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

SHELLFISH— SKATE 387
A's t-Earrach 'n uair a bhios a chaora eaol bidh am maorach
reamhar.
In Spring when the sheep is lean, shellfish are fat. A
dispensation of Providence.
Cha dean cas luath maorach.
A hasty foot won't get shellfish. One must travel slowly,
and peer carefully.
Is e an aon chladach th' ann, ach cha'n ionann am maorach.
It's the same shore, but the shellfish are different. Change
in feelings of an old friend.
Is lom an leac air nach deanar (nach fhaighear) maorach.
It's a bare stone where no shellfish are to be found.
Maorach cailleach 'IcArtair, crubag 'us da phortan.
MacArthur's old wife's shellfish, a crab, and two partans.
Rinn e maorach fhad 's a bha'n traigh ann.
He gathered shellfish Avhen the tide was out.
Al. Dean maorach, etc.
Make or gather shellfish, etc. Seizing the opportunity.
SHORE-FLEA. — Deargad-traghad. Sand-hopper or louper.
These fleas are adepts at making perfect skeletons of fishes,
crabs, etc.
SHRIMP. — Burdag ; Carran, cavran-creige, cloidheag, cloim-
heag, cloitheag.
Arnet, arnit, arnot ; Bunting ; Scur (fresh-water).
So called from its cramped, pinched appearance.
SKATE. — Beithir, buachaill-an-sgadain ; Roc, ruth, rutha (Ir.) ;
Scarrag, sgait, sgarrag, sgat, sgata, sgite (maiden), sgith, soman.
Angel-fish ; Blue-skate, Burton-skate ; Cramp-fish, cuckoo-
skate ; Dinnan or dinnen-skate (young), doctor, dun cow, dunny ;
Fire or fiery flair, flaire flare or flaw, flaine (ray — North), flaire,
flan, flanie, flapper, flathe, friar-skate, fuller-ray ; Grey-skate,
gunnack ; Hommelin (rough ray), horse-ray ; Kevelling, king-
fish ; Large ray ; Maid, maiden ray, mary mavis or may-skate, mill-
skate, mongrel-skate, monk-fish ; Northern Chimera, numb-fish
(torpedo) ; Ox-ray ; Ray, reigh, roker, rough flapper ; Schate
(A. S.), sea-eagle, shark-ray, sharp-nosed ray, skatt, skeut, skidder
or skider (Northumb.), sleatric-ray, sting-ray ; Tinker, thornback,
thornback-ray ; Whip-ray, white-horse or skate.
The "other names" given for skate are applied equally in
many instances to the ray. A specimen of the "angel-fish " was
caught lately on the Balmeanach (Braes) fishing-ground, Sound of
Raasay, and measured four feet six inches by two feet six inches.
The tail resembled that of a shark or a large dogfish, and the
wings the fins of the skate. The spine of tail of skate or thornback
was once used to point spears and darts among the Celts.