STIRK- STOAT 223 



Bha rud-eigih de dh' uisge far na bhathadh an gamhainn, neo 

 Bidh beagan uisge far am bathar. 



There was some water where the stirk was drowned, or 

 There will be a little water, etc. 

 Bheireadh e gair' air gamhainn. 



He would make a stirk laugh. This animal being as a rule 

 somewhat dense and imperturbable, the joker must have 

 been good. 

 Ceann mor us muineal caol aogas an drocli ghamhna. 

 Big head and slender neck mark the bad stirk. 

 Al.— casan caol — thin legs. 

 Comunn an da ghamhna. 



The friendship of the two stirks. 

 Latha (no oidhche) Fheill-Eoin their iad (no theirear) aighean 

 ris na gamhna. 



On St John's day or eve they call the stirks heifers. Feill- 



Eoin is on 24th June. It is ordinarily called Feill- 



Eathain, a more phonetic spelling of Eoin, or Iain, or Ian. 



Mar a bha 'n gamhainn 's an dorus, a' feitheamh 's ag eisdeachd. 



Like the stirk at the door, waiting and listening. 



STOAT (see also Weasel). — Carlum ; Eas, easag, easaic, easan, 

 easog ; Nas, neas, ness, nios (for an eas, etc.). 



Carre, clubster, clubtail ; Ermine ; Fite (or white), futteret (or 

 whitteret) ; Lobster ; Puttice (Kent) ; Whitterick, whutherit. 



The etymology is thought to be derived from " stot," a generic 

 name for any male animal. 



When the stoat becomes white it is called " ermine," q.v. The 

 natatory powers of the stoat are described as follows : — 



Long Swifn by a Stoat Weasel. — A Drumnadrochit correspondent 

 writes to the Scotsman : — As the head gamekeeper was being rowed 

 across Lochness on 8th Aug. 1902, he observed at some distance 

 an object in the water with a pronounced "wake " behind it. On 

 steering the boat in pursuit, and after a stiff pull, he found to his 

 surprise that the swimming object was a stoat weasel going strong 

 and straight for the nearest shore. The loch at this point is fully 

 a mile and a quarter wide, and the stoat, which was heading right 

 across from the eastern shore, was then within six hundred yards 

 of the western. It was going at a good pace, and evidently quite 

 fit to accomplish its object of crossing the loch ; for, when alarmed 

 by the pursuit, it made a gallant attempt to escape by plunging 

 vigorously ahead and zig-zagging wildly right and left. In vain, 

 however, for a sweep of the landing net scooped it into the boat. 

 The stoat has many long swims to his credit ; but this one, if it 

 does not break the record, yet deserves this little notice. One 

 regrets that the adventurous little beast fell literally into the 

 net of its mortal enemy. 



