336 STARLING— STONECHAT 



This bird will be found frequently referred to in Gaelic poetry, 

 «and 'nuair 'bha Gaeli^ aig na h-coin, held forth in s|)eech with 

 the best of them. In the folk-lore of Shakespeare Pliny records 

 that this bird was taught to speak Latin in the time of Caesar. 

 In some parts of the Hebrides it is thought by natives tliat poison 

 lurks specially in the blood of the neck, and if they kill one, at 

 once twist off the neck. The flesh is not very edible. Where 

 trees are scarce the starling is content to build its nest and 

 haunt in deserted buildings, whence it levies toll from the 

 neighbouring sheep, on the backs of which they may be seen 

 pecking insects, etc., and this the sheep seem not only to endure 

 but to like. Starlings are said to be unusually ])lentiful in the 

 island of Lewis. Cameron says that the crowberry is also called 

 "lus na stalog," the starlings' plant. 



STEANCHEL (see Hawk). — Criochran (Dean of Lismore); 

 Deargan. 



STILT (see also Plover). — Corrachan; Fadchasach; Lurganach. 

 Long-legged plover, longlegs, longshank, stilt-shank. 

 Very rare and almost extinct in the Highlands. 



STONECHAT or CHATTERER — Caislin-clach or cloch, 

 clacharan, clachlain, claibhrean, clochlainn, clochlan, cloichearan, 

 cloichrean, criochran ; Fraoichean (heather) ; Gobair. 



Blacky-cap or top ; Chackart, chackie, chapper, checker-stane, 

 click-stone, cloacharch, clocharet, clochret, cloughret ; Fallow- 

 smich, furze-chitter or hacker ; Jack-straw ; Little mason ; Moor 

 titling ; Quay ; Schaker-stane, stane-chack, stone-chappie chat 

 checker clink clocharet pecker or smith ; Wheatear, whinchat, 

 white-bellied stonechat, white rump or tail. 



It is thought in the North that a toad or frog attends to the 

 eggs of this bird when it leaves its nest for food, and that it is not 

 "lucky," in fact untoward or rosadach. 



Chunnaic mi clacharan air creag lom, 



'S dh' aithnich mi nach d' rachadh am bliadhna leam. 



I saw a stonechat on a bare rock. 



And knew that the year would not go well with me. 



A frequent occurrence — in fact, this bird is more often seen on 

 a bare rock or stone than otherwise. 



Cloichearan spagach, ogha na rauile-mag. 



The waddling stonechat, the frog's grandchild. Darwinian- 

 ism rampant, or has the toad watcher above referred to 

 anything to do with this saying ? 

 Tri la sgathaidh an clachairean — no an claibhrein. 



Three days of punishment of the stone-chatterer (April 

 borrowing days — O.S.). 



