420 TADPOLE— TOAD 



The name "dorbene" for tadpole is found in Adamuan's 

 Life of St Columhn. The plant f^oldilocks, named "follasgan" 

 (folosguinn) in Gaelic, foloscain (Ir.), supposed to mean 

 "corruption." 



TEREDO (see Fishes). 



TICK (see Louse). 



TOAD. — Bai-bheisd or bhiast, bior-bhuafan, bofufan, buaf, 

 buafan, buaf-bheisd ; Craigean ; Gille-craigean ; Losgann, losgunn, 

 losgunn-buidhe, dubh or nimhe ; Mag, magach, magag, magan, 

 magaran, maigean, mial-mhag or mhagan, meal or mial-maig, 

 muile-mhag (large), mul-mhag or mhagan ; Smagach, smaigean, 

 sonasan (oftener, a frog). 



Bul-cranag or granasg (male) ; Cranag ; Gangrel or gangril 

 (North), glouton ; Farmer ; Horny wink or winky ; Jack, Joey ; 

 Nalter-jack (Suffolk), natter, natter-jack ; Paddock, puddock, 

 puddock-ruda or rude, puddow-rudd (young), puddoke ; Slug ; 

 Tade, tadige (A. S.), taed, taid, tiad, tode, todelinge (young) ; 

 Wilky. 



The terms " mial-mag," etc., mean literally the squat beast. 



Though a general vulgar belief exists that there is a jewel in 

 the toad's head, no reliable authority has been found of such 

 having ever been discovered, and this harmless reptile is generally 

 abhorred. It is thought to be venomous from its black and some- 

 what repugnant aspect, and, moreover, is said " to spit venom." It 

 is even said that it is very unlucky for the inmates of a house 

 into which a toad enters of its own accord. The well-known 

 saying of one of the famous Mull doctors, Beaton or Bethune, is : — 



'S binn an guth cinn sin ars' an Sweet is that head's voice said the 



gUleadh ; lad ; 



'S binn, ars' an t-olladh, an uachdar Sweet, said the doctor, above a toad. 



losguinn. 



See Campbell's Tales, Vol. II., p. 366. 



Taliesen, the famous Welsh bard, makes reference to a terrible 

 toad as follows : — 



Llyfan du gavlaw (LyfFant) gafuelu, A black grasping toad. 



Cant swim arnaw (on him) ; Armed with a hundred claws ; 



Neidr vraith gribowg (bhraith-gribog). A spotted and crested snake. 



This, though far from complimentary, is thought to be typical 

 of mankind. 



The above may be rendered in Scottish Gaelic as : — 



Losgunn dubh gabhalach, 

 Ceud innean air fhein ; 

 Nathair bhreac ghreannach. 



The plant mugroot is known in Irish as "bofulan ban" or 

 '^buafannan ban," the white toad, also "buafannan liath," the 



