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The Gaelic Names of Birds. 89
GREAT BLACK-RACKED GULL.
Latin Larusviarinus. Gaelic Farspach, Farspacj Faoileann-mor,
Sqlinireach, (first year state). vlahh—Gwijlnn f/efn-ddu.
GLAUCOUS, OR GREAT WHITE GULL.
Latin Lams gtaucus. Gaelic Faoileaij-mhor, Mnir-mhaighstir.
This gull gets its last Gaelic name, " Master of the Sea," from
its being such a tyrant over all the other gulls. In the Birds of tlie
West of Scotland, Mr Angus writes from Aberdeenshire :— " I
have never been out in the bay in winter without seeing this bird,
which is a very conspicious object, being more oceanic in its habits
than any of its congeners. Along the coast its advent is heralded
l)y the screaming of the other gulls, whom it torments and tyrannises
over like the skuas. Even the great black-backed gull must
give place to the Burgo-master."
COMMON SKUA.
Latin Lestris catarractes. Gaelic Fasgadair, Fasgadan,
Tzdiac (St Kilda). Welsh- —Gwylan frech.
The skua gets its name of Fasgadair, i.e., "The Squeezer," from
its habit of not going to fish much itself, but its watching the other
gulls till they have caught a lot of fish, then it darts on them and
makes them disgorge their prey, which it seizes before reaching the
watei', and so may be said to wring or squeeze its food fi'om them.
The Skuaused to be a terrible pest,not only to theother.sea birds, but
to the inhabitants as well of the isles where it used to breed, as will
be seen from the following quotation from the Rev. K. Macaiilay's
History of St Kilda :— " At Hirta is too frequently seen, and very
severely felt, a large sea gull, which is detested by every St Kil-
dian. This mischevious bird destroys every egg that falls in its
w;iy, and very often the young fowls, and sometimes the weakest
of the old. It is hardly possible to express the hatred with which
this otherwise good-natured people pursue these gulls. If one
happen to mention them, it ihrows their whole blood into a ferment
; serpents are not at all such detestable objects anywhere
else. They exert their whole sti'cngth of industry and skill to get
iiold of this cruel enemy, a task very far from beiirg easy, as they
are no less vigilant than wicked. If caught they outvie one
another in torturing this imp of hell to death ; such is the em
pliatical language in which they express an action so grateful to
their vindictive spirit. They pluck out his eyes, sew his wings
together, and send him adrift ; to eat any of its eggs, thougli
among the largest and l)est their isle aftbrds, would be accounted
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