SNIPE 333 



everjar ; Gabbleratch, gaber-ratchet, gabriel-rache or ratchet, 

 gaverhale (Jack, Devon), gid, gillsnipe, gnat-hawk, goat-daffer or 

 sucker, gobble-ratch, gowk, great snipe ; Haeferblaete (A. S.), 

 half-snipe, harpleat, heatherbleat or bleater, hedder-bluter, hedge- 

 spar, heron-bluter, hoarsgouk, horse-cock, gawk, gouk or gowk, 

 horsguik ; Jack snipe, jed, jid or jud-cock, jill snipe, juggy (Jack) ; 

 Lile-jack}^, long-neb, neck or nex, long-necked damy heron or 

 nanny; Moth-hawk, myre-snipe ; Naoske, night-crow, hawk or 

 jar, nyuckfit ; Plover-page (Jack) ; Ratcher, ratchet, retchet, 

 ringed plover (?), rude-coce (A. S.) ; Scanderling, scaping, screech- 

 hawk, snabe, snebbe, snite, snuta (Old Dutch — Teut.), snippack, 

 solitary snipe, summer snipe; Walk (a flock of), wheelbird, wind 

 (Eng.), whole snipe, woodcock snipe, wren ; Yern-bliter or bluter, 

 youkfit, yuckfit. 



Carmichael states that there are thirteen names for the snipe 

 in Gaelic. The number is proverbial. One of the English names, 

 strange to say got in Devon, is derived from the Gaelic word 

 "gabhar" and '^hal," said to mean a moor or salt marsh. The 

 word "snipe " is derived from the long beak of the bird, or snout ; 

 " dotterel " means " doited one," or, as named in Gaelic, the peat- 

 hag fool ; its folly permits of its being easily slain and affords little 

 sport. The nightjar was supposed to be the cause of a distemper 

 in weaning calves, possibly being frightened. In Mull the 

 term "gudabochd" occurs in a song, entitled " Oran seilg a 

 dhudabuichd," composed, it is said, by " some one " in the Ross 

 of Mull. One verse is : — 



" An gudabochd a bha 's a chlais 

 Gu 'n d' fhuair e fras a bhrist a chas. 



(Repeat). 

 Gu 'n d'fhuair e fras de 'n luaidhe, 

 Chuir iad air a Mhullan i 

 A' losgadh air a dhudabochd, 

 'S e Tearlach 'chuir an cuifean innt' 

 'S e Uilliam las a chluais ris. " 



Not worth translating. 



It is thought a lucky omen for a snipe to rise before cattle 

 when being driven to a sheiling. The saying, " Is ann romhad 

 a dh' eirich an naosg," it's before you the snipe rose, refers to 

 people, and is also generally supposed to be a good omen, though 

 some have thought it the reverse, and to be little else than a 

 "Will-o'-the-wisp," from its swift and erratic flight, and the 

 difficulty in " spotting " it. Two other proverbial sayings are : — 



Cho fad's a bhios naosg air moin, cleit' na toin, na gob orra. 



So long as there is a snipe on a bog, a feather in her tail, or 

 a beak on her. That means " always." 

 Tha uiread do dh' ainmeanan air ris an naoisg. 



He has as many names as the snipe. 



