HERON 295 



Black-bellied egret, boomer ; Craigie, crane, crawn, crue ; 

 Egret ; Frank (Suffolk) ; Gray night-heron ; Haigrie, hahnser, 

 hahnsey, hancer, handsaw, hansa, hanser, hansey, harn, harnsa, 

 harnsee, harnser, harnsey, hayron (A. S.), hearnshaw or shrew, 

 heerringseugh, heerinsew, heggrie, hegrie, hegrils-skip, herald, 

 herle, hern-cran or crane, heme, hernshaw-sho-shrew or sue, 

 herny, heronseugh-sew-sue or sueff, heronshaw-sheugh-shew- 

 shrew or shuf, hernseugh-sew-sey or shaw, herrensue, herring- 

 sew-shaw-sho or sue, herrinsue, heyrune (A. S.), hornsey, hurie, 

 huron ; Ibis ; Jack-hern, jammy, jammy-crane, Jemmy long- 

 legs or neck, Jennycrow or heron, Joan, John-na-ma-crank or 

 croak ; Krean, kren, kron ; Lang-craiget heron, longie crane, 

 long-necked heron (Warw.) ; Molhern, moUern, mollerne, moll- 

 hern, mollyern, molly-hern, mollyheron (female) ; Night-heron 

 or raven ; Siege (covey) ; Tammie-herl ; Willick (young) ; Yron. 



The above are only a few of numerous names found in old 

 works on hawking and articles thereon, etc. The word is said 

 literally to mean a screamer or laugher, from old root " Kar," to 

 scream, to laugh ; the Gaelic " corr-gribheach," etc., is said to be 

 derived from its having feathers on the legs. 



This is a well known and much discussed bird, very lonely 

 and patient ; its patience indeed is proverbial, it waits for the 

 fish to come to it as a rule. In Ireland the fat of a heron slain 

 at full moon is said to be a good cure for ••heumatism ; in the 

 North it is supposed to wax and wane with the moon. Eels are 

 its choicest diet, to which it is devoted, and spares no trouble in 

 endeavouring to keep down, swallowing the same one industriously 

 several times. 



A prophecy runs " When the heron leaves the tree, the laird 

 of Gight shall landless be." Whether this is, or was, true cannot 

 be vouched for, but in 1785 it is said certain falcons, to which 

 bird the prophecy was said to apply also, actually left the district — 

 or were destroyed. 



Athais an darna curra air a chorr eile. 



The reproach of the one heron against the other. Both 

 the same. 

 Cha shuaicheantas corr air cladach. 



A heron on the shore is not peculiar — lit. not an ensign or 

 escutcheon. This is worth the attention of the Lyon 

 Office. 

 Is sealgair mhath a mharbhas corr. 



He is a good sportsman who kills a heron. One of three 

 particularly wary birds. 

 Mhealladh e 'n t-ubh bho'n chorra-ghlais, ge d' bhiodh a da 

 shuil a' coimhead air. 



He w^ould cheat the heron of her ^gg, though her two eyes 

 were fixed on him. A keen, grasping, and greedy man. 



