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Tlie Gaelic Names of Birds. 31
MAVIS oil COMMON THRUSH.
Latin — Tnri/its iJii(de7is. Gaelic Smeorach, ^Sineurach Lh/iidhc.
Welsh Aderyn Croiifraith.
Of all singing birds in the Highlands the mavis is the favourite,
and reckoned the sweetest singer. All our bards, late and
early, delight in comparing their sweet singers to the mavis,
whirh is the highest praise they can give, hence the saying—
"(Jho
l)inn ri smeorach air geug" — as tuneful as a mavis on a bough.
It is the tirst bird that begins to sing in the Highlands, often
beginning, on an occasional fine day, before the storms of winter
are over. As the old })roverb says— "Cha'n 'eil port a sheinneas
an smebrach 's an Fhaoilleach, nach, caoin i
t-Earrach"—For every song the mavis sings in
mu'n ruith an
February she'll
lament ere the spi'ing be over. Another says, "Cha dean aon
smeorach samhradh"—One mavis makes not summer. One of
till" most ancient styles of composition in the Gaelic language,
and a \ev\ favourite one with most Highland bards, is that in
w iiich they represent themselves as the "smeorach," or mavis of
their respective clans, to sing the praises of their chiefs and
c-lans. Of this curious species of composition we have many
examples, notably "Smeorach Chlann Jlaonuill"—The INlavis of
Clan Ranald, by Alex. Macdonald (Mac Mhaighistir Alastair):
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"Gur 'a mis an smeorach chreagach,
An deis leum bharr cuaich mo nidein
Sholar bidh do m' ianaibh beaga,
Seinneam ceol air barr gach bidein.
'S smeorach mise do Chlann Donuill,
Dream a dhiteadh a 's a leonadh
'S chaidh mo chur an riochd na smeoraich,
Gu bhi seinn 's ag cur ri ceol dhaibh.
'S mise 'n t-ianan beag le m' fheadan
Am madainn-dhriuchd am barr gach badain,
Sheinneadh na puirt ghrinn gun sgreadan
'S ionmhuinn m' fheadag fead gach lagain."
There are also smeorachs by Mac Cotlrum, Macdougall, INhulach-
lan, Macleod, and others—all admirable compositions of their
kind.
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RED-WING.
Li^tin — Jardua iliacits. Gaelic — Sgiatli-dheargnn, Ean-an-t-
s7ieachda,* Smeorach -ant- sneachda. Deargan - siieachdn
Welsh Soccen yr lira, Y dresclen gocli.
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