Blair Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 2

NOTES 315
Gaoth air fiar, fiath air nuiir. Wind on lea, calm on sea
Bhochfhuinn a bliuth ! Bochuinn a vu !
Bhochfliuinii a bhuth ! Bochuinn a vu !
Bhiochfhuinn ! bhochfliuinn ! Biochuinn ! bochuinn ! bachuinn
bhachfhuinn bhuth ! vu,
Bhochfhuinn a bhuth ! Bochuinn a vu !
Bhochfhuinn a bhuth ! Bochuinn a vu !
Na h-Eoin Bhuchfhuinn, The Birds of ' Buchuinn,'
Thig bho'n bliochfhuinn. That come from ' bochuinn,'
Dh' eubhas gu binn. Calling sweetly,
Bhochfhuinn a bhuth ! Bochuinn a vu !
Bhochfhuinn a bhuth ! Bochuinn a vu !
Lacha Mhoire, Mary's duck. The mallard goes by various names,
as ' lacha-ghlas,' grey duck ; ' lacha-riabhach,' brindled duck ;
' lacha-ruadh/ russet duck ; ' lach a chinn-uaine,' duck of the
green head.
The common grey duck is among the first and the last birds
to breed. It has young as early as the first week of April and
as late as the last week of September. The subterfuges, tactics,
and stratagems of the grey duck to save its young are amusing
and instructive. No human mother in presence of a Solomon
could show more tender solicitude. The people speak lovingly
of Mary's duck, and would not willingly hurt it in the breeding
season.
When the mallard rises on the wing, it goes round and round,
enlarging the circle as it ascends, and then stretches away as
straight as an arrow with matchless speed. The people
maintained that Mary's duck is the swiftest bird in the ' ealtain,'
'ealt nan ian,' bird- world, world of the birds.
Lacha shiih, teal, elf-duck ; from ' lach,' duck, and ' sith,' elf ; also
'crion-lach,' tit-duck; ' crann-lach,' dwarf-duck; and ' lach eigir,'
puny duck (see Eigir).
The teal is the smallest British duck. It is numerous in
the Isles in winter, but rare in summer. The arrival of the teal
is supposed to indicate the coming of a storm, and when the bird
is seen approaching the shore the people hasten to secure their
crops and houses.
The teal might be called the page of the swan, and more
justly the pest of the swan. When swans are feeding, teals
attend them, gliding about in and out, out and in, among them,
picking up the animalcula brought up by the swans. Occasionally