294 HEN— HERON 



Mar gu 'ra biodh cearc air toir nid. 



Like a hen in search of a nest — restless. 

 Modh na circe, gabhail ealla rithe. 



Hen politeness, letting her alone. 

 Na abair '*diug" (neo "big") ris an ian gus an tig e 'mach 

 as an t-ubh. 



Don't say " chuck " to the chick till it be out of the egg. 

 Hurry not. 

 Na doirt e ; cha tog na cearcan e. 



Don't spill it ; the hens won't (can't) pick it uj). Drinl 



This was said by some Lochalsh or Kintail men aboul 



or to men of Sleat, Skye, who are dubbed "hens." Thi 



saying provoked a fjital fight. 



Nadur circe, gabhaidh i a rathad fhein. 



A hen's nature, she'll take her own way. 

 Ni cearc an aon coin uiread sgriobaidh ri cearc an dusan. 

 The hen of one chicken will scrape as much as the hen 

 a dozen. 

 Oran na circe beadaidh. 



The song (?) of the pert hen — irritating. 

 Ruaig coilich air dunan. 



Putting to flight a cock on a dunghill. 

 Thoir do " Gu-robh-math " do 'n choileach. 



Give your thanks to the cock. The early riser. 

 Tuarasdal na circe, Ian a sgrobain. 



The hen's wage, the full of her crop. For which she works. 

 Tus mi-rath, an coileach a bhi na thamh 'us a chearc a bhi 

 a* gairm neo dha ghairm. 



The beginning of misfortune, the cock doing nothing and 

 the hen crowing. 

 Ubh aig eireig. 



A pullet (young hen) with an egg. An important event, in 

 its estimation. 

 Ubh na circe 'dol a shireadh ubh a gheoidh. 



The hen's egg going to seek the egg of the goose. Pre- 

 sumption — giving little for much. 

 Ubh na circe duinne *dol do 'n tigh mhoir gun ubh a gheoidh 

 a thoirt as. 



The brown hen's egg going to the big house without 

 bringing back the goose's egg. Failing to get a great 

 gift for a small. 

 Uibhean chearc aon de thri rudan 's daoire th' ann. 

 Hen eggs one of the three dearest of things. 



HERON (see also Crane). — Bonnan, bonnan-liona, bunnan, 

 bunnan-buidhe ; Cas-crefoy (Ir.), corr, corra, corra-ghlas, corra- 

 chrithich gribheach griobhach riabhach riathach sgreachag and 

 sgriach, corr-iasg (Ir.), curr, curra. 



