504 



NOTES AND QUEKIES. 



[2-1 s. VI. 155., Dec. 18. '.=^8. 



tamed and trained] " qui parloit et revenoit sur 

 le poing. (Apud Gesnerum, de Avihus, p. 558.)" 

 The speaking is not incredible ; for the pie-grieche 

 is said to imitate the notes of other birds, in order 

 to allure and capture them. The common cha- 

 racteristics of the several varieties of pie-grieche 

 are ably [sketched by Buffon hiuiself, p. 265., &c. 



Wary-angle, wariangle, is an old Eiigli.sh name 

 of the butcher-bird or pie-grieche. '' Wariangles 

 [in Staffordfhire and Shropshire], a kind of noisy, 

 ravenous birds, which prey upon other birds, which 

 when taken they hang upon a thorn or prickle, 

 and tear them in pieces and devour them," Bailey, 

 1776. This is evidently the butcher-bird, though 

 the term wariangle has occasionally been other- 

 wise applied. 



The derivation of grieche is a question of some 

 difficulty, and many are the solutions which have 

 been attempted. Griesdie in old French (grieche 

 is the modern form) was an impost, duty, or rent. 

 From this very old French term Du Cange de- 

 rives the med.-Lat. grieschia (gravamen, onus). 

 Hence some would derive grieche from the Lat. 

 gravis; but. others would rather take it from 

 Gi-cBcula, Grecque. Menage evidently leans to 

 this latter derivation, which is also mentioned by 

 Bescherelle. Menage, however, adds, "Dans les 

 Gatinois " [now le Gatinais] " on appelle perdrix 

 griesches, et par corruption, perdrix gouesches, les 

 perdrix rouges:" and he concludes by saying 

 " En Bas-Breton, gouez signifie sauvage. Et 1^1. 

 Huet croit que c'est de ce mot Bas-Breton que 

 nous avons fait griesche et gouesche.".] 



From these various guesses very little is to be 

 made out. Three uses of the word grieche or 

 griesche as an adjective, and three only, are known 

 in the French language. These are pie griesche, 

 perdrix griesche, and ortie griesche. Surely, then, 

 the proper course will be, to seek some derivation 

 of griesche or grieche which will give a meaning 

 equally applicable in all these three connexions, 

 pie, perdrix, and ortie. "*" 



Now Bescherelle suggests, as the radix of 

 grieche, the Celtic word griziaz, " qui est rude, 

 piquant, importune." But he omits to add that, 

 between the Celtic griziaz and the French grieche, 

 there exists the Italian word grezzo. Grezzo 

 signifies rough, coarse, or rude; and some such 

 meaning as this will very fairly apply to each of 

 the three instances in which the French language 

 employs the term griesche or grieche. 



1. It applies to the pie-grieche or butcher-bird, 

 which, as described by naturalists, both French 

 and English, is a very rough, bold, and combative 

 bml, remarkable for its mechancete. The pie- 

 grieche is also called in French pie-agasse (quasi 

 pie-agace) ; and it bears this name, says Landais, 

 " sans doute parce que ces oiseaux sont faciles a 

 agacer, a irriter." 



2. The meaning of grezzo will also apply to the 



Ortie grieche ; for that is the common stinging- 

 nettle, alias Ortie brulante, (Urtica urens, Lin.). 

 Spaeh, Hist. Nat. des Veget. 1842, vol. xii. p. 28. 



3. And it will equally apply to the perdrix 

 griesche (or gouesche) ; especially if, as intimated 

 by Menage, we are to understand the perdrix range, 

 or the red-legged partridge. The common par- 

 tridge is decidedly a fighting bird, whether male 

 or female (Buflf>n, vol. xlii. pp. 544. 550.). But 

 the red-legged variety is specially and notoriously 

 combative. " The Red Partridges are often used, 

 as we do cocks, for the rational amusement of 

 butchering each other ! Ami we are told that 

 this pastime is common to the present day in the 

 Isle of Cyprus." (L:itham.) 



Grezzo and grieche, then, are probably cognate 

 words. As Boece {\>r. n.) corresponds to Boezio, 

 rudesse to rudeza (Romance), duresse to durezza, 

 and piece to pezzn, pezza, so we may regard 

 grieche as the Vr. representative, of grezzo, grezza. 



Grieidie is both the mas. and fem. form (" ad- 

 jectif des deux genres," Encyc. Cath.). Grezzo 

 is often applied in Ital. to rough ore, a rough dia- 

 mond, &c., but is not restricted to this meaning. 



Thomas Boys. 



IRISH ESTATES. 



(a-* S. vi. 207. 256. 441.) 



I have not observed any answer to the Query 

 of B. S. on the subject of the Irish estates grante<l 

 by King James I. to the London Companies. He 

 will find much of the information which he re- 

 quires among the Carew MSS. in Lambeth Li- 

 brary. Vol. 613. contains "A Booke of the 

 Plantation of Vlster," made from a survey taken 

 by virtue of his JNIajestv's Commission between 

 the 1st Dec. 1618, and 28th March, 1619. A very 

 detailed account is given of the English colony in 

 the province at that date. It shows that the 

 lands held in the county of Derry by the London 

 Companies were : — 



"The Goldsmiths' Company 

 The Grocers" Company 

 The Fishmongers' Company 

 The Ironmonj^ers' Company 

 The IMercers' Company - 

 The Merdiant Taylors' Company 

 The Haberdashers' Company * - 

 The Clothworkers' (.lompany - _ - 3210 

 The Skinners' Company - - - - 3210 

 The Vintners' Company - - - - 3:;10 

 The Drapers' Company - - - - 3210 

 The Salters' Company - - - - 3210" 



The lands in question were granted in 1608 ; 

 and it appears, from vol. 630, that the sum raised 

 by the City was •20,0001. My notes, however, do 

 not enable me to state in what manner the money 

 was raised. The citizens undertook to expend 



* Number of acres not stated. 



Acres. 



- .3210 



- 3210 



- 3210 



- 3210 



- 3210 



- 32.10 



