Blair Collection > Gaelic names of beasts (mammalia), birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, etc

FULMAR— GODWIT 275
FULMAR (see also Petrel). — Fulmair ; Grey petrel; John
Down ; Malduck, mallemoek, mallemoke, malmock.
See Martin's description of Western Isles.
Its name seems to originate, like "foumart," a polecat, from
the peculiar and disagreeable odour of this bird, or the oil it is said
to vomit. There is an Icelandic term Pole mar, given as a sea
horse, which some suppose to be the root name.
G
GALLINULE, or WATER-HEN (see also Coot).— Cearc-
uisge, etc.
This is a rare bird in the Highlands, as it is a denizen chiefly of
the swamps near the Mediterranean, though sometimes actually
mistaken for our mooi"-hen, which it resembles. It is somewhat
larger and of a more purple hue.
GANNET (see also Solan Goose). — Amhas, sulaiche, sulair,
sulaire.
Bass goose, basser ; Channel goose; Gan (A. S. "ganot," a
gander) ; Herring gant ; Solan or soland goose, spectacled goose.
GEILT.— Geilt.
This is a more or less mythical bird, and is included here
merely on account of its being found in the Book of the Dean of
Lismore in "Laoidh nan ceann," by Caoilte mac Ronan, where it
will be found. O'Reilly says this word means, mter alia, a fierce
untameable bird of some unknown species. The phrase "Geilt
gluine " exists. (See Dublin Universitij Magazine for March 1854,
Vol. XLIII., page 322.)
GOATSUCKER.— Gabhar-adhair, etc.
Churn, churr ; Dor-hawk; Fern owl; Gar-owl; Night churr,
night hawk, night jar.
This misnamed bird has, from the time of Aristotle down to
the present day, been in disgrace with mankind ; it is, however,
an unoffending fowl, and its character foully stained by sheer
inattention to facts, as, instead of sucking goats or cows, or any
other animal, it merely gets underneath such animals to catch
flies off their udders, etc.
GODWIT (see Curlew). — Roid-guilbneach, etc.
Barge, bar-tailed godwit, black and white - tailed godwit,
black-tailed godwit ; Prankline ; Godwin, godwyn ; Half curlew,
half whaup ; Jadreka snipe ; Necked barnacle ; Pick, poor Willie,
prine ; Red godwit ; Scammel, sea woodcock, shrieker, small
curlew, stone plover ; Yardkeep, yarwhelp, yarwhip.