99 



Fungi. 



Agaricus — The mushroom. Irish and Gaelic dicti^iries 

 give agairg for mushroom. Welsh : ciillod. 



A. campestris— j5^/^ bhuachail {balg is an ancient Celtic 

 word, and in most languages has the same signification — viz., 

 a bag, wallet, pock, &c. (Greek, /3o\yvs; Latin, biilga ; Sax. 

 beige ; Ger. bdlg), biiackail, a shepherd). Balg /osgai?m (losganti 

 a frog, and in some places balgbhuachair^ — buachar^ dung), Leirin 

 sugach. In Aberfeldy A. cainpestris is called bonaid bhtiidhli 

 smachaiji (Dr McMillan). 



Boletus bovinus — Brown boletus. Gaelic and Irish : bonaid 

 an losgamn, the toad's bonnet; and also applied to other 

 species of this genus. 



Tuber cibarium— Truffle. Ballan losgainn, Dr M'Millan, 

 from ball^ a ball, a tuber. These are subterraneous ball-like 

 bodies, something like potatoes, found in beech-woods in Glen 

 Lyon ; and probably applied to other species as well. 



Lycoperdon giganteum— The large fuz-ball or devil's snuff- 

 box. Gaelic and Irish : beac^ beacan^ from beach^ a bee. This 

 mushroom or puff-ball was used formerly (and is yet) for 

 smothering bees ; it grows to a large size, sometimes even two 

 or three feet in circumference. Trioman (O'Reilly). 



L. gemmatum — The puff-ball, fuz-ball. Gaelic and Irish: 

 caoc/iag, from caoch (Latin, ccecus), blind, empty, blasting. It 

 is a common idea that its dusty spores cause blindness. Balg 

 stnicid, the smoke-bag ; balg seididh^ the puff-bag. Balg peiteach 

 bocan^ or bochdan-bearrach {boc/idan, a hobgoblin, a sprite, and 

 bearr, brief, short), and bonaid an losgaijui, are frequently applied 

 to all the mushrooms, puff-balls, and the whole family of the 

 larger fungi. 



Polyporus. — The various forms of cork -like fungi growing 

 on trees are called caise (Irish), meaning cheese, and in Gaelic 

 spuing or (Irish) spnijic, sponge, from their porous spongy 

 character. 



P. fomentarius and betulinus — Soft tinder. Gaelic: cailleach 

 spiitJige, the spongy old woman, — a corruption of the Irish 

 caisleach spuine, soft, cheese-like sponge. It is much used still 

 by Highland shepherds for making amadou or tinder, and for 

 sharpening razors. 



Mucedo — Moulds. Gaelic : cloiniJi Hath, grey down. Mildew, 

 niilcheo. 



