302 LARK— MAGPIE 



boasts of containing the greatest numbers. This name was given 

 specially when five eggs were found in a lark's nest, four being 

 the normal complement. The word " lark " itself is a contraction 

 of " laverock," possibly " luatharag." A Scottish proverb has it 

 that, as long as the laverock sings afore Candlemas (2nd February), 

 it greets after it. February is the usual time when it begins to 

 sing. 



Cha 'n 'eil deathach an tigh na h-uiseige. 



There is no smoke in the lark's house. A pretty saying. 

 Gach eun mar oilear e, ars' an t-uiseag, agus an t-ui.seag thun a 

 mhonaidh. 



Every bird as he has been reared (as the lark said), and the 

 lark to the moor. 



LINNET. — Bigean-baintighearna (mountain), breacan-beatha 

 or beithe, bricean, bricein, buidheag, buidhean ; Diodaig ; Gealan, 

 gealan-lin, gealbhan, gealbhan or gealbhonn-lin (green), glaisean, 

 glaiseun ; Reabhag, reabhag-monaidh or fraoich, reafog, reallog. 



Birch bird, blood linnet, brown linnet ; Chaffinch, cove-o'-lintie 

 or linty ; Flax finch, furze linnet ; Gold finch, gorse bird-hatcher 

 or linnet, greater redpoll, green linnet or lintie, lintwhite finch or 

 grosbeak, grey heatherling or linnet, gunner (grey) ; Heather 

 lintie, hedder grey ; Joey ; Lemon bird, lenget, lennert, lennie, 

 lennow, lesser redpoll or linnet, linet, linet wige (A. S.), lin or 

 linnet finch, linhay, linney, linnit, linnow, linny, lintie, lintie or 

 linty white, lintwhite, little speckled bird of the birch, longtail ; 

 Mealy redpoll, mountain linnet ; Red or red-breasted linnet, rose 

 linnet, sheriff's man (seven-coloured), shilfa, shoulfall, snowfleck ; 

 Thorn grey, twite (Uist) ; Whin or whun, grey or lintie. 



Name derived from feeding on lint seed. 



When the mountain linnet is seen, perched and singing, on the 

 cliathaich or side of a house, a tree, or dyke, cold w^eather, even 

 snow, may be soon expected. 



M 



MAGPIE. — Aaid, agaid ; Breac-mhac-rahuc-mhuch ; Cadhag ; 

 Fileab-a-chleite, frangach ; Piaid, pighaid, pighe, pigheid, pigheann, 

 pioghaid (Ir.), pithean ; Snag-breac. 



Chatter-pie ; Eggiste ; Hagester, hagister, haggister ; Madge, 

 mag, magot-pie, Margaret, marget, miggy, meggatapy ; Nan-pie 

 (North), nappie, ninut ; Peg-pie, pianate, pianet, pie, pie-mag or 

 nanny, piet, piot (North), pyannat, pyardie, pye, pyenate (North), 

 pyet, pyot. 



Pie or pye supposed from word " pot," or rather from Gaelic 



