WEASEL— WHALE 225 



Wesaels are always with us, and are well known in most 

 places, in the Highlands especially ; in Glengarry for instance, 

 301 stoats and weasels were destroyed in the period between 

 Whitsundays 1837-1840. In the old statistical account of Scotland 

 it is stated that, at date of writing, no weasels existed in Tiry 

 (Tiree) ; the same applies, it is believed, to Ireland, they having 

 the stoat there only. The weasel is spiteful and malignant, and 

 a person should be cautious in killing one in case of its being a 

 witch, which they sometimes are said to be ; it is said also to be 

 very unlucky to meet one the first thing in the morning. 



A purse made of weasel's skin is said to be peculiarly lucky — 

 in fact a money-getter and a money-keeper — at least according to 

 the following : — 



Neas bheag bhuidhe nan cos Little yellow hole-frequenting weasel, 



'S e 'n t-or thug a dhreach da bian From gold is derived the colour of 



Gleidh sid mar sporan, air a cheangal thy coat of fur. 



le h-ial. Get it for a purse, to be tied with its 



'S cha bhi thu gun bhonn, geal, thong, 



buidhe no donn And thou shalt not be without a coin, 



Eadar Nollaig 's Feill-roid, eadar white, yellow, or brown, 



Feill-roid 's Feill-Brian. From Christmas till Rood-day, from 



Rood-day till the Feast of St Brian. 



These days literally mean the whole year. 



There is said to be a large kind of weasel which kills calves 

 and lambs by its mere breath. In Adamnan's Life of St Columha 

 the name Nesamus Curvus occurs, which is from Neasan or Nesan, 

 little weasel. 



WEDDER or WETHER (see also Sheep).— Maud, maut 

 (Armor.), molt, mult. 



Weder, wether, wither. 



This word is said by some to be from Teutonic base wethra or 

 wethru, a lamb, and "wether," from German widder, a ram — 

 Belgic, wider ; from Lat. mtdto, in Revue Celtique. 



The molt-nollaig was an important feature in Highland families 

 gentle and simple, being usually killed at Christmas by every 

 family, though sometimes two families went shares. "Car a 

 mhoiltean," or the " wedder's turn," means a somersault. 



Mult mnatha gun chaoraich, is saothrach a ghlacadh ; mult 

 mnatha gun chaoraich 's e 's saoire gheabhteadh ; mult mnatha 

 gun chaoraich 's e 's faoilidhe 'th 'ann. 



The wedder of a woman without sheep is difficult to catch, 

 or would be cheapest got, or is the most freely given. 



Theid mult dheth 'n fhear chadalach. 



The sleepy man will lose a wedder. A trifler. 



WHALE. — Arc; Bansgal, blagh or blath-mhial, blaoc, bleid 

 or bleidh-mhial, bleidh-mhial-mara ; Can, canach, canna, crespeis ; 

 Docoisle; Falain, falaine ; Macreil-chapuill (Ir.), men or meann- 



