the one that robs the dew); drilkhdin mona, the dew of. the toll- 

 Manx: lus-y-driiight. Welsh: doddedig rudd—dodd, twisted' 

 thread, and rudd red, the plant being covered with red hairs. 

 Drilchd na muine, the dew of the hill. Gil driugh (Threl)— Our 

 word, gille, a lad, a servant; and driichd, dew. This interesting 

 little plant is very common in the Highlands, growing among the 

 white bog moss (sphagnum). It has little red spoon-like leaves, 

 with red hairs, and always covered with dew drops. It grows and: 

 lives on small black insects, which are grasped and absorbed by 

 the leaves. 



POLYGALACB^E, 



(From Greek ttoXv, poly, much; and yaAa, gala, milk). 

 Polygala vulgaris — Milk-wort. Gaelic: lus a' bhainne, milk- 

 wort. Irish: lusan bainne, the same meaning, alluding to the 

 reputed effects of the plants on cows that feed upon it. 



CARYOPHYLLACE.E. 



Saponaria officinalis — Soapwort, bruisewort. Lus an fsiabuinn. 

 The whole plant is bitter, and was formerly used to cure 

 cutaneous diseases. Welsh: sebonllys, the same meaning (sebon, 

 soap). Manx: brellish heabinagh (brdlish — wort). Soap wort. 

 Latin sapo, so called probably because the bruised leaves produce 

 lather like soap. Soap was a Celtic invention. 



" Prorlest et sapo. Gallorum hoc inventum. 

 Rutilandis capillis, ex sevo et cinere." — Pliny. 

 " Soap is good — that invention of the Gauls — for reddening the hair out of 

 grease and ash." 



Lychnis flos-cuculi — Ragged Robin. Gaelic: pliir na cubhaig, 

 the cuckoo flower; currachd na cubhaig, the cuckoo's hood ; caorag 

 leana, the marsh spark. 



L. diurna — Red campion. Gaelic: cirean coilich, cockscomb; 

 in some places corcan coille, red woodland flower. 



L. githago — Corn-cockle. Gaelic: brbg na cubhaig, the cuckoo's 

 shoe. Lus loibheach, stinking weed. Iothros, corn rose. Irish : 

 cogall, 1 from coch (Welsh), red; hence cockle. French: coquille. 

 Welsh: gith, cockle or its seed, a corruption from githago, or 

 vice versa. 



Spergnla arvensis — Spurrey. Gaelic : cluain tin (also corran lin) 

 — cluain, fraud, and lin, flax — i.e., fraudulous flax. Carran, 



1 This plant is sometimes called currachd na cubhaig, and cochal — (hood or 

 cowl). Latin : cucullus. 



