98 COW 



Spt'ir (lliire.'icli 's i molach «^arhh ; 

 Bliiodh e scarbli imir hiodhmaid reidh. 



Broad she must be on the back 



Short likewise from eyes to mouth 



Long her hair both black and close 



And scarce a span beneath the knee 



Her rib both deep and shapely bent 



Of tidy form on market day 



A gentle swelling to the top 



And spirited must her nature be 



A long horn either red or blue 



Her ear large and tail also 



A straight down hough both rougli and strong ; 



It would bitter l)e if we did not agree. 



One or two estimates of cows — or of books — may ])e adduced 

 in the case of the Book of Ballimote, which we are told was sold 

 by the M'Donaghs to Hugh dubh O'Donnel, prince of Tir Conell, 

 in 1522 for one hundred and forty milch cows, while sixty milch 

 cows was the price paid for transcribing one copy of the Lilium 

 Medicince, 1303 (see Library of Scot. Antiquaries). Another we 

 find from O'Reilly's Supplement to his Irish Dictionary, where it 

 is said that seven seds (milch cows), is the Dire (fine for insult), of 

 an Aire-desa. Here seven seds are equal to four (ordinary) cows, 

 or one great cow and six heifers ; six heifers being equal to 

 three cows. 



To return to the superstitions in connection with cows, fairy 

 cows, crodh shith, were said to exist, and notably to have been found 

 on the shores of Loscantire, Uisibost, Harris, which were believed 

 to live under the sea on meillich, which is supposed to be a soft 

 blubber kind of seaweed. A fairy cow is of a dun colour (odhar), 

 and hummel or hornless. In Skye, however, they are said to be 

 speckled or red, crodh hreac ruadh, and, what is not unlikely, able 

 to cross the sea. These fairy cows are select in their eating, as 

 there are only about ten spots or places in Skye where they will 

 graze ; Achaidh na h-Armaid, Portree is one, and Scorribreac 

 another. Bernera in Uist is also said to be favoured, lliough 

 the fairy cow has been said to be of the colours above stated, 

 they are elsewhere reported to be of various colours, viz., black, 

 brindled, brown, red, white-faced, etc., etc., which, in fact, seems 

 to mean all cows' colours, and according to this rhyme — 



Sisgein, brisgein, meangan, meodhran, 

 Bo-dhubh, bo-dhonn, bo-chrom riabhach, 

 Sliochd na h-aona bha maoile ruaidhe, 

 Nach d'fhag buaile riamh na h-aonar, 

 Bo chionnan fhionn, e bhlarag ! 



