268 DUCK— DUNLIN 



can'le - liclit, col-can'le-wick, coldie, colk, common scoter, covie 

 (scHup), cudberdiice or cuthbert-duok (Northumb.), curr, currie 

 (jrolden-eyed) ; Daak, darcell (lon^-tailed), dawk, deauk, deawk, 

 dewk, diddle, dig, dig-brid, diggey (young — Lane), dock, dokeling, 

 dook, dooke, double scoter, douck, douk, dowk, drake, dug, duik, 

 duk, duke ; Eider (Scand.), enede (A. S.) ; Ferruginous duck or 

 scaup duck ; Golden-eye, golden-eyed garrot, gowdy, great-billed 

 scoter ; Harlan (pintail), harlecjuin, harlequin garrot ; Long-tailed 

 duck, long-tailed liareld ; Mallard, merganser; Nortluin haerald 

 or herald, myroca duck or pochard ; Pied wigeon, pintail, pochard ; 

 Quinck, quink ; Red duck ; Scaup, scaup duck, scoter, sheldrake, 

 shoveller, spoonbill, Steller's duck, surf-duck or scoter ; Teal, tufted 

 duck, tufted scaup ; Velvet duck, velvet scoter ; Western duck, 

 wheetlie, whistler, white-eyed duck, white-faced duck, whiteside 

 (tufted), white-winged black duck, wigeon. 



The giurnan or bernicle duck (or goose) is well known to have 

 been once thought hatched from a shell which adhered closely to 

 logs, etc. The power of adhesion is so great as to give rise to a 

 saying that they grow on the heels of lazy slatterns or slovens. 

 The saying indeed has been used by a Gaelic Skye bard, who sung, 

 " 'S gun do dh'fhas na giurnainean air cul do chois. Ho raill o," etc. 

 An epithet for wild duck is "linneach," probably from being a loch 

 or linn frequenter. 



Ducks are considered blessed, from having once concealed Jesus 

 under straw when He was being pursued by His enemies, and was 

 taking refuge. 



The wild duck is common all over the Highlands of Scotland, 

 and is frequently referred to in Celtic prose and poetry. In " Miann 

 a bhaird aosda" occurs, "Bidh tuinn og a'snamh le sunnd" — 

 Young ducks swim joyously. The scaup duck is said to be plentiful 

 in or on Loch Dochart. A dance, once in vogue, was called 

 "Turraban nan tunnag," or the waddling of the ducks, which must 

 have been rather an ungainly dance. It is lucky to see a wild duck 

 (lach), and that especially for sailors, the first day of the new year — 

 or, indeed, as the first bird of a morning — in the case of sailors 

 about to proceed on a voyage ; such ensures safety from drowning. 



According to Cameron, duck-weed in Gaelic is " gran-lachan," 

 the duck's rose or flower ; and " aran-tunnag," ducks' bread, food, 

 or meat; " Lachaceann-ruadh " is said to mean the herb celandine. 



Cha chudthrom air loch an lach. 



The wild duck burdens not the loch. 

 Cho buidhe ri cois tunnaig. 



As yellow as a duck's foot. Applied to the complexion ! 

 Is e miann na lach an loch air nach bi i. 



The duck's desire is the water (loch) where she's not. 

 DUNLIN. — Gille-feadag, grailleag, graillig ; Pollairean, 

 pollaran; Scraillig; Tarmachan-traghaid. 



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