INTRODUCTION xvii 



life and wants, readers may be reminded shortly of the existence 

 in the dim, distant past of what is known as " totemism/' or the 

 custom by which a stock (scattered through many local tribes) 

 claims descent from, and kindred with, some plant, animal, or 

 other natural object, which object is sometimes worn as a badge 

 or crest. This still operates among all classes. Lowland and 

 Highland, in a more or less marked form, even to this day. 



Among the ancient Irish, for example, certain parties are given 

 as being the direct descendants of a bird, a dog, etc., such as 

 Conan, Cuchulainn, etc., and races named after animals were 

 common in ancient Ireland, the Red Deer and the Wolves being 

 tribes dwelling near Ossory, the descendants of the latter being 

 alleged to transform themselves into wolves (Revue Celtique, Tome 

 II.), Professor Rhys, from the frequency of dog names, inclining to 

 believe in a dog totem in Ireland. (See the Book of Glendaloch.) 

 Aryans generally are supposed to have been totemistic, and 

 as the Celts are thereof, their interest therein need only be 

 referred to. 



Most of the larger or more conspicuous animals were at one 

 time endowed by popular consent with special qualities, good 

 or evil, and specially human attributes were commonly ascribed to 

 them ; but this association of ideas, so far as regards religious 

 beliefs, are comparatively modern, as the principal myths, as a 

 general rule, have a local colouring — thus the wild boar and the 

 wolf among races of Northern Europe; and, though widely 

 remote, regions are found where the goose, for instance, is mixed 

 up with the folk-lore or religious myths of the Hindus, Romans, 

 Greeks, and the Northern European races generally. Totemism 

 among primitive races, as well as serpent-worship, being owing to 

 the widespread belief as to the mythical characters of certain 

 animals, the names of ox, pig, horse, dog, etc., having, it is said, 

 originated from some common root among all the main stems 

 which have diverged from the great Aryan stock. In the South 

 Sea Islands also. New Hanover for instance, it is interesting to 

 note that every one is a fish or a bird in the shape of a human 

 being. 



The foregoing might be more fully treated, but I refrain from 

 reasons of brevity, and now state shortly the plan of this work, 

 which, on perusal, will be found to consist of two parts — Gaelic- 

 English and English-Gaelic. In Part I. will be found all the Gaelic 

 names or terms for beasts (mammalia), birds, fishes, insects, and 

 reptiles, which I could manage to gather, with what has been 

 thought to be the leading or best known and generally accepted 

 English term or meaning therefor. 



These, like all the subsequent lists of names, proverbs, etc., 

 have, so far as possible, been alphabetically arranged for the 

 purpose of reference. It is, however, surmised that many Gaelic 

 names or terms are still wanting ; these can only be supplied now 



