PROCEEDINGS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE, lxxvii 
the plant, “ St. Columba’s Wort, unsought, unasked, please God, 
I won’t die to-night ” (in Gaelic, of course). 
The Kidney Vetch ( Anthyllis ) is St. Mary’s Fingers ( meoir 
Mhuire ), a name similar to the English one of Lady’s Fingers. The 
word “Lady,” which appears in several English names of plants, such 
as Lady’s Bedstraw, &c., was originally “Our Lady.” 
The Lady’s Mantle (. Alchemilla ) is called in Gaelic St. Mary’s 
Mantle (falluing Mhuire), and in Irish, St. Mary’s Palm ( dhearna 
Mhuire ). 
The Wood Loose-Strife ( Lysimachia nemorum ) is St. Mary’s 
Gentle Grass or Plant ( seamhair Mhuire ). 
The Crow Garlic (. Allium vineale ) is St. Mary’s Garlic (garleag 
Mhuire ). 
The Lady Fern (. Athyrium ) is St. Mary’s Fern ( raineach Mhuire ). 
The Groundsel (• Senecio vulgaris) is Grey Peter’s Weed (ms Phcira 
Hath). 
Finally, the Wild Thyme (Thymus) is the Plant of the Son of the 
King of Britain (lus mhic righ Bhreatainn) and the King’s Plant (lus 
an righ). 
6. Other Names. 
Many plants in English and other languages commemorate in 
their names the time of the year when the cry of the cuckoo, the 
herald of summer, has become familiar. The same idea is not 
absent from the Highlands, where a number of plant-names bear 
reference to the bird. 
Amongst these cuckoo flowers the Lady’s Smock (Cardamine 
pratensis) is pre-eminently the Cuckoo Flower (plur na cubhaig), 
though it is also called gleoran (handsome) and biolair-ghriagain (the 
bright sunny dainty). 
Another cuckoo flower (plur na cubhaig) is the Ragged Robin 
(Lychnis -flos-cuculi), also named the Cuckoo’s Hood (curachd na 
cubhaig), and, from the red colour of the flowers and their place 
of growth, the Spark of the Marsh (caorag leana). 
One of the Cuckoo’s Shoes (brog na cubhaig) is the Corn Cockle 
(Lychnis Githago ), a name also applied (as in English) to the Butter- 
wort (Pinguicula). 
The Corn Flower or Blue Bottle (Centaurea Cyanus) is the 
Cuckoo’s Cap (curachd chubhaig ), also, as already said, applied to the 
Ragged Robin. 
Still another Cuckoo’s Shoe (brog na cubhaig) is the Hair-bell 
(Campanula rotundifolia ), as is also the Cowslip (Primula veris) 
and the Wild Hyacinth (Scilla nutans ), whilst the Cuckoo’s Claw 
(spog na cubhaig) is the Wild Pansy ( Viola tricolor). 
To glance at some other names. 
The Rock-Rose (Pdelianthemum) is the Sun-Rose (grian ros) 
and Flower of the Sun (plur na greine), both-of which mean the 
same as the scientific name. 
The Cross-leaved Heath (Erica Tetralix) is French Heath 
(fraoch frangach ). 
