62 ANIMAL— ASS 



construction of a cell, but the fox got into disgrace, having stolen 

 the Saint's brogues. Another name for some kind of animal is 

 " Sordan," and is to be found in a poem attributed to St 

 Columbcille. 



In the Annals of the Four Masters, a wonderful (at least to the 

 artless Irish of 1472) animal is referred to as being sent to an 

 Irish chief or king by the King of England, which is worth 

 transcribing. " She resembled a mare and was of a yellow colour, 

 with the hoof of a cow, a long neck, a very large head, a large 

 tail which was ugly and scant of hair ; she had a saddle of her 

 own (the hump), she used to kneel when passing under any 

 doorway, however high, and also to let her rider mount. Wheat 

 and salt were her usual food, and she used to draw the largest 

 sled burden by her tail," i.e., after her. 



'Tis hardly necessary to add that this was a camel or dromedary, 

 mark the gender given. 



APE. — Ab (Welsh), apa, apag. 



Jack (male), Jack-an-apes ; Puggy ; Scaby, spider-catcher ; 

 Yap (north). 



This is given merely as there is reference to it in the Gaelic 

 Bible. This remark applies to one or two others throughout this 

 Work. 



ASS. — As, asal, assal, asal-stalliach (zebra), (she) asan, 

 pi. asana, asal-fliiorionn, jack-ass; Ealt-asal (a "pace" of); 

 Udlaiche, ullaiehe, utlaiche. (Welsh and Corn.) asyn ; (Bret.) 

 azen ; (Manx) essyl. 



Assene (old pi.) ; Bo-hacky, bronkus, buncus, bussock, buzzack, 

 buzzock ; Canoodle, cud, cudyuch, cuddie, cuddy ; Darlaston 

 throstle, Dick, Dickie, Dick-ass (male), dobbin ; Feldhasser (wild), 

 A. S. ; Jackass, jarsent, jasnack, jazzen, jazzup (Line), Jeremiah, 

 Jerusalem, jessop, jessops, joggeny, jogenny, jubbin ; Mangytow 

 (Devon) ; Martin, moke ; Ned, Neddy (male), nirrup (Dorset) ; 

 Nooty, nutton (1. Wight) ; Rantipike, rantispike (Dorset) ; Shonto 

 (I. Wight) ; Yarsent, yawney-box (Derb.). 



The ass was not known in the Highlands till of late years, 

 tlK)ugh Ossian is said to describe him in his wild state as " having 

 feet like the whirlwind " ; it is not and never has been numerous 

 or much of a favourite in the North, though well able to compete 

 with the Highland j.ony as regards standing a rigorous climate. 

 Lightfoot, in 1792, says it was very rare in Scotland even, none 

 being in the North. The utility of the ass in the North has thus 

 never been properly recognised, and this shaggy-co.ited, sad-eyed, 

 long-eared j)hilosopher, with the chronic aspect of one who has 

 seen better days and become chastened by misfortune, is the very 



