GUERNSEY DIALECT NAMES. 517 



In a paper on local superstitions written by Mr. Corbet 

 many years ago and published in the Transactiinu^ of this 

 Society, the author, after quoting some of his own dialect 

 verses, supplied a line-for-line prose translation, thus pre- 

 serving the exact rendering of many difficult phrases which 

 could not have been compressed within the necessary limita- 

 tions of verse. If the veteran author, who is a perfect master 

 of the English language, could be persuaded to give us a 

 similar line-for-line literal translation of the principal portion 

 of his delighti'ul patois poems, he would win the gratitude of 

 those who, in the distant future, will undoubtedly study with 

 avidity the then obsolete dialect of this island of Guernsey. 



BIRDS. 



AlOUette. Skylark. 



Dans I's 6quibots dii coiirti d'b^s 

 L'alouette a fait sen nic, (Metivier). 

 In the stubbles of the lower field the lark has built her nest. 



Alouette d'banque. Rock Pipit. 

 Alouette, p'tite. Titlark, or Meadow Pipit. 

 Aloute : Alouquiaux. Skylark, male bird or yomig. 



Les alouquiaux cllapant leus ailtons d'jouaie. (Metivier). 

 The skylarks flapping their little wings with delight. 

 Ametaie or Ametale. Great Tit or Tomtit. 



L'crax y voltige, et I'ametaie 

 S'y divertit a la rousaie. (Corbet). 

 The stonechat flits there, and the tomtit sports in the dew. 



Ane de maire. Guillemot. 

 Aponde or Arondelle. Swallow. 



L'aronde enaquant sen bibe. (Metivier). 

 The swallow snapping up its midge. 



Barbelotte. Puffin. 



Beeassaine. Snipe. 



Beeassaine d'banque. Sandpiper or Kentish Plover. 



Bianehe-gopg'e. Whitethroat. 



ButOP. Bittern. 



Ei nou v'chin, coum autant d'butors. 

 Les daeux pids dans la baue. (Metivier). 

 And here we are, like so many bitterns, with both feet in the mud. 



Cadpage. Grebe. 



Que I'ciel erage ! Ecllavinai d'la brouc 

 L'cadrage en rit, tournant I'dos 6s ecllairs. (Metivier). 

 Let the heavens rage ! Bespattered with foam the grebe laughs at the 

 storm, turning his back on thelightning's flash. 



Cahouan or Cahan. Owl. 



J'o I'cahouan s'lamentair dans I'ch'nas. (Metivier). 

 I hear the owl hooting in the hayloft. 

 Cahouette. Jackdaw and Chough. 



Via les cahouettes qui s'entrepinchent, 

 J'airon mauvais temps. (Proverb). 

 The crows are teasing each other, we are going to have bad weather. 

 CalCUlot. Probably the Stormy Petrel. 



