94 



a horse. This fern has been celebrated from time immemorial 

 as a specitic for worms ; the powdered roots, taken in water, 

 were considered an excellent remedy. Irish : raineach-madra, 

 tlog-fern. 



L. spinulosa, and the allied species dilatata and Fa-nisccii, are 

 known by the name raincach nan rodainn, from Latin, rodo. 

 Sanscrit : rad, to break up, split, gnaw, — the rat's fern, in Mor- 

 ven, Mull, and Lewis. " Dr Hooker is mistaken as to the 

 range of this fern, as it is extremely abundant here, at least in 

 the form oi dilatata" — (Lewis Correspondent).^ The name rat's 

 fern, from its commonness in holes, and the haunts of rats. 



Athyrium filix-foemina — Lady-fern. Gaelic and Irish: raitieach 

 M/iiiirc, Mary's fern, — Miiire, the Virgin Mary, Our Lady; fre- 

 quently occurring in plant-names in all Christian countries. 



Asplenium. — From Greek : a, privative, and <nr\-qv, the 

 spleen. 



A. Trichomanes — Black spleenwort. Gaelic and Irish : dùbh 

 c/iàsach, dark-stemmed. Lus na sei/g, from sealg, the spleen. 

 This plant was formerly held to be a sovereign remedy for all 

 diseases of this organ, and to be so powerful as even to de- 

 stroy it if employed in excess. Lus a chorrain. Urthàhnhan 

 (O'Reilly), — ?/r, green, and talamh, the earth. As diibh chàsach 

 is the common name for Trichojnanes — probably iir thalmhan 

 was applied to A. viride. Failfean fionn, see A. capilliis- 

 Veneris. 



A. Ruta-muraria — Rue fern. Gaelic : rue b/ialIaid/i,\v2i\\-vnQ. 



A. Adiantum-nigrum — Gaelic : an rameach uàine, the green 

 fern. Irish : cmobh viae fiadh (O'Reilly), — craob/i, a tree, a plant, 

 and muc fiadh, wild pig or boar. 



Scolopendrium vulgare— Hart's-tonguefern. Gaelic: crcamh 

 niacfiad/i, or in Irish, iirani/i nam. inuc fiadh. Wild boar's wort, 

 a name also given to Asparagus. 



Pteris aquilina — Common brake. Gaelic : an raincach inhor, 

 the large fern. Raith (see Polypodium). The brake is used for 

 various purposes by the Gaels, such as for thatching cottages ; 



^ My well-informed correspondent also remarks: "I may mention one 

 or two other plants, regarding which Dr Hooker's information is slightly 

 out. His Salix repens'xi, very common here and in Caithness, though absent 

 in at least some parts further south. Utricidaria minor can easily be found 

 in quantities near the Butt of Lewis ; and Scutellaria minor, which he allows 

 no further than Dumbarton, grows equally far north, although all I am 

 aware of could be covered by a table-cloth. Another interesting plant, 

 Eryngium maritiiniint, grows in a single sandy bay on our west coast." 



