GENERAL DESCRIPTION 23 



a superstitious custom of pouring out, for good luck, an offer- 

 ing of new milk when the cows were turned out to the fold 

 on May Day. It was believed that if the practice was 

 neglected by anyone, some evil would befall the delinquent's 

 best cow. On one occasion, so it is related, an old woman 

 who had accidentally spilt all her milk, gave an offering of 

 whey instead. Appreciating the spirit, the dwellers under- 

 neath struck up on the pipes the tune 



Fhuair mi deoch mhig o'n mhnaoi laghaich 

 Banarach nam bo, nach d'61 an cobhar. 



Dun Loisgte, Dun Meadhonach, and Dun Crom, are close 

 together on the north side of the farm ; Dun Leathann 

 and Cnoc-na-Faire, 1 where the people in olden times used to 

 watch for the approach of their enemies, lying to the south- 

 east. The Cowrie Beach and Uinneag lorcuil, a natural, 

 window-like opening in one of the rocks, seen best from the 

 sea, are in the extreme north-east. St Columba's, or the 

 Wishing Well, is popularly credited with certain wish- 

 fulfilling potentialities. Part of the ceremony is to leave 

 a gift for the saint. A miscellaneous collection of articles 

 is usually to be seen on the slabs which cover the well. 



Bird life is varied and abundant among the rugged hills 

 and secluded shores of Balanahard and the east of the island. 

 The Carrion Crow (Feannag Dhubh), Grey or Hooded Crow 

 (Feannag Ghlas), Buzzard (Croman), and Kestrel (Speireag 

 Ghlas) here have their haunts. Among the broken rocks 

 underneath the cliffs the Black Guillemot (Calag) has its 

 nest, and Mergansers (Sioltach) feed in pairs in the bays, 

 building their nests in the heather in rocky places. The 

 Jackdaw (Feannag Bheag), one of the farmer's pests, and 



1 There are at least two other hills (watch-hills) bearing the same 

 name, one at Dun Ghaillionn and another at Scalasaig. Their situation 

 in the northern end of the island indicates the direction from which 

 the approach of their enemies was looked for by the natives. 



