dog; _iasc_, fish; _easc_ (Irish), water, same as _esk_.
Chalmers, in "Caledonia," &c., has easc or esc (Gael.), water; _easc lan_
(Gael.), the full water.

Askalabos (Greek), a newt or water reptile; and asker, askard, askel, ask,
and esk, in provincial English, a water-newt. (See _Archaic Dictionary_.)

Masca, the female sea-otter; so called by the Russians.

Askalopas (Greek), a woodcock or snipe, _i.e._ a swamp-bird.

As I said before, there are few words in any of the Indian languages of
North America in which the sound _ask_ occurs; at least as far as my
limited acquaintance with them goes. The only two I can quote just now are
both in the Chippeway. One only has direct reference to water; perhaps the
other may indirectly. They are, _woyzask_, rushes, water-plants; _mejask_,
herb, or grass. The only grass the forest Indians are likely to be
acquainted with is that growing in the natural meadows along the river
banks, which are occasionally met with, and these in general are pretty
swampy.

We may wind up with our _cask_ and _flask_. I could have added much more,
but fear already to have exceeded what might hope for admittance in your
pages; therefore I will only say that, in offering these remarks, I insist
on nothing, and stand ready to submit to any correction.

A. C. M.

Exeter.

* * * * *

LEGENDS OF THE COUNTY CLARE.

About two miles from the village of Corofin, in the west of Clare, are the
ruins of the Castle of Ballyportree, consisting of a massive square tower
surrounded by a wall, at the corners of which are smaller round towers: the
outer wall was also surrounded by a ditch. The castle is still so far
perfect that the lower part is inhabited by a farmer's family; and in some
of the upper rooms are still remaining massive chimney-pieces of grey
limestone, of a very modern form, the horizontal portions of which are
ornamented with a quatrefoil ornament engraved within a circle, but there
are no dates or armorial bearings: from the windows of the castle four
others are visible, none of them more than two miles from each other; and a
very large cromlech is within a few yards of the castle ditch. The
following legend is related of the castle:--When the Danes were building
the castle (the Danes were the great builders, as Oliver Cromwell was the
great destroyer of all the old castles, abbeys, &c. in Ireland),--when the
Danes were building the Castle of Ballyportree,