it is supposed, by eating a poisonous lierb. Some say the sun- 

 dew — others, again, aver tlie sun-dew was an effectual remedy. 

 This plant was much employed among Celtic tribes for dyeing 

 the hair. 



Page 8. 

 Saponaria. The quotation from Pliny may be thus trans- 

 lated : "Soap is good — that invention of the Gauls — for red- 

 dening the hair, out of grease and ash." 



Page 9. 

 Linum usitatissimum {Lion). 



"Meirle salainn 's meirle fiois, 

 Meirl' o nach fhaigh anam clos ; 

 Gus an teid an t-iasg air tir, 

 Cha 'n fhaigh nieirleach an lin clos." 



" This illustrates the great value attached to salt and lint, espe- 

 cially among a fishing population, at a time when the duty on 

 salt was excessive, and lint was cultivated in the Hebrides." — 

 Sheriff Nicolson. 



Page 10. 

 Hypericum. Martin evidently refers to this ])lant, and calls 

 \i '■^ Fuga dcemomiiiiP "John Morrison, who lives in Bernera 

 (Harris), wears the plant called ^^ SeiuV in the neck of his coat 

 to prevent his seeing of visions, and says he never saw any 

 since he first carried that plant about with him." Children 

 have a saying when they meet this plant — 



"Luibh Cholum Chille, gvin sireadh gun iarraidh, 

 'Sa dheoin I)ia, cha bhasaich mi nochd." 

 St Coliunbus-wort, unsought, unasked, and, please God, I won't die lu-night. 



Page 12. 

 Shamrock — Wood- sorrel and white clover. The shamrock 

 is said to be worn by the Irish upon the anniversary of St 

 Patrick for the following reason : When the Saint preached the* 

 Gospel to the pagan Irish, he illustrated the doctrine of the 

 Trinity by showing them a trefoil, which was ever afterwards worn 

 upon the Saint's anniversary. " Between May-day and harvest, 

 butter, new cheese, and curds and shamrock, are the food of 

 the meaner sort all this season."— Piers's 'West Meath.' 



Page 13. 

 Gaelic Alphabet. Antecedent to the use of the present 

 alphabet, the ancient Celts wrote on the barks of trees. The 



