318 OWL— PARTRIDGE 



so injurious to trees and grass. Tlie owl is said to have been 

 considered from time immemorial the liarbinger of disease and 

 death. Tlie Fern owl is called "Puck" or " Puck-bird," an old 

 word or term for the devil. 



The only proverbial saying known, in addition to that given, 

 is — 



Tha mi na*s eolaiche air coille na 'bhi fo eagal na caillich'- 

 oidhche. 



I am more accustomed to a wood than to be afraid of an owl. 



OYSTER-CATCHER (or eater). — Bigean or bigein-bride, 

 brid, bridean, bridein, brid-eun ; Drilleachan, drilleachan-traghaid ; 

 Gille-bride ; Riabhan (Ir.); Trileachan, trilleachan-traighe ; 

 Uiseag-mhara. 



Chalder, chaldrick, choUdrick ; Dickie-bird; Knocket; Melder, 

 mussel-pecker or picker ; Olive, oyster plover ; Pienet, pyanet ; 

 Sceolder, schalder, scolder, sea-pie, piet, pilot or pyot, sheldrake, 

 skeldrake, St Bridget's bird or servant ; Tirma, trillichan. 



Supposed to be under the special protection of St Bridget. 

 Their cry sounds, or is said to sound, like " Bi glic, bi glic," be 

 wise, be wise. In "Failte na morthir," that district is said to be 

 "Cho Ian rioghalachd a's dillseachd ri ubh bridean samhraidh." 

 As full of royalty and relationship as a sea-pie's egg (is of meat) 

 in summer. It lays three eggs. 



Cho eolach 's tha 'm bridean 's an traigh. 



As well acquainted as the oyster-catcher is with (or in) the 

 shore. Few sea-fowl excel it in minute and painstaking 

 research there. 

 Cho luath ri brid-eun san traigh (E. M'D.). 



As swift as a sea-piet on the shore. 

 'Ill 'acha Bride breac, ca'n na dh' fhag thu 'n rac } 



Speckly Bride-boys, where have you left the drake ? This 

 is a saying by children on seeing the oyster-catchers fly 

 past. 



PARROT. — Eun-bruidhne (speaking-bird) ; Parracait, parrocait, 

 pigheid, pioraide, piorraid. 



Pape-jay, papingoe or gay, papinjay, popinjay, parroquet. 



The name thought to be derived from " Pierrot," French for 

 " Peter." 



Some apology is due for introducing this word here at all. 

 It is merely so from the Gaelicised names having been found 

 elsewhere. 



PARTRIDGE. — Cearc or coileach-tomain ; Pairteag, paitrisg. 



