LING— LOBSTER 371 



The name of this fish is said to be derived from the Northern 

 words laenga, loenge, long. 



The ling, as is generally known, is in season during winter and 

 spring, and a fish caught before 12th August is called a "winter 

 fish." The liver is not good eating. Small fish caught under stones 

 on the seashore are called "donnag" in Gaehc, "rock-ling," in 

 English, and are supposed to be embryo ling. 



The duckweed is called "abhran donog" in Irish, meaning 

 the ling's eyelash. 



LOACH. — Breac-beachdaidh, beadaidh, or beididh. 



Beardie, bessy-lorch ; Fag ; Gobbly, ground-bait or gudgeon, 

 groundling ; Jowrie ; Lie-loach, lie-still, her, liggy, liggy-hoddam, 

 lob-loach, loche, loich, loitch, loytch, lyar ; stone-loach ; Tommy- 

 loach or lurker. 



From locha, loche. 



LOBSTER. — Balloisgteach ; Cliamach, cliomach ; Gabhar, 

 gabhar-mor, gimmagh (Ir.), giomach, gliomach. 



Crevice, crevish, crevisse ; Fisobrowe; liapster, legast, legster, 

 long-oyster (small), loppestre, lopstere, lopust; Nancy (small), 

 ninny or nintycock (young). 



Lobster is just locuster or long-oister ; it is called " gabhar " 

 from its long feelers or horns. 



Despite its hard crusty shell the lobster is very sensitive to 

 heat or cold, from keen frost to a cold wind, or even a shower of 

 cold rain is injurious. The shooting course of a lobster in the sea 

 is proverbial for speed when retiring backwards in alarm into its 

 hole, crevice, "aice, faice or faichd." In Reliquiae Celticce, a fearful 

 spectre called the muileartach, therein described, is said to have 

 been swifter than any lobster ever spawned, " 'S bu luaithe e na 

 giomach maothair," and swifter w^as it than a limber lobster. 



As has been testified to by many, the lobster in common with 

 other Crustacea are most indigestible, especially if indulged in at 

 a late supper. A rather comical account in Gaelic appeared in the 

 Oban Times in 1902, of a certain Highlander's imaginary experiences 

 of nightmare — trom-lighe — after such a feast. The following verses 

 are an attempt to embody the prose account : — 



TROM-LIGHE.* 



Thar gach iasg 's a' chuan, Sheallainn ort 's an traigh 



Thug mi speis do'n ghiomach, No air bord na ceannaich', 



'Nis bho'n dh'ith mi m' shath Agus sin le baigh— 



'Chaoidh cha bhi mi gionach. Ho, mo run an giomach ! 



Seisd.— Hu o tha mi tinn, Ach 'nuair fhuair mi 'n de 



Tha mi 'caoidh mo stamaig. Coir ort fhein bho charaid, 



Bho'n a dh'ith mi'n raoir, Leum mo chridhe 'n am chom, 



Moran de dheagh ghiomach. An iochdar mo stamaig. 



* The verses have reference to an article entitled "Trom-Lighe" which 

 appeared in a recent issue of the Oban Times, 



