March, 191 5- The Irish Naturalist. 45 



ON THE IRISH NAMES OF MAMMALS. 



BY R. F. SCIIARFF, B.SC, I'll.D. 



My knowledge of the Irish language being, unfortunately, 

 very scanty, I have endeavoured to collect information 

 from various sources on the names of the animals found in 

 Ireland. The list of names is already quite a large one, 

 though it is possible that many of the words I possess are 

 obsolete or altogether wrong. I consider it best to issue 

 the list in instaJments, and I venture on this occasion to 

 limit my remarks to the group of beasts or *' mammals" 

 as they are called by zoologists. 



Professor MacNeill kindly supplied me with a hst of the 

 names that he knew, while Mr. Colgan gave me a series of 

 ^ words collected in the West of Ireland. Mr. R. I. Best 

 pointed out several errors in my manuscript, and indicated 

 sources of information which were unknown to me. I am 

 also obliged to Mr. L. G. Gogan for valuable suggestions. 

 I am greatly indebted to these friends, and I hope to receive 

 still more help, and especially criticisms, from others 

 interested in obtaming the correct names of all the animals 

 inhabiting Ireland. The few remarks I am now offering 

 on the Irish names of Mammals are not intended to supply 

 a complete list. Much more research and discussion is 

 required before such a list can be accepted as anything like 

 final. I bring the subject, therefore, under the notice of 

 readers of the Irish Naturalist with a view to opening up 

 a field of linguistic study in connection with Irish natural 

 history. 



The Irish names of many of the Mammals are, of course, 

 well-known, but in certain cases I think they have been 

 misapplied. New names will have to be supplied or created 

 for several species which do not possess an Irish name. 

 A large number of so-called English names of animals have 

 only been invented by naturalists within recent years. 

 It is doubtful also whether people readily discriminated in 

 bygone ages between nearly related species which are not 

 easily distinguishable, such as the House Mouse and Field 

 Mouse, the Common Seal and Grey Seal, the various kinds 



