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The Gaelic Names of Birds. 57
We lia\e in Ci;iolic, as will be seen l)y several examples T have
already given, many old nursery rhymes which cleverl}' imitate the
cry of the different birds. That about the ring-dove closely
imitates its cooing— Cha 'n ann de mo chuideachd thii, cha 'n ann
de mo chuideachd thu, ars an caiman—You are not of my flock,
you arc not of my flock, said the pigeon.
Latin
Latin
—
Columbn wtuis. Gaelic
Columba livUia. Gaelic
—
— —
STOCK-DOVE.
KOCK DOVE.
Calman-fiadhaich, Cahnnn-gorm.
Smudan, Suiud, Calman-nan-creag,
Calman-mara.
A very common bird in the Hebrides and all along the West
Coast. Grey says, in his " Birds of the West of Scotland"— " In
lona alone, though only a small island, we have as many as nine
or ten caves frequented by pigeons, and in nearly every island of
the Helirides there is sure to be one called, 2^(^'''>' excellence, Uamh
nan Caiman—The Pigeons' Cave."
TUETLE-DOVE.
Latin Columba tutsur. Gaelic Tnrtur (Alexander Macdonald),
Gearrcach. Welsh Colommen fair.
The hist Gaelic name I find given in the vocabujaiy of words
not in common use given at the end of Kirk's Testament, published
in 1690.
Latin
—
Family II.— Phasianidos.
PHEASANT.
Phasianm Colchicns. Gaelic
—
Easag.
Though not a native British bird, the pheasant has been long
establi.shed amongst us in the wooded straths of the Highlands.
Giey says— " The first mention of the pheasant in old Scots Acts
is in one dated June 8th, 1594, in which year a keen sportsman
occupied the Scottish throne (James VI.) He might also have
been called ' James the Protector' of all kinds of game. In the
aforesaid year he ordained that quhatsumever person or persones
at ony time hereafter sail happen to slay deir, haits, phesants,
foulls, 1 artricks, or uther wyld foule quhatsumever, ather with
gun, croce bow, dagges, halkes, or girnes, or be uther ingine quhatsumever,
or that he is found schutting with any gun therein/ &c
shall pay the usual ' hundreth punds,'