PRIMITIVE NOMENCLATURE. 169 



CHAPTER XII. 



Odd Nomenclature. Sport Promiscuous. Antiquities. Nature in 

 Miniature. Mergansers. Excursion to the Hills. Princes of the 

 Air. Anecdotes. Contest with Stag. Death-blow and Remorse. 

 Habits of Deer. Stalking resumed. Unsuccessful Shot. 

 Further Disappointment. Final Shot. Farewell to Scotland. 



THERE is an odd custom prevalent in these primitive 

 regions, anent the names of individuals. Supposing a 

 man to be called by his Christian name, his surname 

 is gradually lost sight of, while his children receive his 

 Christian name as their own surname. Whether this 

 extends so far as the parish-register, I am unable to 

 say ; but it certainly is so in common parlance, and 

 everyday intercourse. For instance, a lad who some- 

 times attends me in my rambles, as a gilly, is the son 

 of Lachlan Ross. Lachlan himself however has long 

 since lost every name but his Christian one, abbre- 

 viated into Lacky; and his son, instead of being 

 Johnny Ross, is Johnny Lacky. Our friend the fox- 

 hunter is a similar instance. His name is Archibald 

 M'Donald; but Gillespie being the Gaelic for Archi- 

 bald, the surname is dropped, and he is always 

 addressed as Gillespie ; while his son, instead of being 

 Donald M'Donald, is Donald Gillespie. This probably 

 is a practice which has grown into use from the diffi- 

 culty of distinguishing individuals where, as used 

 formerly to be the case almost universally, and as is so 

 still in some localities, the same name belongs in 

 common to many different persons, often not connected 

 at all, or only by such remote links as would puzzle 

 any but a Scot to discover. 



