376 OCTOPUS— PKHIWINKI.K 



Devil-fish. 



Off the coast of Ireland it is recorded that this monster " some- 

 times seized a ciirach," i.e., hide boat or boat made from hides 

 stretched on a frame-work. Small specimens of this monster are 

 met with frequently on the coasts of the Western Highlands and 

 Islands, and are vulgarly believed to be the " muirsgian," razor or 

 spout-fish, grown large. 



OYSTER. — Eisir, eisire, eisirein (pi.) ; Oisir, oisire, oistein ; 

 Slige-neamhuin (pearl) ; Uisir, uisire. 



Ester ; Hoster (Line.) ; Nostyre (A. S.). 



Akin to o.t, a bone. 



At Lochmaddy, the oysters were said to be at one time so 

 large as to require to be cut into four pieces before being eaten, 

 which may explain the armorial bearings of the borough of Sligo, 

 being an oyster holding a hare fast by the foot ; as also the finding 

 of a rat caught fast by one and drowned. 



PARR. — Bricein ; Gille-ruadh, gobhachan, gobhlachan. 

 Brandling, branlie, branlin, brannock ; Fingerling ; Gamlet. 



PEARL-FISH.— Slige-neamhnuinn. 

 Mother-o'-pearl. 



PERCH (also Bass). — Creagag, creagag-uisge, creigeag ; 

 Forrach ; Muc, muclocha or lochaidh ; Orair; Sgorrach. 



Bace, barse (Westmor.), bascinat, base, bass, bassinat, bassinate ; 

 Cockwing ; Egling (two years) ; Franling, frasling (one year) ; 

 Gapemouth, grunt ; Hackley, hurling (young); Jew-fish; King of 

 the mullet ; La vive viver or weever ; Old wife ; Rock-fish ; Sea- 

 dace perch or wolf, stickling (third year), sting-bull, stone-basse ; 

 Weever, white mullet, wreck-fish. 



From Latin, pcrca, from its black colour. 



This fish, in an old treatise, is called bass, and described as 

 "like unto a man's shape." The bascinat has — like the species 

 generally — a black skin capable of being pulled over the head of 

 the fish, whence the Gaelic name "lasg-na-curraichd," the cap- 

 fish. 



PERIWINKLE. — Cnocag, cnogag, cnomhag, cnomhagag, cnom- 

 hagan, cogarn, crogan ; Daoch, daochag ; Faoch, faochag, faochan, 

 faoch-mor ; Gairidean, gairidin, gilleacha or gioUacha-fionn, gille- 

 fionn, gille, gilleach or giullach-fionn, fiunbrinn or bruin or truim, 

 gille-fiunnd, gioradan, giorradan, gnamhan ; Paiteag ; Turcarmara. 

 Fughage (Manx) ; Krogen (Welsh) ; Krogan (Corn.). 



