The Scottish Naturalist. 299 



in warm water wherein red moss has been boiled, and rub them 

 with it on going to bed." This seems to be the only moss 

 having a specific name in Gaelic, the rest going by the generic 

 term cbinneach. 



" Coinich uine mu 'n iomall, 



A's imadach seorsa." — M'lNTYRE. 



Green moss around the edges, 



Many are the kinds. 



MaRCHANTIACE/E AND Lichenes. 



Marchantia polymorpha — Liverwort. Gaelic: his attainean, 

 the liverwort. Irish : cidsle aibheach. Welsh : ilysiar afu — afu, 

 the liver. (Names derived from its medicinal effects on the liver.) 

 Irish : duilleog 11a cruif/uieachta, the leaf of (many) shapes or 

 forms. Cri/th, form, shape, synonymous with Greek " fio/y- 

 morpha? 



Peltidea canina — The dog -lichen. Gaelic: his ghonaich 

 (from gbifi, wound ■ gbi/icach, agonising). This plant was for- 

 merly used for curing distemper and hydrophobia in dogs. The 

 name " geara/i, the herb dog's-ear," is given in the dictionaries. 

 Probably this name was applied to this plant, meaning a com- 

 plaint, a groan. Welsh : geraiu, to squeak, to cry. 



Lecanora. — Etymology of this word uncertain (in Celtic, lech 

 or leac means a stone, a flag). Greek : XtOos. 



L. tartarea — Cudbear. Gaelic and Irish : corcar or coreur, 

 meaning purple, crimson. This lichen was extensively used to 

 dye purple and crimson. It is first dried in the sun, then pul- 

 verised and steeped, commonly in urine, and the vessel made 

 air-tight. In this state it is suffered to remain for three weeks, 

 when it is fit to be boiled in the yarn which it is to colour. In 

 numerous Highland districts many of the peasants get their 

 living by scraping off this lichen with an iron hoop, and sending 

 it to the Glasgow market. M'Codrum alludes to the value of 

 this and the next lichen in his line 



" Spreigh air mointich, 

 Or air chlachan." 



Cattle on the hills, 

 Gold on the stones. 



Parmelia saxatilis and P. omphalodes — Stone and heath par- 

 melia. Gaelic and Irish : crotal. These lichens are much used in 

 the Highlands for dyeing a reddish brown colour, prepared like 

 tartarea. And so much did the Highlanders believe in the 



