141 



•Gaelic legend, the "Pursuit of Diarmud and Grainne,'' there grew 

 the wonderful quicken tree of Dubhrbs, which bore some won- 

 derful berries. Every berry has the exhilaration of wine, and 

 whoever shall eat three berries of them, even if he be a hundred 

 years, he will return to the age of thirty. These berries were 

 jealously guarded by one Searbhan Lochlannach, "a giant, hideous 

 and foul to behold." He was slain by Diarmud, and the berries 

 placed at the disposal of his wife, Grainne. 



Page 56. 

 Senecio vulgaris — Am bualan. Groundsel. A very common 

 weed in waste places. Somewhat like the dandelion, not exceed- 

 ing 1 2 inches high, bright green, much divided and serated leaves, 

 and whiteish below. The flowers are in small clusters of yellow 

 colour, succeeded by small seeds furnished with downy pappus. 

 The leaves were used as an emetic, and applied externally as a 

 cooler, and to bring on suppurations. 



Page 60. 

 Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) — Earr thalmhuinn. In Aber- 

 deenshire the earr is corrupted to Eeer or Eerie. Lassies used to 

 take it and put it in their breasts as a charm, repeating this rhyme — 



Eerie, eerie, I do pluck, 



And in my bosom I do put, 



The first young lad that speaks to me, 



The same shall my true lover be. 



Page 67. 

 Gentiana campestris (Lus a' chrilbain) — Field gentian. This 

 plant is found on elevated grounds in most districts of the 

 Grampians. It stalk is unbranched and jointed, from which 

 issue in pairs oblong pointed leaves. The flower is white pale 

 yellow, and often of a purplish colour. It blooms in the summer. 

 The various species of gentian are well known in medicine, and 

 used by brewers and wine merchants. 



Page 85. 

 Ur (Bay or Palm tree) — Dhmhnach an Uir. The Lord's day 

 of the palm. The true palm not being a native, the catkins of 

 the willow have been used in the northern counties in church 

 processions on Palm Sunday, and frequently lubhar (the yew), 

 hence it is often called a palm in Ireland. 



