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The Gaelic Names of Birds. 61
The crowing of the black-cock and the reply of the grey-hen are
beautifully described by many of our best Gaelic bards. Macintyre
in " Coire Cheathaich " says
"'S a' nihaduinn chiuin-ghil, an aiii dhonih dusgadh,
Aig bun na stuice b'e 'n sugradli leani ;
A' chearc le sgiucan a' gabliail tuchain,
'S an coileach cuirteil a' durdail croni."
And Macdonald, in " AUt an t-Siucair," says —
"An coileach-dubh ri durdan,
—
'S a chearc ri tuclian reidh."
^racintyre also describes the black-cock in his "Song of Summer":
" Bidh an coileach le thorman tuchanach,
Air chnocaibh gorm a' durdanaich,
Puirt fhileanta, cheolmhor, shiubhlacha,
Le ribheid dluith chur seol oirre ;
Gob crom nam poncan lughora,
'S a chneas le dreach air dhublachadli,
Gu slios-dubh, girt-gheal, ur-bhallach,
'S da chirc a' sugradh boidheach ris.
This shows us the handsome black-cock, when full of life and love,
crowing his amorous chants to his wives (for he is of the Mormon
creed), and that he is beautiful even in death is ])roved by our
old Gaelic proverb^'-' Na triviir mharbh a's boidh'che air bith :
leanamh beag, breac geal, 'us coileach dubh "—The three prettiest
dead : a little child, a white trout, and a black-cock. One of the
oldest dancing pipe tunes in the Highlands goes :
"Ptuidhlidh na coilich-dhubha,
'S dannsaidh na tunnagan
Ruidhlidh na coilich-dhubha
Air an tulaich lamh rium.
The black-cocks will reel,
And the wild ducks will dance ;
The black-cocks will reel,
On the knowe beside me.
T hare no doubt the smart black-cock would go through liis part
of the performance very creditably, but I am afraid the poor chick
would make but an awkward attempt at tr-ipping it on the light
fantastic toe.
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