TOAD-WEEVIL 421 



grey toad. Toads are fairly numerous almost everywhere, and 

 confine themselves chiefly to hamlets, or near where cattle are 

 housed, also about middens. A fairly credible and authenticated 

 account is on record of a toad having been found in a block of 

 ironstone two feet thick. The average life of a toad is said to be 

 fifteen years. 



TORTOISE or TURTLE.— Muir-seilche, sea-turtle; Seilche, 

 sligeanach ; Toirtis. 



So called from its crooked, twisted, or distorted foot. 



VERMIN.— Meanbh-bheisdean. 

 From vermis, a worm. 



VIPER (see also Adder and Serpent). — Aithid, aithidean ; 

 Beithir, buafair, buafaire, buafarc ; Na'r, nathair, nathair-nimh. 

 Berard (A. S.) ; Long-cripple (speckled — Devon). 



w 



WASP. — Arc ; Beach, beach-each (horse), beathag ; Ca'speach, 

 coinn con or conn-speach ; Eir or eirebheach ; Gasbadan, gasbaid, 

 gasbaidean ; Meach-chapull (Ir.) ; Seananach, speach, 



Apple-drane or drone ; Haeps ; Vesp (A. S.) ; Waesp, weaps, 

 whamp (Yorksh.), wype. 



From Aryan form " wapsa," stinger. The Gaelic word " speach " 

 is akin to the Greek "sphex." 



Three kinds of wasps are mentioned in Gaelic, speach mor, 

 speach coille, and speach dearg, the great wasp, the wood or tree 

 wasp, and the red wasp ; the second is said to be the most offensive. 

 The different species are, however, thought to be countless. 



WATER-ADDER.— Gille-neamhag. 



WATER-BEETLE (see Beetle). 



WATER-LOUSE (see Louse). 



WATER-SERPENT (see Serpent). 



WATER-SPIDER (see Spider). 



WEEVIL (see Worm). 



This word is from Teutonic type " wibela," a beetle, worm, or 

 wab, a mover to and fro, a wriggler. 



WINGED SERPENT (see Dragon). 



