352 The Scottish Naturalist. 



NOTES. 



Nasturtium officinale — Water-cress. A curious old super- 

 stition respecting the power of this plant as a charm to facilitate 

 milk-stealing was common in Scotland and Ireland. " Not long 

 ago, an old woman was found, on a May morning, at a spring- 

 well cutting the tops of water-cresses with a pair of scissors, mut- 

 tering strange words, and the names of certain persons who had 

 cows, also the words, " S' liomsa leath do choud sa " (half thine 

 is mine). She repeated these words as often as she cut a sprig, 

 which personated the individual she intended to rob of his milk 

 and cream." " Some women make use of the root of groundsel 

 as an amulet against such charms, by putting it amongst the 

 cream." — Martin. Among the poorer classes, water -cress 

 formed a most important auxiliary to their ordinary food. " It 

 they found a plot of water-cresses or shamrock, there they 

 flocked as to a feast for the time." — Spencer. 



Drosera rotundifolia — Sun- dew. Lus na fearnaich. " Ear- 

 nach " was the name given to a distemper among cattle, caused, 

 it is supposed, by eating a poisonous herb. Some say the sun- 

 dew — others, again, aver the sun-dew was an effectual remedy. 

 This plant was much employed among Celtic tribes for dyeing 

 the hair. 



Linum usitatissimum (Lion). 



"Meirle salainn 's meirle frois, 

 Meirl' o nach fhaigh anam clos ; 

 Gus an teid an t-iasg air tir, 

 Cha 'n fhaigh meirleach an lin clos." 



"This illustrates the great value attached to salt and lint, espe- 

 cially among a fishing population, at a time when the duty on 

 salt was excessive, and lint was cultivated in the Hebrides." — 

 Sheriff Nicolson. 



Hypericum. Martin evidently refers to this plant, and calls 

 it " Fuga dcemouumP "John Morrison, who lives in Bernera 

 (Harris), wears the plant called "Send" in the neck of his coat 

 to prevent his seeing of visions, and says he never saw any 

 since he first carried that plant about with him." Children 

 have a saying when they meet this plant — 



•'Luibh Cholum Chille, gun sireadh gun iarraidh, 

 'Sa dheoin Dia, cha bhasaich mi nochd." 



St Columbus-wort, unsought, unasked, and, please God, I won't die to-night. 

 Shamrock — Wood sorrel and white clover. The shamrock 



