148 Bird- Life in Early Scottish Literature. [Sess. 



powerfully written poem, believed to have been written during 

 the regency of Mary of Guise. It is entitled " The Com- 

 playnt of Scotland." In the sixth chapter of " The Com- 

 playnt " we get what we are after. This is " Ane Monologue 

 of the Actor." Weary of his literary labours, the author tells 

 how he lays his pen aside and betakes him to the " green 

 halesome fields." Amidst the fragrant perfume of tender 

 grasses and " odoreferant " flowers, and beneath the shade of 

 " rammel " ^ trees, he lingers all day. The shades of evening 

 fall, but he cannot tear himself away from the ravishing scene. 

 And so night passes, and it is his description of the voices of 

 the dawn which furnishes his wonderful bird list. 



" The cheykins 2 began to peu ^ when the gled quhissilt." * 



Gled is the old Scottish name for the kite. But the various 

 references seem to me to indicate that the term was used in a 

 generic rather than a specific sense, — in fact, included the 

 sparrow-hawk as well as the kite. 



" The fox followit the fed geese and gart ^ them cry claik, 

 The gaysling ^ cryit quhilk, quhilk, ande the duiks cryit quaik. 

 The ropeen ^ of rauynis ^ gart the crans ^ crope. 

 The huddit crawls cryit varrok, varrok, quhen the swannis mumit, 

 Because the gray goul mau pronosticat ane storme.io 

 The turtil 11 began to greit quhen the cuschat zoulit, 

 The titlene ^^ followit the goilk ^^ and gart hyr sing guk, guk. 



The dou croutit hyr sad sang that soundit hke sorrow, 1* 

 Kobeen ^^ ande the litil vran ^^ var hamely in vyntir,!'^ 

 The jargolne ^^ of the swallou ^^ gart the jay i-angil,20 

 Than the maueis maid myrth for to mok the merle, 

 The lauerok maid melody up hie in the skyis, 

 The nychtingal all the nycht sang sueit notis. 



1 Branchy. ^ Chickens. ^ Peu, utter a plaintive cry^ 



4 Whistled. ^ Compelled. ^ Goslings. 



■^ Ropeen = the hoarse cries. ^ Ravens. " Cranes, 



1" The hooded crows cried varrok, varrok, when the swans mourned, because 

 the herring-gulls' mew predicted a storm. 



^1 Turtle-dove. ^^ Hedge-accentor. ^^ Cuckoo. 



^* The stock-dove crooned her sad song that sounded like sorrow. 

 ^^ Robin Redbreast. ^^ Wren. ^"^ Winter. 



18 Twittering. i^ Swallow. 



^^ I-angil — from a French word, to prattle. 



