BIRD— BLACKBIRD 245 



Tha da ian bheag 's a choill' ud thall 's their an dara fear ris 

 an fhear eile, " 'S toigh leam thu, 's toigh leam thu " ; 's their am 

 fear eile, "Dearbh sin, dearbh sin." 



There are two little birds in yonder wood, and the one says 

 to the other, " I like you, I like you " ; and the other 

 says, " Prove it, prove it." This is bird-sound imitation, 

 with moral annexed ! 

 Thoir ian a nead glan. 



Take a bird out of a clean nest. This is important, and 

 refers to the selection of a helpmate. 

 Tri la lomaidh na h-eoin. 



Three days' stripping or destruction of the birds. (Borrowing 

 days.) 



BITTERN. — Bonnamain, bonnan, buatham, bubaire, buinnean- 

 leana, buirein, buiriche (the lowing one), bun, bunna, bunnan ; 

 Corra-ghrain or ghrian, corra-bhub, corra-na-h-easgunn ; Graineag ; 

 Punan ; Siteirnin, stearnal, steirneal ; Trodhan, troghan. 



Benter, beuter, bewter, bitore, bitter-bum, bittle-bump, bittor, 

 bittore, bittour, bittour-bump, bleater, blitter, blutter, bog-bumper 

 or jumper, bog-drum, bog-tyer, bogtour, bottle, bottle-bump, 

 bull-o'-the-bog, bumble, bumpy-cors, buter, butour, buttal, butter, 

 butter-bump, buttle, butture (A. S.) ; Gar-whonngler, glutton ; 

 Heron-bluter, etc., hether-blutter ; Jipe; Mire-bumber or bumper, 

 mire-snipe or drum, moss-bummer ; Pur ; Rare-dumle ; Sky-goat ; 

 Wairbens. 



" Bittor " seems to be the root. The cry of this bird is 

 described as "booming." 



BLACKBIRD.— Druid-dhubh, druid-mhonaidh, dubhan, duibh- 

 eun ; Eun-dubh ; Lon, lonag, lonan, londubh ; Merg, mere ; 

 Rear, rearg, reargag, reargagan, reasg. 



Amsel ; Blackdrish, blackie, blackmack, black thrush, black 

 uzzle (Yorksh.), buntling ; Chacket ; Drostal ; Garden ousel or 

 ouzel ; Melle (A. N.), mearle, merk, merle, moelbh (Old Brit.) ; 

 Nosylle ; Ousel, ouselcock, ouzel, owsell ; Woofell. 



In a volume entitled Transactions of the Gaelic Society of 

 Dublin, 1808, twelve verses of a song called "The Blackbird of 

 the Grove of Carna," from "Oisin," translated by W. Leahy, are 

 given. The first and last, as so translated, are as follow : — 



*• Hail, tuneful bird of sable wing. 

 Thou warbler sweet of Carna's grove, 

 Not lays more charming will I hear 

 Tho' round the expansive earth I rove. 



"When lived brave Finn and all his chiefs, 

 The heath did more the heroes please. 

 Than church or bell they'd dearer deem 

 The sable bird's melodious lays." 



