398 BEE— BEETLE 



A Gaelic riddle runs — 



Bean bheag a tighinn do'n bhaile so A little wife to this house comes 



'S gur matli a ni i dranndan. And well she makes a hum-hum. 



Currachd de'n chochallainn orra A cap of the cochullain on 



'S cota buidhe plangaid. And coat like yellow blanket. 



A proverbial saying in Gaelic, with a hidden meaning, is ''Bheir 

 seillean math e sin," a bee will take good out of that. 

 Another riddle is — 



Bodachan beag an taigh m'athair A wee carl in my father's house 



'S bitheas e trie a' dranndan. That's frequently heard a-humming, 



Currachd air 's e dol a laidhe He goes to bed with cap on head, 



'S cota fada Frangach. And long French coat depending. 



When catching bees for the sake of the honey (a cruel practice), 

 children hum this saying, " Ol an fhuil, fag a nihil," drink the 

 blood, leave the honey, in the belief, apparently, that this serves 

 as an efficient incantation. 



BEETLE. — Beisteag (dung), biathainne, biathairne (earth), 

 bunnan (black) ; CapuU-lin (lint), carnabhan, cearduman (dung), 

 cearran-cre (clay or earth), ceard-dubhan (sacred), ceard-fhiollan, 

 cearnabhan, cearnallan, cearnan, cearradan, cearrallan, cearraman, 

 cearr-dubhan cearr-daolan or daolag (dung), cearr-fliiollan, ciarag, 

 cuileag-dubh, cuil'-theallaich ; Daol, daolag, daolag-bhreac, daol- 

 caoch (stag-beetle) or bhreachd-dhearg (lady-bird), dar-daol (veno- 

 mous), dealb, deilb (water), dubh-chuil' or dhaol (black) ; Fairche, 

 farachan (death-watch) ; Gearr-daolag, daolan or dubhan, giurnan 

 (horned) ; Lon-craois (water) ; Proimbeallan ; Simid ; Tabh or 

 tamh-ard (flying), etc. 



Baby-bot, barnaby, barney, barney-bee, benebee, benetree, 

 beogle, Bessy-clocker (black), bisby, Bishop-barnabee or barnaby 

 (Suffolk), bittle, black-bat bob clock Bess or worm (Salop, etc.), 

 bob, brow, bryanstone-buck (stag), burn-cow, burne-bee, bushey, 

 bushy, bushy-bandy-bee, bytylle (A. S.) ; Chafer, chovee, chovy 

 (small), clay, cloc-a-leddy, clock, docker (black), clock-bee lady or 

 leddie, clocke-lady, clok-leddy, coach, coachy, cock-clock or roach, 

 crawly-whopper, cushie or cushy-cow, cushi-coo-lady ; Dandy-cow 

 (ladybird), devil's-cow, door or dor-clock (dung), doy, dronny 

 (dor — Skelton), dumbledore (Devon) ; Fern-wed (apple — East), 

 fleein' golach ; Gabloo, God Almighty's cow (ladybird), golach, 

 golden bug or knop, goolabee ; Hamdy-cloek, hang-kleek, horny- 

 bug, humming-clock (flying) ; Jew ; King, king-coll-awa (large lady- 

 bird) ; Lady, ladybird coo or cow, lousy-clocker ; May-beetle, 

 mum, mynte ; Scaern-wibba (A. S.), scar or scarnbude, scarab 

 (Lat.), scarbot, scarnbee (dung — Westmor.), scearn-fifel (A. S.), 

 sharnbude (Kent), sittie-fittie ; Turdeevil (dung) ; Wattir-cow 

 (water), wode, etc. 



The "biting" insect is said to be the etymology of this name. 



