424 VVOHM 



the name of the ladies' lap-dog. Another mythical or fabulous 

 kind of worm has been created from the fertile imagination, 

 viz., the " cnuimh leisg " idle worms, or worms of idleness, 

 which are said to be bred in the fingers of lazy girls or boys. 

 (See Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet?) Cruimh-gheala is a name 

 tor the glow-worm, being cruimh or cnuimh air ghile, a Morni for 

 whiteness — a white light. Crom-dubh again signifies a black 

 worm. The ring-worm, for which several names are above given, 

 is, properly speaking, not a worm at all, but a diseased state of 

 body. Toothache was supposed to proceed from a worm called 

 " cnuirali-fhiacal," tooth-worm; in Angus this is called the "on- 

 beast." In Ireland a certain poisonous worm or caterpillar is 

 known as the "connough" (conach-murrain), being poisonous to 

 cattle eating of grass it has even gone over, causing the distemper 

 or murrain under that name. In keeping with this is the " fluke- 

 worm " which kills sheep by their swallowing the larvae, which 

 prey on their vitals. 



The "feursann" again gave rise to a trouble or disease in 

 horses called "feursaidh" (Sutherland). But the worst worm of 

 all was the worm-idol (or serpent), known among our Irish 

 brethren under the name of " crom-cruach " or cruadh. 



The term "maotag" seems to mean a cabbage-worm, as in the 

 song " Posadh Piuthar Iain Bhain " the following lines occur : — 



" Buntata pronn 'us iteagan 

 Cal ceannan 's e Ian mhaotagan. " 



Cognate to the above is a huge white worm found in the cabbage 

 palm as grown in Jamaica. It is eaten as a dainty, and said to taste 

 like almonds. The glow-worm appearing is a sign of approaching 

 damp weather. 



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PHINTKD bV OLIVER AKP BOYD, KDINBUROH 



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