2f 



dy^ force, irritation. In Gaelic and Welsh the words dris and 

 drysien are applied to the bramble and briar indiscriminately. 



" An dreas a fas gu h-urar," — Ossian. 



The bramble (or briar) freshly growing. 

 " Am fear theid san droighionn domh 



Theid me san dris da." — Proverb. 



If one pass through thorns to me, 



I'll pass through brambles (or briars) to him. 



Grian mhuine, the thorn (bush) that basks in the sun. Dris 

 muine, — muine, a thorn, prickle, sting. Smear phreas (Irish : 

 sf?ieur), the bush that smears; smearag, that which smears (the 

 fruit). Welsh : iniar, the bramble. {Miar or meiir in Gaelic 

 means a finger.) Smearachd, fingering, greasing, smearing. (Com- 

 pare Dutch, smeeren ; German, schmieren, to smear or daub.) 

 DriS'Smear^ another combination of the preceding names. 



This plant is the badge of the Clan M'Lean. 



R. csesius — Blue bramble ; dewberry bush. Gaelic : preas- 

 nan-gorm dhearc^ the blueberry bush. 



'* Bar gach tolmain fo h\vc2,t gbrm dhearc.^'' — M'Donald. 

 Every knoll under a mantle of blueberries (dewberries). 



The blue bramble is the badge of the Clan M'Nab. 



Rosa canina — Dog-rose. Gaelic : coin ros, dogs' rose {coi?t, 

 gen. plural of <:?/, a dog). Greek : x^-^^- Latin : amis. Sanscrit : 

 amas. Irish : al Welsh : ki. 



Gaelic : com droighionn ^ dogs' thorn. Earrdhreas or fearra- 

 dhrisj earrad, armour -, suggested by its being armed with prickles. 



" Mar mhucaigu^fearra-dhris.^^—WY.'LLAK. 

 Like hips on the briar. 



Preas-nam-miicaig^ the hip bush — from nitic (Welsh: moch), a 

 pig, from the fancied resemblance of the seeds to pigs, being 

 bristly. Irish : sgeach mhadj^a, the dogs' haw or bush. Welsh : 

 merddrain. Gaelic : ros^ rose j cultivated rose, rds gharaidh. 



*' Be sid an sealladh eibhinn ! 

 Do bhruachan gle-^y^mr^;w." 

 That was a joyful sight ! 

 Thy banks so rosy red. 



R. rubiginosa — Sweet-briar {briar, Gaelic : a bodkin or pin). 

 Gaelic : dris chubhraidh, the fragrant bramble. Irish : sgeach- 

 chumhra, the fragrant haw or bush. Cuirdris, the twisting briar, 

 — cuir^ gen. sing, of car^ to twist or wind. 



