66 HAT— BEAU 



The etymology of bakke is " a flying beast, a winged mammal, 

 a leather flapper " ; the name rear or reremouse is from the Anglo- 

 Saxon "hreran," to agitate; the term "chipper" from its cry of 

 "chip cliip." (See Leviticus xi. 9.) From the frequency with 

 which the word "bird" was connected with the bat, as in the 

 case of " Athern-bird," one of its oldest names, it is evident that 

 the bat was included among the bird family till science assigned 

 it its present place among mammalia ; it is the worst walker of 

 any four-legged animal. It is thought as unlucky to kill a bat 

 as to kill a magpie. It was believed that " bit-bats " were 

 generated from eggs sat upon by toads, while hatching. A bat 

 can absorb and digest in one night, it is said, three times the 

 weight of its own body. 



A saying is " He is bitten by a barnmouse," i.e., he is tipsy. 

 This it is thought might more appropriately read " barmouse." 

 Thainig ialtag a steach, bidh frasan a mach air ball. 



A bat has come in, showers will be out directly, or, it 

 is going to rain. 



BEAGLE (see Dog). 



BEAR. — Arc, art, arth ; Beithir, brach ; Ma, magh or math- 

 ghamhuinn, mangan, mathan, mathon, muc-abhuinn ; Rustag ; 

 IJrs, ursa, ursan (male), ursag (female), uraisg, uruisg. 



The word " math-ghamhuinn " is composed of " math " or 

 "mag," a hand, and "gamhuinn," a calf or stirk, literally the 

 paw-calf or calf with hands, or paws. 



The Mahons, McMahons, and Mathesons (Latin Fitz Ursula), 

 all derive their name from the bear. Mahoun was the name of 

 a certain famous Irish giant. 



The brown bear, which neolithic man hunted, was known 

 in Scotland till about the end of the eleventh century, whence, 

 according to Lightfoot, the Caledonian bear, as it was styled, 

 was exported to Rome "on account of its superior fierceness." 

 Strange to say no reference to the bear is to be found in Ossian's 

 (or the Ossianic) Poems. The names Artur, Arthur mean bear 

 man, or bear male, from Art, Arth. Ceann-mathon was one of 

 the seven signs or names of stars engraved on the shield of the 

 chief of Artha. Ossian — Temora. It is stated that Malcolm III. 

 permitted a " Gordon " to carry three bear heads in his banner 

 for alleged prowess in destroying one that made great ravages in 

 the country. One other clan at least had this previous to the 

 Gordons. 



Chuireadh e orrais air math-ghamhuinn. 

 It would sicken a bear. Real bad. 



"A bear in vigour" was an expression used by the Celts of 

 old to convey the idea of a vigorous hero — Art an neart. The 



