ; hence Latin, aro, to plough, and Gaelic, aran, 

 bread, sustenance. The roots of many of the species are used 

 both for food and medicine. 



A. maculatum — Wake-robin, lords and ladies. Gaelic : cluas 

 chaoin, the soft ear (caoin, soft, smooth, gentle, &c, and cluas, 

 ear). The ear-shaped spathe would probably suggest the name. 

 Cuthaidh, from cuth, a head, a bulb — hence cutharlan, any bulb- 

 ous-rooted plant. Cuthaidh means also wild, savage. Gachar 

 and gaoicin cuthigh are given in O'Reilly's Dictionary as names 

 for the Arum, from cai, a cuckoo. Old English : cuckoo's pint. 



Orontiace^e. 

 Acorns calamus — Sweet- flag. Gaelic : cuilc-mhilis, sweet-rush ; 



" Cuilc mhilis agus canal." 

 Calamus and cinnamon. 



cuilc, a reed, a cane. Greek : KaAa/xo?, applied to reeds, bul- 

 rush canes, e.g., cuile na Leig, the reeds of Lego. Cobhan 

 cuilc, an ark of bulrushes. Cuilc-chrann, cane ; mills (Greek : 

 /xeAio-o-a, a bee), sweet. Before the days of carpets, this plant is 

 said to have supplied the " rushes " with which it was customary 

 to strew the floors of houses, churches, and monasteries. 



TYPHACEiE. 



Typha, from Greek, ™</>os, a marsh, in which all the species 

 naturally grow. 



T. latifolia — Great reed-mace or cat's-tail. Gaelic and Irish : 

 bodan dubh, from bod, a tail, and dubh, large, or dark. Cuigeal 

 ?iam ban-sith, the fairy-woman's spindle. It is often, but incorrectly, 

 called bog bhui?ie or bulrush (see Scirpus lacustris). The downy 

 seeds were used for stuffing pillows, and the leaves for making 

 mats, chair -bottoms, thatch, and sometimes straw hats or 

 bonnets. 



T. angustifolia — Lesser reed-mace or cat's-tail. Irish : bodan 

 (O'Reilly), dim. of bod, a tail. 



