DUNLIN— EAGLE 269 



Black-breasted sandpiper, bundie (Orkney) ; Churr-cock ; 

 Dorbie; Ebb-sleeper; Jack-snipe; Mud-bird; Ox-bird, ox-eye; 

 Pickerel, pigmy curlew, pigmy sandpiper, plover's page, purre ; 

 Red-backed sandpiper ; Sand-mouse, sea-lark, sea-mouse, sea-peck, 

 sea-snipe, shore jitarmigan, sleeper, stint, summer snipe. 



This, the smallest of sandpipers, changes suddenly from 

 silvery grey to black. The Gaelic name, signifying "Mud one," 

 is expressive. 



EAGLE. — Aar, acuil, aguil (Ir.), antar (an t-ar) (Old Etrusc.) ; 

 Ferain, fiolair, fior-eun, fireun ; lolair, iolair riabhach or riomhach, 

 iolrach (Jr.), etc. (see Gaelic-English part) ; Sorn, suil-na-greine. 



Alcyone, arn (A. S.) ; Black e. ; Cinereous e., clicksie ; Eagless 

 (fem. — Howell), earn, eirne, ern, erne, egyll (Ritson) ; Fish, fisher, 

 or fishing e. ; Golden e., grey e. ; Osprey, owl e. ; Ringtail e. ; 

 Sea e. ; White-tailed e. ; Yearn. 



One name is "Brownbird," from aquihis, brown; Gier-eagle 

 is vulture-eagle; Neggle and negylle (A. S.) ; earn is from aar, 

 ara, from its habit and power of soaring, ar meaning to rise or 

 tower; the word "ornithology" is also derived therefrom. lolair 

 is from iul and adhar, air guide. 



There is a Celtic-Irish tradition current, to the effect that 

 Adam and Eve exist still as eagles, and their very dwelling is 

 located, viz., Bo-fin, Killery Bay, Galway. Among the Chinese 

 a likeness of the eagle stood for what is now our letter A, and 

 which came from Egypt. The eagle is a royal bird, and endless 

 references are made to it from and including the Holy Scriptures, 

 Dan an Deirg, Tiomna Ghuill, and downwards. Ite firein locha 

 Treig — a feather of the true bird of Loch Treig — was held in great 

 renown for arrows by the ancient Scottish Celts. The kings of 

 Caledonia and Ireland were in the habit of wearing a plume of 

 eagles' feathers, by way of distinctive ornament, in their helmets 

 or head-gear. It was by this distinguishing mark that Ossian 

 recognised Cathmor — (see Temora, Duan II.). This is the origin 

 of the three feathers a modern chief is entitled to wear ; two 

 being for a cadet of the clan, and one for any gentle, or duin' 

 uasal, thereof. The eagle, as is generally known, is termed the 

 king of the birds, hence their feathers were the only ones suited 

 to a king or Highland chief. The eagle is termed Righ na h- 

 ealtain, or king of the bird universe. An eagle is called " lolair 

 dhubh," black eagle, after it is ten years of age. A full-grown 

 eagle, it is computed, can fly one thousand miles in a day. The 

 time of its maturity, or being "full grown," is a matter of 

 controversy, as the life of one is variously estimated at from five 

 hundred to eight hundred years, its only senior in creation'? 



