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76 Gaelic Society of Inverness.
Lochbee in South Uist, but nowhere else that I have ascertamed.
Lochbee is the largest fresh water lake in the Long Island, but
the water was reduced in it some years ago, and since then th(;
swans do not seem to have the same favour for it. It does not
seem a settled point yet whether the swan sings or not. Naturalists
maintain that it does not, And yet several persons who have
had opportunity of judging have assui'ed me that it does. I have
minutely examined persons who live near Lochbee, and all maintain
that the swan sings. Some of these positively assert that
they have often stood spell-bound listening to the music of the
' swan— 'the most beautiful melodist in the ^' ealtaijui." They
sing in part even at a long distance, a mile or more. This is
declared by four brothers (Macinnes) at Lochcarnan, South Uist,
each of which says that he often stood si)ell-bound to listen to the
singing of the swan in early frosty mornings—when they sing
best—ere sunrise. Nothing can exceed the sweet music of the
swan. They come in November, and leave at St Bride. The
song of the dying swan is often mentioned in our early literature,
as in ' Dan an Deirg ' we have :
—
" Mar bhinn-ghuth eala 'n guin bais.
No mar cheolan chaich mu 'n cuairt di."
" Like the sweet voice of the swan, in the agony of death,
Or like the songs of the others round about her."
Dr Smith, in his "Sean Dana," in a note on these lines, says:
"Some naturalists deny the singing of the swan, so often mentioned
by the Greek and Latin, as well as by the Celtic poets. If
the singing of the swan is to be reckoned among the vulgar errors,
it has been a very universal one. Over the west of Scotland, it
is still frequently affirmed, as a fact, that the swans that frequent
those parts in winter are heard to sing sonie very melodious notes
when wounded or about to take their flight. The note of the
swan is called in Gaelic, Guileag; and a ditty called " Luinneag
na li-eala," composed in imitation of it, begins thus :
Latin
—
" Guileag i, Guileag o,
Sgeula mo dhunach
Guileag i
;
Rinn mo 16ireadh,
Guileag o
Mo chasan dubh, ttc."
BEWICK'S SWAN.
Cj/anMS Bewickii. Ga,elic—Eala-Bheag.
Lleiaf
Welsh
—
—
—
Alrahc,