Notes

Candlefly. Among the smaller fire-flies which twinkle all the year rushes, in the summer months, the great Candlefly. It makes a roaring sound with its strong, swift flight, and is a strange and splendid object. It has three lights, two looking like eyes, and a larger and much more brilliant one underneath the thorax. When at rest only the eye lights shine, but with the spread of its wings a shutter is drawn back and discloses the abdominal light. The insect, which is the size of a cockchafer but rather longer, is commonly called Big Winky or Peeny.

da, is pronounced like Italian.

look on sun, looks at the sun to see if it is sinking.

a back, behind.

get, get to the place.

gash, flash. Lightning is said to gash. As explained above, this gashing of the great light of the Candlefly is continuous while it is in flight, but ceases as soon as it rests.

buck on, run against. A horse bucks, here, when he stumbles. A man bucks his toe when he knocks his naked foot against a stone, and women fight (men too for that matter) by bucking with their heads.

Marnin'. Good morning and good evening are used as salutations without reference to the actual time of day.

barrel-bag, a bag of the capacity of a flour barrel.

the frighten, etc., owing to the fright which was in him he said "No."

fe lef', to leave.

lobters. This transposition of letters has a ludicrous effect on the word.

paw, pronounced pah very broadly.

Fleas are always called dog-fleas, or rather dahg-fleas.

tea, the morning sugar-water, is the signal that it is time for the guest to be soon moving on. Generally, however, he is given something to do before he goes.

ya, here.

so so one self, even one.

form, pretended.

Him put after him. The old man put (ran) after Annancy.

You couldn' mind, etc. This piece of pleasantry is common. When two men are doing anything that requires care to avoid accident, such as moving a heavy stone, one says to the other:—"No kill me ya, you couldn' min' me wife an' picny," you can't support my wife and children.

ya, do you hear? Which is also its meaning in the preceding note. Just now ya meant 'here.'