CARDIAD^. COCKLE. 29 



shells counterchanged, are borne by the Silesian family 

 of Von Strachwitz, which has for crest two wings also 

 charged with cockles."* 



We also find this shell figured on coins. A specimen 

 in the British Museum of the sextans, the sixth part of 

 the as, or piece of two ounces, has on one side a cadu- 

 ceus, a strigil, and two balls, and on the other a cockle- 

 shell. 



Ossian, in his poem the l War of Inis-thona/ tells 

 us that the king of that island gave a feast to Oscar, 

 which lasted three days, and that they " rejoiced in the 

 shell," — meaning that they feasted sumptuously and 

 drank freely. Again, we meet with the " chief of 

 shells," and the " halls of shells." Macpherson calls 

 the cockle the " heroes' cup of festivity," being known 

 by the name of sliga-crechin, or the drinking- shell; and 

 it is also stated that this shell is used in the Hebrides 

 for skimming milk.f This seems, however, hardly pos- 

 sible, for the " heroes" would probably not be content 

 with so small a cup as the little common cockle. It 

 must have been some larger shell, and formerly the word 

 " cockle" was applied to any shell ; besides which, the 

 common cockle could not, from its shape, be used for 

 skimming milk, and from its size, it would be of little use 

 for that purpose. Moreover, we know that the so-called 

 cockle used in the Hebrides for that purpose is a My a, 

 there called the cockle. 



The Irish, the South Welsh, and probably others, 

 call the whelk (Buccinum undaium) the goggle, and know 

 it by no other name. It is evidently the same word 

 and is more correctly applied, as we shall presently see. 



* Sibmaeher's c Wapenbuch,' Heraldry of Fish, p. 226. 

 t ' A Book for the Seaside.' 



