INSECT— LIZARD 400 



were not able to fly^ their sting was extremely painful, and they 

 crowded upon the handles (blades?) of the oars." Columba^ to 

 whom was revealed the dire straits in which Cormac was, prays 

 for him who was "in the presence of monsters, which were never 

 before seen, and are almost indescribable." It is further recorded 

 that, in the circumstances, "Cormac and his crew shed tears 

 copiously." A providential change of wind from south to north, 

 brought about by Columba's prayers, cleared Cormac and his crew 

 from the "monsters." Though, like the learned editor of the work 

 referred to, we might leave the foregoing to speak for itself, we 

 must note that the "insects " seem not to have been insects at all, 

 but merely a considerable collection of the sea nettle or sea blubber 

 (mur-tiachd) which made Cormac and his gallant crew blubber so. 

 An insect called the "whirlgig" or "Dannsair dubh an uisge," 

 frequenting the surface of mosshag pools, has a very bad smell if 

 handled. 



IPHIS (see Fly). 



LADYBIRD (see Beetle and Fly). 



LEECH. — Criodhar; Dallag, daoil, daol, daolag, deal, deala, 

 dealag, deala-eich (horse), dealan, deala or deal-tholl, deal-mhara 

 (sea), dil, dyil (Old Ir.) ; Each-leigh (horse) ; Gaod, gealadh, gealag, 

 gealagair, gealagur, gearr-ghuin, geonaidh, gonaidh, guileag, 

 guileag-chapuU or nan each (horse); Leoman, etc. (see Moth); 

 Sumaire. 



Black doctor (horse), blood-sucker ; Falpit-in-a-peel (whelped 

 in a pool) ; Galley, gell, gellie, gill, gill-towal (horse) ; Horse- 

 gell ; Leche (A. S.), loch or lough-leech, lop-loach (medical) ; Paget, 

 pod (Cornw.). 



Literally, a healer, Gaelic leigh ; deol (deoghal), sucking ; the 

 Greek name "Bdella," from root "gel," consume. 



The Highland lochs, like many others, often swarm with 

 leeches, and have been known to injure cattle severely. The 

 juice of leeches is called "sliabh" or "sliadh," and is reputed a 

 good cure for consumptive patients, or even for a severe cough. 



LIZARD (see also Eft and Newt). — Ail-cuach, aire, aire or 

 aire-luachrach, alt or alp pluach (Ir.), arc, arcan, arcan-luachrach, 

 arc-luachair or luachrach ; Dealgan-gabhair, dearc, dearc-bhallach 

 luachair or luachrach, derc (Old Gael.), dochi-luachair ; Earc-luachra 

 or luachrach ; Laghairt. 



Ask, awsk ; Dirdy-lochrag ; Eft ; Harriman, henete, heather 

 ask ; Newt ; Stellion ; Wachle. 



" Derc," etc., means an eye, as these creatures dart with the 



