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AUSTRAL    ENGLISH 

A   DICTIONARY 


AUSTRAL   ENGLISH 

A   DICTIONARY  OF 

AUSTRALASIAN    WORDS 

PHRASES  AND  USAGES 


WITH    THOSE    ABORIGINAL-AUSTRALIAN    AND    MAORI    WORDS    WHICH 

HAVE    BECOME    INCORPORATED    IN    THE    LANGUAGE    AND    THE 

COMMONER    SCIENTIFIC    WORDS    THAT    HAVE    HAD 

THEIR    ORIGIN    IN    AUSTRALASIA 


BY 

EDWARD     E.    MORRIS 

M.A.,    OXON. 

PROFESSOR  OF  ENGLISH,    FRENCH,    AND  GERMAN  LANGUAGES  AND  LITERATURES 
IN   THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  MELBOURNE 


MACMILLAN    AND    CO.     LIMITED 

NEW  YORK  :  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 
1898 


RICHARD  CLAY  <fe  SONS,  LIMITED, 
LONDON  &  BUNGAY. 


P£ 


TO 
THE  DEAR  MEMORY  OF 


CALLED   HENCE 
ON   APRIL    19,    1896. 


INTRODUCTION 


CONTENTS 


i.  ORIGIN  OF  THE  WORK 

First  undertaken  to  help  O.  E.  D. 

The  Standard  Dictionary 
ii.  TITLE  AND  SCOPE  OF  THE  BOOK 

Not  a  Slang  Dictionary 
in.  SOURCES  OF  NEW  WORDS  : — 

1.  Altered  English        

2.  Words    quite    new    to    the 
language : — 

(a)  Aboriginal  Australian 

(6)  Maori  


PAGE 
IX 


Xlll 

xiv 


iv.  THE  LAW  OF  HOBSON-JOBSON     xv 
Is  Austral  English  a  corrup- 
tion? 

v.  CLASSIFICATION  OF  WORDS    ...  xvi 

vi.  QUOTATIONS.  THEIR  PURPOSE  xvii 

vii.  BOOKS  USED  AS  AUTHORITIES  xviii 

vni.  SCIENTIFIC  WORDS 

ix.  ASSISTANCE  RECEIVED 

ABBREVIATIONS  : — 

1.  Of  Scientific  Names 

2.  General 


xix 
xx 


xxni 

xxiv 


I.  ORIGIN  OF   THE  WORK. 


ABOUT  a  generation  ago  Mr.  Matthew  Arnold  twitted  our  nation 
with  the  fact  that  "  the  journeyman  work  of  literature"  was  much 
better  done  in  France — the  books  of  reference,  the  biographical 
dictionaries,  and  the  translations  from  the  classics.  He  did  not 
especially  mention  dictionaries  of  the  language,  because  he  was 
speaking  in  praise  of  academies,  and,  as  far  as  France  is  concerned, 
the  great  achievement  in  that  line  is  Littre  and  not  the  Academy's 
Dictionary.  But  the  reproach  has  now  been  rolled  away — nous  avons 
change  tout  cela — and  in  every  branch  to  which  Arnold  alluded  our 
journeyman  work  is  quite  equal  to  anything  in  France. 

It  is  generally  allowed  that  a  vast  improvement  has  taken  place  in 
translations,  whether  prose  or  verse.  From  quarter  to  quarter  the 
Dictionary  of  National  Biography  continues  its  stately  progress.  But 
the  noblest  monument  of  English  scholarship  is  The  New  English 
Dictionary  on  Historical  Principles,  founded  mainly  on  the  materials 
collected  by  the  Philological  Society,  edited  by  Dr.  James  Murray, 
and  published  at  the  cost  of  the  University  of  Oxford.  The  name 
New  will,  however,  be  unsuitable  long  before  the  Dictionary  is  out  of 
date.  Its  right  name  is  the  Oxford  English  Dictionary  ('O.E.D.'). 
That  great  dictionary  is  built  up  out  of  quotations  specially  gathered  for 
it  from  English  books  of  all  kinds  and  all  periods  ;  and  Dr.  Murray 
several  years  ago  invited  assistance  from  this  end  of  the  world  for 
words  and  uses  of  words  peculiar  to  Australasia,  or  to  parts  of 
it.  In  answer  to  his  call  I  began  to  collect ;  but  instances  of  words 
must  be  noted  as  one  comes  across  them,  and  of  course  they  do  not 


x  INTRODUCTION 

occur  in  alphabetical  order.  The  work  took  time,  and  when  my 
parcel  of  quotations  had  grown  into  a  considerable  heap,  it  occurred  to 
me  that  the  collection,  if  a  little  further  trouble  were  expended  upon 
it,  might  first  enjoy  an  independent  existence.  Various  friends 
kindly  contributed  more  quotations  :  and  this  Book  is  the  result. 

In  January  1892,  having  the  honour  to  be  President  of  the  Section 
of  "Literature  and  the  Fine  Arts"  at  the  Hobart  Meeting  of  the 
Australasian  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  I  alluded 
to  Dr.  Murray's  request : 

A  body  like  this  Section,  composed  of  men  from  different  parts  of  scattered 
colonies,  might  render  valuable  help  in  organising  the  work  of  collecting  authori- 
ties for  our  various  peculiar  words  and  usages.  Twenty  or  thirty  men  and  women, 
each  undertaking  to  read  certain  books  with  the  new  dictionary  in  mind,  and  to 
note  in  a  prescribed  fashion  what  is  peculiar,  could  accomplish  all  that  is  needed. 
Something  has  been  done  in  Melbourne,  but  the  Colonies  have  different  words 
and  uses  of  words,  and  this  work  is  of  a  kind  which  might  well  extend  beyond  the 
bounds  of  a  single  city.  At  first  it  may  seem  as  if  our  words  were  few,  as  if  in  the 
hundred  years  of  Australian  life  few  special  usages  have  arisen ;  but  a  man  with  a 
philological  turn  of  mind,  who  notes  what  he  hears,  will  soon  find  the  list  grow. 
Some  philologers  speak,  not  perhaps  very  satisfactorily,  of  being  "at  the 
fountains  of  language  " :  we  can  all  of  us  testify  to  the  birth  of  some  words  within 
our  own  memory,  but  the  origin  of  these,  if  not  noted,  will  in  time  be  lost.  There 
are  many  other  words  which  the  strictest  cannot  condemn  as  slang,  though  even 
slang,  being  the  speech  of  the  people,  is  not  undeserving  of  some  scientific  study  : 
words,  for  instance,  which  have  come  into  the  language  from  the  Aborigines, 
and  names  of  animals,  shrubs,  and  flowers.  It  might  even  be  possible,  with 
sufficient  co-operation,  to  produce  an  Australian  dictionary  on  the  same  lines  as 
the  New  English  Dictionary  by  way  of  supplement  to  it.  Organisation  might 
make  the  labour  light,  whilst  for  many  it  would  from  its  very  nature  prove  a 
pleasant  task. 

These  suggestions  were  not  carried  out.  Individuals  sent  quota- 
tions to  Oxford,  but  no  organisation  was  established  to  make  the 
collection  systematic  or  complete,  and  at  the  next  meeting  of  the 
Association  the  Section  had  ceased  to  exist,  or  at  least  had  doffed  its 
literary  character. 

At  a  somewhat  later  date,  Messrs.  Funk  and  Wagnall  of  New  York 
invited  me  to  join  an  "  Advisory  Committee  on  disputed  spelling  and 
pronunciation."  That  firm  was  then  preparing  its  Standard ^Dictionary ', 
and  one  part  of  the  scheme  was  to  obtain  opinions  as  to  usage  from 
various  parts  of  the  English-speaking  world,  especially  from  those 
whose  function  it  is  to  teach  the  English  Language.  Subsequently,  at 
my  own  suggestion,  the  firm  appointed  me  to  take  charge  of  the  Australian 
terms  in  their  Dictionary,  and  I  forwarded  a  certain  number  of  words 
and  phrases  in  use  in  Australia.  But  the  accident  of  the  letter  A,  for 
Australian,  coming  early  in  the  alphabet  gives  my  name  a  higher  place 
than  it  deserves  on  the  published  list  of  those  co-operating  in  the 
production  of  this  Standard  Dictionary ;  for  with  my  present  knowledge 
I  see  that  my  contribution  was  lamentably  incomplete.  Moreover,  I 
joined  the  Editorial  Corps  too  late  to  be  of  real  use.  Only  the  final 
proofs  were  sent  to  me,  and  although  my  corrections  were  reported  to 
New  York  without  delay,  they  arrived  too  late  for  any  alterations  to 
be  effected  before  the  sheets  went  to  press.  This  took  the  heart  out 
of  my  work  for  that  Dictionary.  For  its  modernness,  for  many  of  its 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

lexicographical  features,  and  for  its  splendid  illustrations,  I  entertain  a 
cordial  admiration  for  the  book,  and  I  greatly  regret  the  unworthiness 
of  my  share  in  it.  It  is  quite  evident  that  others  had  contributed 
Australasian  words,  and  I  must  confess  I  hardly  like  to  be  held 
responsible  for  some  of  their  statements.  For  instance — 

"  Aabec.  An  Australian  medicinal  bark  said  to  promote  perspiration." 

I  have  never  heard  of  it,  and  my  ignorance  is  shared  by  the  greatest 
Australian  botanist,  the  Baron  von  Miiller. 

"  Bea^lregarde.  The  Zebra  grass-parrakeet  of  Australia.  From  F.  beau,  regarde. 
See  BEAU  n.  and  REGARD." 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  name  is  altered  out  of  recognition,  but 
really  comes  from  the  aboriginal  budgery,  good,  and  gar,  parrot. 

"  Imou-pine.  A  large  New  Zealand  tree  ....  called  red  pine  by  the  colonists 
and  rimu  by  the  natives." 

I  can  find  no  trace  of  the  spelling  "  Imou."  In  a  circular  to  New 
Zealand  newspapers  I  asked  whether  it  was  a  known  variant.  The 
New  Zealand  Herald  made  answer — "He  may  be  sure  that  the  good 
American  dictionary  has  made  a  misprint.  It  was  scarcely  worth 
the  Professor's  while  to  take  notice  of  mere  examples  of  pakeha 
ignorance  of  Maori." 

"  Swagman.  [Slang-,  Austral.]  i.  A  dealer  in  cheap  trinkets,  etc.  2.  A  swagger." 

In  twenty-two  years  of  residence  in  Australia,  I  have  never  heard 
the  former  sense. 

"  Taihoa.  [Anglo-Tasmanian.]     No  hurry  ;  wait." 

The  word  is  Maori,  and  Maori  is  the  language  of  New  Zealand, 
not  of  Tasmania. 

These  examples,  I  know,  are  not  fair  specimens  of  the  accuracy  of 
the  Standard  Dictionary,  but  they  serve  as  indications  of  the  necessity 
for  a  special  book  on  Australasian  English. 

II.  TITLE  AND  SCOPE  OF  THE  BOOK. 

In  the  present  day,  when  words  are  more  and  more  abbreviated,  a 
"short  title"  maybe  counted  necessary  to  the  welfare  of  a  book. 
For  this  reason  "Austral  English"  has  been  selected.  In  its  right 
place  in  the  dictionary  the  word  Austral  will  be  found  with  illus- 
trations to  show  that  its  primary  meaning,  "  southern,"  is  being  more 
and  more  limited,  so  that  the  word  may  now  be  used  as  equivalent 
to  Australasian. 

"Austral"  or  "Australasian  English"  means  all  the  new  words 
and  the  new  uses  of  old  words  that  have  been  added  to  the  English 
language  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  those  who  speak  English  have 
taken  up  their  abode  in  Australia,  Tasmania,  and  New  Zealand. 
Hasty  inference  might  lead  to  the  remark  that  such  addition  is  only 
slang,  but  the  remark  is  far  from  being  accurate  ;  probably  not  one- 
tenth  of  the  new  vocabulary  could  fairly  be  so  classified.  A  great 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

deal  of  slang  is  used  in  Australasia,  but  very  much  less  is  generated 
here  than  is  usually  believed.  In  1895  a  literary  policeman  in 
Melbourne  brought  out  a  small  Australian  Slang  Dictionary.  In  spite 
of  the  name,  however,  the  compiler  confesses  that  "very  few  of  the 
terms  it  contains  have  been  invented  by  Australians."  My  estimate  is 
that  not  one  word  in  fifty  in  his  little  book  has  an  Australian  origin, 
or  even  a  specially  Australian  use. 

The  phrase  "'Australasian  English "  includes  something  much 
wider  than  slang.  Those  who,  speaking  the  tongue  of  Shakspeare, 
of  Milton,  and  of  Dr.  Johnson,  came  to  various  parts  of 
Australasia,  found  a  Flora  and  a  Fauna  waiting  to  be  named 
in  English.  New  birds,  beasts  and  fishes,  new  trees,  bushes 
and  flowers,  had  to  receive  names  for  general  use.  It  is  probably 
not  too  much  to  say  that  there  never  was  an  instance  in  history 
when  so  many  new  names  were  needed,  and  that  there  never  will  be 
such  an  occasion  again,  for  never  did  settlers  come,  nor  can 
they  ever  again  come,  upon  Flora  and  Fauna  so  completely  different 
from  anything  seen  by  them  before.  When  the  offshoots  of  our  race 
first  began  to  settle  in  America,  they  found  much  that  was  new,  but 
they  were  still  in  the  same  North  Temperate  zone.  Though  there  is 
now  a  considerable  divergence  between  the  American  and  the  English 
vocabulary,  especially  in  technical  terms,  it  is  not  largely  due  to 
great  differences  in  natural  history.  An  oak  in  America  is  still  a 
Quercus,  not  as  in  Australia  a  Casuarina.  But  with  the  whole  tropical 
region  intervening  it  was  to  be  expected  that  in  the  South  Temperate 
Zone  many  things  would  be  different,  and  such  expectation  was  amply 
fulfilled.  In  early  descriptions  of  Australia  it  is  a  sort  of  common- 
place to  dwell  on  this  complete  variety,  to  harp  on  the  trees  that 
shed  bark  not  leaves,  and  the  cherries  with  the  stones  outside. 
Since  the  days  when  "Adam  gave  names  to  all  cattle  and  to  the  fowl 
of  the  air  and  to  every  beast  of  the  field"  never  were  so  many  new 
names  called  for.  Unfortunately,  names  were  not  given  by  the  best 
educated  in  the  community,  but  often  by  those  least  qualified  to 
invent  satisfactory  names  :  not  by  a  linguist,  a  botanist,  an  ornitholo- 
gist, an  ichthyologist,  but  by  the  ordinary  settler.  Even  in  countries 
of  old  civilisation  names  are  frequently  conferred  or  new  words  in- 
vented, at  times  with  good  and  at  times  with  unsatisfactory  results,  by 
the  average  man,  whom  it  is  the  modern  fashion  to  call  "  the  man  in  the 
street."  Much  of  Australasian  nomenclature  is  due  to  "  the  man  in  the 
bush  " — more  precise  address  not  recorded.  Givers  of  new  names 
may  be  benefactors  to  their  language  or  violators  of  its  purity  and 
simplicity,  but  in  either  case  they  are  nearly  always,  like  the  burial- 
place  of  Moses,  unknown. 

III.  SOURCES  OF  NEW  WORDS. 

Of  Australasian  additions  to  the  English  language  there  are  two 
main  sources,  which  correspond  to  the  twofold  division  of  them  into 
new  words  and  new  uses  of  old  words. 

i.  Altered  English. 

The  commoner  origin  of  Australasian  English  words  is  the  turning 


INTRODUCTION  xiii 

and  twisting  of  an  already  existing  English  name.  The  settler  saw  a 
fruit  somewhat  like  a  cherry.  Though  he  knew  well  that  it  was  not 
a  cherry,  he  christened  it  the  "  native  cherry."  It  may  here  be 
remarked  that  the  prefix  native  is  not  a  satisfactory  distinguishing 
adjective.  Native  bear,  native  cherry,  may  teach  the  young  Austra- 
lian that  the  bear  and  the  cherry  so  named  are  not  as  the  bear  of 
the  Arctic  Regions  or  the  cherry  of  Europe.  But  in  the  British 
Museum  the  label  does  not  help  much.  The  settler  heard  a  bird  laugh 
in  what  he  thought  an  extremely  ridiculous  manner,  its  opening 
notes  suggesting  a  donkey's  bray — he  called  it  the  "  laughing 
jackass."  His  descendants  have  dropped  the  adjective,  and  it  has  come 
to  pass  that  the  word  " jackass"  denotes  to  an  Australian  something 
quite  different  from  its  meaning  to  other  speakers  of  our  English 
tongue.  The  settler  must  have  had  an  imagination.  Whip-bird, 
or  Coach-whip,  from  the  sound  of  the  note,  Lyre-bird  from  the 
appearance  of  the  outspread  tail,  are  admirable  names. 

Another  class  of  name  brought  the  Australian  word  nearer  to  its 
English  use.  "  Robin  "  for  instance  is  applied  to  birds  of  various 
species  not  known  in  Europe.  Bird-names,  fish-names,  plant-names, 
are  sometimes  transferred  to  new  species,  sometimes  to  a  new  genus, 
sometimes  to  an  entirely  different  Natural  Order,  bearing  a  resem- 
blance to  the  original,  either  real  or  fancied,  as  for  instance  "Magpie." 
It  is  hardly  necessary  to  dwell  longer  on  this  point,  for  almost  every 
page  of  the  Dictionary  bears  witness  to  it. 

2.  Words  new  to  the  Language, 
(a)  Aboriginal  Australian. 

Many  of  the  new  Australasian  words  are  taken  from  the  languages 
of  the  aborigines,  often  with  considerable  alteration  due  to  misun- 
derstanding. Such  words  are  either  Australian  or  Maori.  Whilst  in 
New  Zealand  careful  attention  has  been  paid  by  competent  scholars 
to  the  musical  Maori  language,  it  can  hardly  be  claimed  that  the 
Australian  family  of  languages  has  ever  been  scientifically  studied, 
though  there  is  a  heap  of  printed  material — small  grammars  and  lists 
of  words — rudis  indigestaque  moles.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  vocabu- 
laries used  in  different  parts  of  Australia  and  Tasmania  varied  greatly, 
and  equally  little  doubt  that  the  languages,  in  structure  and  perhaps 
originally  in  vocabulary,  were  more  or  less  connected.  About  the  year 
1883,  Professor  Sayce,  of  Oxford,  wrote  a  letter,  which  was  published 
in  The  Argus,  pointing  out  the  obligation  that  lay  upon  the  Austra- 
lian colonies  to  make  a  scientific  study  of  a  vanishing  speech.  The 
duty  would  be  stronger  were  it  not  for  the  distressing  lack  of 
pence  that  now  is  vexing  public  men.  Probably  a  sum  of  ^300  a 
year  would  suffice  for  an  educated  inquirer,  but  his  full  time  for 
several  years  would  be  needed.  Such  an  one  should  be  trained  at 
the  University  as  a  linguist  and  an  observer,  paying  especial  attention 
to  logic  and  to  Comparative  Philology.  Whilst  the  colonies  neglect 
their  opportunities,  and  Sibylla  year  by  year  withdraws  her  offer, 
perhaps  "the  inevitable  German"  will  intervene,  and  in  a  well- 
arranged  book  bring  order  out  of  the  chaos  of  vocabularies  and  small 
pamphlets  on  the  subject,  all  that  we  have  to  trust  to  now. 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

The  need  of  scientific  accuracy  is  strong.  For  the  purposes  of 
this  Dictionary  I  have  been  investigating  the  origin  of  words,  more 
or  less  naturalised  as  English,  that  come  from  aboriginal  Australian, 
in  number  between  seventy  and  a  hundred.  I  have  received  a  great 
deal  of  kind  assistance,  many  people  taking  much  trouble  to  inform 
me.  But  there  is  a  manifest  lack  of  knowledge.  Many  supplied 
me  with  the  meanings  of  the  words  as  used  in  English,  but  though 
my  appeal  was  scattered  far  and  wide  over  Australia  (chiefly  through 
the  kindness  of  the  newspapers),  few  could  really  give  the  origin 
of  the  words.  Two  amongst  the  best  informed  went  so  far  as  to  say 
that  Australian  words  have  no  derivation.  That  doctrine  is  hard  to 
accept.  A  word  of  three  syllables  does  not  spring  complete  from  the 
brain  of  an  aboriginal  as  Athene  rose  fully  armed  from  the  head  of 
Zeus. 

It  is  beyond  all  doubt  that  the  vocabularies  of  the  Aborigines 
differed  widely  in  different  parts.  Frequently,  the  English  have 
carried  a  word  known  in  one  district  to  a  district  where  it  was  not 
known,  the  aboriginals  regarding  the  word  as  pure  English.  In 
several  books  statements  will  be  found  that  such  and  such  a  word  is 
not  Aboriginal,  when  it  really  has  an  aboriginal  source  but  in  a 
different  part  of  the  Continent.  Mr.  Threlkeld,  in  his  Australian 
Grammar,  which  is  especially  concerned  with  the  language  of  the 
Hunter  River,  gives  a  list  of  "  barbarisms,"  words  that  he  considers 
do  not  belong  to  the  aboriginal  tongue.  He  says  with  perfect 
truth — "  Barbarisms  have  crept  into  use,  introduced  by  sailors, 
stockmen,  and  others,  in  the  use  of  which  both  blacks  and  whites 
labour  under  the  mistaken  idea,  that  each  one  is  conversing  in  the 
other's  language."  And  yet  with  him  a  "  barbarism"  has  to  be 
qualified  as  .meaning  "  not  belonging  to  the  Hunter  District."  But 
Mr.  Threlkeld  is  not  the  only  writer  who  will  not  acknowledge  as 
aboriginal  sundry  words  with  an  undoubted  Australian  pedigree. 

(b)  Maori. 

The  Maori  language,  the  Italian  of  the  South,  has  received  very 
different  treatment  from  that  meted  out  by  fate  and  indifference  to 
the  aboriginal  tongues  of  Australia.  It  has  been  studied  by  competent 
scholars,  and  its  grammar  has  been  comprehensively  arranged  and 
stated.  A  Maori  Dictionary,  compiled  more  than  fifty  years  ago  by 
a  missionary,  afterwards  a  bishop,  has  been  issued  in  a  fourth  edition 
by  his  son,  who  is  now  a  bishop.  Yet,  of  Maori  also,  the  same  thing  is 
said  with  respect  to  etymology.  A  Maori  scholar  told  me  that,  when 
he  began  the  study  many  years  ago,  he  was  warned  by  a  very  dis- 
tinguished scholar  not  to  seek  for  derivations,  as  the  search  was  full 
of  pitfalls.  It  was  not  maintained  that  words  sprang  up  without  an 
origin,  but  that  the  true  origin  of  most  of  the  words  was  now  lost.  In 
spite  of  this  double  warning,  it  may  be  maintained  that  some  of  the 
origins  both  of  Maori  and  of  Australian  words  have  been  found  and 
are  in  this  book  recorded. 

The  pronunciation  of  Maori  words  differs  so  widely  from  that  of 
Australian  aboriginal  names  that  it  seems  advisable  to  insert  a  note 
on  the  subject. 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

Australian  aboriginal  words  have  been  written  down  on  no 
system,  and  very  much  at  hap-hazard.  English  people  have 
attempted  to  express  the  native  sounds  phonetically  according  to 
English  pronunciation.  No  definite  rule  has  been  observed,  different 
persons  giving  totally  different  values  to  represent  the  consonant  and 
vowel  sounds.  In  a  language  with  a  spelling  so  unphonetic  as  the 
English,  in  which  the  vowels  especially  have  such  uncertain  and  vari- 
able values,  the  results  of  this  want  of  system  have  necessarily  been 
very  unsatisfactory  and  often  grotesque.  Maori  words,  on  the  other 
hand,  have  been  written  down  on  a  simple  and  consistent  system, 
adopted  by  the  missionaries  for  the  purpose  of  the  translation  of  the 
Bible.  This  system  consists  in  giving  the  Italian  sound  to  the 
vowels,  every  letter — vowel  and  consonant — having  a  fixed  and  in- 
variable value.  Maori  words  are  often  very  melodious.  In  pro- 
nunciation the  best  rule  is  to  pronounce  each  syllable  with  a  nearly 
equal  accent. 

Care  has  been  taken  to  remember  that  this  is  an  Australasian 
English  and  not  a  Maori  Dictionary  ;  therefore  to  exclude  words  that 
have  not  passed  into  the  speech  of  the  settlers.  But  in  New  Zealand 
Maori  is  much  more  widely  used  in  the  matter  of  vocabulary  than  the 
speech  of  the  aborigines  is  in  Australia,  or  at  any  rate  in  the  more 
settled  parts  of  Australia ;  and  the  Maori  is  in  a  purer  form.  Though 
some  words  and  names  have  been  ridiculously  corrupted,  the  lan- 
guage of  those  who  dwell  in  the  bush  in  New  Zealand  can  hardly  be 
called  Pigeon  English,  and  that  is  the  right  name  for  the  "lingo" 
used  in  Queensland  and  Western  Australia,  which,  only  partly  repre- 
sented in  this  book,  is  indeed  a  falling  away  from  the  language  of 
Bacon  and  Shakspeare. 

IV.    LAW    OF    HOBSON-JOBSON. 

In  many  places  in  the  Dictionary,  I  find  I  have  used  the  expression 
"the  law  of  Hobson-Jobson."  The  name  is  an  adaptation  from  the 
expression  used  by  Col.  Yule  and  Mr.  Burnell  as  a  name  for  their 
interesting  Dictionary  of  Anglo-Indian  words.  The  law  is  well 
recognised,  though  it  has  lacked  the  name,  such  as  I  now  venture  to 
.give  it.  When  a  word  comes  from  a  foreign  language,  those  who 
use  it,  not  understanding  it  properly,  give  a  twist  to  the  word  or 
to  some  part  of  it,  from  the  hospitable  desire  to  make  the  word 
at  home  in  its  new  quarters,  no  regard,  however,  being  paid  to  the 
sense.  The  most  familiar  instance  in  English  is  crayfish  from  the 
French  ecrevisse,  though  it  is  well  known  that  a  crayfish  is  not  a  fish 
at  all.  Amongst  the  Mohammedans  in  India  there  is  a  festival  at 
which  the  names  of  "  Hassan  "  and  "  Hosein  "  are  frequently  called  out 
by  devotees.  Tommy  Atkins,  to  whom  the  names  were  naught, 
converted  them  into  "  Hobson,  Jobson."  That  the  practice  of  so 
altering  words  is  not  limited  to  the  English  is  shown  by  two 
perhaps  not  very  familiar  instances  in  French,  where  "Aunt  Sally" 
has  become  ane  sale,  "a  dirty  donkey,"  and  "bowsprit"  has  become 
beau  pre,  though  quite  unconnected  wTith  "a  beautiful  meadow." 
The  name  "Pigeon  English"  is  itself  a  good  example.  It  has  no 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

connection  with  pigeon,  the  bird,  but  is  an  Oriental's  attempt  to 
pronounce  the  word  "business."  It  hardly,  however,  seems  necessary 
to  alter  the  spelling  to  "  pidjin." 

It  may  be  thought  by  some  precisians  that  all  Australasian  English 
is  a  corruption  of  the  language.  So  too  is  Anglo-Indian,  and,  pace 
Mr.  Brander  Matthews,  there  are  such  things  as  Americanisms, 
which  were  not  part  of  the  Elizabethan  heritage,  though  it  is  perfectly 
true  that  many  of  the  American  phrases  most  railed  at  are  pure  old 
English,  preserved  in  the  States,  though  obsolete  in  Modern  England  ; 
for  the  Americans,  as  Lowell  says,  "could  not  take  with  them  any 
better  language  than  that  of  Shakspeare."  When  we  hear  railing  at 
slang  phrases,  at  Americanisms,  some  of  which  are  admirably  expres- 
sive, at  various  flowers  of  colonial  speech,  and  at  words  woven  into 
the  texture  of  our  speech  by  those  who  live  far  away  from  London 
and  from  Oxford,  and  who  on  the  outskirts  of  the  British  Empire 
are  brought  into  contact  with  new  natural  objects  that  need  new 
names,  we  may  think  for  our  comfort  on  the  undoubted  fact  that  the 
noble  and  dignified  language  of  the  poets,  authors  and  preachers, 
grouped  around  Lewis  XIV.,  sprang  from  debased  Latin.  For  it  was 
not  the  classical  Latin  that  is  the  origin  of  French,  but  the  language 
of  the  soldiers  and  the  camp-followers  who  talked  slang  and  picked 
words  up  from  every  quarter.  English  has  certainly  a  richer 
vocabulary,  a  finer  variety  of  words  to  express  delicate  distinctions 
of  meaning,  than  any  language  that  is  or  that  ever  was  spoken  :  and 
this  is  because  it  has  always  been  hospitable  in  the  reception  of  new 
words.  It  is  too  late  a  day  to  close  the  doors  against  new  words.  This 
Austral  English  Dictionary  merely  catalogues  and  records  those  which 
at  certain  doors  have  already  come  in. 


V.  CLASSIFICATION  OF  THE  WORDS. 

The    Dictionary   thus   includes   the  following   classes    of   Words, 
Phrases  and  Usages  ;  viz. — 

(1)  Old     English    names    of    Natural     Objects— Birds,     Fishes, 
Animals,   Trees,    Plants,   etc. — applied  (in   the   first  instance  by  the 
early  settlers)  either  to  new  Australian  species  of  such  objects,  or  to 
new  objects  bearing  a  real  or  fancied  resemblance  to  them— as  Robin, 
Magpie,  Herring,    Cod,    Cat,  Bear,    Oak,   Beech,   Pine,    Cedar,    Cherry 
Spinach,  Hops,  Pea,  Rose. 

(2)  English  names  of  objects  applied  in  Australia  to  others  quite 
different— as    Wattle,    a    hurdle,    applied   as   the   name   of  the    tree 
Wattle,  from  whose  twigs  the  hurdle  was  most  readily  made  ;  Jackass 
an  animal,  used  as  the  name  for  the  bird  Jackass ;  Cockatoo,  a  bird- 
name,  applied  to  a  small  farmer. 

(3)  Aboriginal   Australian    and   Maori    words   which    have    been 
incorporated  unchanged  in  the  language,  and  which  still  denote  the 
>ngmal  object— as  Kangaroo,  Wombat,  Boomerang,  Whare,  Pa,  Kauri 


INTRODUCTION  xvii 

(4)  Aboriginal    Australian    and    Maori    words    which    have    been 
similarly  adopted,  and  which  have  also  had  their  original  meaning 
extended  and  applied  to  other  things — as  Bunyip,  Corrobbery,  Warrigal. 

(5)  Anglicised   corruptions  of  such  words — as    Copper-Maori,    Go- 
ashore,  Cock-a-bully,  Paddy-melon,  Pudding-ball,  Tooky-took. 

(6)  Fanciful,    picturesque,     or    humorous    names    given    to    new 
Australasian  Natural  Objects — as  Forty-spot,  Lyre-bird,  Parson-bird,  and 
Coach-whip  (birds);    Wait-a-while  (a  tangled  thicket) ;    Thousand-jacket, 

Jimmy  Low,  Jimmy  Donnelly,  and  Roger  Gough  (trees)  ;  Axe-breaker, 
Cheese-wood,  and  Raspberry  Jam  (timbers)  ;  Trumpeter,  Schnapper  and 
Sergeant  Baker  (fishes)  ;  Umbrella-grass  and  Spaniard  (native  plants), 
and  so  on. 

(7)  Words  and  phrases  of  quite  new  coinage,  or  arising  from  quite 
new  objects  or  orders  of  things — as  Larrikin,  Swagman,  Billy,  Free- 
selector,  Boundary-rider,  Black-tracker,  Back-blocks,  Clear-skin,  Dummy  ism, 
Bushed. 

(8)  Scientific  names  arising  exclusively  from  Australasian  necessi- 
ties, chiefly  to   denote   or   describe  new  Natural  Orders,  Genera,  or 
Species  confined  or  chiefly  appertaining  to  Australia — as  Monotreme, 
Petrogale,   Clianthus,  Ephthia?iura,  Dinornis,  Eucalypt,    Boronia,     Orni- 
thorhynchus,  Banksia. 

(9)  Slang  (of  which  the  element  is  comparatively  small)— as  Deep- 
sinker,  Duck-shoving,  Hoot,  Slushy,  Boss-cockie,  On-the-  Wallaby. 

VI.  QUOTATIONS. 

With  certain  exceptions,  this  Dictionary  is  built  up,  as  a  Dic- 
tionary should  be,  on  quotations,  and  these  are  very  copious.  It  may 
even  be  thought  that  their  number  is  too  large.  It  is  certainly  larger, 
and  in  some  places  the  quotations  themselves  are  much  longer,  than 
could  ever  be  expected  in  a  general  Dictionary  of  the  English 
Language.  This  copiousness  is,  however,  the  advantage  of  a  special 
Dictionary.  The  intention  of  the  quotations  is  to  furnish  evidence 
that  a  word  is  used  as  an  English  word  ;  and  many  times  the  quota- 
tion itself  furnishes  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  meaning.  I 
hope,  however,  I  shall  not  be  held  responsible  for  all  the  statements 
in  the  quotations,  even  where  attention  is  not  drawn  to  their  in- 
correctness. Sundry  Australasian  uses  of  words  are  given  in  other 
dictionaries,  as,  for  instance,  in  the  parts  already  issued  of  the 
Oxford  English  Dictionary  and  in  The  Century,  but  the  space  that 
can  be  allotted  to  them  in  such  works  is  of  necessity  too  small  for 
full  explanation.  Efforts  have  been  made  to  select  such  quotations 
as  should  in  themselves  be  interesting,  picturesque,  and  illustrative. 
In  a  few  cases  they  may  even  be  humorous. 

Moreover,  the  endeavour  has  been  constant  to  obtain  quotations 
from  all  parts  of  the  Australasian  Colonies — from  books  that  describe 
different  parts  of  Australasia,  and  from  newspapers  published  far  and 

b 


INTRODUCTION 

I,     ,  am  conscious  that  in  the  latter 

predominate,  but  this  has_  bee,,  due   to  >™  whilst  my  fnend 

Melbourne   I   see  more  °f  thef  ^7°""  and  fewer  from  newspapers 

have  sent  me  more  W°™o™*°mD%M  explanatory.       Many  times 
The  quotations,  howeve  r,  are  no  t  ai  i       P  ^  &  particular 

a  quotation  is  given  merely  to  mark  the  use  ^   ^ 

epoch.  Quotations  are  al  careM  y  aa  ,  ;cal  development  of  a 
historical  order,  and  thus  the  ex  act  chr°  ^^  ^ 

word  has  been  indicated.    ™e  pracuce  tations  general  y, 

followed  in  this  respect  and  in  *e  matte  £  ^  more  ^,ly 
though  as  a  rule  the  ^^^  q\arly  quotations  have  been 
expressed  here  than  m  that  D.ction  y^  f^.  afeout  &  ce 


variety  o 
the  same  word  in  consecutive  ««.  Australian  science 


named  :    and  there  has  been  not  ,  i         e  concerned  with 


recorded. 

VII.  AUTHORITIES. 

been  of  greater  service  than  Maidens  Useful  Native  •&"***• 
Unfortunately  many  scientific  men  scorn  vernacular  names  but  Mr. 
Maiden  has  taken  the  utmost  pains  with  them,  and  has  t 
Sly  increased  the  utility  of  his  volume  For  Tasmania  there  is 
M?.  Svictfs  Handbook  of  Tasmanian  Plants;  for  New  Zealand,  Kirks 
Forest  Flora  and  Hooker's  Botany. 

For  Australian  animals  Lydekker's  Marsupials  and  Monotremes  is 
excellent;  especially  his  section  on  the  Phalanger  or  Australian 
Opossum,  an  animal  which  has  been  curiously  neglected  by  all 
tionaries  of  repute.  On  New  Zealand  mammals  it  is  not  necessary 
to  quote  any  book;  for  when  the  English  came,  it  is  said,  New 
Zealand  contained  no  mammal  larger  than  a  rat.  Captain  Cook 
turned  two  pigs  loose  ;  but  it  is  stated  on  authority,  that  these  pigs 
left  no  descendants.  One  was  ridden  to  death  by  Maori  boys,  and 
the  other  was  killed  for  sacrilege  :  he  rooted  in  a  tapu  burial-place. 
Nevertheless,  the  settlers  still  call  any  wild-pig,  especially  if  lean  and 
bony,  a  "Captain  Cook." 


INTRODUCTION  xix 

For  the  scientific  nomenclature  of  Australian  Botany  the  Census  of 
Australian  Plants  by  the  Baron  von  Miiller  (1889)  is  indispensable.  It 
has  been  strictly  followed.  For  fishes  reliance  has  been  placed  upon 
Tenison  Woods'  Fishes  and  Fisheries  of  New  South  Wales  (1882),  on  W. 
Macleay's  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Australian  Fishes  (Proceedings  of 
the  Linnaean  Society  of  New  South  Wales,  vols.  v.  and  vi.),  and  on 
Dr.  Giinther's  Study  of  Fishes.  For  the  scientific  nomenclature  of 
Animal  Life,  the  standard  of  reference  has  been  the  Tabular  List  of 
all  the  Australian  Birds  by  E.  P.  Ramsay  of  the  Australian  Museum, 
Sydney  (1888);  Catalogue  of  Australian  Mammals  by  J.  O.  Ogilby  of 
the  Australian  Museum,  Sydney  (1892)  ;  Catalogue  of  Marsupials 
and  Monotremes,  British  Museum  (1888) ;  Prodromus  to  the  Natural 
History  of  Victoria  by  Sir  F.  McCoy.  Constant  reference  has  also 
been  made  to  Proceedings  of  the  Linnaean  Society  of  New  South 
Wales,  Proceedings  and  Transactions  of  the  Royal  Societies  of 
Victoria  and  Tasmania,  and  to  the  Journal  of  the  Field  Naturalist 
Club  of  Victoria. 

The  birds  both  in  Australia  and  New  Zealand  have  been  hand- 
somely treated  by  the  scientific  illustrators,  Gould's  Birds  of 
Australia  and  Buller's  Birds  of  New  Zealand  are  indeed  monumental 
works.  Neither  Gould  nor  Sir  Walter  Buller  scorns  vernacular 
names.  But  since  the  days  of  the  former  the  number  of  named 
species  of  Australian  birds  has  largely  increased,  and  in  January 
1895,  at  the  Brisbane  Meeting  of  the  Australasian  Association  for  the 
Advancement  of  Science,  a  Committee  was  appointed  to  draw  up  a 
list  of  vernacular  bird-names.  By  the  kindness  of  a  member  of  this 
Committee  (Mr.  A.  J.  Campbell  of  Melbourne)  I  was  allowed  the  use 
of  a  list  of  such  vernacular  names  drawn  up  by  him  and  Col.  Legge 
for  submission  to  the  Committee. 


VIII.  SCIENTIFIC  WORDS. 

The  example  of  The  Century  has  been  followed  in  the  inclusion  of 
sundry  scientific  names,  especially  those  of  genera  or  Natural  Orders 
of  purely  Australasian  objects.  Although  it  is  quite  true  that  these 
can  hardly  be  described  as  Australasian  English,  it  is  believed  that 
the  course  adopted  will  be  for  the  general  convenience  of  those  who 
consult  this  Dictionary. 

Some  of  these  "  Neo-Latin  "  and  "  Neo-Greek  "  words  are  extra- 
ordinary in  themselves  and  obscure  in  their  origin,  though  not 
through  antiquity.  In  his  Students  Pastime,  at  p.  293,  Dr.  Skeat  says — 
"  Nowhere  can  more  ignorant  etymologies  be  found  than  in  works 
on  Botany  and  *  scientific '  subjects.  Too  often,  all  the  science  is 
reserved  for  the  subject,  so  that  there  is  none  to  spare  for  explaining 
the  names." 

A  generous  latitude  has  also  been  taken  in  including  some  words 
undoubtedly  English,  but  not  exclusively  Australasian,  such  as 
Anabranch,  and  Antipodes,  and  some  mining  and  other  terms  that  are 
also  used  in  the  United  States.  Convenience  of  readers  is  the  excuse. 
Anabranch  is  more  frequently  used  of  Australian  rivers  than  of  any 
others,  but  perhaps  a  little  pride  in  tracking  the  origin  of  the  word 


xx  INTRODUCTION 

has  had  something  to  do  with  its  inclusion.  Some  words  have  been 
inserted  for  purposes  of  explanation,  e.g.  Snook,  in  Australasia  called 
Barracouta,  which  latter  is  itself  an  old  name  applied  in  Australasia 
to  a  different  fish  ;  and  Cavally,  which  is  needed  to  explain  Trevally. 

IX.  ASSISTANCE  RECEIVED. 

There  remains  the  pleasant  duty  of  acknowledging  help.  Many 
persons  have  given  me  help,  whose  names  can  hardly  be  listed 
here.  A  friend,  an  acquaintance,  or  sometimes  even  a  stranger, 
has  often  sent  a  single  quotation  of  value,  or  an  explanation  of  a 
single  word.  The  Editors  of  many  newspapers  have  helped  not 
a  little  by  the  insertion  of  a  letter  or  a  circular.  To  all  these 
helpers,  and  I  reckon  their  number  at  nearly  200,  I  tender  my  hearty 
thanks. 

Various  officers  of  the  Melbourne  Public  Library,  and  my  friend 
Mr.  Edward  H.  Bromby,  the  Librarian  of  this  University,  have 
rendered  me  much  assistance.  I  have  often  been  fortunate  enough  to 
obtain  information  from  the  greatest  living  authority  on  a  particular 
subject:  from  the  Baron  von  Miiller,  from  Sir  Frederick  M'Coy,  or 
from  Mr.  A.  W.  Howitt.  [Alas !  since  I  penned  this  sentence, 
the  kind  and  helpful  Baron  has  been  taken  from  us,  and  is  no  longer 
the  greatest  living  authority  on  Australian  Botany.]  My  friend  and 
colleague,  Professor  Baldwin  Spencer,  a  most  earnest  worker  in 
the  field  of  Australian  science,  gave  many  hours  of  valuable  time  to 
set  these  pages  right  in  the  details  of  scientific  explanations.  Mr. 
J.  G.  Luehmann  of  Melbourne  has  kindly  answered  various  questions 
about  Botany,  and  Mr.  A.  J.  North,  of  Sydney,  in  regard  to  certain 
birds.  Mr.  T.  S.  Hall,  of  the  Biological  Department  of  this  Uni- 
versity, and  Mr.  J.  J.  Fletcher,  of  Sydney,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Linnaean  Society  of  New  South  Wales,  have  rendered  me  much  help. 
The  Rev.  John  Mathew,  of  Coburg,  near  Melbourne,  has  thrown 
much  light  on  aboriginal  words.  The  Rev.  E.  H.  Sugden,  Master 
of  Queen's  College  in  this  University,  has  furnished  a  large  number 
of  useful  quotations.  His  name  is  similarly  mentioned,  honoris  causa, 
in  Dr.  Murray's  Preface  to  Part  I.  of  the  <O.  E.D.'  Mr.  R.  T.  Elliott 
of  Worcester  College,  Oxford,  has  given  similar  help.  The  Master 

himself, — the  Master  of  all  who  engage  in  Dictionary  work, Dr. 

Murray,  of  Oxford,  has  kindly  forwarded  to  me  a  few  pithy  and 
valuable  comments  on  my  proof-sheets.  He  also  made  me  a  strong 
appeal  never  to  pass  on  information  from  any  source  without  acknow^ 
ledgment.  This,  the  only  honest  course,  I  have  striven  scrupulously 
to  follow ;  but  it  is  not  always  easy  to  trace  the  sources  whence 
information  has  been  derived. 

When  gaps  in  the  sequence  of  quotations  were  especially  apparent 
on  the  proofs,  Mr.  W.  Ellis  Bird,  of  Richmond,  Victoria,  found  me 
many  illustrative  passages.  For  New  Zealand  words  a  o-oodlv 
supply  of  quotations  was  contributed  by  Miss  Mary  Colborne-Veel 
of  Chnstchurch,  author  of  a  volume  of  poetry  called  The  Fairest 

°L  ™  3 r  c  £  u6r  S1Ster'  MisS  Gertrude  Colborne-Veel,  and  by 
Mr.  W.  H.  S.  Roberts  of  Oamaru,  author  of  a  little  book  called 


INTRODUCTION  xxi 

Southland  in  1856.  In  the  matter  of  explanation  of  the  origin  and 
meaning  of  New  Zealand  terms,  Dr.  Hocken  of  Dunedin,  Mr.  F.  R. 
Chapman  of  the  same  city,  and  Mr.  Edward  Tregear  of  Wellington, 
author  of  the  Maori  Polynesian  Dictionary,  and  Secretary  of  the  Poly- 
nesian Society,  have  rendered  valuable  and  material  assistance.  Dr. 
Holden  of  BeUerive,  near  Hobart,  was  perhaps  my  most  valued 
correspondent.  After  I  had  failed  in  one  or  two  quarters  to  enlist 
Tasmanian  sympathy,  he  came  to  the  rescue,  and  gave  me  much 
help  on  Tasmanian  words,  especially  on  the  Flora  and  the  birds  ; 
also  on  Queensland  Flora  and  on  the  whole  subject  of  Fishes.  Dr. 
Holden  also  enlisted  later  the  help  of  Mr.  J.  B.  Walker,  of  Hobart, 
who  contributed  much  to  enrich  my  proofs.  But  the  friend  who  has 
given  me  most  help  of  all  has  been  Mr.  J.  Lake  of  St.  John's  College, 
Cambridge.  When  the  Dictionary  was  being  prepared  for  press,  he 
worked  with  me  for  some  months,  very  loyally  putting  my  materials 
into  shape.  Birds,  Animals,  and  Botany  he  sub-edited  for  me,  and 
much  of  the  value  of  this  part  of  the  Book,  which  is  almost  an 
Encyclopaedia  rather  than  a  Dictionary,  is  due  to  his  ready  know- 
ledge, his  varied  attainments,  and  his  willingness  to  undertake 
research. 

To  all  who  have  thus  rendered  me  assistance  I  tender  hearty 
thanks.  It  is  not  their  fault  if,  as  is  sure  to  be  the  case,  defects  and 
mistakes  are  found  in  this  Dictionary.  But  should  the  Book  be 
received  with  public  favour,  these  shall  be  corrected  in  a  later 
edition. 

EDWARD  E.  MORRIS. 

The  University,  Melbourne, 
Febrtiary  23,  1897. 


LIST   OF   ABBREVIATIONS   OF    NAMES 


Ait.      .     .     . 

Aiton. 

Haw.  . 

.     Haworth. 

Andr.  .     .     . 

Andrews. 

Hens. 

.     Henslow. 

B.  and  L. 

Barere  and  Leland. 

Herb. 

.     Herbert. 

Bail.     .     .     . 

Baillon. 

Homb. 

.     Hombron. 

Bechst.     .     . 

Bechstein. 

Hook. 

.     J.  Hooker. 

Benth.      .     . 

Bentham. 

Hook.  f. 

.     Hooker  fils. 

Bl.        ... 

Bleeker. 

Horsf. 

.     Horsfield. 

Bocld.  .     .     . 

Boddaert 

111.       . 

.     Illiger. 

Bp.         } 
Bonap.   J 

Bonaparte. 

Jacq.    . 
Jard.    . 

.     Jacquinot. 
.     Jardine. 

R.  Br.       .     . 

Robert  Brown. 

L.  and  S. 

.     Liddell  and  Scott. 

Brong.      .     . 
Cab.     .     .     . 

Brongniart. 
Cabanis. 

Lab.      "\ 
Labill.  / 

Labillardiere. 

Carr.    .     .     . 

Carriere. 

Lacep. 

.     Lacepede. 

Castln.      .     . 

Castelnau. 

Lath.  .     . 

.     Latham. 

Cav.     .     .     . 

Cavanilles. 

Lehm. 

.     Lehmann. 

Corr.    .     .     . 

Correa. 

Less. 

.     Lesson. 

Cunn.        ") 
A.  Cunn.  J 

A.  Cunningham. 

L'herit.     . 
Licht. 

.     L'Heritier. 
.     Lichtenstein. 

Cuv.    .     .     . 

Cuvier. 

Lindl.       . 

.     Lindley. 

De  C.  .     .     . 

De  Candolle. 

Linn.  .     . 

.     Linnaeus. 

Dec.    .     .     . 

Decaisne. 

Macl.  .     . 

Macleay. 

Desf.    .     .     . 

Desfontaines. 

McC.  .     . 

.     McCoy. 

Desm.       .     . 

Desmarest. 

Meissn.     . 

.     Meissner. 

Desv.        .     . 

Desvaux. 

Menz. 

.     Menzies. 

De  Tarrag.    . 

De  Tarragon. 

Milne-Ed. 

.     Milne  -Ed  wards. 

Diet.    .     .     . 

Dietrich. 

Miq.     .     . 

.     Miquel. 

Donov.     .     . 

Donovan. 

Parlat. 

.     Parlatore. 

Drap.  .     .     . 

Drapiez. 

Pers.     .     . 

.     Persoon. 

Dryand.    .     . 
Endl.   .     .     . 

Dryander. 
Endlicher. 

Plan.        1 
Planch.    J 

.      Planchol. 

Fab.     .     .     . 

Fabricius. 

Poir.    .     . 

.     Poiret. 

Forsk.       .     . 
Forst.       .     . 

Forskael. 
Forster. 

Q.        .     . 

Raffl.   .     . 

.     Raffles. 

F.  v.  M.  .     . 

Ferdinand  von  Miiller. 

Rein.  .     . 

.     Reinwardt. 

G.  Forst. 

G.  Forster. 

Reiss. 

.     Reisseck. 

Gaertn.     .     . 
Gaim.  .     .     . 

Gaertner. 
Gaimard. 

Rich.        \ 
Richards.  J 

Richardson. 

Garn.  . 

Garnot. 

Roxb. 

Roxburgh 

Gaud.       .     . 

Gaudichaud. 

Sal.      .     . 

.     Salvadori. 

Geoff.        .     . 

Geoffrey. 

Salisb. 

.     Salisbury. 

Germ.       .     . 

Germar. 

Schau. 

.     Schauer. 

Gmel.       .     . 
Guich.       .     . 

Gmelin. 
Guichenot. 

Schl.          ) 
Schlecht.  J 

Schlechtendal. 

Giinth.      .     . 

Giinther. 

Selb.    .     . 

.     Selby. 

Harv.        .     . 

Harvey. 

Ser.      .     . 

.     Seringe. 

Hasselq.   .     . 

Hasselquin. 

Serv.    .     . 

.     Serville. 

INTRODUCTION 


Sieb.    .     , 
Sm.      .     , 
Sol.      .     , 
Sow.    . 
Sparrm. 
Steph. 
Sundev. 
Sw.         ) 
Swains.  J 
Temni. 
Thunb. 


Sieber. 

Smith. 

Solander. 

Sowerby. 

Sparrman. 

Stephan. 

Sundevall. 

Swainson. 

Temminck. 
Thunberg. 


Tul.     .  . 
V.  and  II. 

Val.     .  . 

Vent.  .  . 

Vieill.  . 

Vig.     .  . 
Wagl. 

Water.  . 

Wedd.  . 

Willd.  . 
Zimm. 


Tulasne. 

Vigors  and  Horsfield. 

Valenciennes. 

Ventenat. 

Vieillot. 

Vigors. 

Wagler. 

Waterhouse. 

Weddell. 

Willdenow. 

Zimmermann. 


OTHER   ABBREVIATIONS 


q.v. 

i.q. 

ibid. 

i.e. 

sc. 

s.v. 

cf. 

n. 


V. 

prep, 
interj 
sic, 

N.O. 

sp. 

spp. 

A  square 


quod  vide,  which  see. 

idem  qitod,  the  same  as. 

ibidem,  in  the  same  book. 

id  est,  that  is. 

scilicet,  that  is  to  say. 

sub  voce,  under  the  word. 

confer,  compare. 

noun. 

adjective. 

verb. 

preposition. 

interjection. 

"thus,"  draws  attention  to  some  peculiarity  of  diction  or  to  what  is  believed 

to  be  a  mistake. 
Natural  Order, 
a  species, 
various  species. 

bracket  [    ]  shows  an  addition  to  a  quotation  by  way  of  comment. 

English  Dictionary,"  often  formerly  quoted  as   "N.E.D."    or 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


Absentee,  n.  euphemistic  term 
for  a  convict.  The  word  has  dis- 
appeared with  the  need  for  it.  ' 

1837.  Jas.  Mudie,  'Felonry  of  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  vii. : 

"  The  ludicrous  and  affected  philan- 
thropy of  the  present  Governor  of  the 
Colony,  in  advertising  runaway  con- 
victs under  the  soft  and  gentle  name 
of  absentees,  is  really  unaccountable, 
unless  we  suppose  it  possible  that  his 
Excellency  as  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  as  having  a  well-grounded  Hiber- 
nian antipathy  to  his  absentee  country- 
men, uses  the  term  as  one  expressive 
both  of  the  criminality  of  the  absen- 
tee and  of  his  own  abhorrence  of  the 
crime." 

Acacia,  n.  and  adj.  a  genus 
of  shrubs  or  trees,  N.O.  Legumi- 
nosoz.  The  Australian  species  often 
form  thickets  or  scrubs,  and  are 
much  used  for  hedges.  The 
species  are  very  numerous,  and 
are  called  provincially  by  various 
names,  e.g.  "  Wattle,"  "  Mulga," 
"Giddea,"  and  "  Sally,"  an  Ang- 
licized form  of  the  aboriginal 
name  Sallee  (q.v.).  The  tree 
peculiar  to  Tasmania,  Acacia 
riceana,  Hensl.,  N.O.  Leguminosce, 
is  there  called  the  Drooping  Acacia. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  *  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  202  : 

"  We  possess  above  a  hundred  and 
thirty  species  of  the  acacia.'-' 


1839.  Dr-  J-  Shotsky,  quoted  in 
'Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug.  5,  p.  5, 
col.  2  : 

"Yet,  Australian  sky  and  nature 
awaits  and  merits  real  artists  to 
portray  it.  Its  gigantic  gum  and 
acacia  trees,  40  ft.  in  girth,  some  of 
them  covered  with  a  most  smooth 
bark,  externally  as  white  as  chalk.  .  .  ." 

1844.  L.  Leichhardt,  Letter  in  'Cooks- 
land,'  by  J.  D.  Lang,  p.  91  : 

"Rosewood  Acacia,  the  wood  of 
which  has  a  very  agreeable  violet 
scent  like  the  Myal  Aca.c\a.(A.fendula) 
in  Liverpool  Plains." 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  'Reminiscences 
of  Australia, '  p.  149  : 

"  The  Acacias  are  innumerable,  all 
yielding  a  famous  bark  for  tanning, 
and  a  clean  and  excellent  gum." 

1869.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'A  Tasmanian 
Memory,'  p.  8  : 

"  Acacias  fringed  with  gold." 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller,  'Botanic Teachings,' 
p.  24: 

"  The  name  Acacia,  derived  from  the 
Greek,  and  indicative  of  a  thorny  plant, 
was  already  bestowed  by  the  ancient 
naturalist  and  physician  Dioscorides 
on  a  Gum-Arabic  yielding  North- 
African  Acacia  not  dissimilar  to  some 
Australian  species.  This  generic  name 
is  so  familiarly  known,  that  the  appel- 
lation 'Wattle'  might  well  be  dispensed 
with.  Indeed  the  name  Acacia  is  in 
full  use  in  works  on  travels  and  in 
many  popular  writings  for  the  numerous 
Australian  species.  .  .  .  Few  of  any 
genera  of  plants  contain  more  species 
than  Acacia,  and  in  Australia  it  is  the 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[ACR-AMB 


richest  of  all  ;  about  300  species,  as 
occurring  in  our  continent,  have  been 
clearly  defined." 

Acrobates,  n.  the  scientific  name 
of  the  Australian  genus  of  Pigmy 
Flying-Phalangers,  or,  as  they  are 
locally  called,  Opossum-  Mice.  See 
Opossum-Mouse,  Flying-Mouse,  Fly- 
ing-Phalanger,  and  Phalanger.  The 
genus  was  founded  by  Desmarest 
in  1817.  (Grk.  d/cpo/forr}?,  walk- 
ing on  tiptoe.) 

JEpyprymnus,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  of  the  Rufous 
Kangaroo-Rat.  It  is  the  tallest 
and  largest  of  the  Kangaroo-Rats 
(q.v.).  (Grk.  anru?,  high,  and 
ov,  the  hinder  part.) 


Ailurcedus,  n.  scientific  name 
for  the  genus  of  Australian  birds 
called  Cat-birds  (q.v).  From 
Grk.  atXovpos,  a  cat,  and  etSos, 
species. 

Ake,  n.  originally  Akeake, 
Maori  name  for  either  of  two  small 
trees,  (i)  Dodoncza  viscosa,  Linn., 
in  New  Zealand;  (2)  Olearia  tra- 
versii,  F.  v.  M.,  in  the  Chatham 
Islands.  Ake  is  originally  a 
Maori  adv.  meaning  "  onwards,  in 
time."  Archdeacon  Williams,  in 
his  '  Dictionary  of  New  Zealand 
Language,'  says  Ake,  Ake,  Ake, 
means  "for  ever  and  ever." 
(Edition  1852.) 

1820.  'Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand  '  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  133  : 

"  Akeake,  paulo  postfuturum? 

1835.  W.  Yate,  '  Some  Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  47  : 

"Aki,  called  the  Lignum  vita  of 
New  Zealand." 

1851.  Mrs.  Wilson,  '  New  Zealand/  p. 
43  : 

"  The  ake  and  towai  .  .  .  are  almost 
equal,  in  point  of  colour,  to  rosewood." 

1883.  ].  Hector,  '  Handbook  to  New 
Zealand,'  p.  131  : 

"Ake,  a  small  tree,  6  to  12  feet 
high.  Wood  very  hard,  variegated, 
black  and  white  ;  used  for  Maori 


clubs  ;  abundant  in  dry  woods  and 
forests." 

Alarm- bird,  n.  a  bird-name  no 
longer  used  in  Australia.  There 
is  an  African  Alarm-bird. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  vi.  pi.  9  : 

« Lobivanettus  lobatus  (Lath.),  Wat- 
tled Pewit,  Alarm  Bird  of  the  Colon- 
ists." 

Alectryon,  n.  a  New  Zealand 
tree  and  flower,  Alectryon  excelsum, 
De  C.,  Maori  name  Titoki  (q>v.); 
called  also  the  New  Zealand  Oak, 
from  the  resemblance  of  its  leaves 
to  those  of  an  oak.  Named  by 
botanists  from  Grk.  dXe^rpvwv,  a 
cock. 

1872.  A.  Domett,  'Ranolf/I.  7,  p.  16 : 
"  The  early  season  could  not  yet 

Have  ripened  the  alectryon's  beads 
of  jet, 

Each  on  its  scarlet  strawberry  set." 

Alexandra  Palm,  n.  a  Queens- 
land tree,  Ptychosperma  alexandrce, 
F.  v.  M.  A  beautifully  marked 
wood  much  used  for  making 
walking  sticks.  It  grows  70  or 
80  feet  high. 

Alluvial,  n.  the  common  term 
in  Australia  and  New  Zealand  for 
gold-bearing  alluvial  soil.  The 
word  is  also  used  adjectivally  as 
in  England. 

1889.  Rolf  Bold  re  wood,  '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  403 : 

"The  whole  of  the  alluvial  will  be 
taken  up,  and  the  Terrible  Hollow  will 
re-echo  with  the  sound  of  pick  and 
shovel." 

Ambrite  (generally  called  am- 
brit),  n.  Mineral  [from  amber  + 
ite,  mineral  formative,  'O.E.D.'], 
a  fossil  resin  found  in  masses 
amidst  lignite  coals  in  various 
parts  of  New  Zealand.  Some 
identify  it  with  the  resin  of  Dam- 
mara  australis,  generally  called 
Kauri  gum  (q.v.). 

1867.  F.  von  Hochstetter,  '  New  Zea- 
land,' p.  79  : 


ANA-ANG] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


"Although  originating  probably  from 
a  coniferous  tree  related  to  the  Kauri 
pine,  it  nevertheless  has  been  errone- 
ously taken  for  Kauri  gum." — [Foot- 
note] :  "  It  is  sufficiently  character- 
ised to  deserve  a  special  name  ;  but  it 
comes  so  near  to  real  amber  that  it 
deserves  the  name  of  Ambrite" 

[This  is  the  earliest  use  of  the 
word.] 

Anabranch,  n.  a  branch  of  a 
river  which  leaves  it  and  enters 
it  again.  The  word  is  not  Aus- 
tralian, though  it  is  generally  so 
reckoned.  It  is  not  given  in  the 

*  Century,'  nor  in  the  'Imperial,' 
nor    in    'Webster,'    nor    in    the 
'  Standard.'     The  '  O.E.D.'  treats 
Ana   as    an    independent    word, 
rightly  explaining  it  as  anastomos- 
ing ;   but  its  quotation  from   the 

*  Athenaeum'  (1871),  on  which   it 
relies,    is    a   misprint.       For   the 
origin  and  coinage  of  the  word, 
see  quotation  1834.    See  the  abo- 
riginal name  Billabong. 

1834.  Col.  Jackson,  'Journal  of  Royal 
Geographical  Society,'  p.  79  : 

"  Such  branches  of  a  river  as  after 
separation  re-unite,  I  would  term  ana- 
stomosing-branches  ;  or,  if  a  word 
might  be  coined,  ana-branches,  and 
the  islands  they  form,  branch-islands. 
Thus,  if  we  would  say,  '  the  river  in 
this  part  of  its  course  divides  into 
several  ana-branches^  we  should  im- 
mediately understand  the  subsequent 
re-union  of  the  branches  to  the  main 
trunk." 

Col.  Jackson  was  for  a  while 
Secretary  and  Editor  of  the  So- 
ciety's Journal.  In  Feb.  1847  he 
resigned  that  position,  and  in  the 
Journal  of  that  year  there  is  the 
following  amusing  ignorance  of 
his  proposed  word — 

1847.  'Condensed  Account  of  Sturt's 
Exploration  in  the  Interior  of  Australia — 
Journal  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,' 
p.  87: 

"  Captain  Sturt  proposed  sending  in 
advance  to  ascertain  the  state  of  the 
Ana  branch  of  the  Darling,  discovered 


by  Mr.  Eyre  on  a  recent  expedition  to 
the  North." 

No  fewer  than  six  times  on  two 
pages  is  the  word  anabranch  print- 
ed as  two  separate  words,  and  as 
if  Ana  were  a  proper  name.  In 
the  Index  volume  it  appears  "Ana, 
a  branch  of  the  Darling." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Ex- 
pedition,' p.  35  : 

"The  river  itself  divided  into 
anabranches  which  .  .  .  made  the 
whole  valley  a  maze  of  channels." 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  298: 

"What  the  Major  calls,  after  the 
learned  nomenclature  of  Colonel  Jack- 
son, in  the  'Journal  of  the  Geographi- 
cal Society,'  anabranches,  but  which 
the  natives  call  billibongs,  channels 
coming  out  of  a  stream  and  returning 
into  it  again." 

1871.  'The  Athenaeum,'  May  27,  p. 
660  ('O.E.D.'): 

"  The  Loddon  district  is  called  the 
County  of  Gunbower,  which  means,  it 
is  said,  an  ana  branch  [sic]." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Squatter's 
Dream,'  p.  48  : 

"A  plain  bordering  an  ana-branch 
sufficient  for  water." 

Anchorwing,  n.  a  bird-name, 
Falco  melanogenys,  Gould.  The 
Black-cheeked  Falcon,  so  called 
because  of  the  resemblance  of  the 
wings  outspread  in  flight  to  the 
flukes  of  an  anchor. 

Anguillaria,  n.  one  of  the  ver- 
nacular names  used  for  the 
common  Australian  wild  flower, 
Anguillaria  australiS)  R.  Br.,  Wur- 
mbsea  dioica,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O. 
Liliacece.  The  name  Anguillaria 
is  from  the  administrator  of  the 
Botanic  Gardens  of  Padua,  three 
centuries  ago.  There  are  three 
Australian  forms,  distinguished 
by  Robert  Brown  as  species. 
The  flower  is  very  common  in  the 
meadows  in  early  spring,  and  is 
therefore  called  the  Native  Snow- 
drop. In  Tasmania  it  is  called 
Nancy. 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[ANT 


1835.  Ross>  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  67  : 

"  Spotted  Anguillaria.  Nancy.  The 
little  lively  white  flower  with  blue  spots 
in  the  centre,  about  2  inches  high,  that 
everywhere  enlivens  our  grassy  hills 
in  spring,  resembling  the  Star  of  Beth- 
lehem." 

1878.  W.  R.  Guilfoyle,  '  Australian 
Botany,'  p.  83  : 

"  Native  Snowdrop.  Anguillaria 
Australis.  The  earliest  of  all  our  in- 
digenous spring-flowering  plants.  .  .  . 
In  early  spring  our  fields  are  white 
with  the  flowers  of  this  pretty  little 
bulbous-rooted  plant." 

Ant-eater,  n.  (i)  i.q.  Ant-eating 
Porcupine.  See  Echidna.  (2) 
The  Banded  Ant-eater  (q.v.). 

Ant-eater,  Banded.  See  Band- 
ed Ant-eater. 

Antechinomys,  n.  scientific 
name  for  the  genus  with  the  one 
species  of  Long-legged  Pouched- 
Mouse  (q.v.).  (Grk.  avn,  opposed 
to,  e^ivos,  hedgehog,  and  ^5, 
mouse,  sc.  a  mouse  different  to 
the  hedgehog.)  It  is  a  jumping 
animal  exclusively  insectivorous. 

Antipodes,  n.  properly  a  Greek 
word,  the  plural  of  avrwrovs,  lit. 
"  having  feet  opposed."  The  an- 
cients, however,  had  no  know- 
ledge of  the  southern  hemisphere. 
Under  the  word  irepiocKos,  Liddell 
and  Scott  explain  that  ai/nVoSes 
meant  "those  who  were  in  op- 
posite parallels  and  meridians." 
The  word  Antipodes  was  adopted 
into  the  Latin  language,  and 
occurs  in  two  of  the  Fathers, 
Lactantius  and  Augustine.  By 
the  mediaeval  church  to  believe 
in  the  antipodes  was  regarded  as 
heresy.  « O.E.D.'  quotes  two 
examples  of  the  early  use  of  the 
word  in  English. 

1398.  'Trevisa  Earth.  De  P.  R.,'  xv.  lii. 
(1495),  P-  506: 

"  Yonde  in  Ethiopia  ben  the  Anti- 
podes, men  that  have  theyr  fete 
ayenst  our  fete." 


1556.   'Recorde  Cast.  Knowl.,'  93  : 

"  People  .  .  .  called  of  the  Greeks 
and  Latines  also  avTivoSee,  Antipodes, 
as  you  might  say  Counterfeited,  or 
Counterpasers." 

Shakspeare  uses  the  word  in 
five  places,  but,  though  he  knew 
that  this  "  pendent  world"  was 
spherical,  his  Antipodes  were 
not  Australasian.  In  three  places 
he  means  only  the  fact  that  it  is 
day  in  the  Eastern  hemisphere 
when  it  is  night  in  England. 

c  Midsummer  Night's  Dream,'  III.  ii.  55  : 

"  I'll  believe  as  soon 

This  whole  earth  may  be  bored,  and 

that  the  moon 
May  thro'  the   centre  creep   and  so 

displease 

His  brother's  noontide  with  the  Anti- 
podes." 

'  Merchant  of  Venice,'  V.  127  : 
"  We  should  hold  day  with  the  Anti- 
podes 

If  you  would  walk  in  absence  of  the 
sun." 

'Richard  II.,'  III.  ii.  49  : 
"Who  all  this  while  hath  revell'd  in 
the  night, 

Whilst  we  were  wandering  with  the 
Antipodes." 

In  'Henry  VI.,'  part  3,  I.  iv. 
135,  the  word  more  clearly  de- 
signates the  East : 

"  Thou  art  as  opposite  to  every  good 
As  the  Antipodes  are  unto  us, 
Or  as  the  South  to  the  Septentrion." 
[sc.  the  North.] 

But  more  precise  geographical  in- 
dications are  given  in  '  Much  Ado, ' 
II.  i.  273,  where  Benedick  is  so 
anxious  to  avoid  Beatrice  that  he 
says — 

"  I  will  go  on  the  slightest  errand 
now  to  the  Antipodes  that  you  can 
devise  to  send  me  on.  I  will  fetch 
you  a  tooth-picker  now  from  the 
farthest  inch  of  Asia  ;  bring  you  the 
length  of  Prester  John's  foot  ;  fetch 
you  a  hair  of  the  great  Kam's  beard  ; 
do  you  any  embassage  to  the  Pygmies 
rather  than  hold  three  words  con- 
ference with  this  harpy." 


ANT-APP] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


Now  the  Pygmies  lived  on  the 
Upper  Nile,  near  Khartoum, 
Prester  John  in  India,  and  the 
great  Kam  (Khan)  in  Tartary. 

The  word  Antipodes  in  modern 
use  is  applied  rather  to  places 
than  to  people.  Geographically, 
the  word  means  a  place  exactly 
opposite  on  the  surface  of  the 
globe,  as  Antipodes  Island  (East- 
ward of  New  Zealand),  which  is 
very  near  the  opposite  end  of  the 
diameter  of  the  globe  passing 
through  London.  But  the  word 
is  often  used  in  a  wider  sense, 
and  the  whole  of  Australasia  is 
regarded  as  the  Antipodes  of 
Great  Britain. 

The  question  is  often  asked 
whether  there  is  any  singular 
to  the  word  Antipodes,  and 
'O.E.D.'  shows  that  antipode  is 
still  used  in  the  sense  of  the 
exact  opposite  of  a  person. 
Antipod  is  also  used,  especially 
playfully.  The  adjectives  used 
are  Antipodal  and  Antipodean. 

1640.     Richard  Brome  [Title]  : 

"  The  Antipodes  ;  comedy  in  verse." 
[Acted  in  1638,  first  printed  410. 
1640.] 

Ant-orchis,  n.  an  Australian 
and  Tasmanian  orchid,  Chiloglottis 
gunnii,  Lind. 

Apple  and  Apple-tree,  n.  and 
adj.  The  names  are  applied  to 
various  indigenous  trees,  in  some 
cases  from  a  supposed  resem- 
blance to  the  English  fruit,  in 
others  to  the  foliage  of  the 
English  tree.  The  varieties  are — 
Black  or  Brush  Apple — 

Achras  australis,  R.  Br. 
Emu  A. — 

Owenia  acidula,  F.  v.  M. ;  called 
also  Native  Nectarine  and 
Native  Quince. 

Petalostigma  quadriloculare,  F.  v. 
M.;  called  also  Crab-tree, 
Native  Quince,  Quinine-tree 
(q.V.). 


Kangaroo  A. — 

See  Kangaroo  Apple. 
Mooley  A.(West  N.S.W.  name)— 

Owenia  aciditla,  F.  v.  M. 
Mulga  A.— 

The    Galls    of    Acacia    aneura, 

F.  v.  M. 
Oak  A.— 

Cones  of  Casuarina  stricta,  Ait. 
Rose  A.— 

Owenia  cerasifera,  F.  v.  M. 

1820.  John  Oxley,  'Journal  of  Two 
Expeditions  into  the  Interior  of  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  187 : 

"  The  blue  gum  trees  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood were  extremely  fine,  whilst 
that  species  of  Eucalyptus,  which  is 
vulgarly  called  the  apple-tree  .  .  . 
again  made  its  appearance.  .  .  ." 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Transac- 
tions of  Linnsean  Society,' vol.  xv.  p.  260: 

"  It  builds  its  nest  of  sticks  lined 
with  grass  in  Iron-bark  and  Apple-trees 
(a  species  of  Angophora)? 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  200 : 

"The  apple-trees  resemble  the 
English  apple  only  in  leaf." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  195  : 

"  In  looking  down  upon  the  rich 
flats  below,  adjoining  the  stream,  I 
was  perpetually  reminded  of  a  thriving 
and  rich  apple-orchard.  The  resem- 
blance of  what  are  called  apple-trees 
in  Australia  to  those  of  the  same  name 
at  home  is  so  striking  at  a  distance  in 
these  situations,  that  the  comparison 
could  not  be  avoided,  although  the 
former  bear  no  fruit,  and  do  not  even 
belong  to  the  same  species." 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  'Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  52  : 

"  I  have  heard  of  men  employed  in 
felling  whole  apple-trees  (Angophera 
lanceolata)  for  the  sheep." 

1846.  J.    L.    Stokes,    'Discoveries   in 
Australia,'  vol.  ii.  c.  iv.  p.  132  : 

"Red  Apple,  Quonui,  affects  salt 
grounds." 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  'Phillipsland,'  p.  256 : 
"  The  plains,  or  rather  downs,  around 

it  (Yass)  are  thinly  but  most  pictur- 
esquely covered  with  '  apple-trees,'  as 
they  are  called  by  the  colonists,  merely 
from  their  resemblance  to  the  European 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[APP-ASH 


apple-tree  in  their  size  and  outline,  for 
they  do  not  resemble  it  in  producing 
an  edible  fruit." 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip 
in  1849,'  p.  32  : 

"The  musk-plant,  hyacinth,  grass- 
tree,  and  kangaroo  apple-tree  are  in- 
digenous." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes' 
(edition  1855),  p.  219: 

"  Pomona  would  indignantly  disown 
the  apple-tree,  for  there  is  not  the 
semblance  of  a  pippin  on  its  tufted 
branches." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  113  : 

"Sandy  apple-tree  flats,  and  iron- 
bark  ridges,  lined  the  creek  here  on 
either  side." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  158  : 

"The  desolate  flats  where  gaunt 
apple-trees  rot." 

Apple-berry,  n.  the  fruit  of  an 
Australian  shrub,  Billardiera 
scandens,  Smith,  N.  O.  Pittosporea, 
called  by  children  "  dumplings." 

I793-  J-  E.  Smith,  '  Specimen  of  Botany 
of  New  Holland,'  pp.  i,  3  : 

"  Billardiera  scandens.  Climbing 
Apple  Berry.  .  .  .  The  name  Billardi- 
era is  given  it  in  honour  of  James 
Julian  .La  Billardiere,  M.D.,  F.M.L.S., 
now  engaged  as  botanist  on  board  the 
French  ships  sent  in  search  of  M.  de 
la  Peyrouse." 

Apple- gum,  n.     See  Gum. 

Apple-scented  gum,  n.  See 
Gum. 

Apteryx,  n.  [Grk.  d  privative 
and  7rre'jov£,  a  wing.]  A  New 
Zealand  bird  about  the  size  of  a 
domestic  fowl,  with  merely  rudi- 
mentary wings.  See  Kiwi. 

1813.  G.  Shaw,  'Naturalist's  Miscel- 
lany,' c.  xxiv.  p.  1058  ('  O.E.D.') : 

"  The  Southern  Apteryx." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Australia  Felix  ' 
P-  137: 

"The  present  Apterix  or  wingless 
bird  of  that  country  (New  Zealand)." 

1851.  '  Papers  and  Proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,'vol 
i.  p.  300  [Letter  from  Rev.  W.  Colenso 
Waitangi,  Hawke's  Bay,  New  Zealand' 
Sept.  4,  1850] : 


"You  enquire  after  an  Apteryx. 
How  delighted  should  I  be  to  succeed 
in  getting  you  one.  Three  years  ago 
Owen  expressed  a  similar  wish,  and  I 
have  repeatedly  tried,  but  failed.  Yet 
here  they  still  are  in  the  mountain 
forests,  though,  doubtless,  fast  hasten- 
ing towards  extinction.  I  saw  one  in 
its  wild  state  two  years  ago  in  the 
dense  woods  of  the  interior  ;  I  saw  it 
clearly.  .  .  .  Two  living  specimens 
were  lately  taken  by  the  Acheron, 
steamer,  to  Sydney,  where  they  died  ; 
these  were  obtained  at  the  Bay  of 
Islands,  where  also  I  once  got  three  at 
one  time.  Since  then  I  have  not  been 
able  to  obtain  another,  although  I  have 
offered  a  great  price  for  one.  The 
fact  is,  the  younger  natives  do  not 
know  how  to  take  them,  and  the  elder 
ones  having  but  few  wants,  and  those 
fully  supplied,  do  not  care  to  do  so. 
Further,  they  can  only  be  captured  by 
night,  and  the  dog  must  be  well  trained 
to  be  of  service." 

1874.  F-  p-  Cobbe,  in  '  Littell's  Age/ 
Nov.  7,  p.  355  ('  Standard') : 

"We  have  clipped  the  wings  of 
Fancy  as  close  as  if  she  were  an 
Apteryx. ' 

Arbutus,  Native,  n.  See  Wax- 
Cluster. 

Ardoo,  n.     See  Nardoo. 

Artichoke,  n.  name  given  to 
the  plant  Astelia  alpina,  R.  Br., 
N.O.  Liliacea. 

Ash,  n.  The  name,  with  various 
epithets,  is  applied  to  the  following 
different  Australasian  trees — 
Black  Ash— 

Nephelium  semiglaucum,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Sapindacea ;  called  also 
Wild  Quince. 
Black  Mountain  A. — 
Eucalyptus  leucoxylon,  F.  v.  M., 

N.O.  Myrtacea. 
Blue  A.— 
Elaodendron     australe,     Vent., 

N.O.  Celastrina. 
Blueberry  A. — 

Elceocarpus  holopetalus,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Tiliacea. 


ASS-AST] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


Brush  Apple— 

Acronychia    batieri,     Schott.    (of 

Illawarra,  N.S.W.). 
Crow's  A. — 

Flindersia  australis,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 

Meliacecz. 

Elderberry  A.  (of  Victoria) — 
Panax  sambucifolius,  Sieb.,  N.O. 

Araliacece. 
Illawarra  A. — 
Eltzocarpus   kirtonia,    F.   v.   M., 

IV.  O.  Tiliacetz. 
Moreton  Bay  A. — 

Eucalyptus     tessellaris,      Hook., 

N.O.  Myrtacece. 

Mountain  A.  (see  Mountain  Ash). 
New  Zealand  A.  (see  Titoki). 
Pigeonberry  A. — 

Elaocarpus   obovatus,    G.    Don., 

N.O.  Tiliacece. 
Red  A.— 

Alphitonia   excelsa,   Reiss,   N.O. 
Rhamnacece. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  75  : 

"  The  Moreton  Bay  Ash  (a  species 
of  Eucalyptus]  .  .  .  was  here  also  very 
plentiful." 

Assigned,  past  part,  of  verb 
to  assign,  to  allot.  Used  as  adj. 
of  a  convict  allotted  to  a  settler 
as  a  servant. .  Colloquially  often 
reduced  to  "  signed." 

1827.  '  Captain  Robinson's  Report,'  Dec. 
23: 

"It  was  a  subject  of  complaint  among 
the  settlers,  that  their  assigned  serv- 
ants could  not  be  known  from  soldiers, 
owing  to  their  dress  ;  which  very  much 
assisted  the  crime  of  '  bush-ranging.' " 

1837.  J-  D-  Lang,  'New  South  Wales,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  31  : 

"  The  assigned  servant  of  a  respect- 
able Scotch  family  residing  near 
Sydney." 

1845.   R.  Howitt,  'Australia/  p.  75  : 

"  Of  the  first  five  persons  we  saw  in 
Van  Diemen's  Land,  four  were  con- 
victs, and  perhaps  the  fifth.  These 
were  the  assigned  servants  of  the 
pilot." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
P-  324 : 


"Under  the  old  practice,  the  con- 
victs, as  soon  as  they  arrived  from 
Britain,  were  assigned  among  the 
various  applicants.  The  servant  thus 
assigned  was  bound  to  perform  dili- 
gently, from  sunrise  till  sunset,  all 
usual  and  reasonable  labour." 

Assignee,  n.  a  convict  assigned 
as  a  servant.  The  word  is  also 
used  in  its  ordinary  English 
sense. 

1843.  '  Penny  Cyclopaedia,'  vol.  xxv.  p. 
139,  col.  2 : 

"  It  is  comparatively  difficult  to  ob- 
tain another  assignee, — easy  to  obtain 
a  hired  servant." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Australia  Felix,' 
p.  324  : 

"Any  instance  of  gross  treatment 
disqualified  him  for  the  future  as  an 
assignee  of  convict  labour." 

Assignment,  n.  service  as 
above. 

1836.  C.  Darwin,  'Journal  of  Re- 
searches' (1890),  c.  xix.  p.  324  : 

"  I  believe  the  years  of  assignment 
are  passed  away  with  discontent  and 
unhappiness." 

1852.  John  West,  'History  of  Tas- 
mania,' vol.  ii.  p.  126  : 

"  That  form  of  service,  known  as  as- 
signment, was  established  by  Governor 
King  in  1804." 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  117  : 

"The  assignment  system  was  then 
in  operation,  and  such  as  obtained  free 
grants  of  land  were  allowed  a  certain 
proportion  of  convicts  to  bring  it  into 
cultivation." 

Asthma  Herb,  Queensland,  n. 
Euphorbia  pilulif era,  Linn.  As  the 
name  implies,  a  remedy  for  asth- 
ma. The  herb  is  collected  when 
in  flower  and  carefully  dried. 

1889.  J.  PI.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  183  : 

"  This  plant,  having  obtained  some 
reputation  in  Australasia  in  certain 
pulmonary  complaints,  has  acquired 
the  appellation  in  the  Colonies  of 
'Queensland  Asthma  Herb/  Never- 
theless, it  is  by  no  means  endemic  in 
Australasia,  for  it  is  a  common  tropical 
weed." 


8 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[AUA-AUS 


Aim,  n.  Maori  name  for  a  New 
Zealand  fish,  Agonostoma  forsteri, 
Bleek.  Another  Maori  name  is 
Makawhiti;  also  called  Sea-Mullet 
and  sometimes  Herring  (q.v.).  _  It 
is  abundant  also  in  Tasmanian 
estuaries,  and  is  one  of  the  fishes 
which  when  dried  is  called  Picton 
Herring  (q.v.).  See  also  Maray 
and  Mullet.  Agonostoma  is  a  genus 
of  the  family  Mugilida  or  Grey- 
Mullets. 

Aurora  australis,  n.  the 
Southern  equivalent  for  Aurora 
borealis. 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  214 : 

"  Sept.  5,  1788.  About  half  after  six 
in  the  evening,  we  saw  an  Aurora 
Australis,  a  phenomenon  uncommon 
in  the  southern  hemisphere." 

Austral,  adj.  "  Belonging  to 
the  South,  Southern.  Lat.  Aus- 
tralis, from  auster,  south-wind." 
('O.E.D.')  The  word  is  rarely 
used  in  Australasia  in  its  primary 
sense,  but  now  as  equivalent  to 
Australian  or  Australasian. 

1823.  Wentworth's  Cambridge  poem  on 
'  Australasia ' : 

"And  grant  that  yet  an  Austral  Mil- 
ton's song, 

Pactolus-like,  flow  deep  and  rich 
along, 

An  Austral  Shakespeare  rise,  whose 
living  page 

To  Nature  true  may  charm  in  every 
age; 

And  that  an  Austral  Pindar  daring 
soar, 

Where  not  the  Theban  Eagle  reach'd 
before/ 

1825.  Barren  Field,  'First  Fruits  of 
Australian  Poetry,'  Motto  in  Geographical 
Memoir  of  New  South  Wales,  p.  485  : 

"I  first  adventure.     Follow  me  who 

list; 

And  be  the  second  Austral  har- 
monist." 

Adapted  from  Bishop  Hall. 
1845.  R-  Howitt,  '  Australia/  p.  184: 


'  For  this,  midst  Austral  wilds  I  waken 
Our  British  harp,  feel  whence 

come, 

Queen  of  the  sea,  too  long  forsaken, 
Queen    of   the    soul,   my    spirit's 

home."— Alien  Song. 
1855.  W.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  43  : 

"  Every  servant  in  this  Austral  Uto- 
pia thinks  himself  a  gentleman." 

1868.  C.  Harpur,  'Poems'  (ed.    1883), 
p.  215  : 
"  How  oft,  in  Austral  woods,  the  parting 

day 
Has  gone  through  western  golden 

gates  away." 

1879.    J.   B.    O'Hara,    'Songs    of   the 
South, 'p.  127: 
"  What  though  no  weird  and  legendary 

lore 

Invests  our  young,  our  golden  Aus- 
tral shore 
With  that  romance  the  poet  loves  too 

well, 

When  Inspiration  breathes  her  magic 
spell." 

1894.  Ernest  Favenc  [Title] : 
"  Tales  of  the  Austral  Tropics." 
1896.  [Title]: 

"The  Austral  Wheel— A  Monthly 
Cycling  Magazine,  No.  i,  Jan." 

1896.     'The  Melburnian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 

"  Our  Austral  Spring."  [Title  of  an 
article  describing  Spring  in  Australia.] 

Australasia,  n.  (and  its  adjec- 
tives), name  "  given  originally 
by  De  Brosses  to  one  of  his  three 
divisions  of  the  alleged  Terra 
australis:'  ('O.E.D.')  Now  used 
as  a  larger  term  than  Australian, 
to  include  the  continent  of  Aus- 
tralia, New  Zealand,  Tasmania, 
Fiji  and  islands.  For  peculiar 
use  of  the  name  for  the  Continent 
in  1793,  see  Australia. 

1756.  Charles  de  Brosses,  '  Histoire  des 
Navigations  aux  Terres  Australes,'  torn.  i. 
p.  80: 

"  On  peut  de  meme  diviser  le  monde 
austral  inconnu  en  trois  portions.  .  .  . 
L'une  dans  1'ocean  des  Indes  au  sud 
de  1'Asie  que  j'appellerai  par  cette  rai- 
son  australasie" 


AUS] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


1766.  Callander,  'Terra  Australis,'  i.  p. 
49  (Translation  of  de  Brosses)  ('  O.E.D.') : 

"The  first  [division]  in  the  Indian 
Ocean,  south  of  Asia,  which  for  this 
reason  we  shall  call  Australasia? 

1802.  G.  Shaw,  'Zoology,'  iii.  p.  506 
('O.E.D.'): 

"  Other  Australasian  snakes." 

1823.  Subject  for  English  poem  at  Cam- 
bridge University : 

'  Australasia.' 

[The  prize  (Chancellor's  Medal)  was  won 
by  Winthrop  Mackworth  Praed.  William 
Charles  Wentworth  stood  second.]  The 
concluding  lines  of  his  poem  are  : 

"And  Australasia  float,  with  flag  un- 

furl'd, 
A  new  Britannia  in  another  world." 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia, '  p.  77  : 

"How  far  had  these  ideas  been 
acted  upon  by  the  Colonists  of  Austral 
Asia?"  [sic.] 

1852.  J.  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  i.  p.  109 : 

";  The  Austral-Asiatic  Review,'  by 
Murray,  also  made  its  appearance  [in 
Hobart]  in  February,  1828." 

1855.  Tennyson,  'The  Brook,' p.  194: 

"Katie  walks 

By  the  long  wash  of  Australasian  seas 
Far  off,  and  holds  her  head  to  other 

stars, 
And  breathes  in  converse  seasons." 

[Altered  in  Edition  of  1894  to 
"breathes  in  April-autumns."] 

1857.  Daniel  Bunce  [Title]  : 
"  Australasiatic  reminiscences." 
1864.     'The  Australasian,'  Oct.  I,  First 
Number  [Title]  : 

"The  Australasian." 

1880.  Alfred  R.  Wallace  [Title]  : 

"  Australasia."  [In  Stanford's '  Com- 
pendium of  Geography  and  Travel.'] 

1881.  David  Blair  [Title]  : 

"  Cyclopaedia  of  Australasia." 

1890.  E.  W.  Hornung,  <  Bride  from  the 
Bush,'  p.  29 : 

"It  was  neither  Cockney  nor  Yan- 
kee, but  a  nasal  blend  of  both  :  it  was 
a  lingo  that  declined  to  let  the  vowels 
run  alone,  but  trotted  them  out  in  ill- 
matched  couples,  with  discordant  and 
awful  consequences  ;  in  a  word,  it  was 
Australasiatic  of  the  worst  description." 

1890.   '  Victorian  Consolidated  Statutes,' 


Administration  and  Probate  Act,  Section 
39: 

"  *  Australasian  Colonies,'  shall  mean 
all  colonies  for  the  time  being  on  the 
main  land  of  Australia  .  .  .  and  shall 
also  include  the  colonies  of  New  Zea- 
land, Tasmania  and  Fiji  and  any 
other  British  Colonies  or  possessions 
in  Australasia  now  existing  or  here- 
after to  be  created  which  the  Governor 
in  Council  may  from  time  to  time 
declare  to  be  Australasian  Colonies 
within  the  meaning  of  this  Act. " 

1895.  Edward  Jenks  [Title] : 
"History  of  the  Australasian  Col- 
onies." 

1896.  J.  S.  Laurie  [Title] : 

"  The  Story  of  Australasia." 

Australia,  #.,  and  Australian, 
adj.  As  early  as  the  i6th  century 
there  was  a  belief  in  a  Terra  aus- 
tralis  (to  which  was  often  added 
the  epithet  incognita),  literally 
"  southern  land,"  which  was  be- 
lieved to  be  land  lying  round  and 
stretching  outwards  from  the 
South  Pole. 

In  *  Proceedings  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society  of  Austra- 
lasia,'Sydney,  Jan.  1892,  is  printed 
a  paper  read  at  the  Geographical 
Congress  at  Berne,  by  E.  Delmar 
Morgan,  on  the  '  Early  Discovery 
of  Australia.'  This  paper  is  illus- 
trated by  maps  taken  from  '  Nor- 
denskiold's  Atlas.'  In  a  map  by 
Orontius  Finceus,  a  French  cos- 
mographer  of  Provence,  dated 
1531,  the  Terra  australis  is  shown 
as  "Terra  Australis  recenter  in- 
venta,  sed  nondum  plene  cognita." 
In  Ortelius'  Map,  1570,  it  appears 
as  "Terra  Australis  nondum 
cognita."  In  Gerard  Mercator's 
Map,  1587,  as  "  Terra  Australis  " 
simply. 

In  1606  the  Spaniard  Fernandez 
de  Quiros  gave  the  name  of  Terra 
Australis  del  Espiritu  Santo  to  land 
which  he  thought  formed  part  of 
the  Great  Southland.  It  is  in 
fact  one  of  the  New  Hebrides. 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[AUS 


The  word  "  Australian  "  is  older 
than  "Australia"  (see  quotations, 
1693  and  1766).  The  name  Aus- 
tralia was  adapted  from  the  Latin 
name  Terra  Australis.  The  earliest 
suggestion  of  the  word  is  credited 
to  Flinders,  who  certainly  thought 
that  he  was  inventing  the  name. 
(See  quotation,  1814.)  Twenty- 
one  years  earlier,  however,  the 
word  is  found  (see  quotation, 
1793)  ;  and  the  passage  contain- 
ing it  is  the  first  known  use  of 
the  word  in  print.  Shaw  may 
thus  be  regarded  as  its  inventor. 
According  to  its  title-page,  the 
book  quoted  is  by  two  authors, 
the  Zoology  by  Shaw  and  the 
Botany  by  Smith.  The  Botany, 
however,  was  not  published.  Of 
the  two  names— Australia  and 
Australasia  —  suggested  in  the 
opening  of  the  quotation,  to  take 
the  place  of  New  Holland,  Shaw 
evidently  favoured  Australia,  while 
Smith,  in  the  *  Transactions  of  the 
Linnaean  Society,'  vol.  iv.  p.  213 
(1798),  uses  Australasia  for  the 
continent  several  times.  Neither 
name,  however,  passed  then  into 
general  use.  In  1814,  Robert 
Brown  the  Botanist  speaks  of 
"  Terra  Australis"  not  of  "  Aus- 
tralia" "Australia"  was  re- 
invented by  Flinders. 
Quotations  for  "  Terra  Australis  " — 

1621.  R.  Burton,  'Anatomy  of  Melan- 
choly' (edition  1854),  p.  56: 

"For  the  site,  if  you  will  needs  urge 
me  to  it,  I  am  not  fully  resolved,  it 
may  be  in  Terra  Australis  incognita, 
there  is  room  enough  (for  of  my  know- 
ledge, neither  that  hungry  Spaniard 
nor  Mercurius  Britannicus  have  yet 
discovered  half  of  it)." 

Ibid.  p.  314: 

"  Terra  Australis  incognita  .  .  . 
and  yet  in  likelihood  it  may  be  so,  for 
without  all  question,  it  being  extended 
from  the  tropic  of  Capricorn  to  the 
circle  Antarctic,  and  lying  as  it  doth  in 
the  temperate  zone,  cannot  choose  but 
yield  in  time  some  flourishing  king- 


doms to  succeeding  ages,  as  America 
did  unto  the  Spaniards." 

Ibid.  p.  619 : 

"But  these  are  hard-hearted,  un- 
natural, monsters  of  men,  shallow 
politicians,  they  do  not  consider  that  a 
great  part  of  the  world  is  not  yet 
inhabited  as  it  ought,  how  many 
colonies  into  America,  Terra  Austrahs 
i?icognita,  Africa  may  be  sent  ?  " 

Early  quotations  for  "Australian  "- 

1693.  'Nouveau  Voyage  de  la  Terre 
Australe,  contenant  les  Coutumes  et  les 
Moeurs  des  Australians,  etc.'  Par  Jaques 
Sadeur  [Gabriel  de  Foigny]. 

[This  is  a  work  of  fiction,  but  inter- 
esting as  being  the  first  book  in  which 
the  word  Austr aliens  is  used.  The 
next  quotation  is  from  the  English 
translation.] 

1693.  'New  Discovery,  Terra  Incognita 
Australis,' p.  163  (' O.E.D.')  : 

"  It  is  easy  to  judge  of  the  incom- 
parability  of  the  Australians  with  the 
people  of  Europe." 

1766.  Callander,  'Terra  Australis' 
(Translation  of  De  Brosses),  c.  ii.  p.  280 : 

"  One  of  the  Australians,  or  natives 
of  the  Southern  World,  whom  Gonne- 
ville  had  brought  into  France." 

Quotations  for  "  Australia  "- 
1793.     G.    Shaw    and    J.    E.     Smith, 
'  Zoology  and  Botany  cf  New  Holland/ 
p.  2: 

"The  vast  Island  or  rather  Con- 
tinent of  Australia,  Australasia,  or  New 
Holland,  which  has  so  lately  attracted 
the  particular  attention  of  European 
navigators  and  naturalists,  seems  to 
abound  in  scenes  of  peculiar  wildness 
and  sterility ;  while  the  wretched 
natives  of  many  of  those  dreary  dis- 
tricts seem  less  elevated  above  the 
inferior  animals  than  in  any  other  part 
of  the  known  world  ;  Caffraria  itself 
not  excepted ;  as  well  as  less  indued 
with  the  power  of  promoting  a  com- 
fortable existence  by  an  approach 
towards  useful  arts  and  industry.  It 
is  in  these  savage  regions  however 
that  Nature  seems  to  have  poured 
forth  many  of  her  most  highly  orna- 
mented products  with  unusual  liber- 
ality." 

1814.  M.  Flinders,  '  Voyage  to  Terra 
Australis,'  Introduction,  p.  iii.  and  foot- 
note : 


AUS] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


ir 


"  I  have  .  .  .  ventured  upon  the  re- 
adoption  of  the  original  Terra  Austra- 
lis,  and  of  this  term  I  shall  hereafter 
make  use,  when  speaking  of  New 
Holland  [sc.  the  West]  and  New 
South  Wales,  in  a  collective  sense  ; 
and  when  using  it  in  the  most  exten- 
sive signification,  the  adjacent  isles, 
including  that  of  Van  Diemen,  must 
be  understood  to  be  comprehended." 
[Footnote]  :  "  Had  I  permitted  myself 
any  innovation  upon  the  original  term, 
it  would  have  been  to  convert  it  into 
Australia  ;  as  being  more  agreeable  to 
the  ear,  and  an  assimilation  to  the 
names  of  the  other  great  portions  of 
the  earth." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  9  : 

"  New  South  Wales  (or  Australia,  as 
we  colonials  say)." 

1839.  C.  Darwin,  '  Naturalist's  Voyage ' 
(ed.  1890),  p.  328: 

"  Farewell,  Australia  !  You  are  a 
rising  child,  and  doubtless  some  day 
will  reign  a  great  princess  in  the 
South  ;  but  you  are  too  great  and 
ambitious  for  affection,  yet  not  great 
enough  for  respect.  I  leave  your  shores 
without  sorrow  or  regret." 

1852.  A  Liverpool  Merchant  [Title]  : 
"A    Guide    to    Australia  and    the 
Gold  Regions." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  c.  viii.  (new  ed.)  p.  152  : 

"  The  colonies  are  determined  to  be 
separate.  Australia  is  a  term  that 
finds  no  response  in  the  patriotic  feel- 
ing of  any  Australian.  .  .  .  But  this 
will  come  to  an  end  sooner  or  later. 
The  name  of  Australia  will  be  dearer, 
if  not  greater,  to  Australian  ears  than 
the  name  of  Great  Britain." 

[Mr.  Trollope's  prophecy  has  come 
true,  and  the  name  of  Australia  is  now 
dearer  to  an  Australian  than  the  name 
of  his  own  separate  colony.  The  word 
"  Colonial "  as  indicating  Australian 
nationality  is  going  out  of  fashion. 
The  word  "Australian"  is  much  pre- 
ferred.] 

1878.  F.  P.  Labilliere,  *  Early  History 
of  the  Colony  of  Victoria,'  vol.  i.  p.  184  : 

"  In  a  despatch  to  Lord  Bathurst,  of 
April  4th,  1817,  Governor  Macquarie 
acknowledges  the  receipt  of  Captain 
Flinders's  charts  of '  Australia.'  This 
is  the  first  time  that  the  name  of  Aus- 


tralia appears  to  have  been  officially 
employed.  The  Governor  underlines 
the  word.  ...  In  a  private  letter  to 
Mr.  Secretary  Goulbourn,  M.P.,  of 
December  2 1 st,  1817,  [he]  says  .  .  .  'the 
Continent  of  Australia,  which,  I  hope, 
will  be  the  name  given  to  this  country 
in  future,  instead  of  the  very  erroneous 
and  misapplied  name  hitherto  given 
it  of  New  Holland,  which,  properly 
speaking,  only  applies  to  a  part  of  this 
immense  Continent.' " 

1883.  G.  W.  Rusden,  '  History  of  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  64: 

"It  is  pleasant  to  reflect  that  the 
name  Australia  was  selected  by  the 
gallant  Flinders  ;  though,  with  his 
customary  modesty,  he  suggested 
rather  than  adopted  it." 

1895.  H.  M.  Goode,  'The  Argus,'  Oct. 
15,  p.  7,  col.  4 : 

"  Condemning  the  absurd  practice 
of  using  the  word  '  Colonial '  in  con- 
nection with  our  wines,  instead  of  the 
broader  and  more  federal  one,  '  Aus- 
tralian.5 In  England  our  artists, 
cricketers,  scullers,  and  globe-trotters 
are  all  spoken  of  and  acknowledged 
as  Australians,  and  our  produce,  with 
the  exception  of  wine,  is  classed  as 
follows  : — Australian  gold  and  copper, 
Australian  beef  and  mutton,  Australian 
butter,  Australian  fruits,  &c." 

Ibid.  p.  14 : 

"  Merops  or  Bee-Eater.  A  tribe  [of 
birds]  which  appears  to  be  peculiarly 
prevalent  in  the  extensive  regions  of 
Australia." 

Australian  flag,  n.  Hot  climate 
and  country  work  have  brought 
in  a  fashion  among  bushmen  of 
wearing  a  belt  or  leather  strap 
round  the  top  of  trousers  instead 
of  braces.  This  often  causes  a 
fold  in  the  shirt  protruding  all 
round  from  under  the  waistcoat, 
which  is  playfully  known  as  "  the 
Australian  flag."  Slang. 

Australioid  and  Australoid, 
adj.  like  Australian,  sc.  abori- 
ginal— a  term  used  by  ethnolo- 
gists. See  quotations. 

1869.  J.  Lubbock,  'Prehistoric  Times/ 
vol.  xii.  p.  378  : 

"  The  Australoid  type  contains  all 


12 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[AUS-AXE 


the  inhabitants  of  Australia  and  the 
native  races  of  the  Deccan." 

1878.  E.  B.  Tylor,  'Encyclopaedia 
Britannica,'  vol.  ii.  p.  1 12  : 

'He  [Professor  Huxley]  distin- 
guishes four  principal  types  of  man- 
kind, the  Australioid,  Negroid,  Mon- 
goloid, and  Xanthochroic,  adding  a 
fifth  variety,  the  Melanochroic.  The 
special  points  of  the  Australioid  are  a 
chocolate-brown  skin,  dark  brown  or 
black  eyes,  black  hair  (usually  wavy), 
narrow  (dolichocephalic)  skull,  brow- 
ridges  strongly  developed,  projecting 
jaw,  coarse  lips  and  broad  nose.  This 
type  is  best  represented  by  the  natives 
of  Australia,  and  next  to  them  by  the 
indigenous  tribes  of  Southern  India, 
the  so-called  coolies.3' 

Austral  Thrush,  n.  See  Port- 
Jackson  Thrush. 

Avocet,  n.  a  well-known 
European  bird-name.  The  Aus- 
tralian species  is  the  Red-necked 
A.,  Recurvirostra  nova-hollandice, 
Vieill. 

Aweto,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
vegetable-caterpillar  of  New  Zea- 
land. See  quotation. 

1889.  E.  Wakefield,  '  New  Zealand  after 
Fifty  Years, 'p.  81  : 

"...  the  aweto,  or  vegetable-cater- 
pillar, called  by  the  naturalists  Hipialis 
virescens.  It  is  a  perfect  caterpillar  in 
every  respect,  and  a  remarkably  fine 
one  too,  growing  to  a  length  in  the 
largest  specimens  of  three  and  a  half 
inches  and  the  thickness  of  a  finger 


but  more  commonly  to  about  a  half  or 
two-thirds  of  that  size.  .  .  .  When  full- 
grown,  it  undergoes  a  miraculous 
change.  For  some  inexplicable  reason, 
the  spore  of  a  vegetable  fungus 
Sphtzria  Robertsii,  fixes  itself  on  its 
neck,  or  between  the  head  and  the 
first  ring  of  the  caterpillar,  takes  root 
and  grows  vigorously  .  .  .  exactly  like 
a  diminutive  bulrush  from  6  to  10 
inches  high  without  leaves,  and  con- 
sisting solely  of  a  single  stem  with  a 
dark-brown  felt-like  head,  so  familiar 
in  the  bulrushes  .  .  .  always  at  the 
foot  of  the  rata" 

1896.  A.  Bence  Jones,  in  '  Pearson's 
Magazine, '  Sept. ,  p.  290  : 

"  The  dye  in  question  was  a  solution 
of  burnt  or  powdered  resin,  or  wood, 
or  the  aweto,  the  latter  a  caterpillar, 
which,  burrowing  in  the  vegetable  soil, 
gets  a  spore  of  a  fungus  between  the 
folds  of  its  neck,  and  unable  to  free 
itself,  the  insect's  body  nourishes  the 
fungus,  which  vegetates  and  occasions 
the  death  of  the  caterpillar  by  exactly 
filling  the  interior  of  the  body  with  its 
roots,  always  preserving  its  perfect 
form.  When  properly  charred  this 
material  yielded  a  fine  dark  dye,  much 
prized  for  purposes  of  moko."  [See 
Moko,] 

Axe-breaker,   n.    name    of   a 

tree,     Notelaa     longifolia,    Vent., 
N.  O.  Jasminece. 

1889.  J-  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,  p.  579 : 

"Axe-breaker.  Wood  hard,  close- 
grained  and  firm.  Its  vernacular 
name  emphasizes  its  hardness." 


BAA-BAC] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


Baal,  or  Bail,  interj.  and  adv. 
"An  aboriginal  expression  of 
disapproval."  (Gilbert  Parker, 
Glossary  to  '  Round  the  Compass 
in  Australia,'  1888.)  It  was  the 
negative  in  the  Sydney  dialect. 

1893.  J.  F.  Hogan,  '  Robert  Lowe,'  p. 
271,  quoting  from  'The  Atlas'  (circa 

1845): 

"  Traces,  however,  of  the  Egyptian 
language  are  discoverable  among  the 
present  inhabitants,  with  whom,  for 
instance,  the  word  '  Bale '  or  '  Baal '  is 
in  continual  use.  .  .  ."  [Evidently  a 
joke.] 

Babbler,  n.  a  bird-name.  In 
Europe,  "name given,  on  account 
of  their  harsh  chattering  note, 
to  the  long-legged  thrushes." 
('O.E.D.')  The  group  "contains 
a  great  number  of  birds  not  satis- 
factorily located  elsewhere,  and 
has  been  called  the  ornithological 
waste-basket."  ('  Century.')  The 
species  are — 

The  Babbler— 

Pomatostomus  temporalis,  V.  and 

H. 
Chestnut-crowned  B. — 

P.  ruficeps,  Hart. 
Red-breasted  B.— 

P.  rubeculus,  Gould. 
White-browed  B. — 

P.  superciliosuS)  V.  and  H. 

Back-blocks,  n.  ( i )  The  far  in- 
terior of  Australia,  and  away 
from  settled  country.  Land  in 
Australia  is  divided  on  the  survey 
maps  into  blocks,  a  word  con- 
fined, in  England  and  the  United 
States,  to  town  lands. 

(2)  The  parts  of  a  station  dis- 
tant from  the  frontage  (q.v.). 


1872.  Anon.  '  Glimpses  of  Life  in  Vic- 
toria,' p.  31  : 

"...  we  were  doomed  to  see  the 
whole  of  our  river-frontage  purchased. 
.  .  .  The  back  blocks  which  were  left 
to  us  were  insufficient  for  the  support 
of  our  flocks,  and  deficient  in  perman- 
ent water-supply.  ..." 

1880.  J.  Mathew,  Song — 'The  Bush- 
man '  : 

"  Far,  far  on  the  plains  of  the  arid 
back-blocks 

A  warm-hearted  bushman  is  tending 
his  flocks. 

There's  little  to  cheer  in  that  vast 
grassy  sea  : 

But  oh  !  he  finds  pleasure  in  think- 
ing of  me. 

How  weary,  how  dreary  the  stillness 
must  be  ! 

But  oh  !  the  lone  bushman  is  dream- 
ing of  me." 

1890.  E.  W.  Horaung,  'A  Bride  from 
the  Bush,'  p.  298  : 

"  *  Down  in  Vic '  you  can  carry  as 
many  sheep  to  the  acre  as  acres  to 
the  sheep  up  here  in  the  'back- 
blocks.'" 

1893.  M.  Gaunt,  'English  Illustrated,' 
Feb. ,  p.  294  : 

"  The  back-blocks  are  very  effectual 
levellers." 

1893.  Haddon  Chambers,  'Thumbnail 
Sketches  of  Australian  Life,'  p.  33  : 

"  In  the  back-blocks  of  New  South 
Wales  he  had  known  both  hunger 
and  thirst,  and  had  suffered  from  sun- 
stroke." 

1893.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  12,  p. 
302,  col.  i : 

"Although  Kara  is  in  the  back- 
blocks  of  New  South  Wales,  the 
clothes  and  boots  my  brother  wears 
come  from  Bond  Street." 

Back-block,  adj.  from  the 
interior. 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,    '  Sydneyside 
Saxon,'  vol.  xii.  p.  215  : 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


14 

'"What  a  nice  mare  that  is  of 
yours  ! '  said  one  of  the  back-block 
youngsters." 

Back-blocker,  n.  a  resident  in 
the  back-blocks. 

1870.  'The  Argus,'  March  22,  p.  7, 
col.  2  : 

"  I  am  a  bushman,  a  back  blocker, 
to  whom  it  happens  about  once  in  two 
years  to  visit  Melbourne." 

1892.  E.  W.  Hornung,  'Under  Two 
Skies,'  p.  21 : 

"  As  for  Jim,  he  made  himself  very 
busy  indeed,  sitting  on  his  heels  over 
the  fire  in  an  attitude  peculiar  to  back- 
blockers." 

Back-slanging,  verbal  n.  In  the 
back-blocks  (q.v.)  of  Australia, 
where  hotels  are  naturally  scarce 
and  inferior,  the  traveller  asks 
for  hospitality  at  the  stations  (q.v.) 
on  his  route,  where  he  is  always 
made  welcome.  There  is  no  idea 
of  anything  underhand  on  the 
part  of  the  traveller,  yet  the 
custom  is  called  back-slanging. 

Badger,  n.  This  English  name 
has  been  incorrectly  applied  in 
Australia,  sometimes  to  the  Band- 
icoot, sometimes  to  the  Rock- 
Wallaby,  and  sometimes  to  the 
Wombat.  In  Tasmania,  it  is  the 
usual  bush-name  for  the  last. 

1829.     'The   Picture  of  Australia,'   p. 

173: 

"The  Parameles,  to  which  the  col- 
onists sometimes  give  the  name  of 
badger.  .  .  ." 

1831.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  265  : 

"  That  delicious  animal,  the  wombat 
(commonly  known  at  that  place  [Mac- 
quarie  Harbour]  by  the  name  of  bad- 
ger, hence  the  little  island  of  that  name 
in  the  map  was  so  called,  from  the  cir- 
cumstance of  numbers  of  that  animal 
being  at  first  found  upon  it)." 

1850.  James  Bennett  Clutterbuck,  M.  D. , 
'  Port  Phillip  in  1849,'  p.  37  : 

"The  rock  Wallaby, or  Badger,  also 
belongs  to  the  family  of  the  Kangaroo 
its  length  from  the  nose  to  the  end  of 
the  tail  is  three  feet ;  the  colour  of  the 
fur  being  grey-brown." 


[BAC-BAI 


1875.  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood,  'Natural 
History,'  vol.  i.  p.  481  : 

"  The  Wombat  or  Australian  Badger 
as  it  is  popularly  called  by  the  colon- 
sts.  .  .  ." 

1891.  W.  Tilley,  'Wild  West  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  8 : 

"  With  the  exception  of  wombats  or 
*  badgers,'  and  an  occasional  kangaroo 
the  intruder  had  to  rely  on  the 
stores  he  carried  with  him." 

Ibid.  p.  44  : 

"  Badgers  also  abound,  or  did  until 
thinned  out  by  hungry  prospectors." 

Badger-box,  n.  slang  name  for 
a  roughly-constructed  dwelling. 

l875-  '  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society 
of  Tasmania,'  September,  p.  99  ['Port 
Davey  in  1875,'  by  the  Hon.  James  Reid 
Scott,  M.L.C.]  : 

"The  dwellings  occupied  by  the 
piners  when  up  the  river  are  of  the 
style  known  as  *  Badger-boxes,'  in  dis- 
tinction from  huts,  which  have  per- 
pendicular walls,  while  the  Badger-box 
is  like  an  inverted  V  in  section.  They 
are  covered  with  bark,  with  a  thatch 
of  grass  along  the  ridge,  and  are  on 
an  average  about  14  x  10  feet  at  the 
ground,  and  9  or  10  feet  high." 

Bail,  n.  "A  framework  for 
securing  the  head  of  a  cow  while 
she  is  milked."  ('O.E.D.') 

This  word,  marked  in  '  O.E.D.' 
and  other  Dictionaries  as  Austra- 
lian, is  provincial  English.  In  the 
*  English  Dialect  Dictionary,' 
edited  by  Joseph  Wright,  Part  I., 
the  word  is  given  as  used  in 
"  Ireland,  Northamptonshire, 
Norfolk,  Suffolk,  Hampshire  and 
New  Zealand."  It  is  also  used 
in  Essex. 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  83  : 

"In  every  milking  yard  is  an  ap- 
paratus for  confining  a  cow's  head 
called  a  'bail.'  This  consists  of  an 
upright  standiron,  five  feet  in  height, 
let  into  a  framework,  and  about  six 
inches  from  it  another  fixed  at  the 
heel,  the  upper  part  working  freely  in 
a  slit,  in  which  are  holes  for  a  peg,  so 
that  when  the  peg  is  out  and  the  mov- 
able standiron  is  thrown  back,  there 


BAl] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


is  abundance  of  room  for  a  cow's  head 
and  horns,  but  when  closed,  at  which 
time  the  two  standirons  are  parallel 
to  each  other  and  six  inches  apart, 
though  her  neck  can  work  freely  up 
and  down,  it  is  impossible  for  her  to 
withdraw  her  head  .  .  ." 

1874.  W.  M.  B.,  '  Narrative  of  Edward 
Crewe,'  p.  225  : 

"The  former  bovine  female  was  a 
brute  to  manage,  whom  it  would  have 
been  impossible  to  milk  without  a 
'bail.5  To  what  man  or  country  the 
honour  of  this  invention  belongs,  who 
can  tell  ?  It  is  in  very  general  use  in 
the  Australian  colonies  ;  and  my  ad- 
vice to  any  one  troubled  with  a  naughty 
cow,  who  kicks  like  fury  during  the 
process  of  milking,  is  to  have  a  bail 
constructed  in  their  cow-house." 

Bail  up,  v.  (i)  To  secure  the 
head  of  a  cow  in  a  bail  for  milking. 

(2)  By  transference,  to  stop 
travellers  in  the  bush,  used  of 
bushrangers.  The  quotation, 
1888,  shows  the  method  of  trans- 
ference. It  then  means  gener- 
ally, to  stop. 

Like  the  similar  verb,  to  stick 
up  (q.v.),  it  is  often  used  humor- 
ously of  a  demand  for  subscrip- 
tions, etc. 

1844.  Mrs-  Chas.  Meredith,  'Notes 
and  Sketches  of  New  South  Wales,'  p. 
132: 

"  The  bushrangers  .  .  .  walk  quickly 
in,  and  'bail  up,'  i.e.  bind  with  cords, 
or  otherwise  secure,  the  male  portion." 

1847.  Alex.  Marjoribauks,  '  Travels  in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  72  : 

"...  there  were  eight  or  ten  bul- 
lock-teams baled  up  by  three  mounted 
bushrangers.  Being  baled  up  is  the 
colonial  phrase  for  those  who  are  at- 
tacked, who  are  afterwards  all  put  to- 
gether, and  guarded  by  one  of  the 
party  of  the  bushrangers  when  the 
others  are  plundering." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in 
Victoria,'  vol.  ii.  p.  309  : 

"  So  long  as  that  is  wrong,  the  whole 
community  will  be  wrong, — in  colonial 
phrase,  '  bailed  up '  at  the  mercy  of  its 
own  tenants." 

1862.  G.  T.  Lloyd,  '  Thirty-three  Years 
in  Tasmania  and  Victoria,'  p.  192  : 


"  '  Come,  sir,  immediately,'  rejoined 
Murphy,  rudely  and  insultingly  push- 
ing the  master  ;  '  bail  up  in  that  corner, 
and  prepare  to  meet  the  death  you 
have  so  long  deserved.' " 

1879.  W-  J-    Barry,    '  Up  and  Down,' 
p.  112: 

"  She  bailed  me  up  and  asked  me  if 
I  was  going  to  keep  my  promise  and 
marry  her." 

1880.  W.   Senior,   'Travel  and  Trout,' 
p.  36: 

"  His  troutship,  having  neglected  to 
secure  a  line  of  retreat,  was,  in  colonial 
parlance,  '  bailed  up.' " 

1880.  G.  Walch,  '  Victoria  in  1880,'  p. 
133: 

"The  Kelly  gang  .  .  .  bailed  up 
some  forty  residents  in  the  local  public 
house." 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,  'Old  Colonials,'  p, 
76: 

"Did  I  ever  get  stuck-up?  Never 
by  white  men,  though  I  have  been 
bailed  up  by  the  niggers." 

1885.  H.  Finch- Hatton,  'Advance Aus- 
tralia,' p.  105  : 

"  A  little  further  on  the  boar  '  bailed 
up '  on  the  top  of  a  ridge." 

1888.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Robbery under 
Arms,'  p.  368 : 

"  One  of  the  young  cows  was  a  bit 
strange  with  me,  so  I  had  to  shake  a 
stick  at  her  and  sing  out  '  Bail  up ' 
pretty  rough  before  she'd  put  her  head 
in.  Aileen  smiled  something  like  her 
old  self  for  a  minute,  and  said,  '  That 
comes  natural  to  you  now,  Dick,  doesn't 
it  ? '  I  stared  for  a  bit  and  then  burst 
out  laughing.  It  was  a  rum  go,  wasn't 
it  ?  The  same  talk  for  cows  and 
Christians.  That's  how  things  get 
stuck  into  the  talk  in  a  new  country. 
Some  old  hand  like  father,  as  had  been 
assigned  to  a  dairy  settler,  and  spent 
all  his  mornings  in  the  cow-yard,  had 
taken  to  the  bush  and  tried  his  hand 
at  sticking  up  people.  When  they 
came  near  enough  of  course  he'd  pop 
out  from  behind  a  tree,  with  his  old 
musket  or  pair  of  pistols,  and  when  he 
wanted  'em  to  stop,  '  Bail  up,  d —  yer,' 
would  come  a  deal  quicker  and  more 
natural  -  like  to  his  tongue  than 
'  Stand.'  So '  bail  up '  it  was  from  that 
day  to  this,  and  there'll  have  to  be  a 
deal  of  change  in  the  ways  of  the 
colonies,  and  them  as  come  from  'em 


i6 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BAI-BAN 


before  anything  else  takes  its  place, 
between  the  man  that's  got  the  arms 
and  the  man  that's  got  the  money." 

Bailing-up  Pen,  n.  place  for 
fastening  up  cattle. 

1889.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Romance  of  Sta- 
tion,' vol.  i..c.  ii.  ['Eng.  Dial.  Diet.']: 

"  Alec  was  proud  of  the  stockyard, 
and  pointed  out  ...  the  superior  con- 
struction of  the  '  crush,'  or  branding 
lane,  and  the  bailing-up  pen." 

Bald-Coot,  n.  a  -bird -name, 
Porphyrio  melanotus,  Temm.;  Blue, 
P.  bellus,  Gould.  The  European 
bald-coot  is  Fulica  atra. 

Ballahoo,  n.  a  name  applied  to 
the  Garfish  (q.v.)  by  Sydney 
fishermen.  The  word  is  West 
Indian,  and  is  applied  there  to  a 
fast-sailing  schooner ;  also  spelled 
Bullahoo  and  Ballahou. 

Balloon  -  Vine,  n.  Australian 
name  for  the  common  tropical 
weed,  Cardiospermum  halicacabum, 
Linn.,  N,0.  Sa-bindacece  ;  called 
also  Heart-seed,  Heart-pea,  and 
Winter-cherry.  It  is  a  climbing 
plant,  and  has  a  heart-shaped  scar 
on  the  seed. 

Balsam  of  Copaiba  Tree,  n. 
The  name  is  applied  to  the 
Australian  tree,  Geijera  salidfolia, 
Schott,  N.  O.  Rutacece,  because  the 
bark  has  the  odour  of  the  drug 
of  that  name. 

Bamboo-grass,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian cane-like  grass,  Glyceria 
ramigera,  F.  v.  M.  ;  also  called 
Cane  Grass.  Largely  used  for 
thatching  purposes.  Stock  eat 
the  young  shoots  freely. 

Banana,  n.  There  are  three 
species  native  to  Queensland,  of 
which  the  fruit  is  said  to  be 
worthless — 

Musa  Banksii,  F.  v.  M. 

M.  Hillii,  F.  v.  M. 

M.    Fitzalani,   F.    v.   M.,   N. O. 

Sritaminece. 
The    Bananas    which    are    culti- 


vated and  form  a  staple  export  of 
Queensland  are  acclimatized  va- 
rieties. 

Banana-land,  n.  slang  name 
for  Queensland,  where  bananas 
grow  in  abundance. 

Banana-lander,  n.  slang  for 
a  Queenslander  (see  above). 

Banded  Ant-eater,  n.  name 
given  to  a  small  terrestrial  and 
ant-eating  marsupial,  Myrmecobius 
fasdatus,  Wa.terh,  found  in  West 
and  South  Australia.  It  is  the 
only  species  of  the  genus,  and  is 
regarded  as  the  most  closely  allied 
of  all  living  marsupials  to  the  ex- 
tinct marsupials  of  the  Mesozoic 
Age  in  Europe.  It. receives  its 
name  banded  from  the  presence 
along  the  back  of  a  well-marked 
series  of  dark  transverse  bands. 

1871.  G.  Krefft,  'Mammals  of  Australia': 

"The  Myrmecobius  is  common  on 
the  West  Coast  and  in  the  interior  of 
New  South  Wales  and  South  Australia : 
the  Murumbidgee  River  may  be  taken 
as  its  most  eastern  boundary." 

1893.  A.  R.  Wallace,   'Australasia,'  p. 

34°  : 

"Thus  we  have  here  [W.  Aus- 
tralia] alone  the  curious  little  banded 
ant  -  eater  (Myrmecobius  fasciatus), 
which  presents  the  nearest  approach 
in  its  dentition  to  the  most  ancient 
known  mammals  whose  remains  are 
found  in  the  oolite  and  Trias  of  the 
Mesozoic  epoch." 

Banded-Kangaroo,  i.q.  Banded- 
Wallaby.  See  Lagostrophus  and 

Wallaby. 

Banded- Wallaby,  n.  sometimes 
called  Banded- Kangaroo.  See 
Lagostrophus  and  Wallaby. 

Bandicoot,  n.  an  insect-eating 
marsupial  animal  ;  family,  Pe- 
ramelida ;  genus,  Perameles. 
"The  animals  of  this  genus,  com- 
monly called  Bandicoots  in  Aus- 
tralia, are  all  small,  and  live  en- 
tirely on  the  ground,  making  nests 


BAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


composed  of  dried  leaves,  grass 
and  sticks,  in  hollow  places.  They 
are  rather  mixed  feeders ;  but 
insects,  worms,  roots  and  bulbs, 
constitute  their  ordinary  diet." 
('Encyclopaedia  Britannica,'  Qth 
edit.,  vol.  xv.  p.  381.)  The  name 
comes  from  India,  being1  a  cor- 
ruption of  Telugu  pandi-kokkuj 
literally  "pig-dog,"  used  of  a 
large  rat  called  by  naturalists 
Mus  malabaricus,  Shaw ;  Mu- 
giganfeus,  Hardwicke  ;  Mus  bandis 
coota,  Bechstein.  The  name  has 
spread  all  over  India.  The  Indian 
animal  is  very  different  from  the 
Australian,  and  no  record  is  pre- 
served to  show  how  the  Anglo- 
Indian  word  came  to  be  used 
in  Australia.  The  Bandicoots 
are  divided  into  three  genera — 
the  True  Bandicoots  (genus  Pera- 
meles, q.v.),  the  Rabbit  Bandicoots 
(genus  Peragale,  q.v.),  and  the 
Pig-footed  Bandicoots  (q.v.)  (genus 
Chceropus,  q.v.).  The  species  are — 
Broadbent's  Bandicoot — 

Perameles  broadbenti,  Ramsay. 
Cockerell's  B.— 

P.  cocker elli,  Ramsay. 
Common  Rabbit  B.— 

Peragale  lagotis,  Reid. 
Desert  B.— 

P.  eremiana,  Spencer. 
Doria's  B.— 

Perameles     doreyana,    Quoy     & 

Gaim. 
Golden  B. — 

P.  aurata,  Ramsay. 
Gunn's  B. — 

P.  gunni,  Gray. 
Less  Rabbit  B.— 

Peragale  minor,  Spencer. 
Long-nosed  B. — 

Perameles  nasitta,  Geoffr. 
Long-tailed  B. — 

P.  longicauda,  Peters  &  Doria. 
North-Australian  B.— 

P.  macrura,  Gould. 
Port  Moresby  B. — 

P.  moresbyensis,  Ramsay. 


Raffray's  B.— 

P.  r affray  ana,  Milne-Edw. 
Short-nosed  B. — 

P.  obesula,  Shaw. 
Striped  B.— 

P.  bougainvillii)  Quoy  &  Gaim. 
White-tailed  Rabbit  B.— 

P.  leucura,  Thomas. 
Pig-footed  B.— 

Chonropus  castanotis.  Gray. 

1802.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  New 
South  Wales',  vol.  ii.  p.  188  (Bass's  Diary 
at  the  Derwent,  January  1799)  : 

"  The  bones  of  small  animals,  such 
as  opossums,  squirrels,  kangooroo 
rats,  and  bandicoots,  were  numerous 
round  their  deserted  fire-places." 

1820.  W.  C.  Wentworth,  'Description 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  3  : 

"  The  animals  are,  the  kangaroo, 
native  dog  (which  is  a  smaller  species 
of  the  wolf),  the  wombat,  bandicoot, 
kangaroo-rat,  opossum,  flying  squirrel, 
flying  fox,  etc.  etc." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  316  : 

"  The  bandicoot  is  about  four  times 
the  size  of  a  rat,  without  a  tail,  and 
burrows  in  the  ground  or  in  hollow 
trees." 

1832.  Bischoff,  'Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  28  : 

"  The  bandicoot  is  as  large  as  a 
rabbit.  There  are  two  kinds,  the  rat 
and  the  rabbit  bandicoot." 

1845.   R.  Howitt,  'Australia,' p.  233: 

"  The  common  people  are  not  desti- 
tute of  what  Wordsworth  calls  'the 
poetry  of  common  speech/  many  of 
their  similes  being  very  forcibly  and 
naturally  drawn  from  objects  familiarly 
in  sight  and  quite  Australian.  '  Poor 
as  a  bandicoot,'  '  miserable  as  a  shag 
on  a  rock.'" 

Ibid.  p.  330 : 

"  There  is  also  a  rat-like  animal  with 
a  swinish  face,  covered  with  ruddy 
coarse  hair,  that  burrows  in  the  ground 
— the  bandicoot.  It  is  said  to  be  very 
fine  eating." 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  26  : 

"  The  bandicoot  is  the  size  of  a  large 
rat,  of  a  dark  brown  colour ;  it  feeds 
upon  roots,  and  its  flesh  is  good  eating. 
This  animal  burrows  in  the  ground, 
and  it  is,  from  this  habit,  I  suppose, 


i8 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BAN 


that  when  hungry,  cold,  or  unhappy, 
the  Australian  black  says  that  he  is  as 
miserable  as  the  bandicoot/'' 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals/ 
p.  92  : 

"The  bandicoots  are  good  eating 
even  for  Europeans,  and  in  my  opinion 
are  the  only  Australian  mammals  fit 
to  eat.  They  resemble  pigs,  and  the 
flesh  tastes  somewhat  like  pork." 

Bangalay,  n.  a  Sydney  work- 
men's name  for  the  timber  of 
Eucalyptus  botrioides,  Smith.  (See 
Gum.)  The  name  is  aboriginal, 
and  by  workmen  is  always  pro- 
nounced Bang  Alley. 

Bangalow,  n.  an  ornamental 
feathery-leaved  palm,  Ptychosperma 
elegans,  Blume,  N.O.  Palmea. 

1851.  J.  Henderson,  '  Excursions  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  229  : 

"  The  Bangalo,  which  is  a  palm  .  .  . 
The  germ,  or  roll  of  young  leaves  in 
the  centre,  and  near  the  top,  is  eaten 
by  the  natives,  and  occasionally  by 
white  men,  either  raw  or  boiled.  It  is 
of  a  white  colour,  sweet  and  pleasant 
to  the  taste." 

1884.  W.  R.  Guilfoyle,  '  Australian 
Botany,'  p.  23  : 

"The  aborigines  of  New  South 
Wales  and  Queensland,  and  occasion- 
ally the  settlers,  eat  the  young  leaves 
of  the  cabbage  and  bangalo  palms." 

1886.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  193  : 
"  You  see  he  was  bred  in  a  bangalo w 

wood, 
And  bangalow  pith  was  the  principal 

food 
His  mother  served  out  in  her  shanty." 

1889.  J-  H«  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  592  : 

"  Bangalow.  .  .  .  The  small  stems 
sometimes  go  under  the  name  of 
'  Moreton  Bay  Canes.'  It  is  a  very 
ornamental,  feathery-leaved  palm." 

Bang-tail  muster.  See  quota- 
tion. 

1887.  W.  S.  S.  Tyrwhitt,  '  The  New 
Chum  in  the  Queensland  Bush/  p.  61  : 

"Every  third  or  fourth  year  on  a 
cattle  station,  they  have  what  is  called 
a  '  bang  tail  muster ' ;  that  is  to  say,  all 
the  cattle  are  brought  into  the  yards 
and  have  the  long  hairs  at  the  end  o: 


he  tail  cut  off  square,  with  knives  or 
jheep-shears  ...  The  object  of  it  is 
to  find  out  the  actual  number  of 
cattle  on  the  run,  to  compare  with 
the  number  entered  on  the  station 
books." 

Banker,  n.  a  river  full  up  to 
the  top  of  the  banks.  Compare 
Shakspeare:  "  Like  a  proud  river, 
peering-  o'er  his  bounds."  ('  King 
John,'  III.  i.  23.) 

1888.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia/ 
vol.  iii.  p.  175  : 

"  The  Murrumbidgee  was  running  a 
banker '—water  right  up  to  the  banks." 

1890.  Lyth,  'Golden  South/  c.  vii. 
p.  52 : 

"  The  driver  stated  that  he  had  heard 
the  river  was  'a  banker.'" 

1896.  H.  Lawson,   'When    the   World 
was  Wide/  p.  45  : 
"The  creeks  were  bankers,  and  the 

flood 
Was  forty  miles  round  Bourke." 

Ibid.  p.  loo  : 

"  Till  the  river  runs  a  banker, 
All  stained  with  yellow  mud." 

Banksia,  n.  "A  genus  of 
Australian  shrubs  with  umbellate 
flowers, — now  cultivated  as  orna- 
mental shrubs  in  Europe." 
('O.E.D.')  Called  after  Mr.  Banks, 
naturalist  of  the  Endeavour,  after- 
wards Sir  Joseph  Banks.  The 
so-called  Australian  Honeysuckle 
(q.v.).  See  also  Bottle-brush. 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales/  p.  221  : 

"The  different  species  of  banksia. 
The  finest  new  genus  hitherto  found 
in  New  Holland  has  been  destined  by 
Linnasus,  with  great  propriety,  to 
transmit  to  posterity  the  name  of  Sir 
Joseph  Banks,  who  first  discovered  it 
in  his  celebrated  voyage  round  the 
world." 

1798.  1).  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales/  p.  557: 

"  A  few  berries,  the  yam  and  fern 
root,  the  flowers  of  the  different 
banksia,  and  at  times  some  honey, 
make  up  the  whole  vegetable  cata- 
logue." 

1829.    Vigors   and    Horsfield,    'Trans- 


BAG-BAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


actions  of  the  Linnasan  Society,'  vol.  xv. 
p.  312: 

"  Scrubs  where  the  different  species 
of  banksia  are  found,  the  flowers  of 
which  I  (Mr.  Caley)  have  reason  to 
think  afford  it  sustenance  during 
winter." 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  'South  Australia,' vol. 
ii.  c.  ii.  p.  30 : 

"Some  sandhills  .  .  .  crowned  by 
banksias." 

1845.  J.   O.   Balfour,    'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  39: 

"  Many  different  species  of  banksia 
grow  in  great  plenty  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Sydney,  and  from  the  density 
of  their  foliage  are  very  ornamental." 

1846.  L.   Leichhardt,  quoted  by  J.   D. 
Lang,  'Cooksland,'  p.  331 : 

"  The  table-land  is  covered  by  forests 
of  stringy-bark,  of  melaleuca-gum,  and 
banksia." 

1851.   'Quarterly  Review,'  Dec.,  p.  40: 

"  In  this  they  will  find  an  extremely 
rich  collection  of  bottle-brush-flowered, 
zigzag-leaved,  grey-tinted,  odd-looking 
things,  to  most  eyes  rather  strange 
than  beautiful,  notwithstanding  that 
one  of  them  is  named  Banksia  speciosa. 
They  are  the  '  Botany  Bays '  of  old- 
fashioned  gardeners,  but  are  more  in 
the  shrub  and  tree  line  than  that  of 
flowering  pots.  Banksia  Solandri  will 
remind  them  to  turn  to  their  '  Cook's 
Voyages '  when  they  get  home,  to  read 
how  poor  Dr.  Solander  got  up  a 
mountain  and  was  heartily  glad  to  get 
down  again." 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller,  'Botanic Teachings,' 
p.  46: 

"The  banksias  are  of  historic  in- 
terest, inasmuch  as  the  genus  was 
dedicated  already  by  the  younger 
Linne  in  1781  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks, 
from  whom  the  Swedish  naturalist 
received  branchlets  of  those  species, 
which  in  Captain  Cook's  first  voyage 
more  than  100  years  ago  (1770)  were 
gathered  by  Banks  at  Botany-Bay  and 
a  few  other  places  of  the  east  coast  of 
Australia." 

1887.  J.  Bonwick,  'Romance  of  the 
Wool  Trade, 'p.  228: 

"  A  banksia  plain,  with  its  collection 
of  bottle-brush-like-flowers,  may  have 
its  charms  for  a  botanist,  but  its  well- 
known  sandy  ground  forbids  the  hope 
of  good  grasses." 


Baobab,  n.  a  tree,  native  of 
Africa,  Adansonia  digitata.  The 
name  is  Ethiopian.  It  has  been 
introduced  into  many  tropical 
countries.  The  Australian  species 
of  the  genus  is  A.  gregorii,  F.  v.  M., 
called  also  Cream  of  Tartar  or 
Sour  Gourd-treet  Gouty -stem  (q.v.), 
and  Bottle-tree  (q.v.). 

Barber,  or  Tasmanian  Barber, 
n.  a  name  for  the  fish  Anthias  rasor, 
Richards.,  family  Percidce ;  also 
called  Red-Perch.  See  Perch.  It 
occurs  in  Tasmania,  New  Zea- 
land, and  Port  Jackson.  It  is 
called  Barber  from  the  shape  of 
the prceoperculuni)  oneofthebones 
of  the  head.  See  quotation. 

1841.  John  Richardson,  '  Description  of 
Australian  Fish,'  p.  73  : 

"  Serranus  Rasor.  —  Tasmanian 
Barber.  .  ,  .  The  serrature  of  the  pre- 
operculum  is  the  most  obvious  and 
general  character  by  which  the  very 
numerous  Serrani  are  connected  with 
each  other  .  .  .  The  Van  Diemen's 
Land  fish,  which  is  described  below, 
is  one  of  the  '  Barbers,'  a  fact  which 
the  specific  appellation  rasor  is  in- 
tended to  indicate  ;  the  more  classical 
word  having  been  previously  appropri- 
ated to  another  species  .  .  .  Mr. 
Lempriere  states  that  it  is  known 
locally  as  the  '  red  perch  or  shad.' " 

[Richardson  also  says  that  Cuvier 
founded  a  subdivision  of  the  Serrani 
on  the  characters  of  the  scales  of  the 
jaws,  under  the  name  of '  les  Barbiers,' 
which  had  been  previously  grouped  by 
Block  under  the  title  Anthias.~\ 

Barcoo-grass,  n.  an  Australian 
grass,  Anthistiria  membranacea^ 
Lindl.  One  of  the  best  pasture 
grasses  in  Queensland,  but  grow- 
ing in  other  colonies  also. 

Barcoo  Rot,  n.  a  disease  affect- 
ing inhabitants  of  various  parts 
of  the  interior  of  Australia,  but 
chiefly  bushmen.  It  consists  of 
persistent  ulceration  of  the  skin, 
chiefly  on  the  back  of  the  hands, 
and  often  originating  in  abrasions. 


20 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BAR 


It  is  attributed  to  monotony 
of  diet  and  to  the  cloudless 
climate,  with  its  alternations  of 
extreme  cold  at  night  and  burn- 
ing heat  by  day.  It  is  said  to  be 
maintained  and  aggravated  by 
the  irritation  of  small  flies. 

1870.  E.  B.  Kennedy,  '  Four  Years  in 
Queensland,'  p.  46  : 

"  Land  scurvy  is  better  known  in 
Queensland  by  local  names,  which  do 
not  sound  very  pleasant,  such  as 
'  Barcoo  rot,' '  Kennedy  rot,'  according 
to  the  district  it  appears  in.  There  is 
nothing  dangerous  about  it ;  it  is 
simply  the  festering  of  any  cut  or 
scratch  on  one's  legs,  arms  or  hands. 
.  .  .  They  take  months  to  heal.  .  .  . 
Want  of  vegetables  is  assigned  as  the 
cause." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among Cannibals,' 
p.  58: 

"  In  Western  Queensland  people  are 
also  subject  to  bad  sores  on  the  hand, 
called  Barcoo-rot." 

Barcoo  Vomit,  n.  a  sickness 
occurring  in  inhabitants  of  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  high  land  of  the 
interior  of  Australia.  It  is  char- 
acterized by  painless  attacks  of 
vomiting,  occurring  immediately 
after  food  is  taken,  followed  by 
hunger,  and  recurring  as  soon  as 
hunger  is  satisfied. 

The  name  Barcoo  is  derived 
from  the  district  traversed  by  the 
river  Barcoo,  or  Cooper,  in  which 
this  complaint  and  the  Barcoo  Rot 
are  common.  See  Dr.  E.  C. 
Stirling's  *  Notes  from  Central 
Australia,'  in  'Intercolonial  Quar- 
terly Journal  of  Medicine  and 
Surgery,'  vol.  i.  p.  218. 

Bargan,  «.  a  name  of  the 
Come-back  Boomerang  (q.v.). 
(Spelt  also  barragan.) 

1892.  J.  Fraser,  'Aborigines  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  70: 

"  The '  come-back '  variety  (of  boom- 
erang) is  not  a  fighting  weapon.  A 
dialect  name  for  it  is  bargan,  which 
word  may  be  explained  in  our  language 
to  mean  '  bent  like  a  sickle  or  crescent 
moon.' " 


Barking  Owl,  n.  a  bird  not 
identified,  and  not  in  Gould  (who 
accompanied  Leichhardt). 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  47: 

"The  glucking-bird  and  the  barking- 
owl  were  heard  throughout  the  moon- 
light night." 

Barrack,  v.  to  jeer  at  oppo- 
nents, to  interrupt  noisily,  to 
make  a  disturbance ;  with  the  pre- 
position "for,"  to  support  as  a 
partisan,  generally  with  clamour. 
An  Australian  football  term 
dating  from  about  1880.  The 
verb  has  been  ruled  unparlia- 
mentary by  the  Speaker  in  the 
Victorian  Legislative  Assembly. 
It  is,  however,  in  very  common 
colloquial  use.  It  is  from  the 
aboriginal  word  borak  (q.v.),  and 
the  sense  of  jeering  is  earlier  than 
that  of  supporting,  but  jeering  at 
one  side  is  akin  to  cheering  for 
the  other.  Another  suggested 
derivation  is  from  the  Irish  pro- 
nunciation of  "  Bark,"  as  (accord- 
ing to  the  usually  accepted  view) 
"Larrikin"  from'  "larking."  But 
the  former  explanation  is  the  more 
probable.  There  is  no  connection 
with  soldiers'  "  barracks  ;  "  nor  is 
it  likely  that  there  is  any,  as  has 
been  ingeniously  suggested,  with 
the  French  word  baragouin^  gib- 
berish. 

1890.  'Melbourne  Punch,'  Aug.  14,  p. 
106,  col.  3 : 

"To  use  a  football  phrase,  they  all 
to  a  man  'barrack'  for  the  British 
Lion." 

1893.    'The  Age,' June  17,  p.  15,  col.  4: 

"[The  boy]  goes  much  to  football 
matches,  where  he  barracks,  and  in  a 
general  way  makes  himself  intoler- 
able." 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  July  5,  p.  9,  col.  4, 
Legislative  Assembly : 

"Mr.  Isaacs:  ...  He  hoped  this 
*  barracking'  would  not  be  continued." 
[Members  had  been  interrupting  him.] 

1893.  '  The  Herald'  (Melbourne),  Sept. 
9,  p.  i,  col.  6: 


IJAR-BAS] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


21 


"  He  noticed  with  pleasure  the 
decrease  of  disagreeable  barracking 
by  spectators  at  matches  during  last 
season.  Good-humoured  badinage  had 
prevailed,  but  the  spectators  had  been 
very  well  conducted." 

Barracker,  ;/.  one  who  bar- 
racks (q.v.). 

1893.  'The  Age,'  June  27,  p.  6,  col.  6: 
"  His   worship   remarked   that    the 

*  barracking '  that  was  carried  on  at 
football  matches  was  a  mean  and  con- 
temptible system,  and  was  getting 
worse  and  worse  every  day.  Actually 
people  were  afraid  to  go  to  them  on 
account  of  the  conduct  of  the  crowd  of 
'barrackers.'  It  took  all  the  interest 
out  of  the  game  to  see  young  men 
acting  like  a  gang  of  larrikins/' 

1894.  'Tne    Argus,'    Nov.    29,    p.    4, 
col.  9 : 

"The  'most  unkindest  cut  of  all' 
was  that  the  Premier,  who  was  Mr. 
Rogers's  principal  barracker  during 
the  elections,  turned  his  back  upon  the 
prophet  and  did  not  deign  to  discuss 
his  plan." 

Barracks,  n.  a  building  on  a 
station  with  rooms  for  bachelors. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  100 : 

"  A  roomy,  roughly-finished  building 
known  as  the  'barracks.'  .  .  .  Three 
of  the  numerous  bedrooms  were  ten- 
anted by  young  men,  .  .  .  neophytes, 
who  were  gradually  assimilating  the 
love  of  Bush-land." 

Barracouta,  or  Barracoota,  n. 
The  name,  under  its  original 
spelling  of  Barracuda,  was  coined 
in  the  Spanish  West  Indies,  and 
first  applied  there  to  a  large  vora- 
cious fish,  Sphyrcena  pecuda,  family 
Sphyr&nidce.  In  Australia  and  New 
Zealand  it  is  applied  to  a  smaller 
edible  fish,  Thyrsites  atun,  Cuv. 
and  Val.,  family  Trichiurida,  called 
Snook  (Q.V.)  at  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  It  is  found  from  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  to  New  Zealand. 
1845.  'Voyage  to  Port  Philip,'  p.  40  : 
"We  hook  the  barracuda  fish." 
1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  'Fishes 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  69  : 


"  SphyretiidGB.  The  first  family  is 
the  barracudas,  or  sea-pike."  [Foot- 
note] :  "  This  name  is  no  doubt  the 
same  as  Barracouta  and  is  of  Spanish 
origin.  The  application  of  it  to  Thyr- 
sites atun  in  the  Southern  seas  was 
founded  on  some  fancied  resemblance 
to  the  West  Indian  fish,  which  origin- 
ally bore  the  name,  though  of  course 
they  are  entirely  different." 

(2)  The  word  is  used  as  a  nick- 
name for  an  inhabitant  of  Hobart ; 
compare  Cornstalk. 

Barramunda,  n.  a  fish,  i.q. 
Burramiindi  (q.v.). 

Basket-Fence,  «.  Local  name 
for  a  stake-hedge.  See  quotation. 

1872.  G.  S.  Baden-Powell,  'New 
Homes  for  the  Old  Country,'  p.  208  : 

"  For  sheep,  too,  is  made  the 
'basket  fence.'  Stakes  are  driven  in, 
and  their  pliant  'stuff'  interwoven,  as 
in  a  stake  hedge  in  England." 

Bastard  Dory  and  John  Dory 
(q.v.),  spelt  also  Dorey,  n.  an 
Australian  fish,  Cyttus  australis, 
family  Cyttidce ;  the  Australian 
representative  of  Zeus  faber,  the 
European  "John  Dory,"  and  its 
close  relative,  is  called  Bastard 
Dorey  in  New  Zealand,  and  also 
Boar-fish  (q.v.). 

1880.  Giinther,  'Study  of  Fishes, 'p.  387: 
"  Hi stiopterus.  .  .  .  The  species 
figured  attains  to  a  length  of  twenty 
inches,  and  is  esteemed  as  food.  It  is 
known  at  Melbourne  by  the  names  of 
'  Boar-fish '  or  '  Bastard  Dorey '  (fig.), 
Histioptems  recurvirostris? 

Bastard  Trumpeter,  n.  a  fish. 
See  Morwong,  Paper-fish,  and 
Trumpeter.  In  Sydney  it  is  Latris 
ciliaris,  Forst,  which  is  called 
Moki  in  New  Zealand ;  in  Victoria 
and  Tasmania,  L.forsteri,  Casteln. 

1883.  '  Royal  Commission  on  the  Fish- 
eries of  Tasmania/  p.  35  : 

"The  bastard  trumpeter  (Latris 
Forsteri).  .  .  .  Scarcely  inferior  to  the 
real  trumpeter,  and  superior  to  it  in 
abundance  all  the  year  round,  comes 
the  bastard  trumpeter.  .  .  .  This  fish 
has  hitherto  been  confounded  with 


22 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BAT-BEA 


Latris  ciliaris  (Forst.) ;  but,  although 
the  latter  species  has  been  reported  as 
existing  in  Tasmanian  waters,  it  is 
most  probably  a  mistake  :  for  the  two 
varieties  (the  red  and  the  white),  found 
in  such  abundance  here,  have  the 
general  characters  as  shown  above. 
.  .  .  They  must  be  referred  to  the 
Latris  Forsteri  of  Count  Castelnau, 
which  appears  to  be  the  bastard 
trumpeter  of  Victorian  waters." 

Bat-fish,  n.  The  name  in  Eng- 
land is  given  to  a  fish  of  the  family 
Maltheidce.  It  is  also  applied  to 
the  Flying  Gurnard  of  the  Atlantic 
and  to  the  Californian  Sting-ray. 
In  Australia,  and  chiefly  in  New 
South  Wales,  it  is  applied  to 
Psettus  argenteus,  Linn.,  family 
Carangida,  or  Horse  Mackerels. 
Giinther  says  that  the  "  Sea  Bats," 
which  belong  to  the  closely  allied 
genus  Platax,  are  called  so  from 
the  extraordinary  length  of  some 
portion  of  their  dorsal  and  anal 
fins  and  of  their  ventrals. 

Bathurst  Bur,  n.  Explained  in 
quotation. 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria/ vol.  i.  p.  261  : 

"The  Bathurst  bur  (Xanthium 
spinosuni),  a  plant  with  long  triple 
spines  like  the  barbary,  and  burs 
which  are  ruinous  to  the  wool  of  the 
sheep — otherwise,  itself  very  like  a 
chenopodium,  or  good-fat-hen." 

Batswing-coral,  n.  the  Austra- 
lian wood  Erythrina  vespertilio, 
Bentham,  N.O.  Leguminosce. 

1889.  J-  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  426  : 

"  Batswing  Coral.  .  .  .  The  wood  is 
soft,  and  used  by  the  aborigines  for 
making  their  « heilamans,'  or  shields. 
It  is  exceedingly  light  and  spongy, 
and  of  the  greatest  difficulty  to  work 
up  to  get  anything  like  a  surface  for 
polishing." 

Bauera,  n.  a  shrub,  Bauera 
rubioides,  Andr.,  N.O.  Saxifrages, 
the  Scrub  Vine,  or  Native  Rose; 
commonly  called  in  Tasmania 
"  Bauera,"  and  celebrated  for 


forming  impenetrable  thickets  in 
conjunction  with  "cutting  grass,'" 
Cladium  fsittacorum,  Labill. 
1835.     Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,* 

'  "  Bauera  rubiaefolia.  Madder 
leaved  Bauera.  A  pretty  little  plant 
with  pink  flowers.  This  genus  is 
named  after  the  celebrated  German 
draughtsman,  whose  splendid  works  are 
yet  unrivalled  in  the  art,  especially  of 
the  Australian  plants  which  he  depicted 
in  his  voyage  round  New  Holland 
with  Capt.  Flinders  in  the  Investigator." 

1888.  R.  M.  Johnston,  'Geology  of 
Tasmania,' Intro,  p.  vi. : 

"  The  Bauera  scrub  ...  is  a  tiny, 
beautiful  shrub  .  .  .  Although  the 
branches  are  thin  and  wiry,  they  are  too 
tough  and  too  much  entangled  in  mass 
to  cut,  and  the  only  mode  of  progress 
often  is  to  throw  one's  self  high  upon 
the  soft  branching  mass  and  roll  over 
to  the  other  side.  The  progress  in 
this  way  is  slow,  monotonous,  and 
exhausting." 

1891.  'The  Australasian,'  April  4,  p. 
670,  col.  2 : 

"  Cutting-grass  swamps  and  the  bauera, 
where  a  dog  can't  hardly  go, 

Stringy-bark  country,  and  blackwood 
beds,  and  lots  of  it  broken  by 
snow." 

1891.  W.  Tilley,  'Wild  West  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  7 : 

"  Interposing  the  even  more  trouble- 
some Bauera  shrub  ;  whose  gnarled 
branches  have  earned  for  it  the  local 
and  expressive  name  of  *  tangle-foot '  or 
'leg  ropes.'  [It]  has  been  named  by 
Spicer  the  '  Native  Rose.' " 

Beal,  Bool,  or  Bull,  n.  a  sweet 
aboriginal  drink. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.: 

"A  good  jorum  of  bull  (washings  of 
a  sugar  bag)  "  [given  to  aborigines  who 
have  been  working]. 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  ii.  p.  288  : 

"  The  flowers  are  gathered,  and  by 
steeping  them  a  night  in  water  the 
natives  made  a  sweet  beverage  called 
•bod.'" 

1878.  R.  Brough  Smyth,  '  Aborigines  of 
Victoria,'  vol.  i.  p.  210  : 

"  In  the  flowers  of  a  dwarf  species  of 


BEA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


banksia  (B.  ornata)  there  is  a  good 
deal  of  honey,  and  this  was  got  out  of 
the  flowers  by  immersing  them  in 
water.  The  water  thus  sweetened  was 
greedily  swallowed  by  the  natives. 
The  drink  was  named  beal  by  the 
natives  of  the  west  of  Victoria,  and  was 
much  esteemed." 

Beal  (2),  n.  i.q.  Belar  (q.v.). 

Bean,  Queensland,  or  Leich- 
hardt,  or  Match-box,  n.  Entada 
scandens,  Benth.,  N.  O.  Leguminosce. 
Though  this  bean  has  two  Aus- 
tralian names,  it  is  really  widely 
distributed  throughout  the  tro- 
pics. A  tall  climbing  plant ;  the 
seeds  are  used  for  match-boxes. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  425  : 

"The  seeds  are  about  two  inches 
across,  by  half-an-inch  thick,  and  have 
a  hard  woody  and  beautifully  polished 
shell,  of  a  dark  brown  or  purplish 
colour.  These  seeds  are  converted 
into  snuff-boxes,  scent-bottles,  spoons, 
etc.,  and  in  the  Indian  bazaars  they 
are  used  as  weights.  ('Treasury  of 
Botany.')  In  the  colonies  we  usually 
see  the  beans  of  this  plant  mounted 
with  silver,  as  match-boxes.  The  wood 
itself  is  soft,  fibrous,  and  spongy." 

Bean-Tree,  n.  called  also  More- 
ton  Bay  Chestnut,  Castanospermum 
austrak)  Cunn.  and  Eraser,. N.O. 
Leguminosce ;  a  tall  tree  with  red 
flowers  and  large  seed-pods.  The 
timber  of  young  specimens  has 
beautiful  dark  clouding. 

Bear,  Native,  n.  the  colonists' 
name  for  an  animal  called  by  the 
aborigines  Koala,  Koolah,Kool-la, 
and  Carbora  (Phascolarctus  cine- 
reus}. It  is  a  tree-climbing  mar- 
supial, about  two  feet  in  length, 
like  a  small  bear  in  its  heavy  build. 
Its  food  is  the  young  leaves  of  the 
Eucalyptus,  and  it  is  said  that  the 
Native  Bear  cannot  be  taken  to 
England  because  it  would  die  on 
board  ship,  owing  to  there  being 
no  fresh  gum  leaves.  The  writers 
are  incorrect  who  call  the  animal 
a  sloth. 


1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  317  : 

"  Our  coola  (sloth  or  native  bear)  is 
about  the  size  of  an  ordinary  poodle 
dog,  with  shaggy,  dirty-coloured  fur, 
no  tail,  and  claws  and  feet  like  a  bear, 
of  which  it  forms  a  tolerable  miniature. 
It  climbs  trees  readily  and  feeds  upon 
their  leaves." 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  57  : 

"The  bear  (phascolomys)  of  the 
colonists  is  in  reality  a  species  of  sloth, 
and  partakes  of  all  the  characteristics 
of  that  animal ;  it  is  of  the  marsupial 
order,  and  is  found  chiefly  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  thickly  timbered  high 
land  ;  its  flesh  is  used  by  the  aborigines 
for  food,  but  is  tough  and  unpalatable  ; 
its  usual  weight  is  from  eight  to  twelve 
pounds."  [Note  :  Phascolomys  is  the 
name  of  the  Wombat,  not  the  Bear.] 

1854.  G-  H-  Haydon,  'The  Australian 
Emigrant,'  p.  126  : 

"  The  luckless  carbora  fell  crashing 
through  the  branches."  [Footnote] : 
"  The  native  name  of  an  animal  of  the 
sloth  species,  but  incorrectly  called  by 
the  colonists  a  bear." 

1855.  W.  Blandowski,  '  Transactions  of 
Philosophical  Society  of  Victoria,'  vol.  i. 
p.  68: 

"  The  koala  or  karbor  (Phascolarcttis 
cinereus}  frequents  very  high  trees,  and 
sits  in  places  where  it  is  most  sheltered 
by  the  branches.  ...  its  fur  is  of  the 
same  colour  as  the  bark  .  .  .  like  the 
cat  has  the  power  of  contracting  and 
expanding  the  pupil  of  the  eye.  .  .  . 
Its  skin  is  remarkably  thick  .  .  .  dense 
woolly  fur  .  .  .  The  natives  aver  that 
the  koala  never  drinks  water." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods, 
'  History  of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration 
of  Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  448  : 

"They  were  soon  entirely  out  of 
provisions,  but  found  a  sort  of  substi- 
tute by  living  on  the  native  bear 
(Phascolarctus  cinereus),  which  was 
plentiful  even  in  the  forests." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland/  vol.  i.  p.  214  : 

"  Look,  high  up  in  the  branches  of 
that  tall  tree  is  a  native  bear  !  It  sits 
motionless.  It  has  something  the 
appearance  of  a  solemn  old  man.  How 
funny  his  great  ears  and  Roman  nose 
look  !  He  sits  on  the  branch  as  if  it 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


24 

was  a  chair,  holding  with  hand-like 
claws  the  surrounding  twigs." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals/ 
p.  9  : 

"  We  learned  that  a  koala  or  native 
bear  (Phascolarctus  cinereus)  was  sit- 
ting on  a  tree  near  the  hut  of  a  shep- 
herd ...  not  a  dangerous  animal.  It 
is  called  '  native  bear,'  but  is  in  no  wise 
related  to  the  bear  family.  It  is  an 
innocent  and  peaceful  marsupial,  which 
is  active  only  at  night,  and  sluggishly 
climbs  the  trees,  eating  leaves  and 
sleeping  during  the  whole  day.  As 
soon  as  the  young  has  left  the  pouch, 
the  mother  carries  it  with  her  on  her 
back.  The  Australian  bear  is  found  in 
considerable  numbers  throughout  the 
eastern  part  of  the  continent,  even 
within  the  tropical  circle." 

Bearded  Lizard,  n.      See  Jew 

Lizard. 

Beardie,  or  Beardy,  «.  a  fish. 
In  Scotland  the  name  is  applied 
to  the  Bearded  Loach,  Nemachilus 
barbatus,  of  Europe ;  in  New  South 
Wales  the  name  is  given  to  the 
fish  Lotella  marginata,  Macl.,  of 
the  family  Gadida,  or  Cod-fishes, 
which  is  also  called  Ling  (q.v.). 

Beaver-rat,  n.  an  aquatic  rodent, 
something  like  the  English  water- 
rat,  genus  Hydromys. 

1864.  '  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society 
of  Van  Diemen's  Land'  [paper  by  Morton 
Allport],  p.  62  : 

"Common  to  both  fresh  and  brackish 
water  is  the  yellow  bellied  beaver-rat 
or  musk-rat  (Hydromys  chrysogaster)? 

Beech,  n.  There  is  only  one 
true  Beech  in  Australia,  Fagm 
cunninghamii,  Hook,  N.O,  Cupu- 
liferce ;  but  the  name  is  applied 
to  many  other  kinds  of  Australian 
trees,  viz. — 

(i)  Simply  to 

Cryptocarya    glaucescens,     R.    Br. 
N.O.     Laurinece,     called     also 
Black  Sassafras,  White  Laurel 
She  Beech,  and  Black  Beech. 

Flindersia    australis,  R.  Br.,  N.O 
)  called  also  Flindosa 


[BEA-BEE 


Ash,  Crow's  Ash,  and  Rasp- 
pod,  and  invariably  Myrtle  in 
Tasmania. 

•melina  leichhardtii,  F.  v.  M., 
N.  0.  Verbenacea. 

Monotoca  elliptic^  R.  Br.,  N.O. 
Epacridece. 

Phyllanthus  ferdinandi,  Muell. 
and  Arg.,  N.O.  Euphorbiacea, 
called  also  Pencil  Cedar  in 
Southern  New  South  Wales. 

Schizomeria  ovata,  D.  Don,  N.O. 
Saxifrages,  called  also  Cork- 
wood, Light-wood,  Coach- 
wood,  and  White  Cherry. 

Trochocarpa  laurina,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 
Epacridecz,  called  also  Brush 
Cherry,  and  Brush  Myrtle. 

(2)  With   various  epithets  the 
name  is  also  used  as  follows — 

Evergreen  Beech — 

Fagus      cunninghamii)       Hook, 
N.O.    Cupuliferce,  called  also 
Myrtle       and       Negro-head 
Beech. 
Flindosy  B.— 

Flindersia    schottiana,   F.  v.  M., 
N.O.    Meliacecz,    called    also 
Ash  and  Stave-wood. 
Indian  B. — 

Pongamia  glabra,   Vent.,   N.O. 

Leguminosa,  B.  Fl. 
Mountain  B. — 

Lomatia  longifolia,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 

Proteacea. 
Native  B.— 

Callicoma  serratifolia,  Andr. , 
N.  O.  Saxifragece,  ( '  one  of 
the  trees  called  by  the  early 
colonists  <  Black  Wattle,' 
from  the  fancied  resemblance 
of  the  flowers  to  those  of 
some  of  the  wattles."  (Mai- 
den, p.  389.) 
Negro-head  B.,  i.q.  Evergreen  B. 

(q.v.  supra). 
Queensland  B. — 

Gmelina  leichhardtii,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Verbenacecz,  a  tall  valu- 
able timber-tree. 


BEE] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


Red  B.— 

Tarrietia   trifoliata,    F.    v.    M., 

N.  O.  Sterculiacece. 
She  B.— 

Cryptocarya    obovata,     R.     Br., 
N.O.  Laurinece,  B.  FL,  called 
also  Bastard  Sycamore. 
White  B.— 

El&ocarpus  kirtoni,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  TiliacecZ)  called  also 
Mountain  Ash. 

(3)  In  New  Zealand,  there  are 
six  species  of  true  beeches,  which 
according  to  Kirk  are  as  follows — 

Blair's  B.- 

Fagus  blairii,  T.  Kirk. 
Entire-leaved  B.— 

F.  solandri,  Hook.  f. 
Mountain  B. — 

F.  cliffortioides.  Hook.  f. 
Pointed-leaved  B. — 

F.  apiculata,  Colenso. 
Silver  B.— 

F.  menzzesii,  Hook.  f. 
Tooth-leaved  B. — 

F.fusca,  Hook.  f. 

All  these,  however,  are  com- 
monly called  Birches. 

See  also  the  words  As/i,  Myrtle, 
Sassafras. 

Bee-eater,  n.  a  bird-name. 
The  European  Bee-eater  is  Merops 
apiaster ;  the  Australian  species  is 
Merops  ornatus,  Lath.  The  bird 
was  called  "  M.  phrygius,  the 
Embroidered  Merops,"  by  Shaw. 

1793.  G.  Shaw,  '  Zoology  [and  Botany] 
of  New  Holland,'  p.  14  : 

"  Specific  character. — Black  Merops 
varied  with  yellow.  The  bird  figured 
in  its  natural  size  on  the  present  plate 
is  a  species  of  Merops  or  Bee-eater  ;  a 
tribe  which  appears  to  be  peculiarly 
prevalent  in  the  extensive  regions  of 
Australia,  since  more  birds  of  this 
genus  have  been  discovered  than  of 
any  other,  except  the  very  numerous 
one  of  Psittacus." 

[The  birds,  however,  have  been  since 
this  date  further  differentiated,  and 
are  now  all  classed  in  other  genera, 
except  the  present  species.] 


1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  144  : 

'  The  wattled  bee-eater,  of  which  a 
plate  is  annexed,  fell  in  our  way 
during  the  course  of  the  day  .  .  . 
Under  the  eye,  on  each  side,  is  a  kind 
of  wattle  of  an  orange  colour  .  .  . 
This  bird  seems  to  be  peculiar  to  New 
Holland." 

Ibid.  p.  190  : 

"  We  this  day  shot  a  knob-fronted 
bee-eater  (see  plate  annexed).  This 
is  about  the  size  of  a  black-bird."  [De- 
scription follows.] 

Beef-wood,  n.  the  timber  of 
various  Australian  trees,  espe- 
cially of  the  genus  Casuarina,  and 
some  of  the  Banksias  ;  often  used 
as  a  synonym  of  She-oak  (q.v.). 
The  name  is  taken  from  the 
redness  of  the  wood. 

1826.  J.  Atkinson,  '  Agriculture  and 
Grazing  in  New  South  Wales,'  p.  31  : 

"The  wood  is  well  known  in  England 
by  the  names  of  Botany  Bay  wood,  or 
beef  wood.  The  grain  is  very  peculiar, 
but  the  wood  is  thought  very  little  of 
in  the  colony  ;  it  makes  good  shingles, 
splits,  in  the  colonial  phrase,  from 
heart  to  bark  ..." 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  'Southern  Australia, 'vol. 
i.  c.  i.  p.  22  : 

"  They  seemed  to  be  covered  with 
cypresses  and  beef-wood." 

1846.  C.  Holtzapffel,  'Turning,'  vol. 
i.  p.  74  : 

"  Beef  wood.  Red-coloured  woods 
are  sometimes  thus  named,  but  it  is 
generally  applied  to  the  Botany-Bay 
oak." 

1852.  G.  C.  Munday,  '  Our  Antipodes ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  219  : 

"A  shingle  of  the  beef-wood  looks 
precisely  like  a  raw  beef-steak." 

1856.  Capt.  H.  Butler  Stoney,  'A 
Residence  in  Tasmania,'  p.  265  : 

"  We  now  turn  our  attention  to  some 
trees  of  a  very  different  nature,  Casua- 
rina strict  a  and  quadrivalvis,  com- 
monly called  He  and  She  oak,  and 
sometimes  known  by  the  name  of  beef- 
wood,  from  the  wood,  which  is  very 
hard  and  takes  a  high  polish,  exhibit- 
ing peculiar  maculae  spots  and  veins 
scattered  throughout  a  finely  striated 
tint  .  .  " 


26 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BEL 


1868.  Paxton's  'Botanical  Dictionary,' 
p.  116  : 

"  Casuarinaceae,  or  Beefwoods. 
Curious  branching,  leafless  trees  or 
shrubs,  with  timber  of  a  high  order, 
which  is  both  hard  and  heavy,  and  of 
the  colour  of  raw  beef,  whence  the 
vulgar  name." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants.'  (See  'Index  of  vernacular  names.') 

Belar,  n.  (various  spellings, 
Belah,  billa,  bee  la,  beal\  an  aborigi- 
nal name  for  the  tree  Casuarina 
glauca.  The  colonists  call  the 
tree  Bull-oak,  probably  from  this 
native  name. 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  'Poems, 'p.  18  : 
"  A  voice  in  the  beela  grows  wild  in 
its  wail." 

1868.  J.  A.  B.,  «Meta,'p.  19: 

"With   heartfelt   glee   we   hail   the 

camp, 
And  blazing  fire  of  beal." 

[Footnote]  :  "  Aboriginal  name  of 
the  gum-tree  wood." 

1874.  W.  H.  L.  Ranken,  'Dominion 
of  Australia,'  c.  vi.  p.  1 10  : 

"  These  scrubs  .  .  .  sometimes  crown 
the  watersheds  as  'belar.'" 

Bell-bird,  n.  name  given  to 
several  birds,  from  their  note,  like 
the  tinkling  of  a  bell.  In  Aus- 
tralia, a  Honey-eater,  Myzantha 
melanophrys,  Gould  ('  Birds  of 
Australia,'  vol.  iv.  pi.  80),  the 
'Australian  Bell-bird'  (the  same 
bird  as  Myzantha  flavirostris ^  V. 
and  H.),  chiefly  found  in  New 
South  Wales  ;  also  Oreoica  guttu- 
ratis,  Gould  (vol.  ii.  pi.  81),  the 
'  Bell-bird  '  of  Western  Australia ; 
and  Oreoica  cristata,  Lewin.  In 
New  Zealand,  Anthornis  melanura, 
Sparrtn.,  chief  Maori  names,  Kori- 
mdko  (q.v.)  in  North,  and  Mako- 
mako  in  South.  Buller  gives  ten 
Maori  names.  The  settlers  call 
it  Moko  (q.v.).  There  is  also  a 
Bell-bird  in  Brazil. 

1774.  J.  Hawkesworth,  '  Voyages,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  390  [Journal  of  Jan.  17,  1770]  : 

"  In  the  morning  we  were  awakened 
by  the  singing  of  the  birds  ;  the  num- 


ber was  incredible,  and  they  seemed 
to  strain  their  throats  in  emulation  of 
each  other.  This  wild  melody  was  in- 
finitely superior  to  any  that  we  had  ever 
heard  of  the  same  kind  ;  it  seemed  to 
be  like  small  bells  most  exquisitely 
tuned,  and  perhaps  the  distance,  and 
the  water  between,  might  be  no  small 
advantage  to  the  sound.  Upon  en- 
quiry we  were  informed  that  the  birds 
here  always  began  to  sing  about  two 
hours  after  midnight,  and  continuing 
their  music  till  sunrise  were,  like  our 
nightingales,  silent  the  rest  of  the  day." 
[This  celebrated  descriptive  passage 
by  Dr.  Hawkesworth  is  based  upon 
the  following  original  from  '  Banks's 
Journal,3  which  now,  after  an  interval 
of  122  years,  has  just  been  published 
in  London,  edited  by  Sir  J.  D.  Hooker.} 

1770.  J.  Banks, 'Journal, 'Jan.  17  (edition 
1896) : 

"  I  was  awakened  by  the  singing  of 
the  birds  ashore,  from  whence  we  are 
distant  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  Their 
numbers  were  certainly  very  great. 
They  seemed  to  strain  their  throats 
with  emulation,  and  made,  perhaps, 
the  most  melodious  wild  music  I  have 
ever  heard,  almost  imitating  small 
bells,  but  with  the  most  tunable  silver 
sound  imaginable,  to  which,  maybe, 
the  distance  was  no  small  addition.  On 
inquiring  of  our  people,  I  was  told 
that  they  had  observed  them  ever 
since  we  had  been  here,  and  that  they 
began  to  sing  about  one  or  two  in  the 
morning,  and  continue  till  sunrise, 
after  which  they  are  silent  all  day,, 
like  our  nightingales." 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  viii.  p.  84  : 

"  The  cry  of  the  bell-bird  seems  to- 
be  unknown  here." 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  '  Trans- 
actions of  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p. 
319: 

"  Mr.  Caley  thus  observes  on  this 
bird:  'Dell-bird  or  Bell-bird.  So 
called  by  the  colonists.  It  is  an  in- 
habitant of  bushes,  where  its  disagree- 
able noise  (disagreeable  at  least  to  me) 
[but  not  to  the  poets]  may  be  con- 
tinually heard  ;  but  nowhere  more  so 
than  on  going  up  the  harbour  to  Para- 
matta, when  a  little  above  the  Flats.3 " 

1835.  T.  B.  Wilson,  « Voyage  Round  the 
World,'  p.  259: 


EEL] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


27 


"During  the  night,  the  bell  bird 
supplied,  to  us,  the  place  of  the  wake- 
ful nightingale  ...  a  pleasing  surprise, 
as  we  had  hitherto  supposed  that  the 
birds  in  New  Holland  were  not  formed 
for  song." 

1839.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  23  : 

"  Every  bough  seemed  to  throng 
with  feathered  musicians  :  the  melo- 
dious chimes  of  the  bell-bird  were 
specially  distinct." 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  102  : 
"  Look  at  the  bell-bird's  nest,  admire 

the  two  spotted  salmon  coloured  eggs." 
Ibid.  ( '  Verses  written  whilst  we   lived 
in  tents'),  p.  171  : 

"  Through  the  Eucalyptus  shade, 
Pleased  could  watch  the  bell-bird's 

flutter, 

Blending  with  soft  voice  of  waters 
The  delicious  tones  they  utter." 

1846.  Lady     Martin,    '  Bush    Journey, 
1846,  Our  Maoris,'  p.  93  : 

"  We  did  hear  the  birds  next  morn- 
ing as  Captain  Cook  had  described — 
first  the  bell-bird  gave  its  clear,  full 
note,  and  then  came  such  a  jargoning 
as  made  one's  heart  glad." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  pi.  81  : 

"  Oreoica  gutturalis,  Gould.  Crested 
Oreo'ica.  Bell-bird,  Colonists  of  Swan 
River  [Western  Australia]  ...  I  find 
the  following  remarksin  my  note-book — 
4  Note,  a  very  peculiar  piping  whistle, 
sounding  like  <weet-eweet-<weet-rweet-oo, 
the  last  syllable  fully  drawn  out  and 
very  melodious.  ...  In  Western  Aus- 
tralia, where  the  real  Bell-bird  is  never 
found,  this  species  has  had  that  appel- 
lation given  to  it, — a  term  which  must 
appear  ill-applied  to  those  who  have 
heard  the  note  of  the  true  Bell-bird  of 
the  brushes  of  New  South  Wales, 
whose  tinkling  sound  so  nearly  resem- 
bles that  of  a  distant  sheep-bell  as 
occasionally  to  deceive  the  ears  of  a 
practised  shepherd." 

1866.  Lady  Barker,  '  Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  93  : 

"  Every  now  and  then  we  stood,  by 
common  consent,  silent  and  almost 
breathless,  to  listen  to  the  bell-bird,  a 
dingy  little  fellow,  nearly  as  large  as  a 
thrush  with  the  plumage  of  a  chaffinch, 
but  with  such  a  note  !  How  can  I 
make  you  hear  its  wild,  sweet,  plaintive 


tone,  as  a  little  girl  of  the  party  said 
'just  as  if  it  had  a  bell  in  its  throat  ;' 
but  indeed  it  would  require  a  whole 
peal  of  silver  bells  to  ring  such  an 
exquisite  chime." 

1868.  F.  Napier  Broome,   c  Canterbury 
Rhymes,'  second  edition,  p.  108  : 
"Where  the  bell-bird   sets  solitudes. 

ringing, 
Many    times    I    have     heard    and 

thrown  down 

My  lyre  in  despair  of  all  singing." 
1881.    A.    C.    Grant,     '  Bush    Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  21  : 

"  Listen  to  the  bell-bird.  Ping,  ping> 
sounds  through  the  vast  hushed 
temple  of  nature." 

1883.  G.  W.  Rusden,  '  History  of  Aus- 
tralia/ vol.  i.  p.  81  : 

"The  bell-bird,  with  metallic  but 
mellow  pipe,  warns  the  wanderer  that 
he  is  near  water  in  some  sequestered 
nook." 

1886.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  8  : 
"  And  softer  than  slumber  and  sweeter 

than  singing, 

The  notes  of  the  bell-bird  are  running 
and  ringing." 

1888.  W.   L.    Buller,    'Birds   of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  85  : 

"  Anthornis  melamira.  Chatham 
Island  Bell-bird  (A.  melanocephald), 
the  Bell-bird — so-called  from  the  fan- 
ciful resemblance  of  one  of  its  notes 
to  the  distant  tolling  of  a  bell." 

1889.  Prof.  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  1 19  : 

"Bell-bird,  Korimako,  or  Mako- 
mako  (Anthornis  vielanura),  is  still 
common  in  many  parts  of  the  South 
Island — e.g.  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Dunedin  ;  but  has  almost  disappeared 
from  the  North  Island.  Its  song  is 
remarkably  fine." 

1893.    W.    P.    Reeves,    '  The    Passing 
of  the  Forest,'  'Review  of  Reviews,'  Feb. 
1893,  P-  45  : 
"Gone  are  the  forest  birds,  arboreal 

things, 
Eaters  of  honey,   honey-sweet   in 

song; 
The  tui,  and  the  bell-bird — he  who 

sings 
That  brief  rich  music  one  would 

fain  prolong.' 

1896.  G.  A.  Keartland,  '  Home  Expedi- 
tion in  Central  Australia,'  Part  II.,  Zoo- 
logy, Aves,  p.  74 : 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BEL-BID 


"  In  the  north  they  \0reoicd\  are 
frequently  called  '  Bell-birds,'  but  bear 
no  resemblance  to  Manorhina  melano- 
phrys  in  plumage,  shape,  or  note.  The 
Oreoica  is  such  an  accomplished  ven- 
triloquist that  it  is  difficult  to  find. 

Bell-bottomed,  adj.  a  particular 
fashion  of  trouser  affected  by  the 
.larrikin  (q.v.). 

1891.   '  The  Argus,'  Dec.  5,  p.  13,  co1-.2  : 

"Can  it  be  that  the  pernicious  in- 
fluence of  the  House  is  gradually 
tingeing  the  high  priests  of  the  bell- 
bottomed  ballottee  with  conserva- 
tism ! " 

Bell-Frog,  Golden,  n.  See 
Golden  Bell-Frog. 

Bell-topper,  «.  The  ordinary 
Australian  name  for  the  tall  silk- 
hat. 

i860.  W.  Kelly, 'Life  in  Victoria, 'p.  268 
[Footnote]  : 

"  Bell-topper  was  the  derisive  name 
given  by  diggers  to  old  style  hat, 
supposed  to  indicate  the  dandy  swell." 

Benjamin,  n.  a  husband,  in 
Australian  pigeon-English. 

1870.  Chas.  H.  Allen,  'A  Visit  to 
Queensland  and  her  Goldfields,'  p.  182  : 

"There  are  certain  native  terms 
that  are  used  by  the  whites  also  as  a 
kind  of  colonial  slang,  such  as  '  yab- 
ber,'  to  talk  ;  '  budgeree,3  good  ;  '  bale,' 
no  ;  '  yan,;  to  go  ;  '  cabon,5  much  ;  and 
so  on. 

"  With  the  black  people  a  husband 
is  now  called  a  '  benjamin,'  probably 
because  they  have  no  word  in  their 
own  language  to  express  this  relation- 
ship." 

Benjamin-Tree,  n.  also  called 

Weeping  Fig  in  Queensland,  Ficus 
benjaminea,  Linn.,  N.  O.  Urticacece. 

Bent-grass,  n.    See  Grass. 

1835.  Ross,  '  Hohart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  65: 

"  Agrostis  virginica.  Virginian 
Agrostis,  or  Bent-grass.  .  .  .  Many 
species  of  this  genus  go  under  the 
general  name  of  Bent-grass.  Their 
roots  spread  along  among  light  and 
sandy  soil  in  which  they  generally  grow 
with  joints  like  the  Squitch  or  Couch 
grass  of  England." 


Berigora,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  a  bird  of  genus  Falco,  from 
beri,  claw,  and  gora,  long.  See 
Hawk. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Transac- 
tions of  Linnrean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  185  : 

"  The  native  name  of  this  bird  which 
we  have  adopted  as  its  specific  name, 
is  Berigora.  It  is  called  by  the  settlers 
Orange-speckled  Hawk." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  i.  pi.  ii  : 

"Hieracidea  berigora.  Brown  Hawk. 
Berigora,  Aborigines  of  New  South 
Wales.  Orange-speckled  Hawk  of  the 
Colonists." 

Berley,  n.  term  used  by  Aus- 
tralian fishermen  for  ground  bait. 
It  is  probably  of  aboriginal  origin. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
and  Fisheries  of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  75  : 

"With  hook  and  line  along  the 
rocks  of  our  sea-coast  these  fishes  are 
caught,  but  the  bait  should  be  crabs. 
It  is  usual  to  wrench  legs  and  shell  off 
the  back,  and  cast  them  out  for  Berley." 

1896.  '  Badminton  Magazine,'  August, 
p.  20 1  : 

"  I  would  signal  to  the  sharks  by 
opening  and  washing  out  a  few  of  the 
largest  fish  at  the  boat's  head,  some- 
times adding  bait  chopped  small  to 
serve  for  what  Australian  fishermen 
call  Berley." 

Betcherrygah,  n.  bird-name, 
Melopsittacus  undulatus^  Shaw.  See 
Budgerigar. 

Bettongia,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  of  Prehensile- 
tailed  Kangaroo-Rats,  whose  ab- 
original name  is  Bettong.  They 
are  the  only  ground  -  dwelling 
marsupials  with  prehensile  tails, 
which  they  use  for  carrying 
bunches  of  grasses  and  sticks. 
See  Kangaroo-Rat. 

Biddy-biddy,"or  Biddybid,  n.  a 
corruption  of  Maori  name //Vvj^V/. 
It  is  a  kind  of  bur. 

1880.  T.  H.  Potts,  'Out  in  the  Open,' 
'  New  Zealand  Country  Journal,'  vol.  xii. 
p.  195.:. 

"  Piri-piri  (acaena  sanguisorbe]  by 
the  settlers  has  been  converted  or  cor- 


BID-BIL] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


rupted  into  biddy-biddy ;  a  verb  has 
been  formed  on  it,  which  is  in  very 
constant  use  for  a  good  part  of  the 
year  at  least.  To  biddy,  is  to  rid 
one  of  burrs,  as  '  I'll  just  biddy  my 
clothes  before  I  come  in.'  Small  birds 
are  occasionally  found  in  a  wretched 
state  of  discomfort  in  which  they 
appear  a  moving  mass  of  burrs.  Par- 
roquets,  pipets,  and  the  little  white- 
eyes,  have  been  found  victims  suffering 
from  these  tenacious  burrs  of  the  piri- 
piri,  just  moving  little  brown  balls 
unable  to  fly  till  picked  up  and  re- 
leased from  their  bonds." 

1896.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Jan.  23,  vol.  ii. 
P-  36: 

"  Yes,  biddybids  detract  very  materi- 
ally from  the  value  of  the  wool,  and 
the  plant  should  not  be  allowed  to 
seed  where  sheep  are  depastured. 
They  are  not  quite  so  bad  as  the 
Bathurst  burr,  but  they  are  certainly  in 
the  same  category." 

Biddy,  v.     See  Biddy-biddy,  n. 

Bidgee  Widgee,  n.  name 
given  to  a  Tasmanian  Bur  (q.v.). 

Bidyan  Ruffe,  n.  a  fresh-water 
fish  of  New  South  Wales,  Therapon 
richardsonii,  Castln.,  family  Percidce. 
Mr.  J.  Douglas  Ogilby,  Assistant 
Zoologist  at  the  Australian  Mu- 
seum, Sydney,  says  in  a  letter  : 
4  <  The  Bidyan  Ruffe  of  Sir  Thomas 
Mitchell  is  our  Therapon  ellipticus, 
Richards  (T.  richardsonii,  Castln.). 
Found  in  all  the  rivers  of  the 
Murray  system,  and  called  Koo- 
berry  by  the  natives."  It  is  also 
called  the  Silver  Perch  and  some- 
times Bream. 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  i.  p.  95  [Note] : 

"  Bidyan  is  the  aboriginal  name." 

Ibid.  vol.  i.  p.  135  : 

"  Abundance  of  that  which  the  men 
commonly  called  bream  (Cernua  bid- 
yana],  a  very  coarse  but  firm  fish, 
which  makes  a  groaning  noise  when 
taken  out  of  the  water." 

Big-head,  n.  a  fish.  The  name 
is  used  locally  for  various  fishes  ; 
in  Australia  it  is  Eleotris  nudiceps, 
Castln.,  family  Gobiid<z,  a  river 


fish.  Of  the  genus  Eleotris, 
Glinther  says  that  as  regards 
form  they  repeat  almost  all  the 
modifications  observed  among 
the  Gobies,  from  which  they  differ 
only  in  having  the  ventral  fins 
non-coalescent.  See  Bull-head  (2}. 

Billabong,  n.  an  effluent  from 
a  river,  returning  to  it,  or  often 
ending  in  the  sand,  in  some  cases 
running  only  in  flood  time. 

In  the  Wiradhuri  dialect  of 
the  centre  of  New  South  Wales, 
East  coast,  billa  means  a  river 
and  bung  dead.  See  Bung.  Billa 
is  also  a  river  in  some  Queens- 
land dialects,  and  thus  forms 
part  of  the  name  of  the  river 
Belyando.  In  the  Moreton  Bay 
dialect  it  occurs  in  the  form 
pilly,  and  in  the  sense  of  'tidal 
creek.'  In  the  'Western  Aus- 
tralian Almanack'  for  1842, quoted 
in  J.  Eraser's  '  Australian  Lan- 
guage,' 1892,  Appendix,  p.  50, 
Bilo  is  given  for  River. 

Billabong  is  often  regarded  as 
a  synonym  for  Anabranch  (q.v.)  ; 
but  there  is  a  distinction.  From 
the  original  idea,  the  Anabranch 
implies  rejoining  the  river  ;  whilst 
the  Billabong  implies  continued 
separation  from  it ;  though  what 
are  called  Billabongs  often  do 
rejoin. 

1862.  W.  Landsborough,  '  Exploration 
of  Australia,'  p.  30: 

"A  dried-up  tributary  of  the  Gregory, 
which  I  named  the  Macadam."  [Foot- 
note]: "  In  the  south,  such  a  creek  as  the 
Macadam  is  termed  a  billy-botm  [sic], 
from  the  circumstance  of  the  water 
carrier  returning  from  it  with  his 
pitcher  (billy}  empty  (boni?,  literally 
dead}." 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  298  : 

"What  the  Major  calls,  after  the 
learned  nomenclature  of  Colonel  Jack- 
son, in  the  '  Journal  of  the  Geographi- 
cal Society,'  anabranches,  but  which 
the  natives  call  billibongs,  channels 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BIL-BIN 


coming  out  of  a  stream  and  returning 
into  it  again." 

1880.  P.  J.  Holdsworth,  '  Station  Hunt- 
ing on  the  Warrego  : ' 

"  In  yon  great  range  may  huddle 
billabongs." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
P-  25: 

"  What  a  number  of  swallows  skim 
about  the  '  billabongs ;  along  the  rivers 
in  this  semi-tropical  region." 

1893.   'The  Argus,' April  8,  p.  4,  col.  i: 

"Let's  make  a  start  at  once,  d'ye 
hear ;  I  want  to  get  over  to  the  billa- 
bong  by  sunrise." 

Billet,  n.  an  appointment,  a 
position ;  a  very  common  expres- 
sion in  Australia,  but  not  confined 
to  Australia ;  adapted  from  the 
meaning,  "an  official  order  re- 
quiring the  person  to  whom  it  is 
addressed  to  provide  board  and 
lodging  for  the  soldier  bearing 

it."  CO.E.D.') 

1890.  E.  W.  Hornung,  'A  Bride  from 
the  Bush,'  p.  267: 

"  If  ever  she  went  back  to  Australia, 
she'd  remember  my  young  man,  and 
get  him  a  good  billet." 

Billy,  n.  a  tin  pot  used  as  a 
bushman's  kettle.  The  word 
comes  from  the  proper  name, 
used  as  abbreviation  for  William. 
Compare  the  common  uses  of 
'Jack,'  'Long  Tom,'  'Spinning 
Jenny.'  It  came  into  use  about 
1850.  It  is  not  used  in  the  fol- 
lowing. 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  48: 

"  He  then  strikes  a  light  and  makes 
a  fire  to  boil  his  kettle  and  fry  his 
bacon." 

About  1850,  the  billy  superseded 
the  quart-pot  (q.v.),  chiefly  because 
of  its  top-handle  and  its  lid.  An- 
other suggested  derivation  is  that 
•billy  is  shortened  from  billy  can, 
which  is  said  to  be  bully-can  (sc. 
Fr.  bouilli):  In  the  early  days 
".fauf  bouilli"  was  a  common 
label  on  tins  of  preserved  meat 
in  ship's  stores.  These  tins, 


called  "bully-tins,"  were  used  by 
diggers  and  others  as  the  modern 
billy  is  (see  quotation  1835).  A 
third  explanation  gives  as  the 
origin  the  aboriginal  word  billa 
(river  or  water). 

1835.  T'  B-  Wilson,  '  Voyage  Round  the 
World, 'p.  238: 

"An  empty  preserved  meat-canister 
serving  the  double  purpose  of  tea-kettle 
and  tea-pot." 

[The  word  billy  is  not  used,  but  its 
origin  is  described.] 

1857.  W.  Howitt,  'Tallangetta,'  Vol.  i. 
p.  2O2  : 

"  A  tin  pan  bearing  the  familiar  name 
of  a  billy." 

1871.  J.  J.  Simpson,  '  Recitations,'  p.  5  : 

"  He  can't  get  a  billy  full  for  many  a 
mile  round." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,' vol.  i.  p.  41: 

"  A  billy  (that  is  a  round  tin  pitcher 
with  a  lid)  in  his  hand." 

1889.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iv.  p.  69 : 

"  A  tin  can,  which  the  connoisseurs 
call  for  some  reason  or  other  a '  billy.5 " 

1890.  Rolf     Boldrewood,     '  Squatter's 
Dream, '  p.  24 : 

"  A  very  black  camp-kettle,  or  billy, 
of  hot  tea." 

1892.    '  The  Australasian,'  April  9,   p. 
707,  col.  4 : 
"  How  we  praised  the  simple  supper 

(we  prepared  it  each  in  turn), 
And  the  tea  !  Ye  gods  !  'twas  nectar. 
Yonder  billy  was  our  urn." 

Billy-can,  n.  a  variation  of  the 
above,  more  used  by  townsmen 
than  bushmen. 

1892.  'The  Australasian,'  April  9,  p. 
707,  col.  4 : 

"  But  I  said, '  Dear  friend  and  brother, 

yonder  billy-can  is  mine  ; 
You  may  confiscate  the  washing  that 

is  hanging  on  the  line, 
You  may  depredate  the  larder,  take 

your  choice  of  pot  and  pan  ; 
But,  I  pray  thee,  kind  sundowner, 

spare,  oh  spare,  my  billy-can.5 " 

Bingy  [g  soft],  n.  stomach  or 
belly.  Aboriginal.  The  form  at 
Botany  Bay  was  bindi ;  at  Jervis 
Bay,  binjL 


BIR-BLA] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


3' 


1851.  Rev.  David  Mackenzie,  'Ten 
Years  in  Australia,'  p.  140: 

"  They  lay  rolling  themselves  on  the 
ground,  heavily  groaning  in  pain,  and 
with  their  hands  rubbing  their  bellies, 
exclaiming,  '  Cabonn  bug  gel  along 
bingee'  (that  is,  I  am  very  sick  in  the 
stomach)." 

Birch,  n.  In  New  Zealand,  the 
trees  called  birches  are  really 
beeches  (q.v.),  but  the  term  birch  is 
used  very  vaguely  ;  see  quotation 
1889.  In  Tasmania,  the  name 
is  applied  to  Dodoncza  ericifolia, 
Don.,  N.O.  Sapindacea. 


J-  Hector,   '  Handbook  of  New 
.Zealand,'  p.  125  : 

"  White-birch  of  Nelson  and  Otago 
•(from  colour  of  bark),  Black-heart 
Birch  of  Wellington,  Fagus  solandri, 
Hook,  a  lofty,  beautiful  ever-green 
tree,  100  feet  high.  Black-birch  (Taw- 
hai)  of  Auckland  and  Otago  (from 
colour  of  bark),  Red-birch  of  Welling- 
ton and  Nelson  (from  colour  of  timber), 
Fagus  fusca.)  N.  O.  CupulifercE,  a  noble 
tree  60  to  90  feet  high." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  'Forest  Flora  of  New 
.Zealand,'  p.  91  : 

"  Like  all  small-leaved  forest  trees  it 
\Fagus  solandri,  Hook,  f.]  is  termed 
'  birch  '  by  the  bushman.  ...  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  the  blundering 
use  of  common  names  in  connection 
with  the  New  Zealand  beeches,  when 
the  timber  has  been  employed  in 
bridges  and  constructive  works,  has 
caused  waste  and  loss  to  the  value  of 
many  thousands  of  pounds." 

Bird-catching  Plant,  n.  a 
New  Zealand  shrub  or  tree,  Piso- 
nia  brunoniana,  Endl.,  N.O.  Nycta- 
ginece  ;  Maori  name,  Parapara. 

1883.  R.  H.  Govett,  'Transactions  of 
the  New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xvi.  Art. 
xxviii.  p.  364  : 

"A  Bird-killing  Tree.  ...  In  a 
shrub  growing  in  my  father's  garden 
at  New  Plymouth,  two  Silver-eyes 
(Zosterops)  and  an  English  Sparrow 
had  been  found  with  their  wings  so 
glued  by  the  sticky  seed-vessels  that 
they  were  unable  to  move,  and  could 
only  fly  away  after  having  been  care- 
fully washed." 


1889.  T-  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  293  : 

"  It  is  sometimes  termed  the  *  bird- 
catching  plant '  by  settlers  and  bush- 
men.  ...  It  will  always  be  a  plant  of 
special  interest,  as  small  birds  are  often 
found  captured  by  its  viscid  fruits,  to 
which  their  feathers  become  attached 
as  effectively  as  if  they  were  glued." 

Bird's-nest  fungus,  n.  a  small 
fungus  of  the  genus  Cyathus,  four 
species  of  which  occur  in  Queens- 
land. 

Bitter-Bark,  n.  an  Australian 
tree,  Petalostigma  quadriloMlare, 
F.  v.  M.,  N.  O.  Euphorbiacea. 
Called  also  Crab-tree,  Native  Quince, 
Emu  apple,  and  Quinine-tree.  The 
bark  contains  a  powerful  bitter 
essence,  which  is  used  medicin- 
ally. The  name  is  also  applied 
to  Taberncemontana  orientalis,  R. 
Br. ,  N.  O.  Apocynece,  and  to  Alstonia 
constricta,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Apocy- 
nacece,  which  is  also  called  Fever- 
bark. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  204: 

"  Bitter  Bark.  This  small  tree  has 
an  intensely  bitter  bark,  and  a  de- 
coction of  it  is  sometimes  sold  as 
'bitters/" 

Bitter-Leaf,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
name  for  the  Native  Hop.  See 
Hops  and  Hopbush. 

Bittern,  n.  bird-name  well 
known  in  England.  The  Aus- 
tralian species  are — 

The  Bittern— 

Botaurus  pccciloptilus,  Wagl. 
Black  B.— - 

Butoroides  flavicollis,  Lath. 
Green  B.— 

B.javanica,  Horsfield. 
Little  B.— 

Ardetta  pusilla,  Vieill. 

Blackberry,  Native,  or  Bram- 
ble, n.  called  also  Raspberry.  Three 
species  of  the  genus  Rtibus  occur 
in  Queensland — Rubus  moluccanus, 
Linn.,  R.  t>arvifoliiis,  Linn.,  R. 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[BLA 


rosifolius,    Smith,    N.O.    Rosacetz. 
See  also  Lawyer. 

Blackbird,  n.  "  A  cant  name  for 
a  captive  negro,  or  Polynesian,  on 
board  a  slave  or  pirate  ship." 
('O.E.D.')  But  no  instance  is 
given  of  its  use  for  a  negro. 

1871.  c  Narrative  of  the  Voyage  of  the 
Brig  Carl '  [pamphlet] : 

"  They  were  going  to  take  a  cruise 
round  the  islands  '  black-bird '  catch- 
ing." 

1872.  '  The  Argus,'  Dec.  21,  Supple- 
ment, p.  2,  col.  I  [Chief  Justice's  charge  in 
the  case  of  the  '  Carl  Outrage ']  : 

"  They  were  not  going  pearl-fishing, 
but  blackbird-hunting.  It  is  said  you 
should  have  evidence  as  to  what  black- 
bird-hunting meant.  I  think  it  is  a 
grievous  mistake  to"  pretend  to  ignor- 
ance of  things  passing  before  our  eyes 
every  day.  We  may  know  the  mean- 
ing of  slang  words,  though  we  do  not 
use  them.  Is  there  not  a  wide  dis- 
tinction between  blackbird-hunting 
and  a  legitimate  labour-trade,  if 
such  a  thing  is  to  be  carried  on? 
What  did  he  allude  to?  To  get 
labourers  honestly  if  they  could,  but,  if 
not,  any  way?" 

1881.  'Chequered  Career,'  p.  180 
('  O.E.D.'): 

"The  white  men  on  board  know 
that  if  once  the  *  blackbirds '  burst  the 
hatches  .  .  .  they  would  soon  master 
the  ship/' 

Black-birding,  n.  kidnapping 
natives  of  South  Sea  islands  for 
service  in  Queensland  planta- 
tions. 

1871.  '  Narrative  of  the  Voyage  of  the 
Brig  Carl '  [pamphlet] : 

"  All  the  three  methods,  however,  of 
obtaining  labour  in  the  South  Seas— that 
which  was  just  and  useful,  that  which 
was  of  suspicious  character,  and  that 
which  was  nothing,  more  or  less,  than 
robbery  and  murder — were  in  use  the 
same  time,  and  all  three  went  by  the 
same  general  slang  term  of  'black- 
birding,'  or  '  blackbird  catching.' " 

1872.  Rev.  H.   S.  Fagan,   'The  Dark 
Blue  '  (Magazine),  June,  p.  437  : 

"  Well,  you  see  how  it  is  that  C  is 
not  safe,  even  though  he  is  a  missionary 
bishop,  after  A  has  made  the  name  of 


missionary  an  offence  by  his  ingenious 
mode  of '  black-birding.' " 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  78  : 

"In  the  early  days  of  sugar-planting 
there  may  have  been  black-birding, 
but  it  was  confined  to  a  very  few,  and 
it  is  done  away  with  altogether  now." 

Black-birding,  adj. 

1883.  'The  Academy,'  Sept.  8,  p.  158 
('O.E.D.'): 

"[He]  slays  Bishop  Patteson  by 
way  of  reprisal  for  the  atrocities  of 
some  black-birding  crew." 

Blackboy,  n.  a  grass-tree. 
Name  applied  to  all  species  of 
the  genus  Xanthorrhaa,  but 
especially  to  X.  preissii,  Endl., 
N.O.  Liliacecz.  Compare  Maori- 
head. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' ii.  4,  132: 

"  Black  Boy  .  .  .  gum  on  the  spear, 
resin  on  the  trunk." 

Ibid.  ii.  12,  280  [Note]  : 

"These  trees,  called  blackboys  by 
the  colonists,  from  the  resemblance 
they  bear  in  the  distance  to  natives." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  92  : 

"  Gas  admirably  fitted  for  domestic 
purposes  had  been  extracted  from  the 
shrub  called  the  '  blackboy.3  I  regret 
to  state  that  the  gas  ...  is  not  .  .  . 
at  present  known  in  the  colony." 

1886.   R.  Henty,  '  Australiana,' p.  15: 

"  The  common  grass-tree  or  '  black- 
boy,'  so  called  from  its  long  dark  stem 
and  dark  seed  head  (when  dry)." 

1896.  'The  Australasian/  Feb.  15, 
P-  3*3  (with  an  Illustration) : 

"  The  Blackboy  trees  are  a  species 
of  grass-tree  or  Xanthorrhcea,  exuding 
a  gummy  substance  used  by  the  blacks 
for  fastening  glass  and  quartz-barbs  to 
their  spears.  Many  years  ago,  when 
coal  was  scarce  in  Western  Australia, 
an  enterprising  firm  .  .  .  erected  a  gas- 
making  plant,  and  successfully  lit  their 
premises  with  gas  made  from  the 
blackboy." 

1896.  Modern: 

A  story  is  told  of  a  young  lady  say- 
ing to  a  naval  officer  : — "  I  was  this 
morning  watching  your  ship  coming 
into  harbour,  and  so  intently  that  I 


BLA] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


33 


rode  over  a  young  blackboy."  The 
officer  was  shocked  at  her  callousness 
in  expressing  no  contrition. 

Black-Bream,  n.  an  Australian 
fish,  Chrysophrys  australis,  Gunth., 
family  Sparidce,  or  Sea-Breams  ; 
called  in  Tasmania  Silver-Bream, 
the  fish  there  called  Black-Bream 
being"  another  of  the  Sparidce, 
Girella  tricuspidata,  Cuv.  and  Val. 
See  Tarwhine  and  Black-fish. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales/  p.  42  : 

"  Chrysophrys  comprises  the  tar- 
whine  and  black-bream  of  the  Sydney 
fishermen.  .  .  .  We  have  two  species 
in  Australia.  .  .  .  The  black-bream, 
C.  australis,  Gunth.,  and  the  tarwhine, 
C.  sarba,  Forsk.  .  .  .  The  Australian 
bream  is  as  common  on  the  south  as 
on  the  east  coast.  It  affords  excellent 
sport  to  anglers  in  Victoria." 

Blackbutt,  n.  Eucalyptus  pilu- 
laris,  Smith,  Victoria  ;  E.  regnans, 
F.  v.  M.,  New  South  Wales;  a 
timber  tree,  a  gum.  Another 
name  is  Flintwood.  The  lower 
part  of  the  trunk  is  black. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  49 : 

"The  range  .  .  .  having  with  the 
exception  of  the  Blackbutt  all  the 
trees  ...  of  Moreton  Bay." 

1863.  M.  K.  Beveridge,  'Gatherings 
among  Gum-trees,'  p.  86  : 

"  Tis  there  the  '  blackbut '  rears  its 
head." 

1894.  'Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue, 
Economic  Woods,'  p.  30  : 

"A  tree  of  considerable  size.  .  .  . 
The  bark  smooth  and  falling  off  in 
flakes  upward,  and  on  the  branches." 

1897.   'The  Age,'  Feb.  22,  p.  5,  col.  3  : 

"  Mr.  Richards  stated  that  the  New 
South  Wales  black  butt  and  tallow 
wood  were  the  most  durable  and  noise- 
less woods  for  street-paving,  as  well  as 
the  best  from  a  sanitary  point  of  view." 

Black-Cod,  ;?.  a  New  Zealand 
fish,  Notothenia  angustata. 

Blackfellow,  «.  an  aboriginal 
Australian. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' i.  4,  74  : 


"The  native  Miago  .  .  .  appeared 
delighted  that  these  *  black  fellows,3  as 
he  calls  them,  have  no  throwing  sticks." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  9  : 

"  The  well-known  tracks  of  black- 
fellows  are  everywhere  visible." 

1871.  Dingo,  'Australian  Rhymes,'  p. 
14: 

"  Wurragaroo  loved  Wangaraday 
In    a    blackfellow's    own   peculiar 
way." 

Black-Pern,  n.  The  Tasmanian 
species  so  called  is  Athyrium  aus- 
trale,  Presl.,  N.O.  Polypodea. 

Black-fish,  n.  The  name  is 
given,  especially  in  Sydney,  to 
the  sea-fishes  Girella  simplex, 
Richards  (see  Ludrick],  and  Gi- 
rella tricuspidata,  Cuv.  and  Val.  ; 
also  to  a  fresh-water  fish  all  over 
Australia,  Gadopsis  marmoratus, 
Richards.  G.  marmoratus  is  very 
common  in  New  South  Wales, 
Victoria,  South  Australia,  and 
parts  of  Tasmania.  There  are 
local  varieties.  It  is  much  es- 
teemed as  a  food  fish,  but  is,  like 
all  mud  fishes,  rich  and  oily. 
Girella  belongs  to  the  family 
Sparidcz,  or  Sea-Breams,  and 
Gadopsis  to  the  Gadopsidce,  a  family 
allied  to  that  containing  the  Cod- 
fishes. The  name  was  also  form- 
erly applied  to  a  whale. 

1853.  C.  St.  Julian  and  E.  K.  Silvester, 
'  Productions,  Industry,  and  Resources  of 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  115  : 

"  There  is  a  species  of  whale  called 
by  those  engaged  in  the  south  sea 
fishing  the  Black-fish  or  Black-whale, 
but  known  to  the  naturalist  as  the 
Southern  Rorqual,  which  the  whale- 
men usually  avoid." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  loo  : 

"Nothing  is  better  eating  than  a 
properly  cooked  black-fish.  The  Eng- 
lish trout  are  annihilating  them,  how- 
ever." 

Black-Line.     See  Black-  War. 

Black-Perch,  n.  a  river  fish 
of  New  South  Wales.  Therapou 

D 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BLA 


niger,  Castln.,  family  Percidce.  A 
different  fish  from  those  to  which 
the  name  is  applied  elsewhere. 
See  Perch. 

Black  -  and  -  white  Ringed 
Snake.  See  under  Snake. 

Black  Rock-Cod,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian fish,  chiefly  of  New  South 
Wales,  Serranus  dcemeli,  Giinth.;  a 
different  fish  from  the  Rock-Cod  of 
the  northern  hemisphere.  The 
Serrani  belong  to  the  family 
Percidcz,  and  are  commonly  called 
"  Sea-perches." 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  33  : 

"The  genus  Serranus  comprises 
most  of  the  fishes  known  as  'rock 
cod.'  .  .  One  only  is  sufficiently 
useful  as  an  article  of  food  to  merit 
notice,  and  that  is  the  'black  rock 
cod'  (Serranus  damelii,  Giinther), 
without  exception  the  very  best  of  all 
our  fishes." 

Black-Snake.  See  under  Snake. 
Black-Swan.  See  Swan. 
Black  Thursday,  the  day  of  a 
Victorian  conflagration,  which 
occurred  on  Feb.  6,  1851.  The 
thermometer  was  112°  in  the 
shade.  Ashes  from  the  fire  at 
Macedon,  46  miles  away,  fell  in 
Melbourne.  The  scene  forms 
the  subject  of  the  celebrated  pic- 
ture entitled  "Black  Thursday," 
by  William  Strutt,  R.B.A. 

1859.  Rev.  J.  D.  Mereweather,  '  Diary 
of  a  Working  Clergyman  in  Australia, 
p.  8 1 : 

"Feb.  21  ...  Dreadful  details  are 
reaching  us  of  the  great  bush  fires 
which  took  place  at  Port  Phillip 
on  the  6th  of  this  month  .  .  .  Already 
it  would  seem  that  the  appellation  o 
'  Black  Thursday '  has  been  given  to 
the  6th  February,  1851,  for  it  was  on 
that  day  that  the  fires  raged  with  the 
greatest  fury." 

1889.  Rev.  J.  H.  Zillman,  'Australia 
Life,'  p.  39  : 

"The  old  colonists  still  repeat  th 
most  terrible  stories  of  Black  Thursday 
when  the  whole  country  seemed  to  b 


n  fire.  The  flames  leaped  from  tree 
o  tree,  across  creeks,  hills,  and  gullies, 
nd  swept  everything  away.  Teams 
f  bullocks  in  the  yoke,  mobs  of  cattle 
nd  horses,  and  even  whole  families 
of  human  beings,  in  their  bush-huts, 
vere  completely  destroyed,  and  the 
harred  bones  alone  found  after  the 
vind  and  fire  had  subsided." 

Black-Tracker,  n.  an  aboriginal 
employed  in  tracking  criminals. 

1867.      '  Australia  as  it  is,'  pp.  88-9  : 

"The  native  police,  or  'black 
rackers,'  as  they  are  sometimes  called, 
are  a  body  of  aborigines  trained  to  act 
as  policemen,  serving  under  a  white 
commandant— a  very  clever  expedient 
or  coping  with  the  difficulty  ...  of 
mnting  down  and  discovering  murder- 
ous blacks,  and  others  guilty  of  spear- 
ing cattle  and  breaking  into  huts  .  .  ." 

1870.  'The  Argus,'  March  26,  p.  5, 
col.  4 : 

"The  troopers,  with  the  assistance 
of  two  black  trackers,  pursued  the  bush- 
rangers .  .  ." 

1870.    Ibid.  April  13,  p.  6,  col.  7  : 

".  .  .  two  members  of  the  police 
force  and  a  black  tracker  .  .  .  called 
at  Lima  station  .  .  ." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Miner's 
Right,'  c.  xvii.  p.  165  : 

"Get  the  black-trackers  on  the 
trail." 

1893.   '  The  Argus,'  April  8,  p.  4,  coL 

"Only  three  weeks  before  he  had 
waddied  his  gin  to  death  for  answer- 
ing questions  put  to  her  by  a  black- 
tracker,  and  now  he  advanced  to 
Charlie  .  .  .  and  said,  .  .  .  'What  for 
you  come  alonga  black  fella  camp  ? ' '; 

1896.  'The  Argus,'  March  30,  p.  6, 
col.  9 : 

"  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  horse- 
men have  been  out  to-day  in  addition 
to  the  local  police.  The  black-trackers 
arrived  by  the  train  last  night,  and 
commenced  work  this  morning." 

Black-Trevally.     See  Trevally* 

Black-War,  or  Black-Line,  a 
military  operation  planned  in 
1830  by  Governor  Arthur  for  the 
capture  of  the  Tasmanian  abori- 
gines. A  levy  en  masse  of  the 


BLA-BLE] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


35 


colonists  was  ordered.  About 
5000  men  formed  the  "  black 
line,"  which  advanced  across  the 
island  from  north  to  south-east, 
with  the  object  of  driving"  the 
tribes  into  Tasman's  Peninsula. 
The  operation  proved  a  complete 
failure,  two  blacks  only  being 
captured  at  a  cost  to  the  Govern- 
ment of  ^30,000. 

1835.  H.  Melville,  'History  of  Van 
Diemen's  Land,'  p.  103  : 

"The  parties  forming  the  'black 
line,'  composed,  as  they  were,  of  a 
curious  melange  of  masters  and  serv- 
ants, took  their  respective  stations  at 
the  appointed  time.  As  the  several 
parties  advanced,  the  individuals  along 
the  line  came  closer  and  closer  together 
— the  plan  was  to  keep  on  advancing 
slowly  towards  a  certain  peninsula,  and 
thus  frighten  the  Aborigines  before 
them,  and  hem  them  in." 

1852.  J.  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  54  : 

"Thus  closed  the  Black  War.  This 
campaign  of  a  month  supplied  many 
adventures  and  many  an  amusing  tale, 
and,  notwithstanding  the  gravity  of 
his  Excellency,  much  fun  and  folly.  .  . 
Five  thousand  men  had  taken  the 
field.  Nearly  ,£30,000  had  been  ex- 
pended, and  probably  not  much  less 
in  time  and  outlay  by  the  settlers,  and 
two  persons  only  were  captured." 

Black  Wednesday,  n.  a  politi- 
cal phrase  for  a  day  in  Victoria 
(Jan.  9,  1878),  when  the  Govern- 
ment without  notice  dismissed 
many  Civil  Servants,  including1 
heads  of  departments,  County 
Court  judges  and  police  magi- 
strates, on  the  ground  that  the 
Legislative  Council  had  not  voted 
the  money  for  their  salaries. 

1878.  '  Melbourne  Punch,'  May  1 6,  vol. 
xlvi.  p.  195  [Title  of  Cartoon]  : 

"  In  Memoriam.  Black  Wednes- 
day, Qth  January  1878." 

1896.  'The  Argus,'  [Sydney  telegram] 
Aug.  1 8,  p.  6,  col.  4  : 

"The  times  in  the  public  service  at 
present  reminded  him  of  Black  Wed- 
nesday in  Victoria,  which  he  went 
through.  That  caused  about  a  dozen 


suicides  among  public  servants.  Here 
it  had  not  done  so  yet,  but  there  was 
not  a  head  of  a  department  who  did 
not  now  shake  in  his  shoes." 

Blackwood,  n.  an  Australian 
timber,  Acacia  melanoxylon,  R.  Br, ; 
often  called  Lightivood ;  it  is  dark 
in  colour  but  light  in  weight. 

1828.  '  Report  of  Van  Diemen's  Land 
Company,'  Bischoff,  'Van  Diemen's  Land, 
1832,'  p.  118: 

"  Without  a  tree  except  a  few  stumps 
of  blackwood." 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  p.  21  : 

"Grassy  slopes  thickly  timbered 
with  handsome  blackwood  trees." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants, 'p.  359: 

"Called  'blackwood'  on  account 
of  the  very  dark  colour  of  the  mature 
wood." 

1894.  '  Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue, 
Economic  Woods,'  p.  4  : 

"  Blackwood,  Lightwood  —  rather 
frequent  on  many  rich  river-flats.  .  .  . 
It  is  very  close-grained  and  heavy, 
and  is  useful  for  all  purposes  where 
strength  and  flexibility  are  required." 

Bladder  Saltbush, «.  a  Queens- 
land shrub,  A  triplex  vesicarium, 
Reward,  N.O.  Salsolacecz.  The 
Latin  and  vernacular  names  both 
refer  to  "the  bladdery  appendage 
to  fruiting  perianth."  (Bailey.) 
See  Saltbush. 

Blandfordia,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  Gordon-Lily  (see 
under  Lily].  The  plant  was 
named  after  George,  Marquis  of 
Blandford,  son  of  the  second 
Duke  of  Marlborough.  The 
Tasmanian  aboriginals  called  the 
plant  Remine,  which  name  has 
been  given  to  a  small  port  where 
it  grows  in  profusion  on  the  west 
coast. 

Bleeding  -  Heart,    n.    another 
name  for  the  Kennedya  (q.v.). 
1896.    'The  Melburnian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 

53  = 

"The  trailing  scarlet  kennedyas, 
aptly  called  the  '  bleeding-heart '  or 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[BLI-BLO 


'coral-pea,'  brighten  the    greyness  of 
the  sandy  peaty  wastes." 
Blight.    See  Sandy-blight. 

Blight-bird,  n.  a  bird-name  in 
New  Zealand  for  the  Zosterops 
(q.v.).  Called  also  Silver-eye  (q.v.), 
Wax-eye,  and  White-eye  (q.v.).  It 
is  called  Blight-bird  because  it  eats 
the  blight  on  trees. 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  'Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  130: 

"  The  white-eye  or  blight-bird,  with 
cheerful  note,  in  crowded  flocks, 
sweeps  over  the  face  of  the  country, 
and  in  its  progress  clears  away  multi- 
tudes of  small  insect  pests." 

1885.  A.  Hamilton,  *  Native  Birds  of 
Petane,  Hawke's  Bay,'  '  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xviii.  p.  125  : 

"  Zosterops  lateralis,  white-eye, 
blight-bird.  One  of  our  best  friends, 
and  abundant  in  all  parts  of  the 
district." 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  (2nd  ed.)  vol.  i.  p.  82  : 

"  By  the  settlers  it  has  been  variously 
designated  as  Ring-eye,  Wax-eye, 
White-eye,  or  Silver-eye,  in  allusion  to 
the  beautiful  circlet  of  satiny-white 
feathers  which  surrounds  the  eyes  ; 
and  quite  as  commonly  the  'Blight- 
bird'  or  'Winter-migrant.3  ...  It 
feeds  on  that  disgusting  little  aphis 
known  as  American  blight,  which  so 
rapidly  covers  with  a  fatal  cloak  of 
white  the  stems  and  branches  of  our 
best  apple-trees  ;  it  clears  our  early 
cabbages  of  a  pestilent  little  insect, 
that  left  unchecked  would  utterly 
destroy  the  crop  ;  it  visits  our  gardens 
and  devours  another  swarming  parasite 
that  covers  our  roses." 

Blind  Shark,  or  Sand  Shark, 
n.  i.q.  Shovel-nose  (q.v.). 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
and  Fisheries  of  New  South  Wales/  p.  97  : 

" Rhinobatus  granulatus  or  shovel- 
nose,  which  is  properly  speaking  a 
Ray,  is  called  here  the  blind  or  sand 
shark,  though,  as  Mr.  Hill  remarks,  it 
is  not  blind.  He  says  '  that  it  attains 
the  length  of  from  6  to  7  feet,  and 
is  also  harmless,  armed  only  with 
teeth  resembling  small  white  beads 
secured  closely  upon  a  cord  ;  it  how- 
ever can  see  tolerably  well,  and 


searches  on  sandy  patches  for  crus- 
taceae  and  small  shell  fish.' " 

1886.  J.  Douglas-Ogilby,  *  Catalogue  of 
the  Fishes  of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  5  : 

"  Rhinobatus  Granulatus  ...  I  have 
not  seen  a  New  South  Wales  example 
of  this  fish,  which  appears  to  have 
been  confounded  with  the  following 
by  writers  on  the  Australian  fauna. 
Rhinobatus  Bongainvillei,  Mull  and 
Heule,  Habitat  Port  Jackson.  Shovel- 
nosed  Ray  of  Sydney  fishermen." 

Blind-your-Byes,  n.  another 
name  for  the  Milky  Mangrove. 
See  Mangrove. 

Block,  doing  the,  v.  lounging 
in  the  fashionable  promenade.  In 
Melbourne,  it  is  Collins  Street,  be- 
tween Elizabeth  and  Swanston 
Streets.  In  Sydney, "The  Block  " 
is  that  portion  of  the  city  bounded 
by  King,  George,  Hunter,  and 
Pitt  Streets.  It  is  now  really  two 
blocks,  but  was  all  in  one  till  the 
Government  purchased  the  land 
for  the  present  Post  Office,  and 
then  opened  a  new  street  from 
George  to  Pitt  Street.  Since  then 
the  Government,  having  pur- 
chased more  land,  has  made  the 
street  much  wider,  and  it  is  now 
called  Martin's  Place. 

1869.  Marcus  Clarke,  '  Peripatetic  Phi- 
losopher,' (in  an  Essay  on  'Doing  the 
Block')  (reprint),  p.  13  : 

"If  our  Victorian  youth  showed 
their  appreciation  for  domestic  virtues, 
Victorian  womanhood  would  'do  the 
Block'  less  frequently." 

1872.  '  Glimpses  of  Life  in  Victoria  by 
a  Resident,'  p.  349  : 

"  A  certain  portion  of  Collins  street, 
lined  by  the  best  drapers'  and  jewellers' 
shops,  with  here  and  there  a  bank  or 
private  office  intervening,  is  known  as 
'  the  Block,'  and  is  the  daily  resort  of 
the  belles  and  beaux.  .  .  ." 

1875.  R.  and  F.  Hill,  '  What  We  Saw 
in  Australia,'  p.  267  : 

"  To  '  do  the  block '  corresponds  in 
Melbourne  to  driving  in  Hyde  Park." 

1876.  Wm.    Brackley    Wildey,    'Aus- 
tralasia and  the  Oceanic  Region,'  p.  234  : 

"  The    streets    are    thronged    with 


BLO] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


37 


handsome*  women,  veritable  denizens 
of  the  soil,  fashionably  and  really 
tastefully  attired,  '  doing  the  block,' 
patrolling  Collins-street,  or  gracefully 
reclining  in  carriages.  .  .  ." 

1890.  Tasma,  'In  her  Earliest  Youth,' 
p.  126  : 

"  You  just  do  as  I  tell  you,  and  we'll 
go  straight  off  to  town  and  '  do  the 
block.'" 

1894.  'Tne  Herald'  (Melbourne),  Oct. 
6,  p.  6,  col.  I  : 

"  But  the  people  doing  the  block 
this  morning  look  very  nice." 

Block,  on  the.  (i)  On  the  pro- 
menade above  referred  to. 

1896.  'The  Argus,3  July  17,  p.  4, 
col.  7  : 

"  We  may  slacken  pace  a  little  now 
and  again,  just  as  the  busy  man,  who 
generally  walks  quickly,  has  to  go 
slowly  in  the  crowd  on  the  Block." 

(2)  Term  in  mining1,  fully  ex- 
plained in  '  The  Miner's  Right,' 
chapters  vii.  and  viii. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'The  Miner's 
Right,'  p.  86: 

"  I  declare  the  Liberator  Lead  to  be 
'  on  the  block.' " 

'  Extract  from  Mining  Regulation  22 ' 
(Ibid.  p.  77): 

"  The  ground  shall  be  open  for 
taking  up  claims  in  the  block  form." 

Blood-bird,  n.  name  given  to 
the  Sanguineous  Honey-eater.  See 
Honey-eater. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
Vol.  iv.  pi.  63  : 

"  Myzomelasanguinolentct,  Sanguin- 
eous Honey-eater.  Blood-bird  of  the 
Colonists  of  New  South  Wales." 

Blood-sucker,  n.  popular  name 
for  certain  species  of  Lizards 
belonging  to  the  genus  Amphi- 
bolurus  (Grammatophord).  Espe- 
cially applied  to  A.  muricata^ 
Shaw. 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  ii.  p.  37  : 

"Another  description  of  lizard  is 
here  vulgarly  called  the  '  blood- 
sucker.' " 

1890.  F.  McCoy,  '  Prodromus  of  the 
Natural  History  of  Victoria,'  Dec.  12,  pi. 


"  Why  the  popular  name  of  '  Blood- 
sucker '  should  be  so  universally  given 
to  this  harmless  creature  by  the 
Colonists  (except  on  the  lucus  a  non 
lucendo  principle)  I  cannot  conceive." 

1890.  A.  H.  S.  Lucas,  'Handbook  of 
the  Australasian  Association  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science,'  Melbourne,  p.  70  : 

"Two  species  of'  blood  sucker'  so 
absurdly  designated." 

Bloodwood,  or  Blood-tree,  n. 
a  name  applied,  with  various 
epithets,  to  many  of  the  Gum- 
trees '(q.v.),  especially  to — (i)  Euca- 
lyptus corymbosa,  Smith,  sometimes 
called  Rough-barked  bloodwood  ; 
(2)  E.  eximia,  Schauer,  Mountain 
or  Yellow  bloodwood  ;  (3)  Balo- 
ghia  lucida,  Endl.,  N. O.  Euphor- 
biacece,  called  Brush  Bloodwood. 
The  sap  is  blood-red,  running 
copiously  when  cut  across  with  a 
knife. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Transac- 
tions of  Liiinaean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  271  : 

"The  natives  tell  me  it  breeds  in 
the  winter  in  Mun'ning-trees  or  Blood- 
trees  of  the  colonists  (a  species  of 
Eticalyptus}" 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Ex- 
pedition,' p.  292  : 

"  The  bergue  was  covered  with 
fine  bloodwood  trees,  stringy-bark, 
and  box." 

1892.  A.  J.  North,  'Proceedings  of 
Linnsean  Society,'  New  South  Wales, 
vol.  vii.  series  2,  p.  396 : 

"  I  traced  her  to  a  termite  nest  in 
a  bloodwood  tree  (Eucalyptus  corym- 
bosay 

1889.  J.   H.    Maiden,    'Useful   Native 
Plants,'  p.  448  : 

"It  \E.  eximid\  is  called  'blood- 
wood,'  partly  because  kino  exudes  in 
the  concentric  circles  of  the  wood  .  .  . 
partly  because  its  fruits  are  in  shape 
very  similar  to  those  of  E.  corymbosa? 

Blow,  n.  stroke  of  the  shears 
in  sheep-shearing. 

1890.  '  The  Argus,'  September  20,  p. 
13,  col.  7  : 

"  The  shearers  must  make  their  clip 
clean  and  thorough.  If  it  be  done 
so  incompetently  that  a  '  second  blow ' 
is  needed,  the  fleece  is  hacked." 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BLO-BLU 


Blow,2  «.  braggadocio,  boast- 
ing. 

1890.  Lyth,  '  Golden  Sou th,'viii.  p.  71  : 
"Is  there  not  very  much  that  the 

Australian  may  well  be  proud  of,  and 
may  we  not  commend  him  for  a  spice 
of  blow?" 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,    'Sydney-Side 
Saxon,'  p.  77  : 

"  He  can  walk  as  fast  as  some  horses 
can  trot,  cut  out  any  beast  that  ever 
stood  on  a  camp,  and  canter  round  a 
cheese-plate.  This  was  a  bit  of  blow." 

1893.  'The  Australasian/  Aug.  12,  p. 
102,  col.  I  : 

"  Now  Digby  Holland  will  think  it 
was  mere  Australian  blow." 

Blow,  v.  to  boast ;  abbreviated 
from  the  phrase  "to  blow  your 
own  trumpet."  The  word  is  not 
Australian  though  often  so  re- 
garded. It  is  common  in  Scot- 
land and  in  the  United  States. 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  387  : 

"  The  blast  of  the  trumpet  as  heard 
in  Victoria  is  louder  than  all  the  blasts 
— and  the  Melbourne  blast  beats  all 
the  other  blowing  of  that  proud  colony. 
My  first,  my  constant,  my  parting 
advice  to  my  Australian  cousins  is 
contained  in  two  words,  'don't  blow.'" 

Blower,  n.  a  boaster.  (See 
Blow,  v.) 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  411  : 

"A  regular  Sydney  man  thinks  all 
Victorians  are  blowers  and  specu- 
lators." 

Blowing,  verbal  n.  boasting. 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  387  : 

"A  fine  art  much  cultivated  in  the 
colonies,  for  which  the  colonial  phrase 
of '  blowing '  has  been  created." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  9  : 

"Blowing  (that  is,  talking  loudly 
and  boastingly  on  any  and  every  sub- 
ject)." 

1885.  R-  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,' 
P-  45  = 

"He  was  famous  for  'blowing'  in 
Australian  parlance  ...  of  his  ex- 
ploits." 


Bluebell,  n.  The  name  is 
given  in  Tasmania  to  the  flower 
Wahlenbtrgia gracilts,  De  C.,  N.O. 
Campanulacece. 

Blueberry,  n.  i.q.  Native  Cur- 
rant (q-v.).  The  name  is  also 
given  to  Dianella  longifolia,  R.  Br., 
N.O.  Liliacea. 

Blueberry  Ash,  «.  a  Victorian 
tree,  Elczocarpus  holopetalus,  F.v.M. 

1894.  '  Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue, 
Economic  Woods,'  p.  15  : 

"Blueberry  Ash  or  Prickly  Fig. 
A  noble  tree,  attaining  a  height  of 
120  feet.  Wood  pale,  fine-grained ; 
exquisite  for  cabinet  work." 

Blue-bush,  n.  an  Australian 
forage  plant,  a  kind  of  Salt-bush, 
Kochia  pyramidata,  Benth,  N.O. 
Chenopodiacea . 

1876.  W.  Harcus.  '  South  Australia,'  p. 
124: 

"  [The  country]  would  do  splendidly 
for  sheep,  being  thickly  grassed  with 
short  fine  grass,  salt  and  blue  bush, 
and  geranium  and  other  herbs." 

Blue-Cod,  n.  name  given  to  a 
New  Zealand  fish,  Percis  colias, 
family  Trachinidce.  Called  also  in 
New  Zealand  Rock-Cod  (q.v.). 
The  fish  is  of  a  different  family 
from  the  Cod  of  the  northern 
hemisphere. 

Blue-creeper,  n.  name  given  to 
the  creeper,  Comesperma  volubile, 
Lab.,  N.O.  Campanulacece. 

Blue-eye,  n.  a  bird  name.  The 
Blue-faced  Honey-eater  (q.v.). 

1848.  J.Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' vol. 
iv.  pi.  68 : 

"  Entomyza  cyanotis,  Swains.  Blue- 
faced  Entomyza.  Blue-eye  of  the 
colonists." 

Blue-fish,  n.  name  given  in  Syd- 
ney to  Girella  cyanea,  of  the  family 
Sparidtty  or  Sea-Breams.  It  is 
different  from  the  Blue-fish  of  the 
American  coasts,  which  is  of  the 
family  Carangidce. 

Blue-Groper,  n.  a  fish  of  New 


BLU] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


39 


South  Wales  and  Tasmania,  Cos- 
syphus  gouldii,  one  of  the  La  brides 
or  Wrasses,  often  called  Parrot- 
fish  in  Australia.  Called  also 
Blue-head  in  Tasmania.  Distinct 
from  the  fish  called  the  Groper 
(q.v.). 

Blue-gum,  n.  See  under  Gum. 
It  is  an  increasing  practice  to 
make  a  single  word  of  this  com- 
pound, and  to  pronounce  it  with 
accent  on  the  first  syllable,  as 
4  wiseman,'  'goodman.' 

Blue-head,  n.  Tasmanian  name 
for  the  fish  called  the  Blue-Groper 
<q.v.). 

Blue  Lobelia,  «.  The  indigen- 
ous species  in  Tasmania  which 
receives  this  name  is  Lobelia  gib- 
bosa.  Lab.,  N.O.  Campanulacece. 

Blue-Pointer,  n.  a  name  given 
in  New  South  Wales  to  a  species 
of  Shark,  Larnna  glauca,  Mull,  and 
Heule,  family  Lamnida,  which  is 
not  confined  to  Australasia. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  95  : 

"  On  the  appearance  of  a  '  blue 
pointer'  among  boats  fishing  for 
schnapper  outside,  the  general  cry  is 
raised,  *  Look  out  for  the  blue  pointer.' 
.  .  .  These  are  high  swimming  fishes, 
and  may  be  readily  seen  when  about 
pushing  their  pursuits  ;  the  beautiful 
azure  tint  of  their  back  and  sides,  and 
independent  manner  they  have  of 
swimming  rapidly  and  high  among  the 
boats  in  search  of  prey,  are  means  of 
easy  recognition,  and  they  often  drive 
the  fishermen  away." 

Bluestone,  n.  a  kind  of  dark 
stone  of  which  many  houses  and 
public  buildings  are  built. 

1850.  '  The  Australasian  '  (Quarterly), 
Oct.  [Footnote],  p.  138: 

"  The  ancient  Roman  ways  were 
paved  with  polygonal  blocks  of  a  stone 
not  unlike  the  trap  or  bluestone  around 
Melbourne." 

1855.  R.  Brough  Smyth,  '  Transactions 
of  Philosophical  Society,  Victoria,'  vol.  i. 


"The  basalt  or  'bluestone,'  which 
is  well  adapted  to  structural  purposes, 
and  generally  obtains  where  durability 
is  desired." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  to  New 
Zealand,'  p.  62  : 

"  Basalts,  locally  called  *  bluestones,' 
occur  of  a  quality  useful  for  road- 
metal,  house-blocks,  and  ordinary  rub- 
ble masonry." 

1890.  '  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society 
of  Tasmania,'  p.  xx.  [Letter  from  Mr. 
S.  H.  Wintle]  : 

"  The  newer  basalts,  which  in  Vic- 
toria have  filled  up  so  extensively 
Miocene  and  Pliocene  valleys,  and 
river  channels,  are  chiefly  vesicular 
Zeolitic  dolerites  and  an&mesites,  the 
former  being  well  represented  by  the 
light-coloured  Malmsbury  '  bluestone  ' 
so  extensively  employed  in  buildings 
in  Melbourne." 

Blue-tongued  Lizard,  n.  name 
given  to  Tiliqua  nigroluteus,  Gray, 
a  common  Australian  and  Tas- 
manian lizard  belonging  to  the 
family  Scinddce.  The  name  is 
derived  from  its  blue-coloured 
tongue,  and  on  account  of  its 
sluggish  habits  it  is  also  often 
called  the  Sleepy  lizard. 

1887.  F.  McCoy,  *  Prodromus  of  the 
Zoology  of  Victoria,'  Dec.  14,  pi.  131  : 

"  Not  uncommon  about  Melbourne, 
where  it  is  generally  called  the  *  Blue- 
tongued  Lizard,'  or  '  Sleepy  Lizard.' " 

Blue-wing,  n.  a  sportsman's 
name  (as  in  England)  for  the 
bird  called  the  Shoveller  (q.v.). 

Bluey,  n.  (i)  A  blue  blanket, 
commonly  used  by  swagmen  in 
Australia.  He  wraps  his  bundle 
in  it,  and  the  whole  is  called  a 
Swag  (q.v.).  To  hump  bluey  means 
to  go  on  the  tramp,  carrying  a 
swag  on  the  back. 

(2)  In  the  wet  wildernesses  of 
Western  Tasmania  a  rough  shirt 
or  blouse  is  made  of  this  material, 
and  is  worn  over  the  coat  like  an 
English  smock  -  frock.  Sailors 
and  fishermen  in  England  call  it 
a  "  Baltic  shirt." 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[BOA-BON 


1890.  'The    Argus,'    Aug.    16,    p.    13, 
col.  2  : 

"We  shall  have  to  hump  bluey 
again." 

1891.  R.  Wallace,  '  Rural  Economy  and 
Agriculture  of  Australia  and  New  Zealand,' 
p.  73  : 

"' Humping  bluey'  is  for  a  work- 
man to  walk  in  search  of  work." 

1891.  W.  Tilley,  'The  Wild  West  of 
Tasmania,'  p.  29  : 

"Leehan  presents  an  animated 
scene.  .  .  .  Heavily  laden  drays,  pack- 
horses  and  mules,  form  constant  pro- 
cessions journeying  from  Dundas  or 
Trial  ;  miners  with  their  swags,  sur- 
veyors in  their  '  blueys '  ...  all  aid 
effectively  in  the  panorama." 

Board,  n.  term  used  by  shearers. 
See  quotation. 

1893.  'The  Herald' (Melbourne),  Dec. 
23,  p.  6,  col.  I  : 

" '  The  board '  is  the  technical  name 
for  the  floor  on  which  the  sheep  are 
shorn." 

With  a  full  board,  with  a  full 
complement  of  shearers. 

1894.  '  The  Herald,'  Oct.  6,  p.  i,  col.  2 : 
"The  secretary  of  the  Pastoralists' 

Association  .  .  .  reports  that  the  fol- 
lowing stations  have  started  shearing 
with  full  boards." 

Boar-fish,  n.  a  name  applied  in 
England  to  various  dissimilar 
fishes  which  have  projecting 
snouts.  ('Century.')  In  New 
Zealand  it  is  given  to  Cyttus 
australis,  family  Cyttidtz,  which  is 
related  to  the  John  Dory  (q.v.). 
This  name  is  sometimes  applied 
to  it,  and  it  is  also  called  Bastard 
Dory  (q.v.).  In  Melbourne  the 
Boar-fish  is  Histiopterus  recurvi- 
rostris,  family  Percidce,  and  Penta- 
ceropsis  recurvirostris,  family  Pent  a- 
cerotidce.  Mrs.  Meredith,  in  '  Tas- 
manian  Friends  and  Foes,'  1880 
(pi.  vi.),  figures  Histiopterus  re- 
curvirostris with  the  vernacular 
name  of  Pig-faced  Lady.  It  is  a 
choice  edible  fish. 

Boil  down,  v.  to  reduce  a  state- 
ment to  its  simplest  form  ;  a  con- 


stant term  amongst  pressmen. 
Over  the  reporters'  table  in  the 
old  '  Daily  Telegraph  '  office  (Mel- 
bourne) there  was  a  big  placard 
with  the  words — "  Boil  it  down." 
The  phrase  is  in  use  in  England. 
'O.E.D.'  quotes  'Saturday  Re- 
view,' 1880.  The  metaphor  is 
from  the  numerous  boiling-down, 
establishments  for  rendering  fat 
sheep  into  tallow.  See  quotation,, 
1878. 

1878.  F.  P.  Labilliere,  'Early  History 
of  the  Colony  of  Victoria,'  vol.  ii.  p.  330 : 

"  The  first  step  which  turned  the 
tide  of  ill-fortune  was  the  introduction 
of  the  system  of  boiling  down  sheep. 
When  stock  became  almost  worthless, 
it  occurred  to  many  people  that,  when 
a  fleece  of  wool  was  worth  from  half- 
a-crown  to  three  shillings  in  England, 
and  a  sheep's  tallow  three  or  four 
more,  the  value  of  the  animal  in  Aus- 
tralia ought  to  exceed  eighteenpence 
or  two  shillings.  Accordingly  thou- 
sands of  sheep  were  annually  boiled 
down  after  shearing  .  .  .  until  .  .  . 
the  gold  discovery  ;  and  then  '  boiling 
down,'  which  had  saved  the  country, 
had  to  be  given  up.  ...  The  Messrs. 
Learmonth  at  Buninyong  .  .  .  found 
it  answered  their  purpose  to  have  a 
place  of  their  own,  instead  of  sending 
their  fat  stock,  as  was  generally  done, 
to  a  public  '  boiling  down '  establish- 
ment." 

1895.   'The  Argus,'  Aug.  17,  p.  8,  col.  2  : 

"  Boiled  down,  the  matter  comes  to 
this." 

Bonduc  Nuts,  //.  a  name  in  Aus- 
tralia for  the  fruit  of  the  widely 
distributed  plant  Ccesalpina  bon- 
ducella,  Flem.,  N.  O.  Leguminostz. 
Called  Molucca  Beans  in  Scotland 
and  Nicker  Nuts  elsewhere. 

Bonito,  n.  Sir  Frederick  Me 
Coy  says  that  the  Tunny,  the 
same  fish  as  the  European  species 
Thynnus  thynnus,  family  Scombrid(zr 
or  Mackerels,  is  called  Bonito, 
erroneously,  by  the  colonists  and 
fishermen.  The  true  Bonito  is 
Thynnus  pelamys,  Linn.r  though 


BON-BOO] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


the  name  is  also  applied  to  various 
other  fishes  in  Europe,  the  United 
States,  and  the  West  Indies. 

Bony  -  Bream,  i.q.  Sardine 
(q.v.). 

Boobook,  n.  an  owl.  Ninox 
boobook  (see  Owl]  ;  Athene  boo- 
book  (Gould's  '  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  i.  pi.  32).  "From  cry  or 
note  of  bird.  In  the  Mukthang 
language  of  Central  Gippsland, 
BawBaw,  the  mountain  in  Gipps- 
land, is  this  word  as  heard  by  the 
English  ear."  (A.  W.  Howitt.) 
In  South  Australia  the  word  is 
used  for  a  mopoke. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  '  Transac- 
tions of  Linnaean  Society/  vol.  xv.  p.  188: 

"  The  native  name  of  this  bird,  as 
Mr.  Caley  informs  us,  is  Buck'buck. 
It  may  be  heard  nearly  every  night 
during  winter,  uttering  a  cry  corre- 
sponding with  that  word.  .  .  .  The 
lower  order  of  the  settlers  in  New 
South  Wales  are  led  away  by  the  idea 
that  everything  is  the  reverse  in  that 
country  to  what  it  is  in  England  :  and 
the  cttckoo,  as  they  call  this  bird,  sing- 
ing by  night,  is  one  of  the  instances 
which  they  point  out." 

1894.  'Tne  Argus,'  June  23,  p.  n, 
col.  4 : 

"  In  most  cases — it  may  not  be  in 
all — the  familiar  call,  which  is  sup- 
posed to  sound  like  '  More -pork,3  is 
not  the  mopoke  (or  podargus)  at  all, 
but  the  hooting  of  a  little  rusty  red 
feather-legged  owl,  known  as  the  Boo- 
book. Its  double  note  is  the  opposite 
of  the  curlew,  since  the  first  syllable  is 
dwelt  upon  and  the  second  sharp. 
An  Englishman  hearing  it  for  the  first 
time,  and  not  being  told  that  the  bird 
was  a  'more-pork,'  would  call  it  a 
night  cuckoo." 

Booby,  n.  English  bird-name. 
Used  in  Australia  for  the  Brown- 
Gannet.  See  Gannet. 

Booby  alia,  or  Boobialla,  n. 
the  aboriginal  name  for  the  tree 
Acacia  longifolia,  Willd.,  N,O.  Legu- 
minosce,  also  called  Native  Willow. 
A  river  in  Tasmania  bears  the 


name  of  Boobyalla,  the  tree  being 
plentiful  on  the  coast. 

1835.  Ross,  *  Hobart  Town  Almanack,* 
p.  63: 

"Acacia  sophora.  Sophora  podded 
Acacia  or  Booby-aloe.  This  species 
forms  a  large  shrub  on  the  sand-hills 
of  the  coast." 

1843.  J.  Backhouse,  '  Narrative  of  a 
Visit  to  the  Australian  Colonies,'  p.  59  : 

"The  sandbanks  at  the  mouth  of 
Macquarie  Harbour  are  covered  with 
Boobialla,  a  species  of  Acacia,  the 
roots  of  which  run  far  in  the  sand." 

1855-  J-  Milligan,  'Vocabulary  of  Dia- 
lects of  the  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  Tasmania/ 
4  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Tas- 
mania,' vol.  iii.  p.  238  : 

"  Wattle  tree  —  seaside.  {Acacia 
Maritima}  Booby allah." 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Over  the 
Straits,'  vol.  ii.  p.  62  : 

"  Boobyalla  bushes  lay  within  the 
dash  of  the  ceaseless  spray." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  359  : 

"  Boobyalla  ...  an  excellent  tree 
for  binding  coast-sands." 

1894.  'Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue, 
Economic  Woods,'  p.  4  : 

"On  the  coast  it  is  known  by  the 
native  name,  Boobyalla." 

Boomah,  or  Boomer,  ».  name 
of  a  very  large  kangaroo,  Macro- 
pus  giganteuSy  Shaw.  The  spelling 
"boomah"  seems  due  to  a  sup- 
posed native  origin.  See  quota- 
tion, 1872,  the  explanation  in 
which  is  probably  erroneous.  It 
is  really  from  the  verb  to  boom, 
to  rush  with  violence. 

1830.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack/ 
p.  no  : 

"  Snapped  the  boomah's  haunches, 
and  he  turned  round  to  offer  battle." 

1833.  Lieut.  Breton,  '  Excursions  in 
New  South  Wales,  Western  Australia,  and 
Van  Diemen's  Land,'  p.  251  : 

"  Boomah.  Implies  a  large  kan- 
garoo." 

Ibid.  p.  254  : 

"The  flying  gin  (gin  is  the  native 
word  for  woman  or  female)  is  a  boo- 
mah,  and  will  leave  behind  every  de- 
scription of  dog." 


-42 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[BOO 


1852.  Mrs.    Meredith,    'My   Home   in 
Tasmania/  vol.  i.  p.  244  : 

"The  Great  or  Forest  Kangaroo 
(Macropus  giganteus),  the  '  Forester  ' 
of  the  Colonists.  .  .  .  The  oldest  and 
heaviest  male  of  the  herd  was  called  a 
*  Boomer,'  probably  a  native  term." 

1853.  J.  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  i.  p.  325  : 

"The  forester  (Macropus  major, 
Shaw),  the  male  being  known  by  the 
name  of  'boomer,'  and  the  young 
female  by  that  of  *  flying  doe,'  is  the 
largest  and  only  truly  gregarious 
species." 

1854.  G-  H.  Haydon,  'The  Australian 
Emigrant,' p.  124: 

"It  was  of  an  old  man  kangaroo, — 
;a  regular  boomer." 

1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,   'Our  Antipodes,' 
p.  169: 

"An  officer  from  Van  Diemen's 
Land  told  me  that  he  had  once  killed 
in  that  colony  a  kangaroo  of  such 
magnitude,  that,  being  a  long  way 
from  home,  he  was  unable,  although 
•on  horseback,  to  carry  away  any  por- 
tion except  the  tail,  which  alone 
weighed  thirty  pounds.  This  species 
is  called  the  boomah,  and  stands  about 
seven  feet  high." 

1857.  W.  Howitt,  '  Tallangetta,'  vol.  i. 
p.  47  : 

"Sometimes  starting  a  grand  boo- 
mah, or  great  red  kangaroo." 

1862.  F.  J.  Jobson,  'Australia,'  c.  v. 
p.  124  : 

"  Some  of  the  male  kangaroos,  called 
•'boomers,'  were  described  as  being 
four  or  five  feet  high." 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  'New  Rush,'  p.  55  : 

"  The  Boomer  starts,  and  ponders 
What  kind  of  beasts  we  be." 

1867.  W.  Richardson,  '  Tasmanian 
Poems, 'p.  26: 

"  The  dogs  gather  round  a  '  boomer ' 
they've  got." 

1872.  Mrs.  E.  Millett,  'An  Australian 
Parsonage,'  p.  195  : 

"A  tall  old  Booma,  as  the  natives 
-call  the  male  kangaroo,  can  bring  his 
head  on  a  level  with  the  face  of  a  man 
on  horseback.  ...  A  kangaroo's  feet 
are,  in  fact,  his  weapons  of  defence 
with  which,  when  he  is  brought  to  bay, 
he  tears  his  antagonists  the  dogs  most 
dreadfully,  and  instances  are  not 


wanting  of  even  men  having  been 
killed  by  a  large  old  male.  No  doubt 
this  peculiar  method  of  disposing  of 
his  enemies  has  earned  him  the  name 
oiSooma,  which  in  the  native  language 
signifies  to  strike." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  16: 

"As  he  plunged  into  the  yellow 
waters,  the  dogs  were  once  more  by 
his  side,  and  again  the  'boomer' 
wheeled,  and  backed  against  one  of 
the  big  trees  that  stud  these  hollows." 

Applied  generally  to  something 
very  large. 

1885.  'Australasian  Printers'  Keepsake,' 
p.  76: 

"  When  the  shades  of  evening  come, 
I  choose  a  boomer  of  a  gum." 

Boomerang,  n.  a  weapon  of 
the  Australian  aborigines,  de- 
scribed in  the  quotations.  The 
origin  of  the  word  is  by  no 
means  certain.  One  explanation 
is  that  of  Mr.  Fraser  in  quota- 
tion, 1892.  There  may  perhaps 
be  an  etymological  connection 
with  the  name  woomera  (q.v.), 
which  is  a  different  weapon,  being 
a  throwing  stick,  that  is,  an  in- 
strument with  which  to  throw 
spears,  whilst  the  boomerang  is 
itself  thrown  ;  but  the  idea  of 
throwing  is  common  to  both.  In 
many  parts  the  word  is  pro- 
nounced by  the  blacks  bum- 
merang.  Others  connect  it  with 
the  aboriginal  word  for  "wind," 
which  at  Hunter  River  was  burra- 
maronga,  also  boomori.  In  New 
South  Wales  and  South  Queens- 
land there  is  a  close  correspond- 
ence between  the  terms  for  wind 
and  boomerang. 

1827.  Captain  P.  P.  King,  '  Survey  of 
Intertropical  and  West  Coasts  of  Australia,' 
vol.  i.  p.  355  : 

"Boomerang  is  the  Port  Jackson 
term  for  this  weapon,  and  may  be 
retained  for  want  of  a  more  descriptive 
name." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  108  : 


EOO] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


43 


"We  gambolled  all  the  way  up, 
throwing  small  pieces  of  bark  at  each 
other,  after  the  manner  of  the  native 
youths,  who  practise  this  with  a  view 
of  strengthening  their  arms,  and  fitting 
them  for  hurling  a  curious  weapon  of 
war  called  a  'bomering,'  which  is 
shaped  thus  : " 


Ibid.  p.  280 : 

"Around  their  loins  was  the  opos- 
•sum  belt,  in  one  side  of  which  they 
had  placed  their  waddies,  with  which 
they  meant  to  break  the  heads  of  their 
opponents,  and  on  the  other  was  the 
bomering,  or  stick,  with  which  they 
threw  their  spears." 

[This  is  a  confusion  between 
boomerang  and  woomera  (q.v.). 
Perhaps  Mr.  Dawson  wrote  the 
second  word,  and  this  is  a  mis- 
print.] 

1839.  Major  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three 
Expeditions  into  the  Interior  of  Eastern 
Australia,'  vol.  ii.  p.  348  : 

"The  bommereng,  or  their  usual 
missile,  can  be  thrown  by  a  skilful 
hand,  so  as  to  rise  upon  the  air,  and 
thus  to  deviate  from  the  usual  path  of 
projectiles,  its  crooked  course  being, 
nevertheless,  equally  under  control/'5 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  'Australia,' p.  186: 
"  The  admirable  dexterity  with  which 
they  fling  the  bomerangs.  To  our 
thinking  the  thrower  was  only  sending 
the  instrument  along  the  ground,  when 
suddenly,  after  spinning  along  it  a 
little  way,  it  sprung  up  into  the  air, 
performing  a  circle,  its  crescent  shape 
spinning  into  a  ring,  constantly  spin- 
ning round  and  round,  until  it  came 
and  fell  at  his  feet." 

1845.  O.  Wendell  Holmes,  'Modest 
Request'  (in  Poems): 

"  Like  the  strange  missile  which  the 

Australian  throws, 
Your  verbal  boomerang  slaps  you 
on  the  nose." 

1849.  J.  P.  Townsend,  'Rambles  in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  39  : 

"  This  instrument,  called  a  bommer- 
eng, is  made  of  wood,  and  is  much 
like  the  blade  of  a  scimitar.  I  believe 


it  has  been  introduced  into  England 
as  a  plaything  for  children." 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip 
in  1849,'  p.  57  : 

"  The  boomerang  is  an  extraordinary 
missile,  formed  in  the  shape  of  a 
crescent,  and  when  propelled  at  an 
object,  apparently  point  blank,  it  turns 
in  any  direction  intended  by  the 
thrower,  so  that  it  can  actually  be 
directed  in  this  manner  against  a 
person  standing  by  his  side.  The 
consummate  art  visible  in  its  unnatural- 
looking  progression  greatly  depends 
upon  the  manner  in  which  it  is  made 
to  rebound  from  the  ground  when 
thrown." 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  '  Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,3 vol.  ii.  p.  107  ; 

"  He  [Sir  Thomas  Mitchell]  applied 
to  the  screw  propeller  the  revolving 
principle  of  the  boomerang  of  the 
Australian  natives." 

1867.  G.  G.  McCrae,  '  Balladeadro,'  p. 
25: 

"  While  circling  thro'  the  air  there 

sang 
The  swift  careering  boomerang." 

1888.  A.    Seth,   'Encyclopaedia   Britan- 
nica,'  vol.  xxiv,  p.  530,  col.  2  : 

"He  [Archbishop  Whately]  was  an 
adept  in  various  savage  sports,  more 
especially  in  throwing  the  boomerang." 

1889.  P.     Beveridge,     '  Aborigines     of 
Victoria  and  Riverina,'  p.  49  : 

"  Boomerang  :  a  thin  piece  of  wood, 
having  the  shape  of  a  parabola,  about 
eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  long  from 
point  to  point,  the  curve  being  on  the 
thin  side.  Of  the  broad  sides  of  the 
missile  one  is  slightly  convex,  the 
other  is  flat.  The  thin  sides  are 
worked  down  finely  to  blunt  edges. 
The  peculiar  curve  of  the  missile  gives 
it  the  property  of  returning  to  the  feet 
of  the  thrower.  It  is  a  dangerous 
instrument  in  a  melee.  Of  course  the 
wood  from  which  it  is  made  is  highly 
seasoned  by  fire.  It  is  therefore  nearly 
as  hard  as  flint." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz/'  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  49: 

[A  full  description  of  the  use  of  the 
boomerang  is  given,  with  illustrations.] 

"  The  boomerang  is  a  curved,  some- 
what flat,  and  slender  weapon,  made 
from  a  hard  and  heavy  wood,  Brigalow 
(Acacia  excelsa\  or  Myall  (Acacia 


44 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BOO-BOR 


pendulti),  but  the  best  one  I  found  was 
made  of  a  lighter  kind  of  wood.  The 
curving  of  the  boomerang,  which  often 
approaches  a  right  angle,  must  be 
natural,  and  in  the  wood  itself.  One 
side  is  perfectly  flat,  and  the  other 
slightly  rounded.  The  ends  are 
pointed." 

1890.  G.  W.  Rusden,  'Proceedings, 
Royal  Colonial  Institute,'  vol.  xxii.  p.  62  : 

"  You  hardly  ever  see  an  allusion  in 
the  English  Press  to  the  boomerang 
which  does  not  refer  to  it  as  a  weapon 
of  war  which  returns  to  the  thrower, 
whereas  the  returning  boomerang  is 
not  a  weapon  of  war,  and  the  boomer- 
ang which  is  a  weapon  of  war  does  not 
return  to  the  thrower.  There  are 
many  kinds  of  boomerang — some  for 
deadly  strife,  some  for  throwing  at 
game,  and  the  returning  boomerang, 
which  is  framed  only  for  amusement. 
If  a  native  had  no  other  missile  at 
hand,  he  would  dispatch  it  at  a  flight 
of  ducks.  Its  circular  course,  how- 
ever, makes  it  unfit  for  such  a  purpose, 
and  there  is  a  special  boomerang 
made  for  throwing  at  birds.  The 
latter  keeps  a  straight  course,  and  a 
native  could  throw  it  more  than  two 
hundred  yards." 

1892.  J.    Fraser,    'The    Aborigines    of 
New  South  Wales/  p.  69  : 

"  The  name  bumarang  has  always 
hitherto  been  written  boomerang  ;  but, 
considered  etymologically,  that  is 
wrong,  for  the  root  of  it  is  buma— 
strike,  fight,  kill ;  and  -ara,  -arai,  -arang, 
are  all  of  them  common  formative 
terminations." 

1893.  '  The  Argus,'  July  I,  p.  8,  col.  7  : 
' '  I  tell  you,  sir,'  said  Mr.  Healy  at 

an  Irish  political  meeting,  'that  there 
are  at  the  present  moment  crystallizing 
in  this  city  precedents  which  will 
some  day  come  home  to  roost  like  a 
boomerang.' " 

Boongary,  n.  the  tree-kanga- 
roo of  North  Queensland,  a  mar- 
supial tree-climber,  about  the  size 
of  a  large  wallaby,  Dendrolagus 
lumholtzii,  Collett.  A  native  name. 
Bangaray  =-.  Red  Kangaroo,  in 
Governor  Hunter's  vocabulary  of 
the  Port  Jackson  dialect  (1793). 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals  ' 
p.  226: 


"  The  tree-kangaroo  is  without  com- 
parison a  better-proportioned  animal 
than  the  common  kangaroo.  The 
fore-feet,  which  are  nearly  as  perfectly 
developed  as  the  hind-feet,  have  large 
crooked  claws,  while  the  hind-feet  are 
somewhat  like  those  of  a  kangaroo, 
though  not  so  powerful.  The  sole  of 
the  foot  is  somewhat  broader  and  more 
elastic  on  account  of  a  thick  layer  of 
fat  under  the  skin.  In  soft  ground  its 
footprints  are  very  similar  to  those  of 
a  child.  The  ears  are  small  and  erect, 
and  the  tail  is  as  long  as  the  body  of 
the  animal.  The  skin  is  tough,  and 
the  fur  is  very  strong  and  beautiful.  .  .  . 
Upon  the  whole  the  boongary  is  the 
most  beautiful  mammal  I  have  seen  in 
Australia.  It  is  a  marsupial,  and  goes 
out  only  in  the  night.  During  the  day 
it  sleeps  in  the  trees,  and  feeds  on  the 
leaves." 

Bora,  n.  a  rite  amongst  the 
aborigines  of  eastern  Australia ; 
the  ceremony  of  admitting  a 
young  black  to  the  rights  of 
manhood.  Aboriginal  word. 

The  word  bur,  given  by  Ridley, 
means  not  only  girdle  but  'circle.' 
In  the  man-making  ceremonies  a 
large  circle  is  made  on  the 
ground,  where  the  ceremonies 
take  place. 

1875.  W.  Ridley,  '  Kamilaroi,' p.  24: 
"  Girdle— bor  or  bur.     Hence  Borar 
the  ceremony  of  initiation  into  man- 
hood, where  the  candidate  is  invested 
with  the  belt  of  manhood.'-' 

1885.  R-  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,' 
p.  24: 

"  The  great  mystery  of  the  Blacks 
is  the  Bora — a  ceremony  at  which  the 
young  men  found  worthy  receive  the 
rank  of  warriors." 

1892.  J.  Fraser,  'Aborigines  of  New 
South  Wales,' p.  6: 

"  These  ceremonies  are  ...  called 
the  Bora." 

Borage,  Native,  a  plant,  Polli- 
chia  zeylanica,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Bora- 
gineee.  The  so-called  Native  Borage 
is  not  endemic  to  Australia.  In 
India  it  is  used  as  a  cure  for 
snake  bites. 


<BOR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


45 


1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  124  : 

"The  native  borage  (Trichodesma 
zeylanica,  R.  Br.)." 

Borak,  ;/.  aboriginal  word  of 
New  South  Wales,  meaning1  ban- 
ter, chaff,  fun  at  another's  ex- 
pense. (See  quotation,  1845.) 
Prior  to  1870  the  word  was  much 
in  use  on  the  stations  in  New 
South  Wales.  About  1870  Vic- 
torian farmers'  sons  took  shearing 
work  there,  and  brought  back  the 
word  with  them.  It  was  subse- 
quently altered  to  barrack  (q.v.). 

1845.  C.  Griffith,  'Present  State  and 
Prospects  of  the  Port  Phillip  District  of 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  162  : 

"  The  following  is  a  specimen  of 
such  eloquence  :  — '  You  pilmillally 
jumbuck,  plenty  sulky  me,  plenty 
boom,  borack  gammon,'  which,  being 
interpreted,  means — '  If  you  steal  my 
sheep  I  shall  be  very  angry,  and  will 
shoot  you  and  no  mistake.' " 

1856.  W.  W.  Dobie,  '  Recollections  of 
a  Visit  to  Port  Phillip,  Australia,  in 
1852-55,' p.  93: 

'  ...  he  gravely  assured  me  that 
it  was  'merrijig'  (very  good),  and  that 
'  blackfellow  doctor  was  far  better  than 
whitefellow  doctor.'  In  proof  of  which 
he  would  say,  '  Borak  you  ever  see 
black  fellow  with  waddie  (wooden)  leg. 
Bungalallee  white  fellow  doctor  cut 
him  leg,  borak  black  fellow  stupid  like 
it  that." 

1885.   '  Australasian  Printers'  Keepsake, ' 

P-  75  ' 

"  On  telling  him  my  adventures, 
how  Bob  in  my  misery  had  'poked 
borack '  at  me.  .  .  .'; 

1888.  Alfred  J.  Chandler,  'Curley' 
in  'Australian  Poets,'  1788—1888,  ed. 
Sladen,  p.  100  : 

"  Here  broke  in  Super  Scotty,  '  Stop 
Your  borak,  give  the  bloomin'  man 
a  show.' " 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  Aug.  26,  p.  13, 
col.  i  : 

"  It  does  not  do  for  a  man  whose 
mission  it  is  to  wear  stuff  and  a  horse- 
hair wig  to  '  poke  borak '  at  that  vener- 
able and  eminently  respectable  insti- 
tution— the  law,  and  still  worse  is  it 
for  a  practising  barrister  to  actually 


set  to  work,  even  in  the  most  kindly 
spirit,  to  criticise  the  judges,  before 
whom  at  any  moment  he  may  be  called 
upon  to  plead." 

Borboby,  n.  i.q.  Corrobbery 
(q.v.),  but  the  word  is  rare. 

1890.  Carl  Lumholtz,  'Among  Canni- 
bals' [Title  of  illustration],  p.  122  : 

"  A  warrior  in  great  excitement  just 
before  Borboby  commences." 

Boree,  n.  aboriginal  name  for 
the  tree  Acacia  pendula,  A.  Cunn., 
N.O.  Leguminoscz ;  a  variety  of 
Myall,  probably  from  Queensland 
aboriginal  word  Booreah,  fire.  It 
would  be  preferred  by  black  or 
white  man  as  firewood  over  any 
other  timber  except  giddea  (q.v.). 

1889.  J.    H.    Maiden,    '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  363  : 

"  Weeping,  or  true  myall.  It  is 
sometimes  called  bastard  gidgee  in 
Western  New  South  Wales.  Called 
boree  by  aboriginals,  and  often  boree, 
or  silver-leaf  boree,  by  the  colonists  of 
Western  New  South  Wales.  Nilyah 
is  another  New  South  Wales  name." 

1890.  Rolf    Boldrewood,      '  Squatter's 
Dream,'  iii.  p.  30: 

"  Myall  and  boree  belts  of  timbers." 
1893.      'The  Times,'  [Reprint]  'Letters 
from  Queensland,'  p.  60  : 

"  The  timber,  of  course,  when  seen 
close  at  hand  is  strange.  Boree  and 
gidyah,  coolibah  and  whitewood,  brig- 
gelow,  mulgah,  and  myall  are  the  un- 
familiar names  by  which  you  learn  to 
recognise  the  commonest  varieties." 

Borer,  n.  name  applied  to  an 
Australian  insect.  See  quotation. 

1876.  W.  Harcus,  '  South  Australia,' p. 
no  : 

"  There  is  another  destructive  insect 
called  the  *  borer,'  not  met  with  near 
the  sea-coast,  but  very  active  and 
mischievous  inland,  its  attacks  being 
chiefly  levelled  against  timber.  This 
creature  is  about  the  size  of  a  large 
fly." 

Boronia,  n,  scientific  and  ver- 
nacular name  of  a  genus  of  Aus- 
tralian plants,  certain  species  of 
which  are  noted  for  their  peculiar 
fragrance.  The  genus  is  especi- 


46 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BOS-BOT 


ally  characteristic  of  West  Aus- 
tralia, to  which  out  of  fifty-nine 
species  thirty-three  are  confined, 
while  only  five  are  known  in  Tas- 
mania. Boronia  belongs  to  the 
N.O.  Rutacea. 

1835.   Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 

"Boronia  variabilis.  A  beautiful 
little  heath-like  plant  growing  about 
the  Cascade  and  other  hills  round 
about  Hobart  Town.  .  .  .  This  genus 
is  named  after  Borone,  an  Italian 
servant  of  the  late  Dr.  Sibthorp,  who 
perished  at  Athens.  .  .  .  Another 
species  found  in  Van  Diemen's  Land 
is  the  Lemon  plant  of  the  mountains." 

1896.  'The  Melburnian,'  vol.  xxii.,  No. 
3,  August  28,  p.  53  : 

"  Winter  does  not  last  for  ever,  and 
now  at  each  street  corner  the  scent  of 
boronia  and  the  odour  of  wattle- 
blossom  greet  us  from  baskets  of  the 
flower-girl." 

Boss-cockie,  n.  a  slang-  name 
in  the  bush  for  a  farmer,  larger 
than  a  Cockatoo  (see  Cockatoo,  n. 
2),  who  employs  other  labour  as 
well  as  working  himself. 

Botany   Bay,  n.  lying   to    the 
south    of   the    entrance    to    Port 
Jackson,  New  South  Wales,  the 
destination  of  the  first  two  ship- 
loads of  convicts  from  England. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,   the  settle- 
ment    at     Botany     Bay      never 
existed.       The      "  First     Fleet," 
consisting    of  eleven    sail    under 
Governor      Phillip,     arrived      at 
Botany     Bay     on      January     18, 
1788.     The  Governor  finding  the 
place  unsuitable  for  a  settlement 
did  not  land  his  people,  but  on 
January  25  removed  the  fleet  to 
Port  Jackson.     On  the  next  day 
(January  26)  he  landed  his  people 
at  Sydney  Cove,  and  founded  the 
city  of  Sydney.     The  name,  how- 
ever, clung  topopular  imagination, 
and  was  used  sometimes  as  the 
name  of  Australia.    Seventy  years 
after    Governor  Phillip,    English 


schoolboys  used  "go  to  Botany 
Bay  "  as  an  equivalent  to  "go  to- 
Bath."  Captain  Cook  and  his 
naturalists,  Banks  and  Solander, 
landed  at  Botany  Bay,  and  the 
name  was  given  (not  at  first, 
when  the  Bay  was  marked  Sting- 
ray, but  a  little  later)  from  the 
large  number  of  plants  collected 
there. 

1770.  '  Captain  Cook's  Original  Jour- 
nal,' ed.  by  Wharton,  1893,  p.  247  : 

"6  May.  .  .  .  The  great  quantity  of 
plants  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander 
found  in  this  place  occasioned  my 
giving  it  the  Name  of  Botany  Bay." 

1789.  [Title]  : 

"  The  Voyage  of  Governor  PhilliptO' 
Botany  Bay,"  published  in  London. 

1789.   Captain  Watkin  Tench  [Title]: 

"  A  Narrative  of  the  Expedition  to. 
Botany  Bay,"  published  in  London. 

1793.   G.  Barrington  [Title] : 

"Voyage  to  Botany  Bay,"  [published 
in  London.] 

This  was  the  popular  book  on 
the  new  settlement,  the  others 
being  high  priced.  As  Lowndes 
says,  "A  work  of  no  authority, 
but  frequently  printed. "  Barring- 
ton,  the  pickpocket,  whose  name 
it  bears,  had  nothing  to  do  with 
it.  It  was  pirated  from  Phillip, 
Collins,  etc.  It  went  through 
various  editions  and  enlargements 
to  1810  or  later.  After  1795  the 
name  was  altered  to  '  Voyage  to 
New  South  Wales.' 

1798.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  the  Eng- 
lish Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i. 
p.  502  : 

"  The  word  *  Botany  Bay '  became  a 
term  of  reproach  that  was  indiscrimin- 
ately cast  on  every  one  who  resided  in 
New  South  Wales." 

1840.  Thos.  Hood,  'Tale  of  a  Trum- 
pet:' 

"  The  very  next  day 
She  heard  from  her  husband  at  Botany 

Bay." 

1851.  Rev.  David  Mackenzie,  'Ten 
Years  in  Australia,'  p.  50  : 

"...  a  pair  of  artificially  black  eyes 
being  the  Botany  Bay  coat  of  arms." 


EOT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


47' 


1852.  J.  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  91  : 

"Some  gentlemen,  on  a  visit  to  a 
London  theatre,  to  draw  the  attention 
of  their  friends  in  an  opposite  box, 
called  out  cooey ;  a  voice  in  the  gallery 
answered  '  Botany  Bay  ! ' " 

1894.  'Pall  Mall  Budget,'  May  17,  p. 
20,  col.  i  : 

"  The  owner  of  the  ship  was  an  ex- 
convict  in  Sydney — then  called  Botany 
Bay — who  had  waxed  wealthy  on  the 
profits  of  rum,  and  the  '  shangai-ing ' 
of  drugged  sailors." 

Botany-Bay  Greens,  n.  a  vege- 
table common  to  all  the  colo- 
nies, Atriplex  cinereiim,  Poir,  N.O. 
Salsolacea. 

1810.  G.  Barrington,  «  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  263  : 

"  Botany  Bay  greens  are  abundant ; 
they  much  resemble  sage  in  appear- 
ance ;  and  are  esteemed  a  very  good 
dish  by  the  Europeans." 

1834.  Ross, 'Van  Diemen's  Land  Annual,' 
p.  134  : 

"  I  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  enter 
upon  any  description  of  the  Barilla 
shrubs  (Atriplex  halimus^  Rhagodia 
billardieri,  and  Salicornia  arbuscula\ 
which,  with  some  others,  under  the 
promiscuous  name  of  Botany  Bay 
greens,  were  boiled  and  eaten  along 
with  some  species  of  seaweed,  by  the 
earliest  settlers,  when  in  a  state  of 
starvation." 

1835.  Ibid-  P-  69 : 

"Atriplex  Halimus.  Barrilla.  Bot- 
any Bay  Greens.  This  is  the  plant  so 
common  on  the  shores  of  Cape  Barren 
and  other  islands  of  the  Straits,  from 
which  the  alkaline  salt  is  obtained  and 
brought  up  in  boats  to  the  soap  manu- 
factory at  Hobart  Town.  It  has  been 
set  down  as  the  same  plant  that  grows 
on  the  coast  of  Spain  and  other  parts 
of  Europe." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  « Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  9  : 

"  Once  used  as  a  pot-herb  in  New 
South  Wales.  Leichhardt  used  a 
species  of  Atriplex  as  a  vegetable,  and 
spoke  very  highly  of  it." 

Botany-Bay  Oak,  or  Botany- 
Bay  Wood,  n.  a  trade  name  in 


England  for  the  timber  of  Casu- 
arina.     See  Beef-wood. 

Bottle-brush,  n.  name  given  to 
various  species  of  Callistemon  and 
Melaleuca,  N.O.  Myrtacece  ;  the 
Purple  Bottle-brush  is  Melaleuca 
squamea,  Lab.  The  name  is  also 
more  rarely  given  to  species  of 
Banksia,  or  Honeysuckle  (q.v.). 
The  name  bottle-brush  is  from  the 
resemblance  of  the  large  hand- 
some blossoms  to  the  brush  used 
to  clean  out  wine-bottles. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  389: 

"  Red  Bottle-brush.  The  flowers  of 
some  species  of  Callistemon  are  like 
bottle-brushes  in  shape." 

Bottle-Gourd,  ;/.  an  Australian 
plant,  Lagenaria  vulgaris,  S£r.,. 
N.O.  Cucurbitacea. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  192  : 

"Bottle  Gourd.  This  plant,  so 
plentiful  along  the  tropical  coast  of 
Queensland,  is  said  to  be  a  dangerous 
poison.  It  is  said  that  some  sailors 
were  killed  by  drinking  beer  that  had 
been  standing  for  some  time  in  a  bottle 
formed  of  one  of  these  fruits.  (F.  M. 
Bailey.)" 

Bottle-Swallow,  n.  a  popular 
name  for  the  bird  Lagenoplastis 
arie/,  otherwise  called  the  Fairy 
Martin.  See  Martin.  The  name 
refers  to  the  bird's  peculiar  retort- 
shaped  nest.  Lagenoplastis  is  from, 
the  Greek  Aay^vos,  a  flagon,  and 
TrAatmjs,  a  modeller.  The  nests 
are  often  constructed  in  clusters 
under  rocks  or  the  eaves  of  build- 
ings. The  bird  is  widely  dis- 
tributed in  Australia,  and  has 
occurred  in  Tasmania. 

Bottle-tree,  n.  an  Australian 
tree,  various  species  of  Stercu- 
lia,  i.q.  Kurrajong  (q.v.).  So 
named  from  its  appearance.  See 
quotations. 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  264  : 

"The  sterculia,  or  bottle-tree,  is  a 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[BOT-BOW 


very  singular  curiosity.  It  generally 
varies  in  shape  between  a  soda-water 
and  port-wine  bottle,  narrow  at  the 
basis,  gradually  widening  at  the  middle, 
and  tapering  towards  the  neck." 

1848.  L.  Leichhardt,  Letter  in  'Cooks- 
Jand,'  by  J.  D.  Lang,  p.  91  : 

"  The  most  interesting  tree  of  this 
Rosewood  Brush  is  the  true  bottle- 
tree,  a  strange-looking  unseemly  tree, 
which  swells  slightly  four  to  five  feet 
high,  and  then  tapers  rapidly  into  a 
small  diameter;  the  foliage  is  thin, 
the  crown  scanty  and  irregular,  the 
leaves  lanceolate,  of  a  greyish  green  ; 
the  height  of  the  whole  tree  is  about 
forty-five  feet." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  127  : 

"  It  was  on  this  range  (Lat.  26  42  ) 
that  Mitchell  saw  the  bottle-tree  for 
the  first  time.  It  grew  like  an  enor- 
mous pear-shaped  turnip,  with  only 
.a  small  portion  of  the  root  in  the 
ground." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  60: 

"  A  '  Kurrajong.'  The  '  Bottle-tree ' 
of  N.E.  Australia,  and  also  called 
*  Gouty-stem,'  on  account  of  the  extra- 
ordinary shape  of  the  trunk.  It  is  the 
1  Binkey '  of  the  aboriginals. 

"  The  stem  abounds  in  a  mucilagin- 
ous substance  resembling  pure  traga- 
canth,  which  is  wholesome  and  nutri- 
tious, and  is  said  to  be  used  as  an 
article  of  food  by  the  aborigines  in 
cases  of  extreme  need.  A  similar 
clear  jelly  is  obtainable  by  pouring 
boiling  water  on  chips  of  the  wood." 

Bottom,  n.  in  gold-mining,  the 
old  river-bed  upon  which  the 
wash-dirt  rests,  and  upon  which 
the  richest  alluvial  gold  is  found; 
sometimes  called  the  gutter. 

1887.  H.  H.  Hayter,  'Christmas  Ad- 
venture/ p.  5  : 

"We  reached  the  bottom,  but  did 
not  find  gold." 

Bottom,  v.  to  get  to  the  bed- 
rock, or  clay,  below  which  it  was 
useless  to  sink  (gold-mining). 

1858.  T.  McCombie,  'History  of  Vic- 
.toria/  c.  xv.  p.  219: 

"  In   their  anxiety  to  bottom   their 


claims,  they  not  seldom  threw  away 
the  richest  stuff." 

Boundary-rider,  n.  a  man  who 
rides  round  the  fences  of  a  station 
to  see  that  they  are  in  order. 

1890.  E.  W.  Hornung,  'A  Bride  from 
the  Bush,'  p.  279  : 

"  A  boundary-rider  is  not  a  boss 
in  the  Bush,  but  he  is  an  important 
personage  in  his  way.  He  sees  that 
the  sheep  in  his  paddock  draw  to  the 
water,  that  there  is  water  for  them  to 
draw  to,  and  that  the  fences  and  gates 
are  in  order.  He  is  paid  fairly,  and 
has  a  fine,  free,  solitary  life." 

1892.  'Scribner's  Magazine,'  Feb.,  p. 
147: 

"  The  manager's  lieutenants  are  the 
*  boundary-riders,'  whose  duty  it  is  to 
patrol  the  estate  and  keep  him  informed 
upon  every  portion  of  it." 

Bower-bird,  n.  an    Australian 
bird.     See  quotation,  1891.     See 
Ptilonorhynchina.     The   following 
are  the  varieties — 
Fawn-breasted  Bower-bird — 
Chlamydodera      cerviniventris, 

Gould. 
Golden  B.— 

Prionodura  newtoniana,  De  Vis. 
Great  B.— 

Chlamydodera    nuchalis,     Gould 
('Birds  of  Australia,'  vol.  iv. 
pi.  9). 
Queensland  B. — 

C.  orientalis,  Gould. 
Satin  B.— 
Ptilonorhynchus   violaceus,  Vieil- 

lot. 
Spotted  B. — 

Chlamydodera    maculata,    Gould 

(ibid.  pi.  8). 
Yellow-spotted  B.— 
C.  guttata,  Gould. 
And  the  Regent-bird  (q.v.). 
1845.   R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  140 : 
"  The  same  person  had  the  last  sea- 
son found,  to  his  surprise,  the  play- 
house,  or  bower,   of   the   Australian 
satin  bower-bird. 

1888.  D.    Macdonald,    'Gum   Boughs,' 
p.  28  : 

"  Any  shred  of  glass  or  metal  which 


BOX 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


49 


arrests  the  eye  or  reflects  the  rays  of 
the  sun  is  a  gem  in  the  bower-bird's 
collection,  which  seems  in  a  sense  to 
parody  the  art  decorations  of  a  modern 
home." 

1891.  'Guide  to  Zoological  Gardens, 
Melbourne '  : 

"  In  one  is  a  representation  of  the 
playing  place  of  the  spotted  bower- 
bird.  These  bowers  are  quite  inde- 
pendent of  the  birds'  nests,  which  are 
built  on  neighbouring  trees.  They 
first  construct  a  covered  passage  or 
bower  about  three  feet  long,  and  near 
it  they  place  every  white  or  bright 
object  they  can  find,  such  as  the 
bleached  bones  of  animals,  pieces  of 
white  or  coloured  stone,  feathers, 
shells,  etc.,  etc.  ;  the  feathers  they 
place  on  end.  When  these  curious 
playing  places  were  first  discovered, 
they  were  thought  to  be  made  by  the 
native  women  for  the  amusement  of 
their  children.  More  than  a  bushel 
of  small  pieces  of  bleached  bones  or 
shells  are  often  found  at  one  of  these 
curious  sporting  places.  Sometimes 
a  dozen  or  more  birds  will  assemble, 
and  they  delight  in  chasing  each  other 
through  the  bower  and  playing  about 
it." 

Box,  Box-tree,  Box-gum,  n. 
The  name  is  applied  to  many 
Eucalypts,  and  to  a  few  trees  of 
the  genus  Tristania,  as  given  be- 
low, all  of  the  N.  O.  Myrtacea, 
chiefly  from  the  qualities  of  their 
timber,  which  more  or  less  re- 
sembles "Boxwood."  Most  of 
these  trees  also  bear  other  verna- 
cular names,  and  the  same  tree 
is  further  often  described  verna- 
cularly as  different  kinds  of  Box. 
China-,  Heath-,  and  Native-Box 
(q.v.  below)  are  of  other  Natural 
Orders  and  receive  their  names 
of  Box  from  other  reasons.  The 
following  table  is  compiled  from 
Maiden  : — 

Bastard  Box — 

Eucalyptus  goniocalyx,  F.  v.  M. ; 
E.  largiflorens,  F.  v.  M.   (called 

also  Cooburn)\ 
E.  longifolia,  Link. ; 


E.  microtheca,  F.  v.  M.; 
E. polyanthema,  F.  v.  M.; 
E.  populifolia,  Hook,  (called  also 
Bembil   or    Bimbil    Box    and 
Red  Box)  ; 

Tristania  conferta,  R.  Br. ; 
T.  laurina,    R.  Br.,     all  of  the 

N.O.  Myrtacece. 
Black  Box— 

Eucalyptus  obliqua,  L'Herit; 
E.  largiflorens,  F.  v.  M.; 
E.  microtheca,  F.  v.  M. 
Brisbane  Box — 

Tristania  conferta,  R.  Br. 
Broad-leaved  Box — 

Eucalyptus  acmenoides,  Schau. 
Brown  Box — 

Eucalyptus  polyanthema,  Schau. 
Brush  Box — 

Tristania  conferta,  R.  Br. 
China  Box — 

Murray  a    exotica,    Linn.,    N.O. 
Rutacece.  (not   a   tree,    but    a 
perfume  plant,  which  is  found 
also  in  India  and  China). 
Dwarf,  or  Flooded  Box — 

Eucalyptus  microtheca,  F.  v.  M. 
(Also  called  Swamp  Gum,  from 
its  habit  of  growing  on  land 
inundated  during  flood  time. 
An  aboriginal  name  for  the 
same  tree  is  goborro.) 
Grey  Box — 

Eucalyptus goniocalyx,  F.  v.  M.; 
E.  hemiphloia,  F.  v.  M.; 
E.  largiflorens,  F.  v.  M.; 
E. polyanthema,  Schau.; 
E.  saligna,  Smith. 
Gum-topped  Box — 

Eucalyptus  hemiphloia,  F.  v.  M. 
Heath  Box— 

Alyxia   buxifolia,    R.  Br.,    N.O. 
Apocynece.  (called  also   Tonga- 
beanwood,  owing  to  its  scent). 
Iron-bark  Box — 

Eucalyptus  obliqua,  L'He"rit. 
Narrow-leaved  Box — 

Eucalyptus  microtheca,  F.  v.  M. 
Native  Box — 

Bursaria    spinosa,    Cav.,    N.O. 
Pittosporecz.  (Called  also  Box- 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BOX 


thorn  and  Native-Olive.     It  is 
not  a  timber-tree  but  a  forage- 
plant.     See  quotation,  1889.) 
Poplar  Box — 

Eucalyptus  populifolia,  Hook. 
Red  Box— 

Eucalyptus populifolia,  Hook.; 

E.  polyanthema,  Schau.; 

Tristania  conferta,  R.  Br. 
Thozet's  Box— 

Eucalyptus  raveretiana,  F.  v.  M. 
White  Box— 

Eucalyptus  hemiphloia,  F.  v.  M. ; 

E.  odorata,  Behr.; 

E.  populifolia,  Hook.  ; 

Tristania  conferta,  R.  Br. 
Yellow  Box— 

Eucalyptus  hemiphloia,  F.  v.  M. 

E.  largiflorens,  F.  v.  M. 

E.  melliodora,  A.  Cunn. 

1820.  John  Oxley,  'Two  Expeditions,' 
p.  126: 

"The  country  continued  open  forest 
land  for  about  three  miles,  the  cypress 
and  the  bastard-box  being  the  prevail- 
ing timber  ;  of  the  former  many  were 
useful  trees." 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  ii.  p.  55  : 

"  The  small  kind  of  tree  .  .  .  which 
Mr.  Oxley,  I  believe,  terms  the  dwarf- 
box,  grows  only  on  plains  subject  to 
inundation.  ...  It  may  be  observed, 
however,  that  all  permanent  waters 
are  invariably  surrounded  by  the 
'yarra.'  These  peculiarities  are  only 
ascertained  after  examining  many  a 
hopeless  hollow,  where  grew  the  'go- 
borro '  only  ;  and  after  I  had  found 
my  sable  guides  eagerly  scanning  the 
'  yarra '  from  afar,  when  in  search  of 
water,  and  condemning  any  view  of 
the  '  goborro '  as  hopeless  during  that 
dry  season." 

[See  Yarra,  a  tree.] 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia/ vol.  ii.  p.  6: 

"  Belts  of  open  forest  land,  princi- 
pally composed  of  the  box-tree  of  the 
colonists,  a  species  of  eucalyptus  (in 
no  respect  resembling  the  box  of 
Europe)." 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller,  'Botanic Teachings,' 
P-  15: 

"The  Honey-Eucalypt  (Eucalyptus 


melliodora).  This  tree  passes  by  the 
very  unapt  vernacular  name  Yellow 
Box-tree,  though  no  portion  of  it  is 
yellow,  not  even  its  wood,  and  though 
the  latter  resembles  the  real  boxwood 
in  no  way  whatever.  Its  systematic 
specific  name  alludes  to  the  odour  of 
its  flowers,  like  that  of  honey,  and  as 
the  blossoms  exude  much  nectar,  like 
most  eucalypts,  sought  by  bees,  it  is 
proposed  to  call  it  the  small-leaved 
Honey-Eucalypt,  but  the  Latin  name 
might  as  easily  be  conveyed  to  memory, 
with  the  advantage  of  its  being  a 
universal  one,  understood  and  used  by 
all  nations." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  46: 

"  Poor  country,  covered  with  ti-treey 
box,  and  iron-bark  saplings,  with  here 
and  there  heavy  timber  growing  on 
sour-looking  ridges." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs/ 
p.  7: 

"  The  clumps  of  box-gums  clinging 
together  for  sympathy." 

1888.  J.  Hewlett  Ross,  '  Laureate  of  the 
Centaurs,'  p.  41  : 

"  Box  shrubs  which  were  not  yet 
clothed  with  their  creamy- white  plumes 
(so  like  the  English  meadowsweet)." 

1889.  P.     Beveridge,     'Aborigines     of 
Victoria  and  Riverina,'  p.  59: 

"  These  spears  are  principally  made 
from  a  tall-growing  box  (one  of  the 
eucalypts)  which  often  attains  to  an 
altitude  of  over  100  feet ;  it  is  indi- 
genous to  the  north-western  portion  of 
the  colony,  and  to  Riverina ;  it  has  a 
fine  wavy  grain,  consequently  easily 
worked  when  in  a  green  state.  When 
well  seasoned,  however,  it  is  nearly  as 
hard  as  ebony." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  121  : 

"Native  box  is  greedily  eaten  by 
sheep,  but  its  thorny  character  pre- 
serves it  from  extinction  upon  sheep- 
runs  :  usually  a  small  scrub,  in  con- 
genial localities  it  developes  into  a 
small  tree." 

Box,  n.     See  succeeding  verb. 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  'My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  67: 

"  Great  care  must  of  course  be  taken 
that  no  two  flocks  come  into  collision,, 
for  a  '  box,3  as  it  is  technically  called, 
causes  an  infinity  of  trouble,  which  is 


BOX-BRE 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


the  reason  that  the  stations  are  so  far 
apart." 

Box,  v.  to  mix  together  sheep 
that  ought  to  be  kept  separate : 
apparently  from  "  to  box"  in  the 
sense  of  to  shut  up  in  narrow 
limits  ('  O.E.D.'  v.  i.  5)  ;  then  to 
shut  up  together  and  so  confuse 
the  classification  ;  then  the  sense 
of  shutting  up  is  lost  and  that  of 
confusion  remains. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  253: 

"All  the  mobs  of  different  aged 
lambs  which  had  been  hitherto  kept 
apart  were  boxed  up  together." 

1889.  RolfBoldrewood,  'Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  356 : 

"After  they'd  got  out  twenty  or 
thirty  they'd  get  boxed,  like  a  new 
hand  counting  sheep,  and  have  to 
begin  all  over  again." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,    'A  Colonial 
Reformer, '  p.  84 : 

"At  nightfall,  the  fifteen  flocks  of 
sheep  were  all  brought  in,  and  '  boxed,' 
or  mixed  together,  to  Ernest's  astonish- 
ment." 

1890.  Tasma,  'In  her  Earliest  Youth,' 
p.  166: 

"He  must  keep  tally  when  the  sheep 
are  being  counted  or  draughted,  I'm 
not  sure  which,  and  swear — no,  he 
needn't  swear — when  they  get  boxed." 

1896.  A.     B.     Paterson,     'Man    from 
Snowy  River,'  p.  54: 

"  But  the  travelling  sheep  and  the 
Wilga  sheep  were  boxed  on  the 
Old  Man  Plain. 

'Twas  a  full  week's  work  ere  they 
drafted  out  and  hunted  them  off 
again." 

Boxer,  n.  This  word  means  in 
Australia  the  stiff,  low-crowned, 
felt  hat,  called  a  billy-cock  or  bowler. 
The  silk-hat  is  called  a  bell-topper 
(q.v.). 

1897.  '  The  Argus,'  Jan.  9,  p.  14,  col.  2 : 
"  And  will  you  wear  a  boxer  that  is  in 

a  battered  state  ? 

I  wonder,  will  you — now  that  you're 
a  knight  ? " 

Box-wood,  n.  a  New  Zealand 
wood,  Olea  lanceolata,  Hook., N.O. 


Jasminece  (Maori  name,  Maire]. 
Used  by  the  'Wellington  In- 
dependent '  (April  19,  1845)  for 
woodcuts,  and  recommended  as 
superior  to  box-wood  for  the  pur- 
pose. See  also  Box,  n. 

Boyla,  n.  aboriginal  word  for 
a  sorcerer. 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  384: 

"  The  absolute  power  of  boylas 
or  evil  sorcerers  ...  he  chanted 
gloomily : — 

Oh,   wherefore  would  they  eat  the 

muscles  ? 
Now    boylas     storm    and     thunder 

make. 
Oh,  wherefore  would  they  eat  the 

muscles  ? " 

Bramble,  Native,  n.  See 
Blackberry, 

Bread,  Native,  n.  a  kind  of 
fungus.  '  *  The  sclerotium  of  Poly- 
porus  mylitta,  C.  et  M.  Until  quite 
recently  the  sclerotium  was  known, 
but  not  the  fructification.  It  was 
thought  probable  that  its  fruit 
would  be  ascomycetous,  and  on 
the  authority  of  Berkeley  it  was 
made  the  type  of  a  genus  as 
Mylitta  Australis.  It  is  found 
throughout  Eastern  Australia  and 
Tasmania.  The  aborigines  ate 
it,  but  to  the  European  palate  it 
is  tough  and  tasteless,  and  pro- 
bably as  indigestible  as  leather." 
(L.  Rodway.) 

1843.  James  Backhouse,  '  Narrative  of 
a  Visit  to  the  Australian  Colonies,'  p.  40  : 

"Natural  Order.  Fungi.  .  .  .  My- 
litta Australis.  Native  Bread.  This 
species  of  tuber  is  often  found  in  the 
Colony,  attaining  to  the  size  of  a  child's 
head  :  its  taste  somewhat  resembles 
boiled  rice.  Like  the  heart  of  the 
Tree-fern,  and  the  root  of  the  Native 
Potato,  cookery  produces  little  change." 

1848.  '  Papers  and  Proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Yan  Diemen's  Land,' 
vol.  i.  p.  157  : 

"nth  October,  1848.  .  .  Specimens 
of  fat  fungus  known  as  '  native  bread/ 
Mylitta  Australis,  lay  upon  the  table. 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[BRE-BRI 


A  member  observed  that  this  sub- 
stance, grated  and  made  into  a  pud- 
ding with  milk  alone,  had  been  found 
by  him  very  palatable.  Prepared  in 
the  same  way,  and  combined  with 
double  its  weight  of  rice  or  sago,  it 
has  produced  a  very  superior  dish. 
It  has  also  been  eaten  with  approval 
in  soup,  after  the  manner  of  truffle,  to 
which  it  is  nearly  allied." 

1857.  Dr.  Milligan,  in  Bishop  Nixon's 
'  Cruise  of  the  Beacon,'  p.  27 : 

"  But  that  which  afforded  the  largest 
amount  of  solid  and  substantial  nutri- 
tious matter  was  the  native  bread,  a 
fungus  growing  in  the  ground,  after 
the  manner  of  the  truffle,  and  generally 
so  near  the  roots  of  trees  as  to  be 
reputed  parasitical." 

1896.  '  Hobart  Mercury,'  Oct.  30,  p.  2, 
last  col. : 

"  A  large  specimen  of '  native  bread,' 
weighing  I2lb.,  has  been  unearthed  on 
Crab  Tree  farm  in  the  Huon  district, 
by  Mr.  A.  Cooper.  It  has  been 
brought  to  town,  and  is  being  examined 
with  interest  by  many  at  the  British 
Hotel.  It  is  one  of  the  fungi  tribe 
that  forms  hard  masses  of  stored  food 
for  future  use." 

Breadfruit-tree,  name  given 
by  the  explorer  Leichhardt  to  the 
Queensland  tree,  Gardenia  edulis, 
F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Rubiacea. 

Breakaway,  n.  (i)  A  bullock 
that  leaves  the  herd. 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  April  29,  p.  4, 
col.  4: 

"  The  smartest  stock  horse  that  ever 
brought  his  rider  up  within  whip  dis- 
tance of  a  breakaway  or  dodged  the 
horns  of  a  sulky  beast,  took  the 
chance." 

(2)  The  panic  rush  of  sheep, 
cattle,  or  other  animals  at  the 
sight  or  smell  of  water. 

1891: 

"  The  Breakaway,"  title  of  picture  by 
Tom  Roberts  at  Victorian  Artists' 
Exhibition. 

Bream,  n.  The  name  is  applied 
in  Australia  to  various  species  of 
Chrysophrys,  family  Sparidce,  and 
to  other  fishes  of  different 


families.  The  Black-Bream  (q.v.) 
is  C.  australis,  Giinth.  The  Bony- 
Bream  is  also  called  the  Sardine 
(q.v.).  The  Silver-Bream  (q.v.) 
or  White-Bream  is  Gerres  ovatus, 
Giinth.,  family  Perrida.  The  Red- 
Bream  is  a  Schnapper  (q.v.)  one 
year  old.  The  popular  pronunci- 
ation is  Brim,  and  the  fishes  are 
all  different  from  the  various  fishes 
called  Bream  in  the  northern 
hemisphere.  See  also  Tarwhine 
and  Blue-fish. 

Brickfielder,  n.  (i)  Originally  a 
Sydney  name  for  a  cold  wind, 
blowing  from  the  south  and  ac- 
companied by  blinding  clouds  of 
dust;  identical  with  the  later  name 
for  the  wind,  the  Southerly  Buster 
(q.v.).  The  brickfields  lay  to  the 
south  of  Sydney,  and  when  after 
a  hot  wind  from  the  west  or 
north-west,  the  wind  went  round 
to  the  south,  it  was  accompanied 
by  great  clouds  of  dust,  brought 
up  from  the  brickfields.  These 
brickfields  have  long  been  a  thing 
of  the  past,  surviving  only  in 
"Brickfield  Hill,"  the  hilly  part 
of  George  Street,  between  the 
Cathedral  and  the  Railway  Sta- 
tion. The  name,  as  denoting  a 
cold  wind,  is  now  almost  obsolete, 
and  its  meaning  has  been  very 
curiously  changed  and  extended 
to  other  colonies  to  denote  a  very 
hot  wind.  See  below  (Nos.  2  and 
3),  and  the  notes  to  the  quotations. 

1833.  Lieut.  Breton,  R.N.,  'Excursions 
in  New  South  Wales  and  Van  Diemen's 
Land,'  p.  293  : 

"  It  sometimes  happens  that  a  change 
takes  place  from  a  hot  wind  to  a  'brick- 
fielder,'  on  which  occasions  the  ther- 
mometer has  been  known  to  fall, 
within  half  an  hour,  upwards  of  fifty 
degrees!  That  is  to  say,  from  above 
100  degrees  to  50  degrees  !  A  brick- 
fielder  is  a  southerly  wind,  and  it  takes 
its  local  name  from  the  circumstances 
of  its  blowing  over,  and  bringing  into 
town  the  flames  [sic]  of  a  large  brick- 


BRl] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


53 


field  :  it  is  nearly  as  detestable  as  a 
hot  wind." 

[Lieut.  Breton  must  have  had  a 
strong  imagination.  The  brickfields, 
at  that  date,  were  a  mile  away  from 
the  town,  and  the  bringing  in  of  their 
flames  was  an  impossibility.  Perhaps, 
however,  the  word  is  a  misprint  for 
fumes;  yet  even  then  this  earliest 
quotation  indicates  part  of  the  source 
of  the  subsequent  confusion  of  mean- 
ing. The  main  characteristic  of  the 
true  brickfielder  was  neither  flames 
nor  fumes, — and  certainly  not  heat, — 
but  choking  dust.] 

1839.  W.  H.  Leigh,  '  Reconnoitering 
Voyages,  Travels,  and  Adventures  in  the 
new  Colony  of  South  Australia,'  etc.,  p. 
184: 

"  Whirlwinds  of  sand  come  rushing 
upon  the  traveller,  half  blinding  and 
choking  him, — a  miniature  sirocco,  and 
decidedly  cousin-german  to  the  delight- 
ful sandy  puffs  so  frequent  at  Cape 
Town.  The  inhabitants  call  these 
miseries  '  Brickfielders,'  but  why  they 
do  so  I  am  unable  to  divine  ;  probably 
because  they  are  in  their  utmost  vigour 
on  a  certain  hill  here,  where  bricks  are 
made." 

[This  writer  makes  no  allusion  to 
the  temperature  of  the  wind,  whether 
hot  or  cold,  but  lays  stress  on  its 
especial  characteristic,  the  dust.  His 
comparison  with  the  sirocco  chiefly 
suggests  the  clouds  of  sand  brought 
by  that  wind  from  the  Libyan  Desert, 
with  its  accompanying  thick  haze  and 
darkness  ('  half  blinding  and  chok- 
ing'),  rather  than  its  relaxing  warmth.] 

1844.  John  Rae,  'Sydney  Illustrated,' 
p.  26  : 

"The  'brickfielder'  is  merely  a 
colonial  name  for  a  violent  gust  of 
wind,  which,  succeeding  a  season  of 
great  heat,  rushes  in  to  supply  the 
vacuum  and  equalises  the  temperature 
of  the  atmosphere ;  and  when  its 
baneful  progress  is  marked,  sweeping 
over  the  city  in  thick  clouds  of  brick- 
coloured  dust  (from  the  brickfields),  it 
is  time  for  the  citizens  to  close  the 
doors  and  windows  of  their  dwellings, 
and  for  the  sailor  to  take  more  than 
half  his  canvas  in,  and  prepare  for  a 
storm." 

[Here  the  characteristic  is  again  dust 
from  the  brickfields,  as  the  origin  of 


the  name,  with  cold  as  an  accompani- 
ment.] 

1844.  Mrs.     Meredith,      '  Notes      and 
Sketches  of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  44: 

"  These  dust  winds  are  locally  named 
'  brickfielders,'  from  the  direction  in 
which  they  come"  [i.e.  from  neigh- 
bouring sandhills,  called  the  brick- 
fields]. 

[Here  dust  is  the  only  characteristic 
observed,  with  the  direction  of  the  wind 
as  the  origin  of  its  name.] 

1845.  J.    O.   Balfour,    'Sketch   of  New 
South  Wales, 'p.  4: 

"The  greatest  peculiarity  in  the 
climate  is  what  is  called  by  colonists 
a  brickfielder.  This  wind  has  all  the 
characteristics  of  a  sirocco  in  mini- 
ature. .  .  .  Returning  home,  he  dis- 
covers that  the  house  is  full  of  sand ; 
that  the  brickfielder  has  even  insinuated 
itself  between  the  leaves  of  his  books; 
at  dinner  he  will  probably  find  that  his 
favourite  fish  has  been  spoiled  by  the 
brickfielder.  Nor  is  this  all ;  for  on 
retiring  to  rest  he  will  find  that  the 
brickfielder  has  intruded  even  within 
the  precincts  of  his  musquito  curtains." 

[Here  again  its  dust  is  noted  as  the 
distinguishing  feature  of  the  wind,  just 
as  sand  is  the  distinguishing  feature  of 
the  'sirocco'  in  the  Libyan  Desert, 
and  precipitated  sand, — '  blood  rain  ' 
or  'red  snow,' — a  chief  character  of 
the  sirocco  after  it  reaches  Italy.] 

1847.  Alex.  Marjoribanks,  'Travels  in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  61  : 

"  The  hot  winds  which  resemble  the 
siroccos  in  Sicily  are,  however,  a  draw- 
back .  .  .  but  they  are  almost  invaria- 
bly succeeded  by  what  is  there  called 
a  'brickfielder,'  which  is  a  strong 
southerly  wind,  which  soon  cools  the 
air,  and  greatly  reduces  the  tempera- 
ture." 

[Here  the  cold  temperature  of  the 
brickfielder  is  described,  but  not  its 
dust,  and  the  writer  compares  the  hot 
wind  which  precedes  the  brickfielder 
with  the  sirocco.  He  in  fact  thinks 
only  of  the  heat  of  the  sirocco,  but  the 
two  preceding  writers  are  thinking  of 
its  sand,  its  thick  haze,  its  quality  of 
blackness  and  its  suffocating  character, 
— all  which  applied  accurately  to  the 
true  brickfielder] 

1853.  Rev.  H.  Berkeley  Jones,  '  Adven- 
tures in  Australia  in  1852  and  1853,'  p.  228  : 


54 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[BRI 


"After  the  languor,  the  lassitude, 
and  enervation  which  some  persons 
experience  during  these  hot  blasts, 
comes  the  '  Brickfielder,'  or  southerly 
burster." 

[Cold  temperature  noticed,  but  not 
dust.} 

1853.   '  Fraser's  Magazine,'  48,  p.  515 : 

"When  the  wind  blows  strongly 
from  the  southward,  it  is  what  the 
Sydney  people  call  a  *  brickfielder ' ; 
that  is,  it  carries  with  it  dense  clouds 
of  red  dust  or  sand,  like  brick  dust, 
swept  from  the  light  soil  which  adjoins 
the  town  on  that  side,  and  so  thick 
that  the  houses  and  streets  are  actually 
hidden  ;  it  is  a  darkness  that  may  be 
felt." 

[Here  it  is  the  dust,  not  the  temper- 
ature, which  determines  the  name.] 

(2)  The  very  opposite  to  the 
original  meaning, — a  severe  hot 
wind.  In  this  inverted  sense 
the  word  is  now  used,  but  not 
frequently,  in  Melbourne  and  in 
Adelaide,  and  sometimes  even  in 
Sydney,  as  the  following  quota- 
tions show.  It  will  be  noted  that 
one  of  them  (1886)  observes  the 
original  prime  characteristic  of 
the  wind,  its  dust. 

1861.  T.      McCombie,       '  Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  79: 

"  She  passed  a  gang  of  convicts, 
toiling  in  a  broiling  '  brickfielder.' " 

1862.  F.    J.   Jobson,    'Australia    with 
Notes  by  the  Way,'  p.  155  ; 

"The  'brickfielders'  are  usually 
followed,  before  the  day  closes,  with 
'  south-busters '  [sic.]." 

1886.  F.  Cowan,  'Australia,  a  Char- 
coal Sketch ' : 

"  The  Buster  and  Brickfielder  :  aus- 
tral red-dust  blizzard ;  and  red-hot 
Simoom." 

This  curious  inversion  of  mean- 
ing (the  change  from  cold  to  hot) 
may  be  traced  to  several  causes. 
It  may  arise — 

(a)  From  the  name  itself.— 
People  in  Melbourne  and  Adelaide, 
catching  at  the  word  brickfielder 
as  a  name  for  a  dusty  wind,  and 
knowing  nothing  of  the  origin  of 
the  name,  would  readily  adapt  it 


to  their  own  severe  hot  north 
winds,  which  raise  clouds  of  dust 
all  day,  and  are  described  accur- 
ately as  being  '  like  a  blast  from 
a  furnace,'  or  '  the  breath  of  a 
brick-kiln.'  Even  a  younger 
generation  in  Sydney,  having 
received  the  word  by  colloquial 
tradition,  losing  its  origin,  and 
knowing  nothing  of  the  old  brick- 
fields, might  apply  the  word  to  a 
hot  blast  in  the  same  way. 

(b)  From  the  peculiar  phe- 
nomenon.— A  certain  cyclonic 
change  of  temperature  is  a  special 
feature  of  the  Australian  coastal 
districts.  A  raging  hot  wind 
from  the  interior  desert  (north 
wind  in  Melbourne  and  Adelaide, 
west  wind  in  Sydney)  will  blow 
for  two  or  three  days,  raising 
clouds  of  dust;  it  will  be  suddenly 
succeeded  by  a  '  Southerly  Buster ' 
from  the  ocean,  the  cloud  of  dust 
being  greatest  at  the  moment  of 
change,  and  the  thermometer 
falling  sometimes  forty  or  fifty 
degrees  in  a  few  minutes.  The 
Sydney  word  brickfielder  was  as- 
signed originally  to  the  latter  part 
— the  dusty  cold  change.  Later 
generations,  losing  the  finer  dis- 
tinction, applied  the  word  to  the 
whole  dusty  phenomenon, and  ulti- 
mately specialized  it  to  denote 
not  so  much  the  extreme  dusti- 
ness  of  its  later  period  as  the 
more  disagreeable  extreme  heat 
of  its  earlier  phase. 

(c]  From  the  apparent,  though 
not  real,  confusion  of  terms,  by 
those  who  have  described  it  as  a 
*  sirocco.' — The  word  sirocco  (spelt 
earlier  schirocco,  and  in  Spanish 
and  other  languages  with  the  sh 
sound,  not  the  s)  is  the  Italian 
equivalent  of  the  Arabic  root 
sharaga,  *  it  rose.'  The  name  of 
the  wind,  sirocco,  alludes  in  its 
original  Arabic  form  to  its  rising^ 
with  its  cloud  of  sand,  in  the 


BRl] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


55 


desert  high-lands  of  North  Africa. 
True,  it  is  defined  by  Skeat  as 
'a  hot  wind,'  but  that  is  only  a 
part  of  its  definition.  Its  marked 
characteristic  is  that  it  is  sand- 
laden,  densely  hazy  and  black, 
and  therefore  'choking,'  like  the 
brickfielder.  The  not  unnatural 
.assumption  that  writers  by  com- 
paring a  brickfielder  with  a  sirocco, 
thereby  imply  that  a  brickfielder  is 
a  hot  wind,  is  thus  disposed  of  by 
this  characteristic,  and  by  the 
notes  on  the  passages  quoted. 
They  were  dwelling  only  on  its 
choking  dust,  and  its  suffocating 
qualities, — 'a  miniature  sirocco.' 
See  the  following  quotations  on 
this  character  of  the  sirocco  : — 

1841.  'Penny  Magazine,'  Dec.  18,  p.  494: 
"  The  Islands  of  Italy,  especially 
.Sicily  and  Corfu,  are  frequently  visited 
by  a  wind  of  a  remarkable  character, 
to  which  the  name  of  sirocco,  scirocco, 
•or  schirocco,  has  been  applied.  The 
thermometer  rises  to  a  great  height, 
but  the  air  is  generally  thick  and 
heavy.  .  .  .  People  confine  themselves 
within  doors  ;  the  windows  and  doors 
are  shut  close,  to  prevent  as  much  as 
possible  the  external  air  from  enter- 
ing; .  .  .  but  a  few  hours  of  the 
tramontane,  or  north  wind  which 
.generally  succeeds  it,  soon  braces  them 
up  again.  [Compare  this  whole  phe- 
nomenon with  (b}  above.]  There  are 
some  peculiar  circumstances  attending 
the  wind.  .  .  .  Dr.  Benza,  an  Italian 
physician, states: — 'When  the  sirocco 
has  been  impetuous  and  violent, 
and  followed  by  a  shower  of  rain, 
the  rain  has  carried  with  it  to  the 
ground  an  almost  impalpable  red 
micaceous  sand,  which  I  have  collected 
in  large  quantities  more  than  once  in 
Sicily.  .  .  .  When  we  direct  our  atten- 
tion to  the  island  of  Corfu,  situated 
some  distance  eastward  of  Sicily,  we 
find  the  sirocco  assuming  a  somewhat 
different  character.  .  .  .  The  more 
eastern  sirocco  might  be  called  a  re- 
freshing breeze  [sic].  .  .  .  The  genuine 
or  black  sirocco  (as  it  is  called)  blows 
from  a  point  between  south-east  and 
south-south-east.' " 


1889.  W.  Ferrell,  'Treatise  on  Winds,' 
P-  336 : 

"  The  dust  raised  from  the  Sahara 
and  carried  northward  by  the  sirocco 
often  falls  over  the  countries  north  of 
the  Mediterranean  as  '  blood  rain,'  or 
as  'red  snow,'  the  moisture  and  the 
sand  falling  together.  .  .  .  The  tem- 
perature never  rises  above  95°." 

1889.  'The  Century  Dictionary/  s.v. 
Sirocco  : 

"(2)  A  hot,  dry,  dust-laden  wind 
blowing  from  the  highlands  of  Africa 
to  the  coasts  of  Malta,  Sicily  and 
Naples.  .  .  .  During  its  prevalence  the 
sky  is  covered  with  a  dense  haze." 

(3)  The  illustrative  quotations 
on  brickfielder,  up  to  this  point, 
have  been  in  chronological  con- 
secutive order.  The  final  three 
quotations  below  show  that  while 
the  original  true  definition  and 
meaning,  (i),  are  still  not  quite 
lost,  yet  authoritative  writers  find 
it  necessary  to  combat  the  modern 
popular  inversion,  (2). 

1863.  Frank  Fowler,  «  The  Athemeum,' 
Feb.  21,  p.  264,  col.  I  : 

"The  'brickfielder'  is  not  the  hot 
wind  at  all ;  it  is  but  another  name  for 
the  cold  wind,  or  southerly  buster, 
which  follows  the  hot  breeze,  and 
which,  blowing  over  an  extensive 
sweep  of  sandhills  called  the  Brick- 
fields, semi-circling  Sydney,  carries  a 
thick  cloud  of  dust  (or  '  brickfielder ') 
across  the  city." 

[The  writer  is  accusing  Dr.  Jobson 
(see  quotation  1862,  above)  of  plagiar- 
ism from  his  book  '  Southern  Lights 
and  Shadows.'] 

1890.  Lyth,  'Golden  South,'  vol.  ii. 
p.  ii : 

"  A  dust  which  covered  and  pene- 
trated everything  and  everywhere. 
This  is  generally  known  as  a  'brick- 
fielder.'  " 

1896.  '  Three  Essays  on  Australian 
Weather,"  On  Southerly  Buster,' by  H.  A. 
Hunt,  p.  17 : 

"  In  the  early  days  of  Australian 
settlement,  when  the  shores  of  Port 
Jackson  were  occupied  by  a  sparse 
population,  and  the  region  beyond  was 
unknown  wilderness  and  desolation, 
a  great  part  of  the  Hay  market  was 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[BRI-BRO 


occupied  by  the  brickfields  from  which 
Brickfield  Hill  takes  its  name.  When 
a  '  Southerly  Burster '  struck  the  infant 
city,  its  approach  was  always  heralded 
by  a  cloud  of  reddish  dust  from  this 
locality,  and  in  consequence  the  phe- 
nomenon gained  the  local  name  of 
'brickfielder.'  The  brickfields  have 
long  since  vanished,  and  with  them 
the  name  to  which  they  gave  rise,  but 
the  wind  continues  to  raise  clouds  of 
dust  as  of  old  under  its  modern  name 
of  '  Southerly  Burster.' " 

Bricklow,  n.  obsolete  form  of 
Brigalow  (q.v.). 

Brigalow,  n.  and  adj.  Spellings 
various.  Native  name,  Buriagalah. 
In  the  Namoi  dialect  in  New  South 
Wales,  Bri  or  Buri  is  the  name 
for  Acacia  pendula,  Cunn.  ;  Buri- 
agal,  relating-  to  the  buri  ;  Buria- 
galah =  place  of  the  buri  tree. 
Any  one  of  several  species  of 
Acacia,  especially  A.  harpophylla^ 
F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Leguminoscz.  J.  H. 
Maiden  ('Useful  Native  Plants,' 
p.  356,  1889)  gives  its  uses  thus: 

"Wood  brown,  hard,  heavy,  and 
elastic ;  used  by  the  natives  for  spears, 
boomerangs,  and  clubs.  The  wood 
splits  freely,  and  is  used  for  fancy 
turnery.  Saplings  used  as  stakes  in 
vineyards  have  lasted  twenty  years  or 
more.  It  is  used  for  building  pur- 
poses, and  has  a  strong  odour  of 
violets.' 

1846.  L.  Leichhardt,   quoted  by  J.  D. 
Lang,  '  Cooksland,'  p.  312: 

"  Almost  impassable  bricklow  scrub, 
so  called  from  the  bricklow  (a  species 
of  acacia)." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  4: 

"  The  Bricklow  Acacia,  which  seems 
to  be  identical  with  the  Rosewood 
Acacia  of  Moreton  Bay;  the  latter, 
however,  is  a  fine  tree,  50  to  60  feet 
high,  whereas  the  former  is  either  a 
small  tree  or  a  shrub.  I  could  not 
satisfactorily  ascertain  the  origin  of 
the  word  Bricklow,  but  as  it  is  well 
understood  and  generally  adopted  by 
all  the  squatters  between  the  Severn 
River  and  the  Boyne,  I  shall  make 
use  of  the  name.  Its  long,  slightly 


falcate  leaves,  being  of  a  silvery  green 
colour,  give  a  peculiar  character  to  the 
forest,  where  the  tree  abounds."— [Foot- 
note] :  "  Brigaloe,  Gould." 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  79: 

"  Good-bye  to  the  Barwan  and  brig- 
alow  scrubs." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  190: 

"  Now  they  pass  through  a  small 
patch  of  Brigalow  scrub.  Some  one 
has  split  a  piece  from  a  trunk  of  a 
small  tree.  What  a  scent  the  dark- 
grained  wood  has ! " 

1889.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia/ 
vol.  iv.  p.  69: 

"  There  exudes  from  the  brigalow  a 
white  gum,  in  outward  appearance  like 
gum-arabic,  and  even  clearer,  but  as 
a  '  sticker '  valueless,  and  as  a  '  chew- 
gum  3  disappointing." 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  23  : 

"The  glare  of  a  hard  and  pitiless 
sky  overhead,  the  infinite  vista  of  salt- 
bush,  brigalow,  stay-a- while,  and  mulga, 
the  creeks  only  stretches  of  stone,  and 
no  shelter  from  the  shadeless  gums." 

Brill,  n.  a  small  and  very  bony 
rhomboidal  fish  of  New  Zealand, 
Pseudorhombus  scaphus,  family 
Pleuronectida.  The  true  Brill  of 
Europe  is  Rhombus  /em's. 

Brisbane  Daisy,  n.  See  Daisy, 
Brisbane. 

Bristle-bird,  n.  a  name  given  to- 
certain  Australian  Reed-warblers. 
They  are — Sphenura  brachyptera, 
Latham ;  Long-tailed  B. — S.  longi- 
rostris,  Gould ;  Rufous-headed 
B.— S.  broadbentii,  McCoy.  See 
Sphenura. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  '  Transac- 
tions of  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  232  : 

"  He  (Mr.  Caley)  calls  it  in  his  notes 
'  Bristle  Bird.' " 

Broad-leaf,  n.  a  settlers'  name 
for  Griselinia  littoralis,  Raoul ; 
Maori  name,  Paukatea. 

1879.  W.  N-  Blair,  '  Building  Materials- 
of  Otago,'  p.  155  : 

"  There  are  few  trees  in  the  [Otago} 
bush  so  conspicuous  or  so  well  known 
as  the  broad-leaf.  ...  It  grows  to  a 


BRO] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


height  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  and  a  dia- 
meter of  from  three  to  six ;  the  bark 
is  coarse  and  fibrous,  and  the  leaves  a 
beautiful  deep  green  of  great  bril- 
liancy." 

1879.  J.  B.  Armstrong,  '  Transactions 
of  New  Zealand  Institute,' vol.  xii.  Art.  49, 
p.  328  : 

"The  broadleaf  (Griselinia  litto- 
ralis)  is  abundant  in  the  district  [of 
Banks'  Peninsula],  and  produces  a  hard 
red  wood  of  a  durable  nature." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  103  : 

"  The  rough  trunks  and  limbs  of  the 
broadleaf."  ' 

Broker,  n.  Australian  slang 
for  a  man  completely  ruined, 
stonebroke. 

1891.  'The  Australasian,'  Nov.  21,  p. 
1014  : 

"We're  nearly  'dead  brokers,'  as 
they  say  out  here.  Let's  harness  up 
Eclipse  and  go  over  to  old  Yamnibar." 

Bronze-wing,  n.  a  bird  with  a 
lustrous  shoulder,  Phaps  chalcop- 
tera,  Lath.  Called  also  Bronze- 
wing  Pigeon. 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  145  : 

"  One  of  the  gold-winged  pigeons, 
of  which  a  plate  is  annexed.  [Under 
plate,  Golden-winged  Pigeon.]  This 
bird  is  a  curious  and  singular  species 
remarkable  for  having  most  of  the 
feathers  of  the  wing  marked  with  a 
brilliant  spot  of  golden  yellow,  chang- 
ing, in  various  reflections  of  light,  to 
green  and  copper-bronze,  and  when 
the  wing  is  closed,  forming  two  bars 
of  the  same  across  it." 

1832.  J.  BischofF,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  31  : 

"The  pigeons  are  by  far  the  most 
beautiful  birds  in  the  island  ;  they  are 
called  bronze-winged  pigeons ." 

1857.  W.  Howitt,  '  Tallangetta,'  vol.  ii. 
P-  57: 

"Mr.  Fitzpatrick  followed  his  kan- 
garoo hounds,  and  shot  his  emus,  his 
wild  turkeys,  and  his  bronze-wings." 

1865.  'Once  a  Week.'  'The  Bulla- 
Bulla  Bunyip.' 

"  Hours  ago  the  bronze-wing 
pigeons  had  taken  their  evening 
draught  from  the  coffee-coloured 


water-hole  beyond  the  butcher's  pad- 
dock, and  then  flown  back  into  the 
bush  to  roost  on  *  honeysuckle '  and  in 
heather." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  122  : 

"Another  most  beautiful  pigeon  is. 
the  '  bronze-wing,'  which  is  nearly  the 
size  of  the  English  wood-pigeon,  and 
has  a  magnificent  purply-bronze  specu- 
lum on  the  wings." 

1888.  D.    Macdonald,     '  Gum   Boughs,' 
P- 33: 

"  Both  the  bronze-wing  and  Wonga- 
Wonga  pigeon  are  hunted  so  keenly 
that  in  a  few  years  they  will  have 
become  extinct  in  Victoria." 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  March  25,  p.  4,. 
col.  6  : 

"  Those  who  care  for  museum  studies 
must  have  been  interested  in  tracing 
the  Australian  quail  and  pigeon  fam- 
ilies to  a  point  where  they  blend  their 
separate  identities  in  the  partridge 
bronze-wing  of  the  Central  Australian 
plains.  The  eggs  mark  the  converg- 
ing lines  just  as  clearly  as  the  birds, 
for  the  partridge-pigeon  lays  an  egg 
much  more  like  that  of  a  quail  than  a 
pigeon,  and  lays,  quail  fashion,  on  the 
ground." 

Brook-Lime,  n.  English  name 
for  an  aquatic  plant,  applied  in 
Australia  to  the  plant  Gratiola 
pedunculata,  R.  Br.,  N.  O.  Scrophu- 
larincz.  Also  called  Heartsease. 

Broom,  n.  name  applied  to  the 
plant  Calycothrix  tetragona,  Lab., 
N.O.  Myrtacece. 

Broom,  Native,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian timber,  Viminaria  denudatay 
Smith,  N.O.  Leguminoscz. 

1889.  J.    H.    Maiden,    '  Useful    Native- 
Plants,'  p.  612  : 

"Native  broom.  Wood  soft  and 
spongy." 

Broom,  Purple,  n.  aTasmanian 
name  for  Comesperma  retusum^, 
Lab.,  N.O.  Polygalece. 

Brown  Snake,  n.     See  under 

Snake. 

Brown-tail,  n.  bird-name  for 
the  Tasmanian  Tit.  See  Tit. 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BRO-BRU 


1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia, 'vol. 
iii.  pi.  54  • 

"  Acanthiza  Diemenensis,  Gould. 
Brown-tail,  colonists  of  Van  Diemen's 
Land." 

Brown  Tree-Lizard,  n.  of  New 
Zealand,  Naultinus  pacificus. 

Browny  or  Brownie,  n.  a  kind 
of  currant  loaf. 

1890.  E.  D.  Cleland,  'The  White 
Kangaroo,'  p.  57  : 

"  Cake  made  of  flour,  fat  and  sugar, 
commonly  known  as  '  Browny.' " 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  Sept.  20,  p.  13, 
col.  57 : 

"  Four  o'clock.  '  Smoke  O  ! '  again 
with  more  bread  and  brownie  (a  bread 
sweetened  with  sugar  and  currants)." 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass/ p.  36  : 

"Roast  mutton  and  brownie  are 
given  us  to  eat." 

Brumby,  Broombie  (spelling 
various),  n.  a  wild  horse.  The 
origin  of  this  word  is  very  doubt-  j 
ful.  Some  claim  for  it  an  abori- 
ginal, and  some  an  English  source. 
In  its  present  shape  it  figures  in 
one  aboriginal  vocabulary,  given 
in  Curr's  'Australian  Race'  (1887), 
vol.  iii.  p.  259.  At  p.  284,  boo- 
rambyis  given  as  meaning  "wild" 
on  the  river  Warrego  in  Queens- 
land. The  use  of  the  word  seems 
to  have  spread  from  the  Warrego 
and  the  Balowne  about  1864. 
Before  that  date,  and  in  other 
parts  of  the  bush  ere  the  word 
came  to  them,  wild  horses  were 
called  clear-skins  or  scrubbers, 
whilst  Yarraman  (q.v.)  is  the 
aboriginal  word  for  a  quiet  or 
broken  horse.  A  different  origin 
was,  however,  given  by  an  old 
resident  of  New  South  Wales,  to 
a  lady  of  the  name  of  Brumby, 
viz.  "that  in  the  early  days  of 
that  colony,  a  Lieutenant  Brumby, 
who  was  on  the  staff  of  one  of 
the  Governors,  imported  some 
very  good  horses,  and  that  some 
of  their  descendants  being  allowed 


to  run  wild  became  the  ancestors 
of  the  wild  horses  of  New  South 
Wales  and  Queensland."  Con- 
firmation of  this  story  is  to  be 
desired. 

1880.  'The  Australasian,'  Dec.  4,  p. 
712,  col.  3  : 

"  Passing  through  a  belt  of  mulga, 
we  saw,  on  reaching  its  edge,  a  mob  of 
horses  grazing  on  the  plains  beyond. 
These  our  guide  pronounced  to  be 
*  brumbies,'  the  bush  name  here 
[Queensland]  for  wild  horses." 

1888.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  176  : 

"  The  wild  horses  of  this  continent 
known  all  over  it  by  the  Australian 
name  of  *  brumbies.3 " 

Ibid.  p.  178 : 

"The  untamed  and  'unyardable3 
scrub  brumby." 

1888.  R.  Kipling,  '  Plain  Tales  from  the 
Hills,' p.  160: 

"Juggling  about  the  country,  with 
an  Australian  larrikin  ;  a  '  brumby ' 
with  as  much  breed  as  the  boy.  .  .  . 
People  who  lost  money  on  him  called 
him  a  *  brumby.' " 

1888.  RolfBoldrewood,  '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  67 : 

"  The  three-cornered  weed  he  rode 
that  had  been  a  'brumbee.'" 

1895.  '  Chambers'    Journal,'    Nov.    2, 
Heading  'Australian  Brumbie  Horses': 

"The  brumbie  horse  of  Australia, 
tho'  not  a  distinct  equine  variety,  pos- 
sesses attributes  and  qualities  peculiar 
to  itself,  and,  like  the  wild  cattle  and 
wild  buffaloes  of  Australia,  is  the 
descendant  of  runaways  of  imported 
stock." 

1896.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald, '(Letter 
from  '  J.  F.  G.,'  dated  Aug.  24) : 

"  Amongst  the  blacks  on  the  Lower 
Balonne,  Nebine,  Warrego,  and  Bulloo 
rivers  the  word  used  for  horse  is  'ba- 
roombie,'  the  'a3  being  cut  so  short 
that  the  word  sounds  as  'broombie,' 
and  as  far  as  my  experience  goes  refers 
more  to  unbroken  horses  in  distinction 
to  quiet  or  broken  ones  ('yarraman')." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  156  : 

"Yet  at  times    we    long    to    gallop 
where  the  reckless  bushman  rides 
In  the  wake  of  startled   brumbies 
that  are  flying  for  their  hides." 


BRU-BUC] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


59 


Brush,  n.  at  first  undergrowth, 
small  trees,  as  in  England  ;  after- 
wards applied  to  larger  timber 
growth  and  forest  trees.  Its 
earlier  sense  survives  in  the  com- 
pound words  j  see  below. 

1820.  Oxley,  'New  South  Wales' 
('O.E.D.'): 

"  The  timber  standing  at  wide  inter- 
vals, without  any  brush  or  under- 
growth." 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  'Southern  Australia,' 
(2nd  ed. )  vol.  i.  p.  62  : 

"We  journeyed  ...  at  one  time  over 
good  plains,  at  another  through 
brushes." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  i.  Introd.  p.  77^: 

"Jungle,  or  what  in  New  South 
Wales  would  be  called  brush." 

Ibid.  vol.  v.  pi.  59  : 

"Those  vast  primaeval  forests  of 
New  South  Wales  to  which  the 
colonists  have  applied  the  name  of 
brushes." 

1853.  Chas.  St.  Julian  and  Edward  K. 
Silvester,  '  The  Productions,  Industry,  and 
Resources  of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  20  : 

"What  the  colonists  term  'brush' 
lands  are  those  covered  with  tall  trees 
growing  so  near  each  other  and  being 
so  closely  matted  together  by  under- 
wood, parasites,  and  creepers,  as  to  be 
wholly  impassable." 

1883.  G.  W.  Rusden,  '  History  of  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  67,  note : 

"  Brush  was  allotted  to  the  growth  of 
large  timber  on  alluvial  lands,  with 
other  trees  intermixed,  and  tangled 
vines.  The  soil  was  rich,  and  '  brush- 
land  '  was  well  understood  as  a  descrip- 
tive term.  It  may  die  away,  but  its 
meaning  deserves  to  be  pointed  out." 

Brush- Apple,  n.     See  Apple. 

Brush-Bloodwood,    n.         See 

Bloodwood. 

Brush-Cherry,  n.  an  Australian 
tree,  Trochocarpa  laurina,  R.  Br., 
and  Eugenia  myrtifolia,  Simms. 
Called  also  Brush-Myrtle. 

Brush-Deal,  n.  a  slender 
Queensland  tree,  Cupania  anacar- 
dioides,  A.  Richard.  See  Brush, 
above. 


Brusher,  n.  a  Bushman's  name, 
in  certain  parts,  for  a  small  walla- 
by which  hops  about  in  the  bush 
or  scrub  with  considerable  speed. 
"To  give  brusher,"  is  a  phrase 
derived  from  this,  and  used  in 
many  parts,  especially  of  the  in- 
terior of  Australia,  and  implies 
that  a  man  has  left  without  pay- 
ing his  debts.  In  reply  to  the 
question  "  Has  so-and-so  left  the 
township  ?  "  the  answer, "  Oh  yes, 
he  gave  them  brusher,"  would 
be  well  understood  in  the  above 
sense. 

Brush-Kangaroo,  n.  anothei 
name  for  the  Wallaby  (q.v.). 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  viii.  p.  273  : 

"  A  place  .  .  .  thickly  inhabited  by 
the  small  brush-kangaroo." 

1830.  '  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society,'  i.  29  : 

"These  dogs  .  .  .  are  particularly 
useful  in  catching  the  bandicoots,  the 
small  brush  kangaroo,  and  the  opos- 
sum." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
c.  ii.  p.  28  : 

"  The  brush-kangaroo  .  .  .  frequents 
the  scrubs  and  rocky  hills." 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  iii.  p.  24  : 

"Violet  was  so  fast  that  she  could 
catch  the  brush-kangaroo  (the  wallaby) 
within  sight." 

Brush-Myrtle,  i.  q.  Brush-  Cherry 
(q.v.). 

Brush-Turkey,  n.    See  Turkey. 

Brush-Turpentine,  n.  another 
name  for  the  tree  Syncarpia  lepto- 
petala,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Myrtacea, 
called  also  Myrtle  (q.v.). 

Bubrush,  n.  See  Wonga  and 
Raupo. 

Buck,  v.  Used  "intransitively  of 
a  horse,  to  leap  vertically  from  the 
ground,  drawing  the  feet  together 
like  a  deer,  and  arching  the  back. 
Also  transitively  to  buck  off." 
('O.E.D.')  Some  say  that  this 


6o 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BUG 


word  is  not  Australian,  but  all 
the  early  quotations  of  buck  and 
cognate  words  are  connected  with 
Australia.  The  word  is  now  used 
freely  in  the  United  States ;  see 
quotation,  1882. 

1870.  E.  B.  Kennedy,  '  Four  Years  in 
Queensland,'  p.  193  : 

"  Having  gained  his  seat  by  a  nimble 
spring,  I  have  seen  a  man  (a  Sydney 
native)  so  much  at  his  ease,  that  while 
the  horse  has  been  '  bucking  a  hurri- 
cane/ to  use  a  colonial  expression,  the 
rider  has  been  cutting  up  his  tobacco 
and  filling  his  pipe,  while  several  feet 
in  the  air,  nothing  in  front  of  him  ex- 
cepting a  small  lock  of  the  animal's 
mane  (the  head  being  between  its  legs), 
and  very  little  behind  him,  the  stern 
being  down  ;  the  horse  either  giving  a 
turn  in  the  air,  or  going  forward  every 
buck." 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,     'Bush    Life    in 
Queensland/  vol.  i.  p.  131  : 

" '  Well/  said  one,  '  that  fellow  went 
to  market  like  a  bird.'  *  Yes/  echoed 
another,  '  Bucked  a  blessed  hurricane.' 
'  Buck  a  town  down/  cried  a  third. 
'  Never  seed  a  horse  strip  himself 
quicker/  cried  a  fourth." 

1882.  Baillie-Grohman,  'Camps  in  the 
Rockies/  ch.  iv.  p.  102  ('  Standard')  : 

"  There  are  two  ways,  I  understand, 
of  sitting  a  bucking  horse  .  .  .  one  is 
'to  follow  the  buck/  the  other  'to 
receive  the  buck.'" 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  55 : 

"  The  performance  is  quite  peculiar 
to  Australian  horses,  and  no  one  who 
has  not  seen  them  at  it  would  believe 
the  rapid  contortions  of  which  they  are 
capable.  In  bucking,  a  horse  tucks  his 
head  right  between  his  forerlegs,  some- 
times striking  his  jaw  with  his  hind 
feet.  The  back  meantime  is  arched 
like  a  boiled  prawn's  ;  and  in  this 
position  the  animal  makes  a  series 
of  tremendous  bounds,  sometimes  for- 
wards, sometimes  sideways  and  back- 
wards, keeping  it  up  for  several  minutes 
at  intervals  of  a  few  seconds." 

Buck,  n.   See  preceding  verb. 

1868.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  224  : 

"  I  never  saw  such  bucks  and  jumps 


into  the  air  as   she  [the   mare]  per- 
formed." 

1886.  H.  C.  Kendall,  <  Poems,'  p.  206  r 
"  For,  mark  me,  he  can  sit  a  buck 
For  hours  and  hours  together  ; 
And  never  horse  has  had  the  luck 
To  pitch  him  from  the  leather." 

Bucker,  Buck-jumper,  «.  a 
horse  given  to  bucking  or  buck- 
jumping. 

1853.  H.  Berkeley  Jones,  'Adventures- 
in  Australia  in  1852  and  1853,'  [Footnote] 

P-  143  '• 

"  A  '  bucker '  is  a  vicious  horse,  to 
be  found  only  in  Australia." 

1884.  '  Harper's  Magazine,'  July,  No. 
301,  p.  i  ('O.E.D.'): 

"If  we  should  .  .  .  select  a  '  bucker/ 
the  probabilities  are  that  we  will  come 
to  grief." 

1893.  Haddon  Chambers,  '  Thumbnail 
Sketches  of  Australian  Life/  p.  64  : 

"  No  buck-jumper  could  shake  him 
off." 

1893.  Ibid.  p.  187  : 

" '  Were  you  ever  on  a  buck-jumper  ? ' 
I  was  asked  by  a  friend,  shortly  after 
my  return  from  Australia." 

Buck-jumping,  Bucking,  verbal 
nouns. 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria/ vol.  i.  p.  43  : 

"At  length  it  shook  off  all  its 
holders,  and  made  one  of  those  ex- 
traordinary vaults  that  they  call  buck- 
jumping, ." 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  'Geoffrey  Hamlyn/ 
vol.  ii.  p.  212 : 

"That  same  bucking  is  just  what 
puzzles  me  utterly." 

1859.  Rev.  J.  D.  Mereweather,  '  Diary 
of  a  Working  Clergyman  in  Australia  and 
Tasmania,  kept  during  the  years  1850- 
1853,' p.  177: 

"  I  believe  that  an  inveterate  buck- 
jumper  can  be  cured  by  slinging  up 
one  of  the  four  legs,  and  lunging  him 
about  severely  in  heavy  ground  on  the 
three  legs.  The  action  they  must 
needs  make  use  of  on  such  an  occasion 
somewhat  resembles  the  action  of 
bucking  ;  and  after  some  severe  trials 
of  that  sort,  they  take  a  dislike  to  the 
whole  style  of  thing.  An  Irishman  on 
the  Murrumbidgee  is  very  clever  at 


BUC-BUD] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


61 


this    schooling.        It    is    called    here 
'  turning  a  horse  inside  out.3 " 

1885.  Forman  (Dakota),  item  26,  May 
6,  3(<O.E.D.'): 

"The  majority  of  the  horses  there 
[in  Australia]  are  vicious  and  given  to 
the  trick  of  buck-jumping."  [It  may 
be  worth  while  to  add  that  this  is  not 
strictly  accurate.] 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  94 : 

" '  I  should  say  that  buck-jumping 
was  produced  in  this  country  by  bad 
breaking,'  said  Mr.  Neuchamp  oracu- 
larly. 'Don't  you  believe  it,  sir. 
Bucking  is  like  other  vices — runs  in 
the  blood.'" 

Buck-shot,  n.  a  settlers'  term 
for  a  geological  formation.  See 
quotation. 

1851.   'The  Australasian  Quarterly,'  p. 

459: 

"The  plain  under  our  feet  was 
everywhere  furrowed  by  Dead  men's 
graves,  and  generally  covered  with  the 
granulated  lava,  aptly  named  by  the 
settlers  buck-shot,  and  found  through- 
out the  country  on  these  trappean 
formations.  Buck-shot  is  always  im- 
bedded in  a  sandy  alluvium,  some- 
times several  feet  thick." 

Buddawong,  n.  a  variation  of 

Burrawang  (q.v.). 

1877.  Australie,  '  The  Buddawong's 
Crown,'  'Australian  Poets,'  1788-1888,  ed. 
Sladen,  p.  39  : 

•"  A  buddawong  seed-nut  fell  to  earth, 

In  a  cool  and  mossy  glade, 
And  in  spring  it  shot  up  its  barbed 

green  swords, 
Secure  'neath  the  myrtle's  shade. 

And  the  poor,  poor  palm  has  died 

indeed. 

But  little  the  strangers  care, 
'There  are  zamias  in  plenty  more,' 

they  say, 
But  the  crown  is  a  beauty  rare." 

Budgeree,  adj.  aboriginal  word 
for  good,  which  is  common  collo- 
quially in  the  bush.  See  Budgeri- 
gar. 

J793-  J-  Hunter,  '  Port  Jackson,'  p. 
195  = 

"  They  very  frequently,  at  the  con- 


clusion of  the  dance,  would  apply  to 
us  ...  for  marks  of  our  approbation 
.  .  .  which  we  never  failed  to  give 
by  often  repeating  the  word  boojery, 
good ;  or  boojery  caribberie,  a  good 
dance." 

Budgerigar,  or  Betcherrygah, 
n.  aboriginal  name  for  the  bird 
called  by  Gould  the  Warbling 
Grass-parrakeet ;  called  also  Shell- 
parrot  and  Zebra-  Grass-parrakeet. 
In  the  Port  Jackson  dialect  budgeri, 
or  boodgeri,  means  good,  excellent. 
In  'Collins'  Vocabulary'  (1798), 
boodjer-re  =  good.  In  New  South 
Wales  gar  is  common  as  first 
syllable  of  the  name  for  the  white 
cockatoo,  a.sgaraweh.  See  Galah. 
In  the  north  of  New  South  Wales 
kaar  =  white  cockatoo.  The  spell- 
ing is  very  various,  but  the  first 
of  the  two  above  given  is  the  more 
correct  etymologically.  In  the 
United  States  it  is  spelt  beau- 
regarde,  derived  by  *  Standard ' 
from  French  beau  and  regarde,  a 
manifest  instance  of  the  law  of 
Hobson-Jobson . 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  297  : 

"  The  betshiregah  (Melopsittacus 
Undulatus,  Gould)  were  very  numer- 
ous." 

1848.  J.    Gould,    '  Birds   of  Australia,' 
vol.  v,  pi.  44 : 

"Melopsittacus  Undulatus.  Warb- 
ling Grass-Parrakeet.  Canary  Parrot 
—  colonists.  Betcherrygah  —  natives 
of  Liverpool  Plains." 

1857.  Letter,  Nov.  17,  in  '  Life  of  Fen- 
ton  J.  A.  Hort '  (1896),  vol.  i.  p.  388  : 

"There  is  also  a  small  green  creature 
like  a  miniature  cockatoo,  called  a 
Budgeragar,  which  was  brought  from 
Australia.  He  is  quaint  and  now  and 
then  noisy,  but  not  on  the  whole  a 
demonstrative  being." 

1857.  W.  Howitt,  'Tallangetta/ vol.  i. 
p.  48: 

"  Young  paroquets,  the  green  leeks, 
and  the  lovely  speckled  budgregores." 

1865.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  7  : 

"  I  saw  several  pairs  of  those  pretty 


62 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[BUG-BUL. 


grass  or  zebra  parroquets,  which  are 
called  here  by  the  very  inharmonious 
name  of '  budgereghars.' 7J 

1890.  Lyth,  '  Golden  South/  c.  xiv.  p. 
127: 

"The  tiny  budgeriegar,  sometimes 
called  the  shell  parrot.'; 

Bugle,  n.  name  given  to  the 
Australian  plant  Ajuga  australis, 
R.  Br.,  N.O.  Labiata. 

Bugler,  n.  a  name  given  in  Tas- 
mania to  the  fish  Centriscus  scolo- 
pax,  family  Centriscida ;  called  in 
Europe  the  Trumpet-fish,  Bellows- 
fish,  the  latter  name  being  also 
used  for  it  in  Tasmania.  The 
structure  of  the  mouth  and  snout 
suggests  a  musical  instrument, 
or,  combined  with  the  outline 
of  the  body,  a  pair  of  bellows. 
The  fish  occurs  also  in  Europe. 

Bugong,  or  Bogong,  or  Bou- 
gong,  n.  an  Australian  moth, 
Danais  limniace,  or  Agrotis  spina, 
eaten  by  the  aborigines. 

1834.  Rev.  W.  B.  Clarke,  '  Researches 
in  the  Southern  Gold  Fields  of  New  South 
Wales '  (second  edition),  p.  228  : 

"These  moths  have  obtained  their 
name  from  their  occurrence  on  the 
'  Bogongs '  or  granite  mountains. 
They  were  described  by  my  friend  Dr. 
Bennett  in  his  interesting  work  on 
'  New  South  Wales,'  1832-4,  as  abund- 
ant on  the  Bogong  Mountain,  Tu- 
mut  River.  I  found  them  equally 
abundant,  and  in  full  vigour,  in  De- 
cember, coming  in  clouds  from  the 
granite  peaks  of  the  Muniong  Range. 
The  blacks  throw  them  on  the  fire  and 
eat  them." 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  'Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
P-  355  : 

"The  westward  range  is  called  the 
Bougongs.  The  blacks  during  summer 
are  in  the  habit  of  coming  thus  far  to 
collect  and  feed  on  the  great  grey 
moths  (bougongs)  which  are  found  on 
the  rocks." 

1871.  '  The  Athenaeum,'  May  27,  p. 
660 : 

"The  Gibbs  Land  and  Murray 
districts  have  been  divided  into  the 


following  counties :  .  .  .  Bogong 
(native  name  of  grubs  and  moths)." 

1878.  R.  Brough  Smyth,  'The  Abori- 
gines of  Victoria,'  vol.  i.  p.  207  : 

"  The  moths— the  Bugong  moths— 
(Agrotis  suffusa)  are  greedily  de- 
voured by  the  natives  ;  and  in  former 
times,  when  they  were  in  season,  they 
assembled  in  great  numbers  to  eat 
them,  and  they  grew  fat  on  this  food." 
[Also  a  long  footnote.] 

1890.  Richard  Helms,  '  Records  of  the 
Australian  Museum,'  vol.  i.  No.  I  : 

"  My  aim  was  to  obtain  some  '  Boo- 
gongs,'  the  native  name  for  the  moths 
which  so  abundantly  occur  on  this 
range,  and  no  doubt  have  given  it  its 
name." 

1896.  '  Sydney  Mail,'  April  4,  Answers 
to  Correspondents  : 

"  It  cannot  be  stated  positively,  but 
it  is  thought  that  the  name  of  the 
moth  *  bogong '  is  taken  from  that  of 
the  mountain.  The  meaning  of  the 
word  is  not  known,  but  probably  it  is 
an  aboriginal  word." 

Bull-a-bull,  or  Bullybul,  n.  a 
child's  corruption  of  the  Maori 
word  Poroporo  (q.v.),  a  flowering 
shrub  of  New  Zealand.  It  is 
allied  to  the  Kangaroo-Apple  (q.v.). 

1845.  '  New  Plymouth's  National  Song,' 
in  Hursthouse's  'New  Zealand/  p.  217  : 

"  And  as  for  fruit,  the  place  is  full 
Of  that  delicious  bull-a-bull.'' 

Bullahoo,  n.     See  Ballahoo. 

Bull-ant,  n.  contracted  and  com- 
mon form  of  the  words  Bull-dog 
Ant  (q.v.). 

Bull-dog  Ant,  n.  (frequently 
shortened  to  Bull-dog  or  Bull-ant], 
an  ant  of  large  size  with  a  fierce 
bite.  The  name  is  applied  to 
various  species  of  the  genus  Myr- 
mecia,  which  is  common  through- 
out Australia  and  Tasmania. 

1878.  Mrs.  H.  Jones,  '  Long  Years  in 
Australia,'  p.  93 : 

"  Busy  colonies  of  ants  (which  every- 
where infest  the  country).  .  .  .  One 
kind  is  very  warlike — the  '  bull-dog '  ; 
sentinels  stand  on  the  watch,  outside 
the  nest,  and  in  case  of  attack  dis- 
appear for  a  moment  and  return  with 


BUL] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


a  whole  army  of  the  red-headed  mon- 
sters, and  should  they  nip  you,  will 
give  you  a  remembrance  of  their  sting 
never  to  be  forgotten." 

1888.    Alleged    'Prize    Poem,'   Jubilee 
Exhibition  : 
"  The  aborigine  is  now  nearly  extinct, 

But  the  bull-dog-ant  and  the  kangaroo 
rat 

Are  a  little  too  thick— I  think." 

1896.     A.    B.    Paterson,     'Man     from 
Snowy  River,'  p.  142  : 
"Where  the   wily  free-selector  walks 

in  armour-plated  pants, 
And  defies  the  stings  of  scorpion  and 
the  bites  of  bull-dog  ants." 

Bull-dog  Shark,  i.q.  Bull-head 
(i)  (q.v.). 

Bull-head,  n.  The  name  is 
applied  to  many  fishes  of  different 
families  in  various  parts  of  the 
world,  none  of  which  are  the  same 
as  the  following  two.  (i)  A  shark 
of  Tasmania  and  South  Australia 
of  small  size  and  harmless,  with 
teeth  formed  for  crushing1  shells, 
Heterodontus  phillipii^  Lace"  p. , 
family  Cestraciontidcz ;  also  called 
the  Hull-dog  Shark,  and  in  Sydney, 
where  it  is  common,  the  Port- 
Jackson  Shark ;  the  aboriginal 
name  was  Tabbigan.  (2)  A  fresh- 
water fish  of  New  Zealand,  Eleo- 
tris  gobwides,  Cuv.  and  Val.,  family 
Gobiidtf.  See  Bighead. 

Bulln-Bulln,  n.  an  aboriginal 
name  for  the  Lyre-bird  (q.v.). 
This  native  name  is  imitative. 
The  most  southerly  county  in 
Victoria  is  called  Buln-Buln ;  it 
is  the  haunt  of  the  Lyre-bird. 

1857.  D-  Bunce,  'Travels  with  Leich- 
hardt  in  Australia,'  p.  70  : 

"We  afterwards  learned  that  this 
was  the  work  of  the  Bullen  Bullen,  or 
Lyre-bird,  in  its  search  for  large  worms, 
its  favourite  food." 

1871.  'The  Athenaeum,'  May  27,  p. 
660  : 

"  The  Gipps  Land  and  Murray 
districts  have  been  divided  into  the 
following  counties  :  .  .  .  Buln  Buln 
(name  of  Lyre-bird)." 


Bull-Oak,  n.     See  Oak. 

Bullocky,  n.  and  adj.  a  bullock- 
driver.  * '  In  the  bush  all  the  heavy 
hauling  is  done  with  bullock- 
drays.  It  is  quite  a  common 
sight  up  the  country  to  see  teams 
of  a  dozen  and  upwards."  (B. 
and  L.) 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xii.  p.  121  : 

" '  By  George,  Jack,  you're  a  regular 
bullocky  boy.' " 

Bull-puncher,  or  Bullock- 
puncher,  n.  slang  for  a  bullock- 
driver.  According  to  Barrere  and 
Leland's  '  Slang  Dictionary,'  the 
word  has  a  somewhat  different 
meaning  in  America,  where  it 
means  a  drover.  See  Punch. 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  49: 

"  The  '  bull  -  puncher,'  as  bullock- 
drivers  are  familiarly  called." 

1873.  J.   Mathew,  song  'Hawking,'  in 
'  Queenslander,'  Oct.  4  : 

"  The  stockmen  and  the  bushmen  and 
the  shepherds  leave  the  station, 

And  the  hardy  bullock-punchers 
throw  aside  their  occupation." 

1889.  Cassell's  'Picturesque  Australasia/' 
vol.  iv.  p.  143  : 

"  These  teams  would  comprise  from 
five  to  six  pairs  of  bullocks  each,  and 
were  driven  by  a  man  euphoniously 
termed  a  *  bull-puncher.'  Armed  with 
a  six-foot  thong,  fastened  to  a  supple 
stick  seven  feet  long.  ..." 

Bull-rout,  n.  a  fish  of  New  South 
Wales,  Centropogon  robustus^ 
Giinth.,  family  Scorp&nida. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  48  : 

"  It  emits  a  loud  and  harsh  grunting 
noise  when  it  is  caught.  .  .  .  The  fisher- 
man knows  what  he  has  got  by  the 
noise  before  he  brings  his  fish  to  the 
surface.  .  .  .  When  out  of  the  water  the 
noise  of  the  bull-rout  is  loudest,  and 
it  spreads  its  gills  and  fins  a  little, 
so  as  to  appear  very  formidable.  .  .  . 
The  blacks  held  it  in  great  dread,  and 
the  name  of  bull-rout  may  possibly 
be  a  corruption  of  some  native  word." 

Bull's-eye,  n.    a   fish  of  New 


•64 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BUL-BUN 


South  Wales,  Priacanthus  macra- 
tanthus,  Cuv.  and  Val.  Pria- 
mnthus,  says  Giinther,  is  a  percoid 
fish  with  short  snout,  lower  jaw 
and  chin  prominent,  and  small 
rough  scales  all  over  them  and 
the  body  generally.  The  eye 
large,  and  the  colour  red,  pink, 
or  silvery. 

1884.  E.  P.  Ramsay,  'Fisheries  Ex- 
hibition Literature/  vol.  v.  p.  311  : 

"Another  good  table-fish  is  the 
*  bull's-eye,'  a  beautiful  salmon-red 
fish  with  small  scales.  ...  At  times 
it  enters  the  harbours  in  considerable 
numbers  ;  but  the  supply  is  irregular." 

Bullswool,  «.  colloquial  name 
for  the  inner  portion  of  the  cover- 
ing of  the  Stringy  bark-tree  (q.v.). 
This  is  a  dry  finely  fibrous  sub- 
stance, easily  disintegrated  by 
rubbing  between  the  hands.  It 
forms  a  valuable  tinder  for  kind- 
ling a  fire  in  the  bush,  and  is 
largely  employed  for  that  purpose. 
It  is  not  unlike  the  matted  hair  of 
a  bull,  and  is  reddish  in  colour, 
hence  perhaps  this  nickname, 
which  is  common  in  the  Tas- 
rnanian  bush. 

Bully,  n.  a  Ta^manian  fish, 
Blennius  tasmanianus,  Richards., 
family  Blennida. 

Bulrush,  n.  See  Wonga  and 
Raupo. 

Bung,  to  go,  v.  to  fail,  to 
become  bankrupt.  This  phrase 
of  English  school-boy  slang, 
meaning  to  go  off  with  an  explo- 
sion, to  go  to  smash  (also  accord- 
Ing  to  Barrere  and  Leland  still  in 
use  among  American  thieves),  is 
in  very  frequent  use  in  Australia. 
In  Melbourne  in  the  times  that 
followed  the  collapse  of  the  land- 
boom  it  was  a  common  expres- 
sion to  say  that  Mr.  So-and-so 
had  "gone  bung,"  sc.  filed  his 
schedule  or  made  a  composition 
with  creditors  ;  or  that  an  insti- 


tution had  "gone  bung,"  sc, 
closed  its  doors,  collapsed.  In 
parts  of  Australia,  in  New  South 
Wales  and  Queensland,  the  word 
"bung"  is  an  aboriginal  word 
meaning  "dead, "and  even  though 
the  slang  word  be  of  English 
origin,  its  frequency  of  use  in 
Australia  may  be  due  to  the  ex- 
istence of  the  aboriginal  word, 
which  forms  the  last  syllable  in 
Billabong  (q.v.),  and  in  the  ab- 
original word  milbung  blind,  liter- 
ally, eye-dead. 

(a)  The  aboriginal  word. 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  '  Cooksland,'  p.  430  : 
"A  place   called   Umpie  Bung,  or 

the  dead  houses.'5    [It  is  now  a  suburb 

of  Brisbane,  Humpy-bong.] 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in  Queens- 
land,' vol.   ii.   p.    175   [in  Blacks'  pigeon 
English]  : 

"Missis  bail  bong,  ony  cawbawn 
prighten.  (Missis  not  dead,  only 
dreadfully  frightened.)  " 

1882.  A.  J.   Boyd,    'Old  Colonials,' p. 
73  = 

"  But  just  before  you  hands  'im  [the 
horse]  over  and  gets  the  money,  he 
goes  bong  on  you  "  (i.  e.  he  dies). 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  'Advance Aus- 
tralia,' p.  142  : 

"  Their  [the  blacks']  ordinary  creed 
is  very  simple.  'Directly  me  bung 
(die)  me  jump  up  white  feller,'  and 
this  seems  to  be  the  height  of  their 
ambition." 

1895.  '  The  Age,'  Dec.  21,  p.  13,  col.  6 : 

"  *  Then  soon  go  bong,  mummy,' 
said  Ning,  solemnly. 

'Die,'  corrected  Clare.  'You 
mustn't  talk  blacks'  language.' 

'Suppose  you  go  bong,'  pursued 
Ning  reflectively,  'then  you  go  to 
Heaven.'" 

(b)  The  slang  word. 

1885.  'Australian  Printers'  Keepsake,' 
p.  40: 

"He  was  importuned  to  desist,  as 
his  musical  talent  had  'gone  bung,' 
probably  from  over-indulgence  in  con- 
fectionery." 

1893.  'The  Argus/  April  15  (by  Oriel), 
p.  13,  col.  2  : 


IJUX] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


"  Still  change  is  humanity's  lot.     It  is 

but  the  space  of  a  day 
Till   cold   is   the  damask   cheek, 
and  silent  the  eloquent  tongue, 
All  flesh  is  grass,  says  the  preacher, 

like  grass  it  is  withered  away, 
And  we  gaze  on  a  bank  in  the 
evening,  and  lo,  in  the  morn  'tis 
bung." 

1893.  Professor  Gosman,  'The  Argus,' 
April  24,  p.  7,  col.  4: 

"  Banks  might  fail,  but  the  treasures 
of  thought  could  never  go  '  bung.' " 

1893.  *  The  Herald'  (Melbourne),  April 
25,  p.  2,  col.  4 : 

"Perhaps  Sydney  may  supply  us 
with  a  useful  example.  One  member 
of  the  mischief-making  brotherhood 
wrote  the  words  'gone  bung'  under 
a  notice  on  the  Government  Savings 
Bank,  and  he  was  brought  before  the 
Police  Court  charged  with  damaging 
the  bank's  property  to  the  extent  of 
$d.  The  offender  offered  the  Bench 
his  views  on  the  bank,  but  the  magis- 
trates bluntly  told  him  his  conduct 
was  disgraceful,  and  fined  him  ^3 
with  costs,  or  two  months'  imprison- 
ment." 

Bunga  or  Bungy,  n.  a  New 
Zealand  settlers'  corruption  of 
the  Maori  word^unga  (q.v.). 

Bunt,  n.  a  Queensland  fungus 
growing  on  wheat,  fetid  when 
crushed.  Tilletia  caries,  Tul., 
N.  O.  fungi. 

Bunya-Bunya,  n.  aboriginal 
word.  \Bunyi  at  heads  of  Bur- 
nett, Mary,  and  Brisbane  rivers, 
Queensland ;  baanya,  on  the  Darl- 
ing Downs.]  An  Australian  tree, 
Araucaria  bidwillii,  Hooker,  with 
fruit  somewhat  like  Bertholletia 
excelscty  N.O.  Conifers.  Widgi- 
Widgi  station  on  the  Mary  was 
the  head-quarters  for  the  fruit  of 
this  tree,  and  some  thousands  of 
blacks  used  to  assemble  there  in 
the  season  to  feast  on  it ;  it  was 
at  this  assembly  that  they  used  to 
indulge  in  cannibalism  ;  every 
third  year  the  trees  were  said  to 
bear  a  very  abundant  crop. 


The  Bunya-Bunya  mountains  in 
Queensland  derive  their  name 
from  this  tree. 

1843.  L.  Leichhardt,  Letter  in  ' Cooks- 
land,3  by  J.  D.  Lang,  p.  82 : 

"The  bunya-bunya  tree  is  noble 
and  gigantic,  and  its  umbrella-like 
head  overtowers  all  the  trees  of  the 
bush." 

1844.  Ibid.  p.  89  : 

"  The  kernel  of  the  Bunya  fruit  has 
a  very  fine  aroma,  and  it  is  certainly 
delicious  eating." 

1844.    '  Port  Phillip  Patriot,'  July  25  : 
"The   Bunya-Bunya  or  Araucaria 
on  the  seeds  of  which  numerous  tribes 
of  blacks  are  accustomed  to  feed." 

1879.  W.  R.  Guilfoyle,  'First  Book  of 
Australian  Botany,'  p.  58  : 

"A  splendid  timber  tree  of  South 
Queensland,  where  it  forms  dense 
forests,  one  of  the  finest  of  the  Arau- 
caria tribe,  attaining  an  approximate 
height  of  200  feet.  The  Bunya-Bunya 
withstands  drought  better  than  most 
of  the  genus,  and  flourishes  luxuriantly 
in  and  around  Melbourne." 

1887.  J.  Mathew,  in  Curr's  '  Australian 
Race,'  vol.  iii.  p.  161  : 
.  [A  full  account.]  "  In  laying  up  a 
store  of  bunyas,  the  blacks  exhibited 
an  unusual  foresight.  When  the  fruit 
was  in  season,  they  filled  netted  bags 
with  the  seeds,  and  buried  them." 

1889.  Hill,  quoted  by  J.  H.  Maiden, 
'Useful  Native  Plants,'  p.  7  : 

"  The  cones  shed  their  seeds,  which 
are  two  to  two  and  a  half  inches  long 
by  three-quarters  of  an  inch  broad  ; 
they  are  sweet  before  being  perfectly 
ripe,  and  after  that  resemble  roasted 
chestnuts  in  taste.  They  are  plentiful 
once  in  three  years,  and  when  the 
ripening  season  arrives,  which  is  gener- 
ally in  the  month  of  January,  the  ab- 
originals assemble  in  large  numbers 
from  a  great  distance  around,  and 
feast  upon  them.  Each  tribe  has  its 
own  particular  set  of  trees,  and  of 
these  each  family  has  a  certain  number 
allotted,  which  are  handed  down  from 
generation  to  generation  with  great 
exactness.  The  bunya  is  remarkable 
as  being  the  only  hereditary  property 
which  any  of  the  aborigines  are  known 
to  possess,  and  it  is  therefore  protected 
by  law.  The  food  seems  to  have  a 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


66 

fattening  effect  on  the  aborigines,  and 
they  eat  large  quantities  of  it  after 
roasting  it  at  the  fire." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  377  :  ... 

"  The  '  Bunya-bunya '  of  the  aborigi- 
nals— a  name  invariably  adopted  by 
the  colonists." 

1892.  J.    Fraser,    'Aborigines   of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  50  : 

"The  Bunya-bunya  tree,  m  the 
proper  season,  bears  a  fir  cone  of  great 
size — six  to  nine  inches  long — and  this, 
when  roasted,  yields  a  vegetable  pulp, 
pleasant  to  eat  and  nutritious." 

1893.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug. 
19,  p.  7,  col.  i  : 

"  There  is  a  beautiful  bunya-bunya 
in  a  garden  just  beyond,  its  foliage 
fresh  varnished  by  the  rain,  and  toning 
from  a  rich  darkness  to  the  very  spring 
tint  of  tender  green." 

Bunyip,  n.  (i)  the  aboriginal 
name  of  a  fabulous  animal.  See 
quotations.  For  the  traditions 
of  the  natives  on  this  subject  see 
Brough  Smyth,  'Aborigines  of 
Victoria,'  vol.  i.  p.  435. 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 

P-  391  : 

"  Certain  large  fossil  bones,  found  in 
various  parts  of  Australia  Felix,  have 
been   referred  by  the   natives,    when 
consulted  on  the  subject  by  the  colon- 
ists, to  a  huge  animal  of  extraordinary 
appearance,  called   in  some   districts 
the  Bunyup,  in  others  the  Kianpraty, 
which  they  assert  to  be  still  alive.     It 
is  described  as  of  amphibious  character, 
inhabiting  deep  rivers,  and  permanent 
water-holes,  having  a  round  head,  an 
elongated  neck,  with  a  body  and  tail 
resembling  an  ox.     These  reports  have 
not  been  unattended  to,  and  the  bun- 
yup  is  said  to  have  been  actually  seen 
by  many  parties,  colonists  as  well  as 
aborigines.  ...  [A    skull    which   the 
natives  said  was  that  of  a  'piccinini 
Kianpraty3    was   found   by   Professor 
Owen  to  be  that  of  a  young  calf.     The 
Professor]  considers  it  all  but  impos- 
sible that  such  a  large  animal  as  the 
bunyup   of    the   natives  can  be  now 
living  in  the  country.    [Mr.  Westgarth 
suspects]  it  is  only  a  tradition  of  the 
alligator  or  crocodile  of  the  north. 


[BUN 


1849.  W.  S.  Macleay,  '  Tasmanian  Jour- 
nal,' vol.  iii.  p.  275  : 

'  On  the  skull  now  exhibited  at  the 
Colonial  Museum  of  Sydney  as  that  of 
he  Bunyip." 

1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes,' 
p.  214: 

"Did  my  reader  ever  hear  of  the 
Bunyip  (fearful  name  to  the  aboriginal 
native  !)  a  sort  of  'half-horse,  half- 
alligator,'  haunting  the  wide  rushy 
swamps  and  lagoons  of  the  interior?" 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  '  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
p.  258 : 

:'  The  river  is  too  deep,  child,  and 
the  Bunyip  lives  in  the  water  under 
the  stones." 

1865.  '  Once  a  Week,'  Dec.  31,  p.  45, 
The  Bulla  Bulla  Bunyip ' : 
"  Beyond  a  doubt,  in  '  Lushy  Luke's ' 
belief,  a  Bunyip  had  taken  temporary 
lodgings  outside  the  town.  This  bete 
noire  of  the  Australian  bush  Luke  as- 
serted he  had  often  seen  in  bygone 
times.  He  described  it  as  being  bigger 
than  an  elephant,  in  shape  like  a  'poley ' 
bullock,  with  eyes  like  live  coals,  and 
with  tusks  like  a  walrus's. 

***** 
"  What  the  Bunyip  is,  I  cannot  pre- 
tend to  say,  but  I  think  it  is  highly 
probable  that  the  stories  told  by  both 
old  bushmen  and  blackfellows,  of  some 
bush  beast  bigger  and  fiercer  than  any 
commonly  known  in  Australia,  are 
founded  on  fact.  Fear  and  the  love 
of  the  marvellous  may  have  introduced 
a  considerable  element  of  exaggeration 
into  these  stories,  but  I  cannot  help 
suspecting  that  the  myths  have  an 
historical  basis." 

1872.  C.  Gould,  'Papers  and  Proceed- 
ings of  the  Royal  Society  of  Tasmania,' 
1872,  p.  33 : 

"  The  belief  in  the  Bunyip  was  just 
as  prevalent  among  the  natives  in 
parts  hundreds  of  miles  distant  from 
any  stream  in  which  alligators  occur. 
.  .  .  Some  other  animal  must  be 
sought  for."  .  .  .  [Gould  then  quotes 
from  '  The  Mercury'  of  April  26, 1872, 
an  extract  from  the  'Wagga  Adver- 
tiser3] :  "There  really  is  a  Bunyip  or 
Waa-wee,  actually  existing  not  far 
from  us  ...  in  the  Midgeon  Lagoon, 
sixteen  miles  north  of  Naraudera.  .  . 
I  saw  a  creature  coming  through  the 
water  with  tremendous  rapidity.  .  .  . 


EUR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


67 


The  animal  was  about  half  as  long 
again  as  an  ordinary  retriever  dog,  the 
hair  all  over  its  body  was  jet  black 
and  shining,  its  coat  was  very  long." 
[Gould  cites  other  instances,  and  con- 
cludes that  the  Bunyip  is  probably  a 
seal.] 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals/ 
p.  202  : 

"  In  the  south-eastern  part  of  Aus- 
tralia the  evil  spirit  of  the  natives  is 
called  Bunjup,  a  monster  which  is  be- 
lieved to  dwell  in  the  lakes.  It  has  of 
late  been  supposed  that  this  is  a  mam- 
mal of  considerable  size  that  has  not 
yet  been  discovered  ...  is  described 
as  a  monster  with  countless  eyes  and 
ears.  ...  He  has  sharp  claws,  and 
can  run  so  fast  that  it  is  difficult  to 
•escape  him.  He  is  cruel,  and  spares 
no  one  either  young  or  old." 

1894.  'The  Argus,' June  23,  p.  n,  col. 
4: 

"  The  hollow  boom  so  often  heard 
on  the  margin  of  reedy  swamps — more 
hollow  and  louder  by  night  than  day 
— is  the  mythical  bunyip,  the  actual 
bittern." 

(2)  In  a  secondary  sense,  a 
synonym  for  an  impostor. 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  214  : 

"  One  advantage  arose  from  the 
aforesaid  long-deferred  discovery — a 
new  and  strong  word  was  adopted  into 
the  Australian  vocabulary :  Bunyip 
became,  and  remains  a  Sydney  syn- 
onoyme  for  impostor,  pretender,  hum- 
bug, and  the  like.  The  black  fellows, 
however,  unaware  of  the  extinction, 
iby  superior  authority,  of  their  favourite 
loup-garou,  still  continue  to  cherish 
the  fabulous  bunyip  in  their  shuddering 
imagination." 

1853.  W.    C.    Wentworth — Speech    in 
August   quoted  by    Sir   Henry  Parkes  in 
*  Fifty  Years  of  Australian  History '  (1892), 
vol.  i.  p.  41  : 

"They  had  been  twitted  with  at- 
tempting to  create  a  mushroom,  a 
Brummagem,  a  bunyip  aristocracy  ; 
but  I  need  scarcely  observe  that  where 
argument  fails  ridicule  is  generally 
resorted  to  for  aid." 

Burnet,  Native,  n.  The  name 
is  given  in  Australia  to  the  plant 
Acccna  ovina,  Cunn.,  N.O.  Rosacea*. 


Burnett  Salmon,  n.  one  of  the 
names  given  to  the  fish  Ceratodus 
forsteri,  Krefft.  See  Burramundi. 

Burnt-stuff,  n.  a  geological 
term  used  by  miners.  See  quota- 
tion. 

1853.  Mrs.  Chas.  Clancy,  '  Lady's  Visit 
to  Gold  Diggings,'  p.  112  : 

"  The  top,  or  surface  soil,  for  which 
a  spade  or  shovel  is  used,  was  of  clay. 
This  was  succeeded  by  a  strata  almost 
as  hard  as  iron — technically  called 
'  burnt-stuff' — which  robbed  the  pick 
of  its  points  nearly  as  soon  as  the 
blacksmith  had  steeled  them  at  a 
charge  of  2s.  6d.  a  point." 

Bur,  n.  In  Tasmania  the  name 
is  applied  to  Ac&na  rosacece,  Vahl., 
N.O.  Rosacece. 

Burramundi,  or  Barramunda, 
n.  a  fresh-water  fish,  Osteoglossum 

leichhardtii,  Giinth.,  family  Osteo- 
glossidcz,  found  in  the  Dawson 
and  Fitzroy  Rivers,  Queensland. 
The  name  is  also  incorrectly  ap- 
plied by  the  colonists  to  the  large 
tidal  perch  of  the  Fitzroy  River, 
Queensland,  Lates  calcarifer, 
Giinth.,  a  widely  distributed  fish 
in  the  East  Indies,  and  to 
Ceratodus  forsteri,  Krefft,  family 
Sirenidce,  of  the  Mary  and  Burnett 
Rivers,  Queensland.  Burramundi 
is  the  aboriginal  name  for  O. 
leichhardtii.  The  spelling  barra- 
munda  is  due  to  the  influence  of 
barracouta  (q.v.).  See  Perch. 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  189: 

"  There  is  a  fish  too  at  Rockhampton 
called  the  burra  mundi, — I  hope  I 
spell  the  name  rightly, — which  is  very 
commendable." 

1880.    Giinther,   '  Study  of  Fishes,'   p. 

357  = 

u  Ceratodus.  .  .  .  Two  species,  C. 
forsteri  and  C.  miolepis,  are  known 
from  fresh-waters  of  Queensland.  .  .  . 
Locally  the  settlers  call  it  *  flathead/ 
'  Burnett  or  Dawson  salmon,'  and  the 
aborigines  *  barramunda,'  a  name 
which  they  apply  also  to  other  large- 
scaled  fresh-water  fishes,  as  the 


68 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BUR-BUS 


Osteoglossum  leichhardtii.  .  .  .  The 
discovery  of  Ceratodus  does  not  date 
farther  back  than  the  year  1870." 

1882.  W.  Macleay,  'Descriptive  Cata- 
logue of  Australian  Fishes'  ('  Proceedings 
of  the  Linnsean  Society  of  New  South 
Wales,'  vol.  vi.  p.  256) : 

"  Osteoglossum  leichhardtii^  Giinth. 
Barramundi  of  the  aborigines  of  the 
Dawson  River." 

1892.  Baldwin  Spencer,  'Proceedings 
of  the  Royal  Society  of  Victoria,'  vol. 
iv.  [Note  on  the  habits  of  Ceratodtis 
forstert] : 

"  It  has  two  common  names,  one  of 
which  is  the  'Burnett  Salmon'  and 
the  other  the  '  Barramunda  "...  the 
latter  name  ...  is  properly  applied  to 
a  very  different  form,  a  true  teleostean 
fish  (Osteoglossum  leichhardtii}  which 
is  found  .  .  .  further  north  .  .  .  in  the 
Dawson  and  Fitzroy  .  .  .  Mr.  Saville 
Kent  states  that  the  Ceratodus  is  much 
prized  as  food.  This  is  a  mistake, 
for,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  only 
eaten  by  Chinese  and  those  who  can 
afford  to  get  nothing  better." 

Burrawang,  or  Bur  wan,  n. 
an  Australian  nut-tree,  Macro- 
zamia  spiralis,  Miq. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  *  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  221  : 

"  The  burwan  is  a  nut  much  relished 
by  our  natives,  who  prepare  it  by 
roasting  and  immersion  in  a  running 
stream,  to  free  it  from  its  poisonous 
qualities." 

1851.  J.  Henderson,  *  Excursions  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  238  : 

"The  Burrowan,  which  grows  in  a 
sandy  soil,  and  produces  an  inedible 
fruit,  resembling  the  pine-apple  in 
appearance." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  41  : 

"  Burrawang  nut,  so  called  because 
they  used  to  be,  and  are  to  some  extent 
now,  very  common  about  Burrawang, 
N.S.W.  The  nuts  are  relished  by  the 
aboriginals.  An  arrowroot  of  very 
good  quality  is  obtained  from  them." 

Bush,  n.  Not  originally  an 
Australian  application.  "  Recent, 
and  probably  a  direct  adoption 
of  the  Dutch  Bosch,  in  colonies 
originally  Dutch  "  ('  O.E.D.'), 


[quoting  (1780)  Forster,  in  'Phil. 
Trans.'  Ixxi.  2,  "  The  common 
Bush-cat  of  the  Cape  ;  "  and 
(1828)  Scott,  *  Tapestr.  Cham- 
ber,' "When  I  was  in  the  Bush, 
as  the  Virginians  call  it  "]. 
"Woodland,  country  more  or 
less  covered  with  natural  wood  : 
applied  to  the  uncleared  or  un- 
tilled  districts  in  the  British 
Colonies  which  are  still  in  a  state 
of  nature,  or  largely  so,  even 
though  not  wooded  ;  and  by  ex- 
tension to  the  country  as  opposed 
to  the  towns."  ('O.E.D.') 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  48  : 

"  I  have  spent  a  good  deal  of  my 
time  in  the  woods,  or  bush,  as  it  is 
called  here.' 

1836.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  85: 

"  With  the  exception  of  two  or  three 
little  farms,  comprising  about  20 
or  30  acres  of  cultivation,  all  was 
'  bush  '  as  it  is  colonially  called.  The 
undergrowth  was  mostly  clear,  being 
covered  only  with  grass  or  herbs,  with 
here  and  there  some  low  shrubs." 

1837.  J-  D-  Lang,  '  New  South  Wales,' 
vol.  i.  p.  253  : 

"  His  house  was  well  enough  for  the 
bush,  as  the  country  is  generally 
termed  in  the  colony." 

1855.  From  a  letter  quoted  in  Wathen's 
'  The  Golden  Colony,'  p.  117  : 

"  *  The  Bush,'  when  the  word  is  used 
in  the  towns,  means  all  the  uninclosed 
and  uncultivated  country  .  .  .  when 
in  the  country,  'the  Bush'  means 
more  especially  the  forest.  The  word 
itself  has  been  borrowed  from  the 
Cape,  and  is  of  Dutch  origin." 

1857.  '  The  Argus,'  Dec.  14,  p.  5,  col.  7  : 

"  *  Give  us  something  to  do  in  or 
about  Melbourne,  not  away  in  the 
bush,'  says  the  deputation  of  the  un- 
employed." 

1861.  T.  McCombie, '  Australian  Sketch- 
es,' p.  123  : 

"  At  first  the  eternal  silence  of  the 
bush  is  oppressive,  but  a  short  sojourn 
is  sufficient  to  accustom  a  neophyte  to 
the  new  scene,  and  he  speedily  becomes, 
enamoured  of  it." 


BUS] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


69 


1865.  J.  F.  Mortlock,  'Experiences 
of  a  Convict,'  p.  83  : 

"  The  *  bush,'  a  generic  term  synony- 
mous with  l  forest'  or  'jungle,'  applied 
to  all  land  in  its  primaeval  condition, 
whether  occupied  by  herds  or  not." 

1872.  A.    McFarland,    '  Illawarra  and 
Manaro,'  p.  113  : 

"  All  the  advantages  of  civilized  life 
have  been  surrendered  for  the  bush,  its 
blanket  and  gunyah." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  250  : 

"  The  technical  meaning  of  the  word 
*  bush.'  The  bush  is  the  gum-tree  forest, 
with  which  so  great  a  part  of  Australia 
is  covered,  that  folk  who  follow  a 
country  life  are  invariably  said  to  live 
in  the  bush.  Squatters  who  look  after 
their  own  runs  always  live  in  the  bush, 
even  though  their  sheep  are  pastured 
on  plains.  Instead  of  a  town  mouse 
and  a  country  mouse  in  Australia,  there 
would  be  a  town  mouse  and  a  bush 
mouse  ;  but  mice  living  in  the  small 
country  towns  would  still  be  bush 
mice." 

Ibid.  c.  xx.  p.  299  : 

"  Nearly  every  place  beyond  the  in- 
fluence of  the  big  towns  is  called  '  bush,' 
even  though  there  should  not  be  a  tree 
to  be  seen  around." 

1883.  G.  W.  Rusden,  'History  of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  67,  n.  : 

"  Bush  was  a  general  term  for  the 
interior.  It  might  be  thick  bush,  open 
bush,  bush 'forest,  or  scrubby  bush- 
terms  which  explain  themselves." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  'Advance 
Australia,'  p.  40  : 

"  The  first  thing  that  strikes  me  is 
the  lifeless  solitude  of  the  bush. 
There  is  a  deep  fascination  about  the 
freedom  of  the  bush." 

1890.   E.  W.  Hornung  [Title]  : 

"  A  Bride  from  the  Bush."- 

1896.  'Otago  Daily  Times,'  Tan.  27, 
p.  2,  col.  5  : 

"Almost  the  whole  of  New  South 
Wales  is  covered  with  bush.  It  is  not 
the  bush  as  known  in  New  Zealand. 
It  is  rather  a  park-like  expanse,  where 
the  trees  stand  widely  apart,  and  where 
there  is  grass  on  the  soil  between 
them." 

Bush,  adj.  or  in  composition,  not  ; 
always  easy  to  distinguish,  the  j 


hyphen  depending  on  the  fancy  of 
the  writer. 

1836.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack, ' 
P.  75: 

"The  round  trundling  of  our  cart 
wheels,  it  is  well  known,  does  not 
always  improve  the  labours  of  Mac- 
adam, much  less  a  bush  road." 

1848.  Letter  by   Mrs.    Perry,  given   in 
Canon  Goodman's   '  Church   in    Victoria, 
during  Episcopate  of  Bishop  Perry, 'p.  75  : 

"  A  hard  bush  sofa,  without  back  or 
ends." 

1849.  J-   Sidney,    'Emigrants'  Journal, 
and  Travellers'  Magazine,'  p.  40    (Letter 
from  Caroline  Chisholm) : 

"  What  I  would  particularly  recom- 
mend to  new  settlers  is  lBush  Partner- 
ship ' — Let  two  friends  or  neighbours 
agree  to  work  together,  until  three 
acres  are  cropped,  dividing  the  work, 
the  expense,  and  the  produce — this 
partnership  will  grow  apace  ;  I  have 
made  numerous  bush  agreements  of 
this  kind.  ...  I  never  knew  any 
quarrel  or  bad  feeling  result  from  these 
partnerships,  on  the  contrary,  I  believe 
them  calculated  to  promote  much 
neighbourly  good  will  ;  but  in  the 
association  of  a  large  number  of 
strangers,  for  an  indefinite  period,  I 
have  no  confidence." 

1857.  w-  Westgarth,  '  Victoria,'  c.  xi. 
p.  250  : 

"The  gloomy  antithesis  of  good 
bushranging  and  bad  bush-roads." 

[Bush-road,  however,  does  not 
usually  mean  a  made-road  through 
the  bush,  but  a  road  which  has  not 
been  formed,  and  is  in  a  state  of  nature 
except  for  the  wear  of  vehicles  upon 
it,  and  perhaps  the  clearing  of  trees 
and  scrub.] 

1864.  '  The  Reader,'  April  2,  p.  40,  col. 
i  ('O.E.D.'): 

"  The  roads  from  the  nascent  metro- 
polis still  partook  mainly  of  the  ran- 
dom character  of  '  bush  tracks.' " 

1865.  W.  Howitt,    '  Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  p.  2ii  : 

"  Dr.  Wills  offered  to  go  himself  in 
the  absence  of  any  more  youthful 
and,  through  bush  seasoning,  qualified 
person." 

1880.  '  Black  wood's  Magazine,'  Feb., 
p.  169  [Title]: 

"  Bush-Life  in  Queensland." 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BUS 


1881.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Policy  and  Passion,' 
c.  i.  p.  59  : 

"  The  driver  paused  before  a  bush 
inn." 

[In  Australia  the  word  "  inn  "  is  now 
rare.  The  word  "hotel"  has  sup- 
planted it.] 

1889.  Cassell's"'  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iv.  p.  3  : 

"  Not  as  bush  roads  go.  The  Aus- 
tralian habit  is  here  followed  of  using 
'bush'  for  country,  though  no  word 
could  be  more  ludicrously  inapplicable, 
for  there  is  hardly  anything  on  the  way 
that  can  really  be  called  a  bush." 

1894.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald '  (exact 
date  lost)  : 

"Canada,  Cape  Colony,  and  Aus- 
tralia have  preserved  the  old  signifi- 
cance of  Bush — Chaucer  has  it  so — as 
a  territory  on  which  there  are  trees  ; 
it  is  a  simple  but,  after  all,  a  kindly 
development  that  when  a  territory  is 
so  unlucky  as  to  have  no  trees,  some- 
times, indeed,  to  be  bald  of  any  growth 
whatever,  it  should  still  be  spoken  of 
as  if  it  had  them." 

1896.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  in  preface  to 
*  The  Man  from  Snowy  River ' : 

"  It  is  not  easy  to  write  ballads  de- 
scriptive of  the  bushland  of  Australia, 
as  on  light  consideration  would 
appear." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'While  the  Billy 
boils/  p.  104 : 

"About  Byrock  we  met  the  bush 
liar  in  all  his  glory.  He  was  dressed 
like—like  a  bush  larrikin.  His  name 
was  Jim." 

Bush-faller,  n.  one  who  cuts 
down  timber  in  the  bush. 

1882.   'Pall  Mall  Gazette, 'June  29,  p. 

"A  broken-down,  deserted  shanty, 
inhabited  once,  perhaps,  by  rail- 
splitters  or  bush-fallers."  ['O.E.D.,' 
from  which  this  quotation  is  taken,  puts 
(?)  before  the  meaning  ;  but  "  To  fall " 
is  not  uncommon  in  Australia  for  "  to 
fell."] 

Bush-fire,  ».  forests  and  grass 
on  fire  in  hot  summers. 

1868.  C.  Dilke,  'Greater  Britain,' vol. 
11.  part  111.  c.  iii.  p.  32  : 

"  The  smoke  from  these  bush-fires 
extends  for  hundreds  of  miles  to  sea." 


1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Melbourne 
Memories/  c.  xxii.  p.  156  : 

"  A  reserve  in  case  of  bush-fires  and 
bad  seasons." 

Bush-lawyer,  n.  (i)  A  Bramble. 
See  Lawyer. 

(2)  Name  often  used  for  a  lay- 
man who  fancies  he  knows  all 
about  the  law  without  consulting 
a  solicitor.  He  talks  a  great 
deal,  and  Mays  down  the  law.' 

1896.  H.  G.  Turner,  'Lecture  on  J.  P. 
Fawkner '  : 

"  For  some  years  he  cultivated  and 
developed  his  capacity  for  rhetorical 
argument  by  practising  in  the  minor 
courts  of  law  in  Tasmania  as  a  paid 
advocate,  a  position  which  in  those 
days,  and  under  the  exceptional  cir- 
cumstances of  the  Colony,  was  not 
restricted  to  members  of  the  legal  pro- 
fession, and  the  term  Bush  Lawyer 
probably  takes  its  origin  from  the 
practice  of  this  period." 

Bush-magpie,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian bird,  more  commonly 
called  a  Magpie  (q.v.). 

1888.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia/ 
vol.  ii.  p.  235 : 

"...  the  omnipresent  bush-mag- 
pie. Here  he  may  warble  all  the  day 
long  on  the  liquid,  mellifluous  notes  of 
his  Doric  flute,  fit  pipe  indeed  for 
academic  groves  .  .  .  sweetest  and 
brightest,  most  cheery  and  sociable  of 
all  Australian  birds." 

Bushman,  n.  (i)  Settler  in  the 
bush.  Used  to  distinguish  country- 
residents  from  townsfolk. 

1852.  'Blackwood's  Magazine/  p.  522 
('  O.E.D.'): 

"  Where  the  wild  bushman  eats  his 
loathly  fare." 

1880.  J.  Mathew,  song,  'The  Bush- 
man '  : 

"  How  weary,  how  dreary  the  stillness 

must  be  ! 

But  oh  !  the  lone  bushman  is  dream- 
ing of  me." 

1886.  Frank  Cowan  :  '  Australia  ;  a 
Charcoal  Sketch  ' : 

"The  Bushman  .  .  .  Gunyah,  his 
bark  hovel  ;  Damper,  his  unleavened 
bread  baked  in  the  ashes  ;  Billy,  his 
tea-kettle,  universal  pot  and  pan  and 


BUS] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


bucket  ;  Sugar-bag,  his  source  of  sac- 
charine, a  bee-tree  ;  Pheasant,  his  face- 
tious metaphoric  euphism  for  Liar, 
quasi  Lyre-bird  ;  Fit  for  Woogooroo, 
for  Daft  or  Idiotic  ;  Brumby,  his  pecu- 
liar term  for  wild  horse ;  Scrubber, 
wild  ox  ;  Nuggeting)  calf-stealing  ; 
Jumbuck,  sheep,  in  general ;  an  Old- 
man,  grizzled  wallaroo  or  kangaroo  ; 
Station,  Run,  a  sheep-  or  cattle-ranch  ; 
and  Kabonboodgery — an  echo  of  the 
sound  diablery  for  ever  in  his  ears, 
from  dawn  to  dusk  of  Laughing  Jack- 
ass and  from  dusk  to  dawn  of  Dingo — 
his  half-bird-and-beast-like  vocal  sub- 
stitute for  Very  Good.  .  .  ." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'While  the  Billy 
boils,'  p.  71  : 

"  He  was  a  typical  bushman,  .  .  . 
and  of  the  old  bush  school ;  one  of 
those  slight  active  little  fellows,  whom 
we  used  to  see  in  cabbage-tree  hats, 
Crimean  shirts,  strapped  trousers,  and 
elastic-side  boots." 

(2)  One  who  has  knowledge  of 
the  bush,  and  is  skilled  in  its 
ways.  A  "good  bushman"  is 
especially  used  of  a  man  who  can 
find  his  way  where  there  are  no 
tracks. 

1868.  J.  Bonwick,  'John  Batman, 
Founder  of  Victoria,'  pp.  78,  79: 

"  It  is  hardly  likely  that  so  splendid 
a  bushman  as  Mr.  Batman  would 
venture  upon  such  an  expedition  had 
he  not  been  well.  In  fact  a  better 
bushman  at  this  time  could  not  be  met 
with." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  3 : 

"  The  worst  bushman  had  to  under- 
take the  charge  of  the  camp,  cook  the 
provisions,  and  look  after  the  horses, 
during  the  absence  of  the  rest  on  flying 
excursions." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  40: 

"Very  slight  landmarks  will  serve 
to  guide  a  good  bushman,  for  no  two 
places  are  really  exactly  alike." 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  78: 

"  One  of  the  best  bushmen  in  that 
part  of  the  country :  the  men  said  he 
could  find  his  way  over  it  blindfold,  or 
on  the  darkest  night  that  ever  was." 


(3)  Special  sense.  See  quota- 
tion. 

1881.  A.     C.     Grant,     'Bush    Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  80 : 

"  Some  were  what  is  termed,  par 
excellence,  bushmen — that  is,  men  who 
split  rails,  get  posts,  shingles,  take 
contracts  for  building  houses,  stock- 
yards, etc. — men,  in  fact,  who  work 
among  timber  continually,  sometimes 
felling  and  splitting,  sometimes  saw- 
ing." 

Bushmanship,  n.  knowledge 
of  the  ways  of  the  bush. 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,    'Old  Colonials,'  p. 
261: 

"  A  good  laugh  at  the  bushmanship 
displayed." 

Bushranger,  n.  one  who  ranges 
or  traverses  the  bush,  far  and 
wide ;  an  Australian  highway- 
man ;  in  the  early  days  usually 
an  escaped  convict.  Shakspeare 
uses  the  verb  '  to  range '  in  this 
connection. 
"Then  thieves  and  robbers  range 

abroad  unseen 

In  murders  and   in  outrage,  boldly 
here." 

('Richard  II., 'III.  ii.  39.) 

"Ranger"  is  used  in  modern 
English  for  one  who  protects  and 
not  for  one  who  robs  ;  as  *  the 
Ranger '  of  a  Park. 

1806.  May 4,  'Sydney  Gazette' or 'New 
South  Wales  Advertiser, 'given  in  'History 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  265  : 

"Yesterday  afternoon, William  Page, 
the  bushranger  repeatedly  advertised, 
was  apprehended  by  three  constables." 

1820.  W.  C.  Wentworth,  'Description 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  166: 

[The  settlements  in  Van  Diemen's 
Land  have]  "been  infested  for  many 
years  past  by  a  banditti  of  runaway 
convicts,  who  have  endangered  the 
person  and  property  of  every  one.  .  .  . 
These  wretches,  who  are  known  in  the 
colony  by  the  name  of  bushrangers.  .  .  " 

1820.  Lieut.  Chas.  Jeffreys,  'Van  Die- 
man's  [sic]  Land,'  p.  15  : 

"The  supposition  .  .  .  rests  solely 
on  the  authority  of  the  Bush  Rangers, 
a  species  of  wandering  brigands,  who 
will  be  elsewhere  described." 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BUS 


1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  '  Three  Expedi- 
tions/ vol.  i.  p.  9: 

"  Bushrangers,  a  sub-genus  in  the 
order  banditti,  which  happily  can  now 
only  exist  there  in  places  inaccessible 
to  the  mounted  police." 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  81 : 

"  This  country  [Van  Diemen's  Land] 
is  as  much  infested  as  New  South 
Wales  with  robbers,  runaway  convicts, 
or,  as  they  are  termed,  Bush-rangers." 

1861.  T.  McCombie, '  Australian  Sketch- 
es,'p.  77: 

"  The  whole  region  was  infested  by 
marauding  bands  of  bush-rangers, 
terrible  after  nightfall." 

1887.  J.  F.  Hogan,  '  The  Irish  in  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  252  : 

"  Whilst  he  was  engaged  in  this  duty 
in  Victoria,  a  band  of  outlaws — '  bush- 
rangers '  as  they  are  colonially  termed 
— who  had  long  defied  capture,  and 
had  carried  on  a  career  of  murder  and 
robbery,  descended  from  their  haunts 
in  the  mountain  ranges." 

Bush-ranging,  n.  the  practice 
of  the  Bushranger  (q.v.). 

1827.  '  Captain  Robinson's  Report,'  Dec. 
23: 

"  It  was  a  subject  of  complaint  among 
the  settlers,  that  their  assigned  serv- 
ants could  not  be  known  from  soldiers, 
owing  to  their  dress  ;  which  very  much 
assisted  the  crime  of  *  bush-ranging.5 " 

Bush-scrubber,  n.  a  bushman's 
word  for  a  boor,  bumpkin,  or 
slatternly  person.  See  Scrubber. 

1896.  Modern.  Up-country  manservant 
on  seeing  his  new  mistress  : 

"  My  word  !  a  real  lady  !  she's  no 
bush-scrubber ! " 

Bush-telegraph,   n.  Confeder- 
ates of  bushrangers  who  supply 
them  with  secret  information  of 
the  movements  of  the  police. 
1878.   '  The  Australian,'  vol.  i.  p.  507  : 
"  The  police  are  baffled  by  the  false 
reports  of  the   confederates   and   the 
number  and  activity  of  the  bush  tele- 
graphs." 

1893.  Kenneth  Mackay,  'Out  Back,' 
p.  74 : 

"A  hint  dropped  in  this  town  set 
the  bush  telegraphs  riding  in  all 
directions." 


Bush  woman,  n.  See  quota- 
tion. 

1892.  '  The  Australasian,'  April  9,  p. 
707,  col.  i : 

"  But  who  has  championed  the  cause 
of  the  woman  of  the  bush — or,  would 
it  be  more  correct  to  say  bushwoman, 
as  well  as  bushman?— and  allowed  her 
also  a  claim  to  participate  in  the 
founding  of  a  nation  ? " 

Bush- wren,  n.     See  Wren. 
1888.  W.    L.    Buller,     'Birds   of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  108  : 

[A  full  description.] 

Bushed,  adj. ,  quasi  past  parti- 
ciple^ lost  in  the  bush  ;  then,  lost 
or  at  a  loss. 

1861.  T.  McCombie, 'Australian  Sketch- 
es,'p.  115: 

"  I  left  my  seat  to  reach  a  shelter, 
which  was  so  many  miles  off,  that  I 
narrowly  escaped  being  '  bushed.' " 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  283  : 

"  The  poor  youth,  new  to  the  wilds, 
had,  in  the  expressive  phrase  of  the 
colonials,  got  bushed,  that  is,  utterly 
bewildered,  and  thus  lost  all  idea  of  the 
direction  that  he  ought  to  pursue." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,' 
p.  29: 

"  I  get  quite  bushed  in  these  streets." 
1896.   '  The  Argus,'  Jan.  i,  p.  4,  col.  9  : 
"The  Ministry  did  not  assume  its 
duty  of  leading  the    House,  and  Mr. 
Higgins  graphically  described  the  posi- 
tion of  affairs  by  stating  that  the  House 
was  'bushed  ;'  while  Mr.  Shiels  com- 
pared  the   situation    to   a   rudderless 
ship  drifting  hither  and  thither." 

Bustard,  n.  "  There  are  about 
twenty  species,  mostly  of  Africa, 
several  of  India,  one  of  Australia, 
and  three  properly  European." 
('  Century.')  The  Australian 
variety  is  Eupodotis  australis, 
Gray,  called  also  Wild  Turkey, 
Native  Turkey,  and  Plain  Turkey. 
See  Turkey. 

Buster,  Southerly, «.  The  word 
is  a  corruption  of  *  burster,'  that 
which  bursts.  A  sudden  and 
violent  squall  from  the  south. 


BUT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


73 


The  name,  used  first  in  Sydney, 
has  been  adopted  also  in  other 
Australian  cities.  See  Brick- 
fielder. 

1863.  F.  Fowler,  in  '  Athenaeum/  Feb. 
21,  p.  264,  col.  i  : 

"  The  cold  wind  or  southerly  buster 
which  .  .  .  carries  a  thick  cloud  of 
dust  .  .  .  across  the  city." 

1878.    '  The  Australian,'  vol.  i.  p.  587  : 

"  Southerly  Blisters  by  *  Ironbark.'" 

1886.  F.  Cowan,  '  Australia,  a  Charcoal 
Sketch': 

"  The  Buster  and  Brickfielder :  aus- 
tral red-dust  blizzard ;  and  red-hot 
Simoom." 

1889.  Rev.  J.  H.  Zillmann,  '  Australian 
Life/  p.  40  : 

"  Generally  these  winds  end  in  what 
is  commonly  called  a  '  southerly  buster.' 
This  is  preceded  by  a  lull  in  the  hot 
wind ;  then  suddenly  (as  it  has  been 
put)  it  is  as  though  a  bladder  of  cool 
air  were  exploded,  and  the  strong  cool 
southerly  air  drives  up  with  tremendous 
force.  However  pleasant  the  change 
of  temperature  may  be  it  is  no  mere 
pastime  to  be  caught  in  a  '  southerly 
buster,'  but  the  drifting  rain  which 
always  follows  soon  sets  matters  right, 
allays  the  dust,  and  then  follows  the 
calm  fresh  bracing  wind  which  is  the 
more  delightful  by  contrast  with  the 
misery  through  which  one  has  passed 
for  three  long  dreary  days  and  nights." 

1893.  '  The  Australasian,'  Aug.  12,  p. 
302,  col.  I  : 

"  You  should  see  him  with  Commo- 
dore Jack  out  in  the  teeth  of  the  '  hard 
glad  weather,'  when  a  southerly  buster 
sweeps  up  the  harbour." 

1896.  H.  A.  Hunt,  in  « Three  Essays  on 
Australian  Weather'  (Sydney),  p.  16  : 

"  An  Essay  on  Southerly  Bursters, 
.  .  .  with  Four  Photographs  and  Five 
Diagrams." 

[Title  of  an  essay  which  was  awarded 
the  prize  of  £2$  offered  by  the  Hon. 
Ralph  Abercrombie.] 

Butcher,  n.  South  Australian 
slang  for  a  long-  drink  of  beer, 
so-called  (it  is  said)  because  the 
men  of  a  certain  butchery  in 
Adelaide  used  this  refreshment 
regularly;  cf.  "porter"  in  Eng- 


land,  after  the  drink  of  the  old 
London  porters. 

Butcher-bird,  n.  The  name  is 
in  use  elsewhere,  but  in  Australia 
it  is  applied  to  the  genus  Cracticus. 
The  varieties  are — 

The  Butcher-bird— 

Cracticus    torquatus^    Lath.;  for- 
merly C.  destructor^  Gould. 
Black  B.- 

C.  quoyi,  Less. 
Black-throated  B.— 

C.  nigrigulariS)  Gould. 
Grey  B.  (Derwent  Jackass) — 

C.  dnereus,  Gould  (see  Jackass). 
Pied  B.— 

C.  picatus,  Gould. 
Rufous  B.— 

C.  rufescenS)  De  Vis. 
Silver-backed  B. — 

C.  argenteus,  Gould. 
Spalding's  B. — 

C.  spaldingi,  Masters. 
White-winged  B.— 

C.  leucopterus,  Cav. 

The  bird  is  sometimes  called  a 
Crow-shrike. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  '  Transac- 
tions of  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  213  : 

"  Mr.  Caley  observes — Butcher-bird. 
This  bird  used  frequently  to  come 
into  some  green  wattle-trees  near  my 
house,  and  in  wet  weather  was  very 
noisy ;  from  which  circumstance  it 
obtained  the  name  of '  Rain-bird.' " 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  pi.  52  : 

"  Cracticus  Destructor.  Butcher 
Bird,  name  given  by  colonists  of  Swan 
River,  a  permanent  resident  in  New 
South  Wales  and  South  Australia.  I 
scarcely  know  of  any  Australian  bird 
so  generally  dispersed." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  'Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  50  : 

"Close  to  the  station  one  or  two 
butcher-birds  were  piping  their  morn- 
ing song,  a  strange  little  melody  with 
not  many  notes,  which  no  one  who  has 
heard  it  will  ever  forget." 

Buttercup,  n.  The  familiar 
English  flower  is  represented  in 
Australia  and  Tasmania  by 


74 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[BUT-BUZ 


various  species  of  Ranunculus, 
such  as  R.  lappaceus,  Sin.,  N.O. 
Ranunculacece. 

Butter-fish,  n.  a  name  given  in 
Australia  to  Oligorus  mitchellii, 
Castln.  (see  Murray  Perch]  ;  in 
Victoria,  to  Chilodactylus  nigricans, 
Richards,  (see  Morwong) ;  in  New 
Zealand,  to  Coridodaxpullus,  Forst., 
called  also  Kelp-fish.  The  name 
is  in  allusion  to  their  slippery 
coating  of  mucus.  See  Kelp-fish. 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  <  Port  Phillip,' 
vol.  iii.  p.  44 : 

"  In  the  bay  are  large  quantities  of 
.  .  .  butter-fish/'3 

1880.    Giinther,    '  Study  of  Fishes,'  p. 

"  The  '  butter-fish,'  or  'kelp-fish  '  of 
the  colonists  of  New  Zealand  (C. 
pullus),  is  prized  as  food,  and  attains 
to  a  weight  of  four  or  five  pounds." 

Butterfly-conch,  n.  Tasmanian 
name  for  a  marine  univalve  mol- 
lusc, Valuta  papillosa,  Swainson. 

Butterfly-fish, ?z.  a  New  Zealand 
sea-fish,  Gasterochisma  melampus, 
Richards.,  one  of  \hsNomeida.  The 
ventral  fins  are  exceedingly  broad 
and  long,  and  can  be  completely 
concealed  in  a  fold  of  the  abdo- 
men. The  New  Zealand  fish  is  so 
named  from  these  fins  ;  the  Euro- 
pean Butterfly -fish,  Blennius  ocel- 


laris,  derives  its  name  from  the 
spots  on  its  dorsal  fin,  like  the 
eyes  in  a  peacock's  tail  or  butter- 
fly's wing. 

Butterfly-Lobster,  n.  a  marine 
crustacean,  so  called  from  the 
leaf-like  expansion  of  the  anten- 
nae. It  is  "  the  highly  specialized 
macrourous  decapod  Ibacus  Pe- 
ronii."  (W.  A.  Haswell.) 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  248  : 

"Those  curious  crustaceans  that  I 
have  heard  called  '  butterfly  lobsters ' 
. . .  the  shell  of  the  head  and  body  (pro- 
perly known  as  the  carapace)  expands 
into  something  like  wing-forms,  en- 
tirely hiding  the  legs  beneath  them." 

Butterfly-Plant,  n.  a  small 
flowering  plant,  Utricularia  dicho- 
toma,  Lab.,  N.O.  Lentibularintz. 

Button-grass,  n.  Schcenus  sphce- 
rocephalus,Po\rQt,  N.O.  Cyperacece. 
The  grass  is  found  covering 
barren  boggy  land  in  Tasmania, 
but  is  not  peculiar  to  Tasmania. 
So  called  from  the  round  shaped 
flower  (capitate  inflorescence),  on 
a  thin  stalk  four  or  five  feet  long, 
like  a  button  on  the  end  of  a  foil. 

Buzzard,  n.  an  English  bird- 
name  applied  in  Australia  to 
Gypoictinia  melanosternon,  Gould> 
the  Black-breasted  Buzzard. 


CAB] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


75 


C 


Cabbage  Garden,  a  name 
applied  to  the  colony  of  Victoria 
by  Sir  John  Robertson,  the 
Premier  of  New  South  Wales, 
in  contempt  for  its  size. 

1889.  Rev.  J.  H.  Zillmann,  '  Australian 
Life,'  p.  30 : 

"  *  The  cabbage  garden,'  old  cynical 
Sir  John  Robertson,  of  New  South 
Wales,  once  called  Victoria,  but  a 
garden  notwithstanding.  Better  at 
any  rate  'the  cabbage  garden'  than 
the  mere  sheep  run  or  cattle  paddock." 

Cabbage  -  Palm,  n.  same  as 
Cabbage-tree  (i)  (q.v.). 

Cabbage-tree,  n.  ( i )Name  given 
to  various  palm  trees  of  which 
the  heart  of  the  young  leaves  is 
eaten  like  the  head  of  a  cabbage. 
In  Australia  the  name  is  applied 
to  the  fan  palm,  Livistona  inermis, 
R.  Br.,  and  more  commonly  to 
Livistona  australis,  Martius.  In 
New  Zealand  the  name  is  given 
to  various  species  of  Cordyline, 
especially  to  Cordyline  indivisa. 
See  also  Flame-tree  (2). 

1769.  'Capt.  Cook's  Journal,'  ed. 
Wharton  (1893),  P-  J44  : 

"We  likewise  found  one  Cabage 
Tree  which  we  cut  down  for  the  sake 
of  the  cabage." 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,' p.  60  : 

"  Even  the  ships'  crews  helped, 
except  those  who  brought  the  cabbage 
trees." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  c.  iv.  p.  132  : 

"  Cabbage-tree  .  .  .  grew  in  abund- 
ance." 

1847.  L.    Leichhardt,     'Overland    Ex- 
pedition,' p.  72 : 

"  Several  of  my  companions  suffered 
by  eating  too  much  of  the  cabbage - 
palm." 


1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  414: 

"  Clumps  of  what  the  people  of 
King  George's  Sound  call  cabbage- 
trees." 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  '  New  Zealand, ' 
p.  240 : 

"  There  stands  an  isolated  *  cabbage- 
tree  '  (Ti  of  the  natives  ;  Cordyline 
Australis]  nearly  thirty  feet  high,  with 
ramified  branches  and  a  crown  of 
luxuriant  growth." 

(2)  A  large,  low-crowned, 
broad-brimmed  hat,  made  out  of 
the  leaves  of  the  Cabbage-tree 
(Livistona]. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  335  : 

"  This  hat,  made  of  white  filaments 
of  the  cabbage-tree,  seemed  to  excite 
the  attention  of  the  whole  party." 

1852.  G.  F.  P.,  'Gold  Pen  and  Pencil 
Sketches,'  xv.  : 

"  With  scowl  indignant  flashing  from 

his  eye, 
As  though  to  wither  each  unshaven 

wretch, 
Jack  jogs  along,   nor    condescends 

reply, 

As  to  the  price  his  cabbage-tree 
might  fetch." 

1864.  '  Once  a  Week,'  Dec.  31,  p.  45, 
'  The  Bulla  Bulla  Bunyip ' : 

"  Lushy  Luke  endeavoured  to  sober 
himself  by  dipping  his  head  in  the 
hollowed  tree-trunk  which  serves  for 
the  water-trough  of  an  up-country 
Australian  inn.  He  forgot,  however, 
to  take  off  his  '  cabbage-tree '  before 
he  ducked,  and  angry  at  having  made 
a  fool  of  himself,  he  gave  fierce  orders, 
in  a  thick  voice,  for  his  men  to  fall  in, 
shoulder  arms,  and  mark  time." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  pp.  160,  161  : 

"  The  cabbage-palm  was  also  a  new 
species,  called  by  Mr.  Brown  the 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[CAB-CAM 


Livistonia  inermis.  It  was  abundant ; 
but  the  cabbage  (the  heart  of  the  young 
budding  leaves)  too  small  to  be  useful 
as  an  article  of  food,  at  least  to  a  ship's 
company.  But  the  leaves  were  found 
useful.  These  dried  and  drawn  into 
strips  were  plaited  into  hats  for  the 
men,  and  to  this  day  the  cabbage-tree 
hat  is  very  highly  esteemed  by  the 
Australians,  as  a  protection  from  the 
sun,  and  allowing  free  ventilation." 
[Note]:  "A  good  cabbage-tree  hat, 
though  it  very  much  resembles  a  com- 
mon straw  hat,  will  fetch  as  much  as 

£3." 

1878.   '  The  Australian,'  vol.  i.  p.  527  : 

"...  trousers,  peg-top  shaped,  and 
wore  a  new  cabbage-tree  hat." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  33  : 

"A  brand-new  cabbage-tree  hat 
protected  his  head." 

Cabbage-tree  Mob,  and  Cab- 
bagites,  obsolete  Australian  slang 
for  modern  Larrikins  (q.v).,  be- 
cause wearing  cabbage-tree  hats. 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes  ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  17: 

"There  are  to  be  found  round  the 
doors  of  the  Sydney  Theatre  a  sort  of 
4  loafers '  known  as  the  Cabbage-tree 
mob, — a  class  who,  in  the  spirit  of  the 
.ancient  tyrant,  one  might  excusably 
wish  had  but  one  nose  in  order  to 
.make  it  a  bloody  one.  .  .  .  Unaware  of 
the  propensities  of  the  cabbagites  he 
was  by  them  furiously  assailed." 

Cad,  n.  name  in  Queensland 
for  the  Cicada  (q.v.). 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Jan.  u,  p. 
76,  col.  i  : 

"  From  the  trees  sounds  the  shrill 
chirp  of  large  green  cicada  (native 
cads  as  the  bushmen  call  them)." 

Caddie,  n.  a  bush  name  for  the 
slouch-hat  or  wide-awake.  In 
the  Australian  bush  the  brim  is 
generally  turned  down  at  the  back 
and  sometimes  all  round. 

Cadet,  n.  term  used  in  New 
Zealand,  answering  to  the  Aus- 
tralian Colonial  Experience,  or 
Jackaroo  (q.v.). 

1866.  Lady  Barker,  '  Station  Life  in 
JSTew  Zealand,'  p.  68  : 


"  A  cadet,  as  they  are  called — he  is 
a  clergyman's  son  learning  sheep- 
farming  under  our  auspices." 

1871.  C.  L.  Money,  '  Knocking  About 
in  New  Zealand/  p.  6  : 

"  The  military  designation  of  cadet 
was  applied  to  any  young  fellow  who 
was  attached  to  a  sheep  or  cattle 
station  in  the  same  capacity  as  myself. 
He  was  '  neither  flesh  nor  fowl  nor 
good  red  herring,'  neither  master  nor 
man.  He  was  sent  to  work  with  the 
men,  but  not  paid." 

Caloprymnus,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  called  the 
Plain  Kangaroo-Rat.  (Grk.  KaXos, 
beautiful,  and  7rpv/x,voV,  hinder 
part.)  It  has  bright  flanks.  See 
Kangaroo-Rat. 

Camp,  n.  (i)  A  place  to  live  in, 
generally  temporary  ;  a  rest. 

1885.  H.  Finch- Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' pp.  46,  47  : 

"  I  was  shown  my  camp,  which  was 
a  slab  hut  about  a  hundred  yards  away 
from  the  big  house.  ...  I  was  rather 
tired,  and  not  sorry  for  the  prospect 
of  a  camp." 

(2)  A    place    for     mustering 
cattle. 

1885.  II.  Finch-Hatton,  'Advance Aus- 
tralia/ p.  64  : 

"All  about  the  run,  at  intervals  of 
five  or  six  miles,  are  cattle-camps,  and 
the  cattle  that  belong  to  the  surround- 
ing districts  are  mustered  on  their 
respective  camps." 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  '  Man  from 
Snowy  River/  p.  26  : 

"  There  was  never  his  like  in  the 

open  bush, 

And  never  his  match  on  the  cattle- 
camps." 

(3)  In    Australia,     frequently 
used  for  a    camping-out   expedi- 
tion.     Often  in  composition  with 
"  out,"  a  camp-out. 

1869.  'Colonial  Monthly/  vol.  iv.  p. 
289: 

"A  young  fellow  with  even  a  mod- 
erate degree  of  sensibility  must  be 
excited  by  the  novelty  of  his  first 
'  camp-out '  in  the  Australian  bush." 


CAM-CAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


77 


1880.  R.  H.  Inglis,  'Australian  Cousins/ 
P-  233  : 

"We're  going  to  have  a  regular 
camp  ;  we  intend  going  to  Port  Hock- 
ing to  have  some  shooting,  fishing, 
and  general  diversion.' 

(4)  A  name  for  Sydney  and  for 
Hobart,  now  long-  obsolete, 
originating  when  British  military 
forces  were  stationed  there. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  70 : 

"  It  is  the  old  resident— he  who  still 
calls  Sydney,  with  its  population  of 
twelve  thousand  inhabitants,  the  camp, 
— that  can  appreciate  these  things  :  he 
who  still  recollects  the  few  earth-huts 
and  solitary  tents  scattered  through 
the  forest  brush  surrounding  Sydney 
Cove  (known  properly  then  indeed  by 
the  name  of 'The  Camp')." 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  i.  p.  193  : 

"  Living  during  the  winter  in  Hobar- 
ton,  usually  called  '  the  camp,'  in  those 
days." 

Camp,  v.  (i)  Generally  in  com- 
position with  "out,"  to  sleep  in 
the  open  air,  usually  without  any 
covering.  Camping  out  is  exceed- 
ingly common  in  Australia  owing1 
to  the  warmth  of  the  climate  and 
the  rarity  of  rain. 

1867.  Lady  Barker,  '  Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  125  : 

"  I  like  to  hear  of  benighted  or  be- 
lated travellers  when  they  have  had  to 
'camp  out,'  as  it  is  technically  called." 

1875.  R.  and  F.  Hill,  '  What  we  saw 
in  Australia,'  p.  208  : 

"So  the  Bishop  determined  to 
'  camp-out '  at  once  where  a  good  fire 
could  be  made." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  43  : 

"  There  is  room  here  for  fifty,  rolled 
up  on  the  floor  ;  and  should  that  fail 
them,  there  is  no  end  of  other  places  ; 
or  the  bush,  as  a  fall  back,  where,  in- 
deed, some  of  them  prefer  camping  as 
it  is." 

1891.  'The  Australasian,'  Nov.  14,  p. 
963,  col.  i  :  '  A  Lady  in  the  Kermadecs  : 

"  For  three  months  I  '  camped  out ' 
there  alone,  shepherding  a  flock  of 
Angoras." 


(2)  By    extension,   to  sleep   in 
any  unusual  place,  or  at  an  un- 
usual time. 

1893.  '  Review  of  Reviews '  (Australasian 
ed.),  March,  p.  51  : 

"  The  campaign  came  to  an  abrupt 
and  somewhat  inglorious  close,  Sir 
George  Dibbs  having  to  l  camp '  in  a 
railway  carriage,  and  Sir  Henry  Parkes 
being  flood-bound  at  Quirindi." 

1896.   Modern  : 

"  Visitor, — '  Where's  your  Mother  ? ' 
'  Oh,  she's  camping.' ;'  [The  lady  was 
enjoying  an  afternoon  nap  indoors.] 

(3)  To  stop  for  a   rest  in   the 
middle  of  the  day. 

1891.  Mrs.  Cross  (Ada  Cambridge), 
'The  Three  Miss  Kings/  p.  180  : 

"We'll  have  lunch  first  before  we 
investigate  the  caves—  if  it's  agreeable 
to  you.  I  will  take  the  horses  out,  and 
we'll  find  a  nice  place  to  camp  before 
they  come." 

(4)  To  floor  or  prove  superior 
to.       Slang. 

1886.   C.  H.  Kendall,  'Poems,'  p.  207  : 

"  At  punching  oxen  you  may  guess 
There's  nothing  out  can  camp 

him. 
He  has,  in  fact,  the   slouch   and 

dress, 

Which     bullock-driver     stamp 
him." 

Camphor-wood,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian timber  ;  the  wood  of  Callitris 
(Frenea)  robusta,  Cunn.,  N.O.  Con- 
iferce.  Called  also  Light,  Black, 
White,  Dark,  and  Common  Pine, 
as  the  wood  varies  much  in  its 
colouring.  See  Pine. 

Canajong,  n.  Tasmanian  abori- 
ginal name  for  the  plants  called 
Pig-faces  (q.v.). 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,  'p.  44 : 

"  Pig-faces.  It  was  the  canajong  of 
the  Tasmanian  aboriginal.  The  fleshy 
fruit  is  eaten  raw  by  the  aborigines  : 
the  leaves  are  eaten  baked." 

Canary,  n.  (i)  A  bird-name 
used  in  New  Zealand  for  Clitonyx 
ochrocephala,  called  also  the  Yellow- 
head.  Dwellers  in  the  back- 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[CAN-CAP 


blocks  of  Australia  apply  the 
name  to  the  Orange-fronted  Ephthi- 
,anura  (E.  aurifrons,  Gould),  and 
sometimes  to  the  White-throated 
Gerygone  (Gerygone  albigularis). 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  56  : 

"Clitonyx  Ochrocephala.  Yellow- 
head.  *  Canary '  of  the  colonists." 

(2)  Slang  for  a  convict.  See 
•quotations.  As  early  as  1673, 
*  canary-bird '  was  thieves'  Eng- 
lish for  a  gaol-bird. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales/  vol.  ii.  p.  117.: 

"Convicts  of  but  recent  migration 
are  facetiously  known  by  the  name  of 
canaries,  by  reason  of  the  yellow 
plumage  in  which  they  are  fledged 
at  the  period  of  landing." 

1870.  T.  H.  Braim,  '  New  Homes/ 
c.  ii.  p.  72  : 

"The  prisoners  were  dressed  in 
yellow — hence  called  *  canary  birds.' " 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former/ c.  vi.  p.  49  : 

"  Can't  you  get  your  canaries  off  the 
track  here  for  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  and  let  my  mob  of  cattle  pass  ?  " 

Candle-nut,  «.  The  name  is 
given  in  Queensland  to  the  fruit 
of  Aleurites  moluccana,  Willd., 
N.O.  Euphorbiacea .  The  nuts  are 
two  or  more  inches  diameter. 
The  name  is  often  given  to  the 
tree  itself,  which  grows  wild  in 
Queensland  and  is  cultivated  in 
gardens  there  under  the  name 
of  A.  triloba,  Forst.  It  is  not 
endemic  in  Australia,  but  the  ver- 
nacular name  of  Candle-nut  is 
confined  to  Australia  and  the 
Polynesian  Islands. 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey,  'Synopsis  of  Queens- 
land Flora/  p.  472  : 

"  Candle-nut.  The  kernels  when 
dried  and  stuck  on  a  reed  are  used  by 
the  Polynesian  Islanders  as  a  substitute 
for  candles,  and  as  an  article  of  food  in 
New  Georgia.  These  nuts  resemble 
walnuts  somewhat  in  size  and  taste. 
When  pressed  they  yield  a  large  pro- 
portion of  pure  palatable  oil,  used  as  a 


drying-oil   for    paint,    and    known    as 
country  walnut-oil  and  artists'   oil.'* 


i.q. 


Bamboo- 


Cane-grass, 
grass  (q.v.). 

Cape -Barren   Goose,    n.    See 

Goose. 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania/  vol.  i.  p.  114  [Footnote]: 

"  The ' Cape  Barren  Goose'  frequents 
the  island  from  which  it  takes  its  name, 
and  others  in  the  Straits.  It  is  about 
the  same  size  as  a  common  goose,  the 
plumage  a  handsome  mottled  brown 
and  gray,  somewhat  owl-like  in  char- 
acter." 

[Cape  Barren  Island  is  in  Bass  Strait, 
between  Flinders  Island  and  Tasmania. 
Banks  Strait  flows  between  Cape 
Barren  Island  and  Tasmania.  The 
easternmost  point  on  the  island  is 
called  Cape  Barren.] 

Cape-Barren  Tea,  n.  a  shrub  or 
tree,  Correa  alba,  Andr.,  N.O. 
Rutacece. 

1834.  Ross,  'Van  Diemen's  Land  An- 
nual/ p.  134: 

"  Leptospermum  lanigerum,  hoary 
tea-tree ;  Acacia  decurrens,  black 
wattle  ;  Corrcea  alba,  Cape  Barren  tea. 
The  leaves  of  these  have  been  used  as 
substitutes  for  tea  in  the  colony." 

Cape  Lilac,  n.     See  Lilac. 

Cape  "Weed,  n.  In  Europe, 
Roccella  tinctoria,  a  lichen  from 
the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands,  from 
which  a  dye  is  produced.  In  New 
Zealand,  name  given  to  the  Euro- 
pean cats-ear,  Hyp&choris  radicata. 
In  Australia  it  is  as  in  quotation 
below.  See  'Globe  Encyclopaedia,' 
1877  (s.v.). 

1878.  W.  R.  Guilfoyle,  'First  Book  of 
Australian  Botany/  p.  60  : 

"Cape  Weed.  Cryptostcmma  Ca- 
lendulaceum.  (Natural  Order,  Com- 
positcc.}  This  weed,  which  has  proved 
such  a  pest  in  many  parts  of  Victoria, 
was  introduced  from  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  as  a  fodder  plant.  It  is  an 
annual,  flowering  in  the  spring,  and 
giving  a  bright  golden  hue  to  the 
fields.  It  proves  destructive  to  other 
herbs  and  grasses,  and  though  it 
affords  a  nutritious  food  for  stock  in 


CAP-CAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


79 


the  spring,  it  dies  off  in  the  middle  of 
summer,  after  ripening  its  seeds,  leav- 
ing the  fields  quite  bare." 

Caper-tree,  n.  The  Australian 
tree  of  this  name  is  Capparis  no- 
bilis,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Capparidea. 
The  Karum  of  the  Queensland 
aboriginals.  The  fruit  is  one  to 
two  inches  in  diameter.  Called 
also  Grey  Plum  or  Native  Pome- 
granate. The  name  is  also  given 
to  Capparis  Mitchelli,  Lindl.  The 
European  caper  is  Capparis  spinosa^ 
Linn. 

1894.  '  Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue, 
Economic  Woods,'  p.  10  : 

"  Native  Caper  Tree  or  Wild  Pome- 
granate. Natural  Order,  Capparidece. 
Found  in  the  Mallee  Scrub.  A  small 
tree.  The  wood  is  whitish,  hard, 
close-grained,  and  suitable  for  engrav- 
ing, carving,  and  similar  purposes. 
Strongly  resembles  lancewood." 

Captain  Cook,  or  Cooker,  n. 
New  Zealand  colonists'  slang. 
First  applied  to  the  wild  pigs  of 
New  Zealand,  supposed  to  be 
descended  from  those  first  intro- 
duced by  Captain  Cook ;  after- 
wards used  as  term  of  reproach 
for  any  pig  which,  like  the  wild 
variety,  obstinately  refused  to 
fatten.  See  Introduction,  p.  xv. 

1879.  W.  Quin,  '  New  Zealand  Country 
Journal,'  vol.  iii.  p.  55  : 

"  Many  a  rare  old  tusker  finds  a 
home  in  the  mountain  gorges.  The 
immense  tusks  at  Brooksdale  attest 
the  size  of  the  wild  boars  or  Captain 
Cooks,  as  the  patriarchs  are  generally 
named." 

1894.  E-  Wakefield,  '  New  Zealand  after 
Fifty  Years,'  p.  85  : 

"The  leanness  and  roughness  of 
the  wild  pig  gives  it  quite  a  different 
appearance  from  the  domesticated 
variety  ;  and  hence  a  gaunt,  ill-shaped, 
or  sorry-looking  pig  is  everywhere 
called  in  derision  a  '  Captain  Cook.'  " 

Carbora,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  (i)  the  Native  Bear.  See 
Bear. 

(2)  A  kind  of  water  worm  that 


eats    into    timber    between    high 
and  low  water  on  a  tidal  river. 

Cardamom,  n.  For  the  Austra- 
lian tree  of  this  name,  see  quota- 
tion. 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,'  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  96: 

"The  Australian  cardamom  tree." 
[Footnote] :  "  This  is  a  fictitious  name, 
as  are  the  names  of  many  Australian 
plants  and  animals.  The  tree  belongs 
to  the  nutmeg  family,  and  its  real 
name  is  Myristica  insipida.  The  name 
owes  its  existence  to  the  similarity  of 
the  fruit  to  the  real  cardamom.  But 
the  fruit  of  the  Myristica  has  not  so 
strong  and  pleasant  an  odour  as  the 
real  cardamom,  and  hence  the  tree  is 
called  insipida." 

Carp,  n.  The  English  fish  is  of 
the  family  Cyprinidcz.  The  name 
is  given  to  different  fishes  in  Ire- 
land and  elsewhere.  In  Sydney 
it  is  Chilodactylus  fuscus,  Castln., 
and  Chilodactylus  macropterus, 
Richards.  ;  called  also  Morwong 
(q.v.).  The  Murray  Carp  is  Mur- 
ray ia  cyprinoideS)  Castln.,  a  percoid 
fish.  Chilodactylus  belongs  to  the 
family  Cirrhitidce,  in  no  way  allied 
to  Cyprinidce,  which  contains  the 
European  carps.  Cirrhitidcz,  says 
Giinther,  may  be  readily  recog- 
nized by  their  thickened  undivided 
lower  pectoral  rays,  which  in 
some  are  evidently  auxiliary 
organs  of  locomotion,  in  others, 
probably,  organs  of  touch. 

Carpet-Shark,  n.  i.q.  Wobbegong 
(q.v.). 

Carpet-Snake,  ;/.  a  large  Aus- 
tralian snake  with  a  variegated 
skin,  Python  variegata^  Gray.  In 
Whitworth's  'Anglo-Indian  Dic- 
tionary,' 1885  (s.v.),  we  are  told 
that  the  name  is  loosely  applied 
(sc.  in  India)  to  any  kind  of  snake 
found  in  a  dwelling-house  other 
than  a  cobra  or  a  dhaman.  In 
Tasmania,  a  venomous  snake, 


8o 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[CAR-CAS 


Hoplocephalus  curtus,  Schlegel.   See 
under  Snake. 

Carrier,  n.  a  local  name  for  a 
water-bag. 

1893.  A.  F.  Calvert,  'English  Illus- 
trated/ Feb.,  p.  321  :  .  , 

"  For  the  water-holders  or   carriers 
(made  to  fit  the  bodies  of  the  horses 
carrying  them,  or  to  '  ride  easily '  on 
pack-saddles)." 

Carrot,  Native,  (i)  Daucus 
brachiatus,  Sieb.,  N.O.  Umbelli- 
fera.  Not  endemic  in  Australia. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition/ p.  64 : 

"The  native  carrot  .  .  .  was  here 
withered  and  in  seed." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants/  p.  124  : 

"Native  carrot.  Stock  are  very 
fond  of  this  plant  when  young. 
Sheep  thrive  wonderfully  on  it  where 
it  is  plentiful.  It  is  a  small  annual  her- 
baceous plant,  growing  plentifully  on 
sandhills  and  rich  soil ;  the  seeds, 
locally  termed  '  carrot  burrs,'  are  very 
injurious  to  wool,  the  hooked  spines 
with  which  the  seeds  are  armed  attach- 
ing themselves  to  the  fleece,  rendering 
portions  of  it  quite  stiff  and  rigid.  The 
common  carrot  belongs,  of  course,  to 
this  genus,  and  the  fact  that  it  is 
descended  from  an  apparently  worth- 
less, weedy  plant,  indicates  that  the 
present  species  is  capable  of  much 
improvement  by  cultivation." 

(2)  In  Tasmania  Geranium  dis- 
sectum,  Linn.,  is  also  called  "  native 
carrot." 

Cascarilla,  Native,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian timber,  Croton  vtrreauxii, 
Baill.,  N.O.  Euphorbiacea. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants/  p.  408  : 

"  Native  cascarilla.  A  small  tree  ; 
wood  of  a  yellowish  colour,  close- 
grained  and  firm." 

Cassowary,  n.  The  word  is 
Malay,  the  genus  being  found  in 
"the  Islands  in  the  Indian  Archi- 
pelago." ('O.E.D.')  The  Aus- 
tralian variety  is  Casuarius  austra- 
lis,  Waller.  The  name  is  often 
erroneously  applied  (as  in  the 


first  two  quotations),  to  the  Emu 
(q.v.),  which  is  not  a  Cassowary. 

1789.  Governor  Phillip,  'Voyage,'  c. 
xxii.  p.  271  : 

"New  Holland  Cassowary.  [De- 
scription given.]  This  bird  is  not  un- 
common in  New  Holland,  as  several 
of  them  have  been  seen  about  Botany 
Bay,  and  other  parts.  .  .  .  Although 
this  bird  cannot  fly,  it  runs  so  swiftly 
that  a  greyhound  can  scarcely  overtake 
it.  The  flesh  is  said  to  be  in  taste  not 
unlike  beef." 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales/  c.  xi.  p.  438  : 

"The  cassowary  of  New  South 
Wales  is  larger  in  all  respects  than 
the  well-known  bird  called  the  cas- 
sowary." 

1869.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia' 
(Supplement)  : 

"  Casuarius  Australis,  Wall.,  Aus- 
tralian Cassowary,  sometimes  called 
Black  Emu." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,'  Among  Cannibals/ 
P-  73^ 

"One  day  an  egg  of  a  cassowary 
was  brought  to  me  ;  this  bird,  although 
it  is  nearly  akin  to  the  ostrich  and 
emu,  does  not,  like  the  latter,  frequent 
the  open  plains,  but  the  thick  brush- 
wood. The  Australian  cassowary  is 
found  in  Northern  Queensland  from 
Herbert  river  northwards,  in  all  the 
large  vine-scrubs  on  the  banks  of  the 
rivers,  and  on  the  high  mountains  of 
the  coasts." 

Ibid.  p.  97. 

"  The  proud  cassowary,  the  stateliest 
bird  of  Australia  .  .  .  this  beautiful 
and  comparatively  rare  creature." 

1891.  'Guide   to    Zoological    Gardens, 
Melbourne ' : 

"The  Australian  cassowary.  .  .  . 
They  are  somewhat  shorter  and  stouter 
in  build  than  the  emu." 

Casuarina,  ;/.  the  scientific 
name  of  a  large  group  of  trees 
common  to  India,  and  other  parts 
lying  between  India  and  Austra- 
lasia, but  more  numerous  in  Aus- 
tralia than  elsewhere,  and  often 
forming  a  characteristic  feature  of 
the  vegetation.  They  are  the 
so-called  She-oaks  (q.v.).  The 
word  is  not,  however,  Australian,. 


CAT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


Si 


and  is  much  older  than  the  dis- 
covery of  Australia.  Its  etymo- 
logy is  contained  in  the  quota- 
tion, 1877. 

1806.   'Naval  Chronicles,'  c.  xv.  p.  460  : 

"  Clubs  made  of  the  wood  of  the 
casuarina." 

1814.  R.  Brown,  'Botany  of  Terra  Aus- 
tralis,'  in  M.  Flinders'  '  Voyage  to  Terra 
Australis,'  vol.  ii.  p.  571  : 

"  Casuarinae.  The  genus  Casuarina 
is  certainly  not  referable  to  any  order 
of  plants  at  present  established  .  .  it 
may  be  considered  a  separate  order 
.  .  .  The  maximum  of  Casuarina 
appears  to  exist  in  Terra  Australis, 
where  it  forms  one  of  the  character- 
istic features  of  the  vegetation." 

1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes,' 
p.  160: 

"The  dark  selvage  of  casuarinas 
fringing  its  bank." 

1861.  T.  McCombie, '  Australian  Sketch- 
es,'p.  10: 

"The  vegetation  assumed  a  new 
character,  the  eucalyptus  and  casuarina 
alternating  with  the  wild  cherry  and 
honeysuckle." 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller,  '  Botanic  Teachings,' 
P-  34: 

"The  scientific  name  of  these  well- 
known  plants  is  as  appropriate  as  their 
vernacular  appellation  is  odd  and  un- 
suited.  The  former  alludes  to  the 
cassowary  (Casuarius\  the  plumage  of 
which  is  comparatively  as  much  re- 
duced among  birds,  as  the  foliage  of 
the  casuarinas  is  stringy  among  trees. 
Hence  more  than  two  centuries  ago 
Rumph  already  bestowed  the  name 
Casuarina  on  a  Java  species,  led  by 
the  Dutch  colonists,  who  call  it  there 
the  Casuaris-Boom.  The  Australian 
vernacular  name  seems  to  have  arisen 
from  some  fancied  resemblance  of  the 
wood  of  some  casuarinas  to  that  of 
oaks,  notwithstanding  the  extreme 
difference  of  the  foliage  and  fruit  ; 
unless,  as  Dr.  Hooker  supposes,  the 
popular  name  of  these  trees  and  shrubs 
arose  from  the  Canadian  '  Sheack.' " 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  397  : 

"From  a  fancied  resemblance  of 
the  wood  of  casuarinas  to  that  of 
oak,  these  trees  are  called  '  oaks,'  and 
the  same  and  different  species  have 
various  appellations  in  various  parts." 


1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals,' 
P-  33  : 

"  Along  its  banks  (the  Comet's)  my 
attention  was  drawn  to  a  number  of 
casuarinas — those  leafless,  dark  trees, 
which  always  make  a  sad  impression 
on  the  traveller ;  even  a  casual  ob- 
server will  notice  the  dull,  depressing 
sigh  which  comes  from  a  grove  of  these 
trees  when  there  is  the  least  breeze." 

Cat-bird,  n.  In  America  the 
name  is  given  to  Mimus  carolinen- 
sts,  a  mocking  thrush,  which  like 
the  Australian  bird  has  a  cry  re- 
sembling the  mewing  of  a  cat. 
The  Australian  species  are — 

The  Cat-bird— 

Ailurtzdus  viridts,  Lath. 
Spotted  C.— 

Ailurcedus  maculosus,  Ramsay. 

Pomatostomus  rubeculus,  Gould. 
Tooth-billed  C.— 

Scenopceus  dentirostris,  Ramsay. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv.  pi.  II  : 

"  Its  loud,  harsh  and  extraordinary 
note  is  heard  ;  a  note  which  differs  so 
much  from  that  of  all  other  birds,  that 
having  been  once  heard  it  can  never 
be  mistaken.  In  comparing  it  to  the 
nightly  concert  of  the  domestic  cat,  I 
conceive  that  I  am  conveying  to  my 
readers  a  more  perfect  idea  of  the  note 
of  this  species  than  could  be  given  by 
pages  of  description.  This  concert, 
like  that  of  the  animal  whose  name  it 
bears,  is  performed  either  by  a  pair  or 
several  individuals,  and  nothing  more 
is  required  than  for  the  hearer  to  shut 
his  eyes  from  the  neighbouring  foliage 
to  fancy  himself  surrounded  by  London 
grimalkins  of  house-top  celebrity." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  36: 

"  One  of  the  most  peculiar  of  birds' 
eggs  found  about  the  Murray  is  that 
of  the  locally-termed  'cat-bird,'  the 
shell  of  which  is  veined  thickly  with 
dark  thin  threads  as  though  covered 
with  a  spider's  web." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,' Among  Cannibals.' 
p.  96: 

"The  cat-bird  (dLlurcedus  maculo- 
sus}, which  makes  its  appearance  to- 
wards evening,  and  has  a  voice  strik- 
ingly like  the  mewing  of  a  cat." 


82 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[CAT 


1893.   'The  Argus.'  March  25  : 

"  Another  quaint  caller  of  the  bush 
is  the  cat-bird,  and  its  eggs  are  of 
exactly  the  colour  of  old  ivory." 

1896.  G.  A.  Keartland,  '  Home  Expedi- 
tion in  Central  Australia,'  pt.  ii.  Zoology, 
p.  92  : 

"  Their  habit  of  mewing  like  a  cat 
has  gained  for  them  the  local  cogno- 
men of  cat-birds." 

Cat-fish,  n.  The  name  is  ap- 
plied in  the  Old  World  to  various 
fishes  of  the  family  Siluridce,  and 
also  to  the  Wolf-fish  of  Europe 
and  North  America.  It  arises 
from  the  resemblance  of  the  teeth 
in  some  cases  or  the  projecting 
"  whiskers  "  in  others,  to  those  of 
a  cat.  In  Victoria  and  New  South 
Wales  it  is  a  fresh-water  fish, 
Copidoglanis  tandanus,  Mitchell, 
brought  abundantly  to  Melbourne 
by  railway.  It  inhabits  the  rivers 
of  the  Murray  system,  but  not  of 
the  centre  of  the  continent. 
Called  also  Eel-fish  and  Tandan 
(q.v.).  In  Sydney  the  same  name 
is  applied  also  to  Cnidoglanis 
megastoma,  Rich.,  and  in  New 
Zealand  Kathetostoma  monoptery- 
gium.  Copidoglanis  and  Cnidoglanis 
are  Siluroids,  and  Kathetostoma 
is  a  "  stargazer,"  i.  e.  a  fish 
having  eyes  on  the  upper  surface 
of  the  head,  belonging  to  the 
family  Trachinidce. 

1851.  J.Henderson,  '  Excursions  in  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  207  : 

"The  Cat-fish,  which  I  have  fre- 
quently caught  in  the  McLeay,  is  a 
large  and  very  ugly  animal.  Its  head 
is  provided  with  several  large  tentac- 
atas,  and  it  has  altogether  a  disagree- 
able appearance.  I  have  eat  its  flesh, 
but  did  not  like  it." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  213  [Footnote]  : 

"Mr.  Frank  Buckland  .  .  .  writing 
of  a  species  of  rock-fish,  says — '  I  found 
that  it  had  a  beautiful  contrivance  in 
the  conformation  of  its  mouth.  It  has 
the  power  of  prolongating  both  its 
jaws  to  nearly  the  extent  of  half-an- 
inch  from  their  natural  position.  This 


is  done  by  a  most  beautiful  bit  of 
mechanism,  somewhat  on  the  principle 
of  what  are  called  lazy  tongs/ 
The  cat-fish  possesses  a  like  feature, 
but  on  a  much  larger  scale,  the  front 
part  of  the  mouth  being  capable  of 
being  protruded  between  two  and  three 
inches  when  seizing  prey.' " 

Cat,  Native,  n.  a  small  carniv- 
orous marsupial,  of  the  genus 
Dasyurus.  The  so-called  native 
cat  is  not  a  cat  at  all,  but  a 
marsupial  which  resembles  a 
very  large  rat  or  weasel,  with 
rather  a  bushy  tail.  It  is  fawn- 
coloured  or  mouse-coloured,  or 
black  and  covered  with  little  white 
spots  ;  a  very  pretty  little  animal. 
It  only  appears  at  night,  when  it 
climbs  fences  and  trees  and  forms 
sport  for  moonlight  shooting.  Its 
skin  is  made  into  fancy  rugs  and 
cloaks  or  mantles. 

The  animal  is  more  correctly 
called  a  Dasyure  (q.v.).  The 
species  are — 

Black-tailed  Native  Cat — 

Dasyurus  geoffroyi,  Gould. 
Common   N.C.  (called  also   Tiger 
Cat,  q.v.)— 

D.  viverrimuS)  Shaw. 
North  Australian  N.C. — 

D.  hallucatusj  Gould. 
Papuan  N.C. — 

D.  albopunctatus,  Schl. 
Slender  N.C.— 

D.  gracilis,  Ramsay. 
Spotted-tailed    N.C.    (called    also 
Tiger  Cat)— 

D.  maculatuS)  Kerr. 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  67  : 

"  The  native  cat  is  similar  [to  the 
Tiger  Cat  ;  q.v.]  but  smaller,  and  its 
fur  is  an  ashy-grey  with  white  spots. 
We  have  seen  two  or  three  skins  quite 
black,  spotted  with  white,  but  these 
are  very  rare." 

1885.  H.  H.  Hayter,  'Carboona,'  p. 
35: 

"  A  blanket  made  of  the  fur-covered 
skins  of  the  native  cat." 


CAT-CAU] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


1894.  'The  Argus,'  June  23,  p.  n, 
col.  4 : 

"  The  voices  of  most  of  our  night 
animals  are  guttural  and  unpleasing. 
The  'possum  has  a  throaty  half-stifled 
squeak,  the  native  cat  a  deep  chest- 
note  ending  with  a  hiss  and  easily 
imitated."  [See  Skirr.\ 

Catholic  Frog,  n.  name  applied 
to  a  frog  living  in  the  inland  parts 
of  New  South  Wales,  Notaden 
bennettii,  Giinth.,  which  tides  over 
times  of  drought  in  burrows,  and 
feeds  on  ants.  Called  also  "Holy 
Cross  Toad."  The  names  are 
given  in  consequence  of  a  large 
cross-shaped  blackish  marking  on 
the  back. 

1891.  J.  J.  Fletcher,  'Proceedings  of 
the  Linnsean  Society,  New  South  Wales,' 
vol.  vi.  (2nd  series),  p.  265  : 

'•'•Notaden  bennettii,  the  Catholic 
frog,  or  as  I  have  heard  it  called  the 
Holy  Cross  Toad,  I  first  noticed  in 
January  1885,  after  a  heavy  fall  of  rain 
lasting  ten  days,  off  and  on,  and  suc- 
ceeding a  severe  drought." 

Cat's  Byes,  n.  Not  the  true 
Ca?s-eye,  but  the  name  given  in 
Australia  to  the  opercula  of  Turbo 
smaragdus,  Martyn,  a  marine  mol- 
lusc. The  operculum  is  the  horny 
or  shelly  lid  which  closes  the 
aperture  of  most  spiral  shell  fish. 

Cat's-head  Fern,  n.  Aspidium 
aculeatum,  Sw. 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  220  : 

"  The  cat's-head  fern  ;  though  why 
that  name  was  given  to  it  I  have  not 
the  remotest  idea.  ...  It  is  full  of 
beauty — the  pinnules  so  exquisitely 
formed  and  indented,  and  gemmed 
beneath  with  absolute  constellations 
of  Sport  Polystichum  vestitum?' 

Catspaw,  n.  a  Tasmanian  plant, 
Trichiniumspathulatum^  Poir.,7V.  O. 
Amarantacece. 

Cat's  Tail,  n.     See  Wonga. 

Cattle-bush,  n.  a  tree,  Ata- 
laya  hemiglauca,  F.  v.  M.,  N.  O. 
Sapindacetz.  It  is  found  in  South 


Australia,  New  South  Wales,  and 
Queensland,  and  is  sometimes 
called  Whitewood. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  117  : 

"  Cattle-bush.  .  .  The  leaves  of  this 
tree  are  eaten  by  stock,  the  tree  being 
frequently  felled  for  their  use  during 
seasons  of  drought." 

Cattle-duffer,  n.  a  man  who 
steals  cattle  (usually  by  altering 
their  brands).  See  also  Duffer. 

1886.  '  Melbourne  Punch,'  July  15, 
Cartoon  Verses : 

"Cattle-duffers    on    a    jury    may    be 

honest  men  enough, 
But   they're   bound  to    visit   lightly 
sins  in  those  who  cattle  duff." 

Cattle-racket,  n.  Explained  in 
quotation. 

1852.  '  Settlers  and  Convicts  ;  or  Recol- 
lections of  Sixteen  Years'  Labour  in  the 
Australian  Backwoods,'  p.  294  : 

"  A  Cattle-racket.  The  term  at  the 
head  of  this  chapter  was  originally 
applied  in  New  South  Wales  to  the 
agitation  of  society  which  took  place 
when  some  wholesale  system  of  plunder 
in  cattle  was  brought  to  light.  It  is 
now  commonly  applied  to  any  circum- 
stance of  this  sort,  whether  greater  or 
less,  and  whether  springing  from  a 
felonious  intent  or  accidental." 

Caustic-Creeper,  n.  name  given 
to  Euphorbia  drummondii^  Boiss., 
N.  O.  Euphorbiacece. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  127  : 

"Called  'caustic-creeper'  in  Queens- 
land. Called  'milk-plant'  and  'pox- 
plant3  about  Bourke.  This  weed  is 
unquestionably  poisonous  to  sheep, 
and  has  recently  (Oct.  1887)  been 
reported  as  having  been  fatal  to  a 
flock  near  Bourke,  New  South  Wales. 
.  .  .  When  eaten  by  sheep  in  the 
early  morning,  before  the  heat  of  the 
sun  has  dried  it  up,  it  is  almost  certain 
to  be  fatal.  Its  effect  on  sheep  is 
curious.  The  head  swells  to  an 
enormous  extent,  becoming  so  heavy 
that  the  animal  cannot  support  it,  and 
therefore  drags  it  along  the  ground  ; 
the  ears  suppurate.  (Bailey  and 
Gordon.)  " 


84 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[CAU-CEL 


Caustic-Plant,  or  Caustic- 
Vine,  n.  Sarcostemma  australis,  R. 
Br.,  N.  O.  AsclepiadecE.  Cattle  and 
sheep  are  poisoned  by  eating  it. 

Cavally,  n.  the  original  form  of 
the  Australian  fish-name  Trevally 
(q.v.).  The  form  Cavally  is  used 
in  Europe,  but  is  almost  extinct 
in  Australia  ;  the  form  Trevally  is 
confined  to  Australia. 

Cedar,  n.  The  true  Cedar  is  a 
Conifer  (N.O.  Conifera)  of  the 
genus  Cedrus,  but  the  name  is 
given  locally  to  many  other  trees 
resembling  it  in  appearance,  or 
in  the  colour  or  scent  of  their 
wood.  The  New  Zealand  Cedar 
is  the  nearest  approach  to  the 
true  Cedar,  and  none  of  the  so- 
called  Australian  Cedars  are  of 
the  order  Coniferce.  The  follow- 
ing are  the  trees  to  which  the 
name  is  applied  in  Australia  : — 

Bastard  Pencil  Cedar — 
Dysoxylon  rufum,   Benth.,  N.O. 

Meliacece. 
Brown  C. — 
Ehretia  acuminata,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 

Asperifolice. 
Ordinary  or  Red  C. — 

Cedrela  australis^  F.  v.  M. 
Cedrela  toona,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 
Meliacece.  [C.  toona  is  the 
"Toon"  tree  of  India:  its 
timber  is  known  in  the 
English  market  as  Moulmein 
Cedar ;  but  the  Baron  von 
Miiller  doubts  the  identity 
of  the  Australian  Cedar  with 
the  "Toon  "  tree  ;  hence  his 
name  australis.\ 
Pencil  C.— 

Dysoxylon  Fraserianum,  Benth., 

N.  O.  Meliacea. 
Scrub  White  C.— 

Pentaceras  australis^  Hook,  and 

Don.,  N.O.  Rutacea. 
White  C.— 

Melia  composita,    Willd.,    N.O. 
Meliacece. 


Yellow  C.— 

Rhus    rhodanthema,     F.  v.   M., 
N.O.  Anacardiacea. 

In  Tasmania,  three  species  of 
the  genus  Arthrotaxis  are  called 
Cedars  or  Pencil  Cedars  ;  namely, 
A.  cupressoideS)  Don.,  known  as 
the  King  William  Pine ;  A.  laxi- 
folia,  Hook.,  the  Mountain  Pine  ; 
and  A.  selaginoides,  Don.,  the  Red 
Pine.  All  these  are  peculiar  to 
the  island. 

In  New  Zealand,  the  name  of 
Cedar  is  applied  to  Libocedrus 
bidwillii.  Hook.,  N.O.  Conifer  a ; 
Maori  name,  Pahautea. 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions/ vol.  i.  p.  328: 

"The  cedar  of  the  colony  (Cedrela 
toona,  R.  Br.),  which  is  to  be  found 
only  in  some  rocky  gullies  of  the  coast 
range." 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey,  '  Synopsis  of 
Queensland  Flora,'  p.  63  : 

"  Besides  being  valuable  as  a  timber- 
producing  tree,  this  red  cedar  has 
many  medicinal  properties.  The  bark 
is  spoken  of  as  a  powerful  astringent, 
and,  though  not  bitter,  said  to  be  a 
good  substitute  for  Peruvian  bark  in 
the  cure  of  remitting  and  intermitting 
fevers." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  '  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  123: 

"Pahautea,  Cedar.  A  handsome 
conical  tree  sixty  to  eighty  feet  high, 
two  to  three  feet  in  diameter.  In 
Otago  it  produces  a  dark-red,  free- 
working  timber,  rather  brittle  .  .  . 
frequently  mistaken  for  totara." 

Celery,  Australian,  or  Native, 
n.  Apium  australe,  Thon.  Not  en- 
demic in  Australia.  In  Tasmania, 
A.  prostratum,  Lab.,  N.O.  Umbel- 
liferce. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  7  : 

"  Australian  Celery.  This  plant  may 
be  utilised  as  a  culinary  vegetable. 
(Mueller.)  It  is  not  endemic  in 
Australia." 

Celery-topped  Pine.  ?i.  See 
Pine.  The  tree  is  so  called  from 
the  appearance  of  the  upper  part 


CEN-CHE] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


of  the  branchlets,  which  resemble 
in  shape  the  leaf  of  the  garden 
celery. 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  9  : 

"  The  tanekaha  is  one  of  the  remark- 
able '  celery-topped  pines,'  and  was  dis- 
covered by  Banks  and  Solander  during 
Cook's  first  voyage." 

Centaury,  Native,  n.  a  plant, 
Erythrtza  ait  straits,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 
Gentianea.  In  New  South  Wales 
this  Australian  Centaury  has  been 
found  useful  in  dysentery  by  Dr. 
Woolls. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  175  : 

"  Native  centaury  ...  is  useful  as  a 
tonic  medicine,  especially  in  diarrhoea 
and  dysentery.  The  whole  plant  is 
used  and  is  pleasantly  bitter.  It  is 
common  enough  in  grass-land,  and 
appears  to  be  increasing  in  popularity 
as  a  domestic  remedy." 

Centralia,  n.  a  proposed  name 
for  the  colonv  South  Australia 
(q.v.). 

1896.  J.  S.  Laurie,  '  Story  of  Austra- 
lasia, '  p.  299  : 

"For  telegraphic,  postal, and  general 
purposes  o?ie  word  is  desirable  for  a 
name — e.g.  why  not  Centralia;  for 
West  Australia,  Westraliaj  for  New 
South  Wales,  Eastralia  ?  " 

Cereopsis,  n.  scientific  name  of 
the  genus  of  the  bird  peculiar  to 
Australia,  called  the  Cape  Barren 
Goose.  See  Goose.  The  word  is 
from  Grk.  Kf/pdc,  wax,  and  o4/«£, 
face,  and  was  given  from  the 
peculiarities  of  the  bird's  beak. 
The  genus  is  confined  to  Aus- 
tralia, and  Cereopsis  novce-hollandicz 
is  the  only  species  known.  The 
bird  was  noticed  by  the  early 
voyagers  to  Australia,  and  was 
extraordinarily  tame  when  first 
discovered. 

Channel-Bill,  n.  name  given 
to  a  bird  resembling  a  large 
cuckoo,  Scythrops  novce-hollandice, 
Lath.  See  Scythrops. 


Cheesewood,  n.  a  tree,  so- 
called  in  Victoria  (it  is  also 
called  Whitewood  and  Waddywood 
in  Tasmania),  Pittosporum  bicolor, 
Hook.,  N.O.  Pittosporecz. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,' p.  588: 

"  Cheesewood  is  yellowish  -  white, 
very  hard,  and  of  uniform  texture  and 
colour.  It  was  once  used  for  clubs  by 
the  aboriginals  of  Tasmania.  It  turns 
well,  and  should  be  tested  for  wood- 
engraving.  ('Jurors'  Reports,  London 
International  Exhibition  of  1862.')  It 
is  much  esteemed  for  axe-handles, 
billiard-cues,  etc." 

Cherry,  Herbert  River,  n.  a 
Queensland  tree,  Antidesma  dalla- 
chyanum,  Baill.,  N.O.  Euphorbi- 
acece.  The  fruit  is  equal  to  a 
large  cherry  in  size,  and  has  a 
sharp  acid  flavour. 

Cherry,  Native,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian tree,  Exocarpus  cupressi- 
formis,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Santalacea. 

1801.  '  History  of  New  South  Wales  ' 
(1818),  p.  242: 

"  Of  native  fruits,  a  cherry,  insipid 
in  comparison  of  the  European  sorts, 
was  found  true  to  the  singularity  which 
characterizes  every  New  South  Wales 
production,  the  stone  being  on  the 
outside  of  the  fruit." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  '  Present  State  of 
Australia/  p.  411: 

"The  shrub  which  is  called  the 
native  cherry-tree  appears  like  a 
species  of  Cyprus,  producing  its  fruit 
with  the  stone  united  to  it  on  the  out- 
side, the  fruit  and  the  stone  being  each 
about  the  size  of  a  small  pea.  The 
fruit,  when  ripe,  is  similar  in  colour  to 
the  Mayduke  cherry,  but  of  a  sweet 
and  somewhat  better  quality,  and 
slightly  astringent  to  the  palate,  pos- 
sessing, upon  the  whole,  an  agreeable 
flavour." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes  ' 
(edition  1851),  p.  219: 

"The  cherry-tree  resembles  a 
cypress  but  is  of  a  tenderer  green, 
bearing  a  worthless  little  berry,  having 
its  stone  or  seed  outside,  whence  its 
scientific  name  of  exocarpus" 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[CHE-CHGE 


1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in 
Victoria,'  vol.  i.  p.  33: 

"  We  also  ate  the  Australian  cherry, 
which  has  its  stone,  not  on  the  outside, 
enclosing  the  fruit,  as  the  usual  phrase 
would  indicate,  but  on  the  end  with 
the  fruit  behind  it.  The  stone  is  only 
about  the  size  of  a  sweet-pea,  and  the 
fruit  only  about  twice  that  size,  alto- 
gether not  unlike  a  yew-berry,  but  of 
a  very  pale  red.  It  grows  on  a  tree 
just  like  an  arbor  vitae,  and  is  well 
tasted,  though  not  at  all  like  a  cherry 
in  flavour." 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller,  '  Botanic  Teachings,' 
p.  40: 

"  The  principal  of  these  kinds  of 
trees  received  its  generic  name  first 
from  the  French  naturalist  La  Bil- 
lardiere,  during  D'Entrecasteaux's  Ex- 
pedition. 1 1  was  our  common  Exocarpus 
cupressiformis,  which  he  described,  and 
which  has  been  mentioned  so  often  in 
popular  works  as  a  cherry-tree,  bearing 
its  stone  outside  of  the  pulp.  That 
this  crude  notion  of  the  structure  of 
the  fruit  is  erroneous,  must  be  apparent 
on  thoughtful  contemplation,  for  it  is 
evident  at  the  first  glance,  that  the  red 
edible  part  of  our  ordinary  exocarpus 
constitutes  merely  an  enlarged  and 
succulent  fruit-stalklet  (pedicel),  and 
that  the  hard  dry  and  greenish  por- 
tion, strangely  compared  to  a  cherry- 
stone, forms  the  real  fruit,  containing 
the  seed." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  30: 

"The  fruit  is  edible.  The  nut  is 
seated  on  the  enlarged  succulent 
pedicel.  This  is  the  poor  little  fruit 
of  which  so  much  has  been  written  in 
English  descriptions  of  the  peculiarities 
of  the  Australian  flora.  It  has  been 
likened  to  a  cherry  with  the  stone  out- 
side (hence  the  vernacular  name)  by 
some  imaginative  person." 

1893.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald/  Aug. 
19,  p.  7,  col.  i : 

"  Grass-trees  and  the  brown  brake- 
fern,  whips  of  native  cherry,  and  all 
the  threads  and  tangle  of  the  earth's 
green  russet  vestment  hide  the  feet  of 
trees  which  lean  and  lounge  between 
us  and  the  water,  their  leaf  heads 
tinselled  by  the  light." 

Cherry-picker,  n.  bird-name. 
See  quotation. 


1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia/ vol. 
iv.  p.  70: 

"  Melithreptus  Validirostris,  Gould. 
Strong-billed  Honey- eater  [q.v.]. 
Cherry -picker,  colonists  of  Van 
Diemen's  Land." 

Chestnut  Pine,  «.     See  Pine. 

Chewgah-bag,  n.  Queensland 
aboriginal  pigeon  -  English  for 
Sugar-bag  (q.v.). 

Chinkie,  n.  slang  for  a  China- 
man. "John,"  short  for  John 
Chinaman,  is  commoner. 

1882.  A.  J.   Boyd,  '  Old  Colonials/  p. 

233- 

"  The  pleasant  traits  of  character  in 
our  colonialised  'Chinkie,'  as  he  is 
vulgarly  termed  (with  the  single  varia- 
tion '  Chow ')." 

Chock-and-log,  n.  and  adj.  a 
particular  kind  of  fence  much 
used  on  Australian  stations. 
The  Chock  is  a  thick  short  piece 
of  wood  laid  flat,  at  right-angles 
to  the  line  of  the  fence,  with 
notches  in  it  to  receive  the  Logs, 
which  are  laid  lengthwise  from 
Chock  to  Chock,  and  the  fence  is 
raised  in  four  or  five  layers  of  this 
chock-and-log  to  form,  as  it  were, 
a  wooden  wall.  Both  chocks  and 
logs  are  rough-hewn  or  split,  not 
sawn. 

1872.  G.  S.  Baden  -  Powell,  'New 
Homes  for  the  Old  Country/  p.  207  : 

"Another  fence,  known  as  'chock 
and  log,'  is  composed  of  long  logs, 
resting  on  piles  of  chocks,  or  short 
blocks  of  wood." 

1890.  'The  Argus/  Sept.  20,  p.  13, 
col.  5  : 

"  And  to  finish  the  Riverine  picture, 
there  comes  a  herd  of  kangaroos  dis- 
turbed from  their  feeding-ground,  leap- 
ing through  the  air,  bounding  over  the 
wire  and  '  chock-and-log '  fences  like  so 
many  india-rubber  automatons." 

Choaropus,  n.  the  scientific 
name  for  the  genus  of  Australian 
marsupial  animals  with  only  one 
known  species,  called  the  Pig" 
footed-Bandicoot  (q.v.),  and  see 


CHR-CHU] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


Bandicoot.  (Grk.  x°W°s>  a  pig1* 
TTous,  foot.)  The  animal  is  about 
the  size  of  a  rabbit,  and  is  confined 
to  the  inland  parts  of  Australia. 

Christinas,  n.  and  adj.  As 
Christmas  falls  in  Australasia  at 
Midsummer,  it  has  different  cha- 
racteristics from  those  in  England, 
and  the  word  has  therefore  a  dif- 
ferent connotation. 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  p.  184 : 

"  Sheep-shearing  in  November,  hot 
midsummer  weather  at  Christmas,  the 
bed  of  a  river  the  driest  walk,  and  corn 
harvest  in  February,  were  things 
strangely  at  variance  with  my  Old- 
World  notions." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  164  : 

""  One  Christmas  time  when  months  of 

drought 

Had  parched  the  western  creeks, 
The  bush-fires  started  in  the  north 
And  travelled  south  for  weeks." 

Christmas-bush,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian tree,  Ceratopetalum  gummi- 
ferum,  Smith,  N.  O.  Saxifrages. 
Called  also  Christmas-tree  (q.  v.), 
and  Officer-bush. 

1888.  Mrs.  McCann,  '  Poetical  Works,' 
p.  226  : 

"  Gorgeous  tints  adorn  the  Christ- 
inas bush  with  a  crimson  blush." 

Christmas-tree,  n.  In  Austra- 
lia, it  is  the  same  as  Christmas- 
bush  (q.v.).  In  New  Zealand,  it 
is  Metrosideros  tomentosa,  Banks, 
N.  O.  Myrtacea ;  Maori  name, 
Pohutukawa  (q.v.). 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  240  : 

"  Some  few  scattered  Pohutukaua 
trees  (Metrosideros  tomentosa),  the 
last  remains  of  the  beautiful  vegetation 
.  .  .  About  Christmas  these  trees  are 
full  of  charming  purple  blossoms  ; 
the  settler  decorates  his  church  and 
dwelling  with  its  lovely  branches,  and 
calls  the  tree  *  Christmas-tree ' !  " 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  '  Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  186 : 

"  The  Christmas-tree  is  in  a  sense 


the  counterpart  of  the  holly  of  the 
home  countries.  As  the  scarlet  berry 
gives  its  ruddy  colour  to  Christmas 
decorations  in  'the  old  country,3  so 
here  the  creamy  blossoms  of  the 
Christmas-tree  are  the  only  shrub 
flowers  that  survive  the  blaze  of  mid- 
summer." 

1889.  E.  H.  and  S.  Featon,  'New 
Zealand  Flora,'  p.  163  : 

"The  Pohutukawa  blossoms  in 
December,  when  its  profusion  of 
elegant  crimson-tasselled  flowers  im- 
parts a  beauty  to  the  rugged  coast-line 
and  sheltered  bays  which  may  fairly 
be  called  enchanting.  To  the  settlers 
it  is  known  as  the  *  Christmas-tree,' 
and  sprays  of  its  foliage  and  flowers 
are  used  to  decorate  churches  and 
dwellings  during  the  festive  Christmas- 
tide.  To  the  Maoris  this  tree  must 
possess  a  weird  significance,  since  it  is 
related  in  their  traditions  that  at  the 
extreme  end  of  New  Zealand  there 
grows  a  Pohutukawa  from  which  a 
root  descends  to  the  beach  below. 
The  spirits  of  the  dead  are  supposed 
to  descend  by  this  to  an  opening, 
which  is  said  to  be  the  entrance  to 
<Te  Reinga.'" 

Chucky-chucky,  n.  aboriginal 
Australian  name  for  a  berry  ;  in 
Australia  and  New  Zealand,  the 
fruit  of  species  of  Gaultheria.  See 
Wax  Cluster. 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,' 
p.  146  : 

"  To  gather  chucky-chuckies — as  the 
blacks  name  that  most  delicious  of 
native  berries." 

1891.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open/ 
'New  Zealand  Country  Journal,' vol.  xv. 
p.  198  : 

"When  out  of  breath,  hot  and 
thirsty,  how  one  longed  for  a  handful 
of  chuckie-chucks.  In  their  season 
how  good  we  used  to  think  these  fruits 
of  the  gaultkeria,  or  rather  its  thick- 
ened calyx.  A  few  handfuls  were 
excellent  in  quenching  one's  thirst, 
and  so  plentifully  did  the  plant  abound 
that  quantities  could  soon  be  gathered. 
In  these  rude  and  simple  days,  when 
housekeepers  in  the  hills  tried  to  con- 
vert carrots  and  beet-root  into  apricot 
and  damson  preserves,  these  notable 
women  sometimes  encouraged  children 


88 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[CHU-CLA 


to  collect  sufficient  chuckie-chucks  to 
make  preserve.  The  result  was  a  jam 
of  a  sweet  mawkish  flavour  that  gave 
some  idea  of  a  whiff  caught  in  passing 
a  hair-dresser's  shop." 

Chum,  n.     See  New  Chum. 

Chy-ack,  v.  simply  a  variation 
of  the  English  slang  verb,  to 
cheek. 

1874.  Garnet  Walch,  'Adamanta,'  Act 
ii.  sc.  ii.  p.  27  : 

"  I've  learnt  to  chi-ike  peelers." 

[Here  the  Australian  pronun- 
ciation is  also  caught.  Barere 
and  Leland  give  "  chi-iked 
(tailors),  chaffed  unmercifully," 
but  without  explanation.] 

1878.    '  The  Australian,'  vol.  i.  p.  742  : 

"  The  circle  of  frivolous  youths  who 
were  yelping  at  and  chy-acking  him." 

1894.  E-    w-   Hornung,  '  Boss  of  Tar- 
oomba,'  p.  5  : 

"  It's  our  way  up  here,  you  know,  to 
chi-ak  each  other  and  our  visitors  too." 

Cicada,  n.  an  insect.  See 
Locust. 

1895.  G.  Metcalfe,  'Australian Zoology,' 
p.  62  : 

"The  Cicada  is  often  erroneously 
called  a  locust.  .  .  It  is  remarkable 
for  the  loud  song,  or  chirruping  whirr, 
of  the  males  in  the  heat  of  summer  ; 
numbers  of  them  on  the  hottest  days 
produce  an  almost  deafening  sound." 

Cider-Tree,  or  Cider-Gum,  n. 
name  given  in  Tasmania  to 
Eucalyptus  gunnii^  Hook.,  N.O. 
Myrtacece.  See  Gum. 

1830.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack, ' 
p.  119: 

"  Specimens  of  that  species  of 
eucalyptus  called  the  cider-tree,  from 
its  exuding  a  quantity  of  saccharine 
liquid  resembling  molasses.  .  .  .  When 
allowed  to  remain  some  time  and  to 
ferment,  it  settles  into  a  coarse  sort  of 
wine  or  cider,  rather  intoxicating  if 
drank  to  any  excess." 

City,  n.  In  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland  the  word  City  denotes  "  a 
considerable  town  that  has  been, 
(a)  an  episcopal  seat,  (b)  a  royal 
burgh,  or  (c)  created  to  the  dig- 


nity, like  Birmingham,  Dundee, 
and  Belfast,  by  a  royal  patent. 
In  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
a  municipality  of  the  first  class, 
governed  by  a  mayor  and  alder- 
men, and  created  by  charter." 
('Standard.')  In  Victoria,  by 
section  ix.  of  the  Local  Govern- 
ment Act,  1890,  54  Victoria,  No. 
1 1 12,  the  Governor-in-Councit 
may  make  orders,  §  12  : 

"  To  declare  any  borough,  including 
the  city  of  Melbourne  and  the  town  of 
Geelong,  having  in  the  year  preceding 
such  declaration  a  gross  revenue  of 
not  less  than  twenty  thousand  pounds^ 
a  city." 

Claim,  n.  in  mining,  a  piece 
of  land  appropriated  for  mining 
purposes  :  then  the  mine  itself. 
The  word  is  also  used  in  the 
United  States.  See  also  Reward- 
claim  and  Prospecting-claim. 

1858.  T.  McCombie,  *  History  of  Vic- 
toria,' c.  xiv.  p.  213  : 

"A  family  named  Cavanagh  .  .  . 
entered  a  half-worked  claim." 

1863.  H.  Fawcett,  '  Political  Economy/' 
pt.  iii.  c.  vi.  p.  359('O.E.D.'): 

"The  claim  upon  which  he  pur- 
chases permission  to  dig." 

1887.  H.  H.  Hayter,  'Christmas  Ad- 
venture,' p.  3  : 

"  I  decided  ...  a  claim  to  take  up."' 

Clay-pan,  n.  name  given,  espe- 
cially in  the  dry  interior  of  Aus- 
tralia, to  a  slight  depression  of 
the  ground  varying  in  size  from, 
a  few  yards  to  a  mile  in  length, 
where  the  deposit  of  fine  silt 
prevents  the  water  from  sinking 
into  the  ground  as  rapidly  as  it 
does  elsewhere. 

1875.  Jonn  Forrest,  'Explorations  in- 
Austral  ia,'  p.  260  : 

"We  travelled  down  the  road  for 
about  thirty-three  miles  over  stony 
plains  ;  many  clay-pans  with  water 
but  no  feed." 

1896.  Baldwin  Spencer,  6  Home  Expe- 
dition in  Central  Australia/  Narrative,  voL 
i.  p.  17: 

"  One  of  the  most  striking  features 


CLE-CLO] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


89 


of  the  central  area  and  especially 
amongst  the  loamy  plains  and  sand- 
hills, is  the  number  of  clay-pans. 
These  are  shallow  depressions,  with 
no  outlet,  varying  in  length  from  a 
few  yards  to  half  a  mile,  where  the 
surface  is  covered  with  a  thin  clayey 
material,  which  seems  to  prevent  the 
water  from  sinking  as  rapidly  as  it 
does  in  other  parts." 

Clean-skins,  or  Clear-skins, 
n.  unbranded  cattle  or  horses. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland/  vol.  i.  p.  206  : 

"These  clean-skins,  as  they  are 
often  called,  to  distinguish  them  from 
the  branded  cattle." 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories/  c.  xv.  p.  109  : 

"  Strangers  and  pilgrims,  calves  and 
clear-skins,  are  separated  at  the  same 
time." 

1889.  Rev.  J.  H.  Zillmann,  '  Australian 
Life/  p.  82: 

"  '  Clear-skins/  as  unbranded  cattle 
were  commonly  called,  were  taken 
charge  of  at  once." 

1893.  '  The  Argus/  April  29,  p.  4,  col.  4 : 

"  As  they  fed  slowly  homeward  bel- 
lowing for  their  calves,  and  lowing  for 
their  mates,  the  wondering  clean-skins 
would  come  up  in  a  compact  body, 
tearing,  ripping,  kicking,  and  moaning, 
working  round  and  round  them  in 
awkward,  loblolly  canter." 

Clearing  lease,  «.  Explained 
in  quotation. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia/vol.  i.  c.  x.  p.  321  : 

"  [They]  held  a  small  piece  of  land  on 
what  is  called  a  clearing  lease — that  is 
to  say,  they  were  allowed  to  retain 
possession  of  it  for  so  many  years  for 
the  labour  of  clearing  the  land." 

Clematis,  n.  the  scientific  and 
vernacular  name  of  a  genus  of 
plants  belonging  to  the  N.O. 
Ranunculacecz.  The  common 
species  in  Australia  is  C.  aristata, 
R.  Br. 

1834.  Ross,  'Van  Diemen's  Land  An- 
nual/ p.  124  : 

"The  beautiful  species  of  clematis 
called  aristata,  which  may  be  seen 
in  the  months  of  November  and 


December,  spreading  forth  its  milk- 
white  blossoms  over  the  shrubs  .  .  . 
in  other  places  rising  up  to  the  top  of 
the  highest  gum-trees." 

Clianthus,  n.  scientific  name 
for  an  Australasian  genus  of 
plants,  N.O.  Leguminosa,  contain- 
ing only  two  species — in  Austra- 
lia, Sturfs  Desert  Pea  (q.v.),  C. 
dampieri ;  and  in  New  Zealand, 
the  Kaka-bill  (q.v.),  C.  puniceus. 
Both  species  are  also  called 
Glory-Pea,  from  Grk.  K-Ae'oe,  glory, 
and  av6og,  a  flower. 

1892.  '  Otago  Witness/  Nov.  24, '  Native 
Trees': 

"Hooker  says  the  genus  Clianthus 
consists  of  the  Australian  and  New 
Zealand  species  only,  the  latter  is  there- 
fore clearly  indigenous.  '  One  of  the 
most  beautiful  plants  known '  (Hooker). 
Sir  Joseph  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander 
found  it  during  Cook's  first  voyage." 

Climbing-fish,  n.  i.q.  Hopping- 
fsh  (q.v.). 

Climbing-Pepper,  n.  See  Pep- 
per. 

Clitonyx,  n.  the  scientific  name 
of  a  genus  of  New  Zealand  birds,, 
including  the  Yellow-head  (q.v.) 
and  the  White-head  (q.v.) ;  from 
Greek  KAtVeiv,  root  /cAtr,  to  lean,, 
slant,  and  oVv£,  claw.  The  genus 
was  so  named  by  Reichenbach  in 
1851,  to  distinguish  the  New 
Zealand  birds  from  the  Australian 
birds  of  the  genus  Orthonyx  (q.v.),, 
which  formerly  included  them  both. 

Clock-bird,  n.  another  name  for 
the  Laughing  Jackass.  ^QQ  Jackass. 

Clock,  Settlers',  n.  i.q.  Clock- 
bird,  q.v. 

Cloudy-Bay  Cod,  n.  a  New 
Zealand  name  for  the  Ling  (q.v.). 
See  also  Cod. 

Clover-Pern,  n.  another  name 
for  the  plant  called  Nardoo  (q.v.). 

Clover,  Menindie,  ;/.  an  Aus- 
tralian fodder  plant,  Trigonella 


•90 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[CLO-COA 


suavissima,  Lind.,  N.O.  Legumi- 
nosecz. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  143  : 

"  From  its  abundance  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Menindie,  it  is  often  called 
*  Menindie-clover.'  It  is  the  'Aus- 
tralian shamrock'  of  Mitchell.  This 
perennial,  fragrant,  clover-like  plant 
is  a  good  pasture  herb." 

Clover-Tree,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
tree,  called  also  Native  Laburnum. 
See  under  Laburnum. 

Coach,  n.  a  bullock  used  as  a 
decoy  to  catch  wild  cattle.  This 
.seems  to  be  from  the  use  of  coach 
-as  the  University  term  for  a 
private  tutor. 

1874.  w-  H-  L-  Ranken,  '  Dominion  of 
Australia,3  c.  vi.  p.  no: 

"To  get  them  [sc.  wild  cattle]  a 
party  of  stockmen  take  a  small  herd  of 
quiet  cattle,  '  coaches.' " 

Coach,  v.  to  decoy  wild  cattle 
or  horses  with  tame  ones. 

1874.  W.  H.  L.  Ranken,  '  Dominion  of 
Australia,' c.  vi.  p.  121  : 

"  Here  he  [the  wild  horse]  may  be 
got  by  '  coaching  '  like  wild  cattle." 

Coach- whip  Bird,  n.  Psophodes 
-crepitans,  V.  and  H.  (see  Gould's 
(  Birds  of  Australia,'  vol.  iii.  pi. 
15);  Black-throated  C.B.,  P. 
nigrogularis,  Gould.  Called  also 
Whipbird  and  Coachman. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  '  Transac- 
tions of  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  330  : 

"  This  bird  is  more  often  heard  than 
seen.  It  inhabits  bushes.  The  loud 
cracking  whip-like  noise  it  makes  (from 
whence  the  colonists  give  it  the  name 
of  coachwhip),  may  be  heard  from  a 
great  distance." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  158  : 

"If  you  should  hear  a  coachwhip 
crack  behind,  you  may  instinctively 
start  aside  to  let  the  mail  pass ;  but 
quickly  find  it  is  only  our  native  coach- 
man with  his  spread-out  fantail  and 
perked-up  crest,  whistling  and  crack- 
ing out  his  whip-like  notes  as  he  hops 
sprucely  from  branch  to  branch." 


1844.  Mrs-      Meredith,     '  Notes    and 
Sketches  of  New  South  Wales/  p.  137  : 

"  Another  equally  singular  voice 
among  our  feathered  friends  was  that 
of  the  '  coachman,'  than  which  no  title 
could  be  more  appropriate,  his  chief 
note  being  a  long  clear  whistle,  with  a 
smart  crack  of  the  whip  to  finish  with." 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  'Australia,'  p.  177: 

"  The  bell-bird,  by  the  river  heard  ; 
The   whip-bird,   which  surprised 

I  hear, 
In    me    have    powerful    memories 

stirred 
Of  other  scenes  and  strains  more 

dear; 

Of  sweeter  songs  than  these  afford, 
The  thrush  and  blackbird  warb- 
ling clear." — Old  Impressions. 

1846.  G.   H.  Haydon,  'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  71  : 

"  The  coach-whip  is  a  small  bird 
about  the  size  of  a  sparrow,  found  near 
rivers.  It  derives  its  name  from  its 
note,  a  slow,  clear  whistle,  concluded 
by  a  sharp  jerking  noise  like  the  crack 
of  a  whip." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  ii.  p.  76  : 

"The  whip-bird,  whose  sharp  wiry 
notes,  even,  are  far  more  agreeable 
than  the  barking  of  dogs  and  the 
swearing  of  diggers." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  '  Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  24  : 

"  That  is  the  coach-whip  bird.  There 
again.  Whew-ew-ew-ew-w^//.  How 
sharply  the  last  note  sounds." 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed,   '  Longleat  of  Koo- 
ralbyn,'  c.  vi.  p.  54  : 

"  The  sharp  st — wt  of  the  whip-bird 
.  .  .  echoed  through  the  gorge." 

1888.  James    Thomas,      '  May    o'    the 
South,'     'Australian   Poets    1788—1888' 
(ed.  Sladen),  p.  552  : 

"  Merrily  the  wagtail  now 
Chatters  on  the  ti-tree  bough, 
While  the  crested  coachman  bird 
'Midst  the  underwood  is  heard." 

Coast,  v.  to  loaf  about  from 
station  to  station. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Squatter's 
Dream,'  xxv.  295  : 

"I  ain't  like  you,  Towney,  able  to 
coast  about  without  a  job  of  work  from 
shearin'  to  shearin'." 


COA-COC] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


91 


Coaster,  n.  a  loafer,  a  Sun- 
downer (q.v.). 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Squatter's 
Dream,'  viii.  75  : 

"  A  voluble,  good-for-nothing,  loafing 
impostor,  a  regular  '  coaster.' " 

Cobb,  n.  sometimes  used  as 
equivalent  to  a  coach.  "  I  am 
going  by  Cobb. "  The  word  is  still 
used,  though  no  Mr.  Cobb  has 
been  connected  with  Australian 
coaches  for  many  years.  See 
quotation. 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian  Sketch- 
es,' p.  184 : 

"  Mr.  Cobb  was  an  American,  and 
has  returned  long  ago  to  his  native 
country.  He  started  a  line  of  convey- 
ances from  Melbourne  to  Castlemaine 
some  time  after  the  gold  discoveries. 
Mr.  Cobb  had  spirit  to  buy  good  horses, 
to  get  first-class  American  coaches,  to 
employ  good  Yankee  whips,  and  in  a 
couple  of  years  or  so  he  had  been  so 
•extensively  patronised  that  he  sold  out, 
and  retired  with  a  moderate  fortune." 
[But  the  Coaching  Company  retained 
the  style  of  Cobb  &  Co.] 

1879  (about).    '  Queensland  Bush  Song ' : 

•"  Hurrah  for  the  Roma  Railway  ! 

Hurrah  for  Cobb  and  Co. ! 
Hurrah,  hurrah  for  a  good  fat  horse 
To  carry  me  Westward  Ho  ! " 

Cobbler,  «.  (i)  The  last  sheep, 
an  Australian  shearing  term.  (2) 
Another  name  for  the  fish  called 
the  Fortescue  (q.v.). 

1893.  '  The  Herald  '  (Melbourne),  Dec. 
23,  p.  6,  col.  I  : 

"  Every  one  might  not  know  what  a 
4  cobbler '  is.  It  is  the  last  sheep  in  a 
catching  pen,  and  consequently  a  bad 
one  to  shear,  as  the  easy  ones  are 
picked  first.  The  cobbler  must  be 
taken  out  before  'Sheep-ho'  will  fill 
up  again.  In  the  harvest  field  English 
rustics  used  to  say,  when  picking  up 
the  last  sheaf,  '  This  is  what  the  cob- 
bler threw  at  his  wife.'  'What?'  'The 
last,'  with  that  lusty  laugh,  which, 
though  it  might  betray  '  a  vacant  mind,' 
comes  from  a  very  healthy  organism." 

Cobblers-Awl,  n.  bird-name. 
The  word  is  a  provincial  English 


name  for  the  Avocet.  In  Tasmania, 
the  name  is  applied  to  a  Spine- 
Bill  (q.v.)  from  the  shape  of  its 
beak. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv.  pi.  61  : 

"  Acanthorhynchus  tenuirostris, 
Lath.,  Slender-billed  Spine-bill.  Cobb- 
ler's Awl)  Colonists  of  Van  Diemen's 
Land.  Spine-bill,  Colonists  of  New 
South  Wales." 

Cobbler's  Pegs,  name  given 
to  a  tall  erect  annual  weed, 
Erigeron  linifolius,  Willd.,  N.O. 
Composites  and  to  Bidens  pilosus, 
Linn.,  N.O.  Composite?. 

Cobbra,  n.  aboriginal  word  for 
head,  skull.  \Kabura  or  Kabbera, 
with  such  variations  as  Kobra, 
Kobbera,  Kappara,  Kopul,  from 
Malay  Kapala,  head :  one  of  the 
words  on  the  East  Coast  mani- 
festly of  Malay  origin.  — J. 
Mathew.  Much  used  in  pigeon- 
converse  with  blacks.  '  Good- 
way  cobra  tree'  =  'Tree  very  tall.'] 
Collins,  '  Port  Jackson  Vocabu- 
lary,' 1798  (p.  611),  gives  '  Ka- 
bura,  ca-ber-ra.'  Mount  Cobberas 
in  East  Gippsland  has  its  name 
from  huge  head-like  masses  of 
rock  which  rise  from  the  summit. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  31  : 

"  The  black  fellow  who  lives  in  the 
bush  bestows  but  small  attention  on 
his  cobra,  as  the  head  is  usually  called 
in  the  pigeon-English  which  they 
employ." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xiii.  p.  134: 

"  I  should  be  cock-sure  that  having 
an  empty  cobbra,  as  the  blacks  say, 
was  on  the  main  track  that  led  to  the 
grog-camp." 

Cock-a-bully,  n.  a  popular 
name  for  the  New  Zealand  fish 
Galaxias  fasciatus,  Gray,  a  corrup- 
tion of  its  Maori  name  Kokopu 

(q.v.)- 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 
407,  col.  3  : 

"  During  my  stay  in  New  Zealand 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[coc 


my  little  girl  caught  a  fish  rather 
larger  than  an  English  minnow.  Her 
young  companions  called  it  a  '  cock-a- 
bully.'  It  was  pretty  obvious  to  scent 
a  corruption  of  a  Maori  word,  for, 
mark  you,  cock-a-bully  has  no  mean- 
ing. It  looks  as  if  it  were  English 
and  full  of  meaning.  Reflect  an  in- 
stant and  it  has  none.  The  Maori 
name  for  the  fish  is  '  kokopu.' " 

Cockatiel,  -eel, ;/.  an  arbitrary 
diminutive  of  the  word  Cockatoo, 
and  used  as  another  name  for  the 
Cockatoo  -  Parrakeet,  Calopsitta 
novcz-hollandia,  and  generally  for 
any  Parrakeet  of  the  genus 
Calopsitta.  ('O.E.D.') 

Cockatoo, n.  (i) Bird-name.  The 
word  is  Malay,  Kakatua.  ('O.E.D.') 
The  varieties  are — 

Banksian  Cockatoo — 

Calyptorhynchus  banksii,  Lath. 
Bare-eyed  C.— 

Cacatua  gymnopis,  Sclater. 
Black  C.— 

Calyptorhynchus  funereus,  Shaw. 
Blood-stained  C.— 

Cacatua  sanguinea,  Gould. 
Dampier's  C. — 

Licmetis  pastinator,  Gould. 
Gang-gang  C.— 

Callocephalon     galeatum,     Lath. 

[See  Gang-gang.] 
Glossy  C. — 

Calyptorhynchus  viridis,  Vieill. 
Long-billed  C. — 

Licmetis  nasicus,   Temm.      [See 

Corella.} 
Palm  C.— 

Microglossus  aterrimus,  Gmel. 
Pink  C.— 

Cacatua    leadbeateri,    V.    &    H. 

(Leadbeater,  q.v.). 
Red-tailed  C.— 

Calyptorhynchus  stellatus,  Wagl. 
Rose-breasted  C.— 

Cacatua  roseicapilla,  Vieill.    [See 
Galah.     Gould  calls  it  Coca- 
tua  eos A 
White  C.— 

Cacatua  galerita,  Lath. 


White-tailed  C.— 

Calyptorhynchus  baudinii,  Vig. 
See  also  Parrakeet. 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  ii.  p.  62  : 

"We  saw  to-day  for  the  first  time 
on  the  Kaldre,  the  redtop  cockatoo 

(Plyctolophus  Leadbeatert)." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' c.  viii.  p.  272  : 

"The  rose-breasted  cockatoo  (Co- 
catua  eos,  Gould)  visited  the  patches 
of  fresh  burnt  grass." 

Ibid.  p.  275  : 

"The  black  cockatoo  (Calyptorhyn- 
cus  Banksit}  has  been  much  more  fre- 
quently observed  of  late." 

1857.  Daniel  Bunce,  *  Australasiatic 
Reminiscences,'  p.  175  : 

"  Dr.  Leichhardt  caught  sight  of  a 
number  of  cockatoos  ;  and,  by  tracking 
the  course  of  their  flight,  we,  in  a 
short  time,  reached  a  creek  well  sup- 
plied with  water." 

1862.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  ix.  p.  331  : 

"White  cockatoos  and  parroquets 
were  now  seen." 

1890.  'Victorian  Statutes,  Game  Actr 
Third  Schedule ' : 

"  Black  Cockatoos.  Gang  -  gang 
Cockatoos.  [Close  season.]  From  the 
ist  day  of  August  to  the  2Oth  day  of 
December  next  following  in  each  year.'* 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  March  25,  p.  4, 
col.  6  : 

"  The  egg  of  the  blood-stained  cock- 
atoo has  not  yet  been  scientifically  de- 
scribed, and  the  specimen  in  this  col- 
lection has  an  interest  chiefly  in  that 
it  was  taken  [by  Mr.  A.  J.  Campbell] 
from  a  tree  at  Innamincka  waterholes, 
not  far  from  the  spot  where  Burke  the 
explorer  died." 

(2)  A  small  farmer,  called  earlier 
in  Tasmania  a  Cockatooer  (q.v.). 
The  name  was  originally  given  in 
contempt  (see  quotations),  but  it  is 
now  used  by  farmers  themselves. 
Cocky  is  a  common  abbreviation. 
Some  people  distinguish  between 
a  cockatoo  and  a  ground -parrot, 
the  latter  being  the  farmer  on  a 
very  small  scale.  Trollope's 
etymology  (see  quotation,  1873) 


coc] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


93 


will  not  hold,  for  it  is  not  true 
that  the  cockatoo  scratches  the 
ground.  After  the  gold  fever,  circa 
1860,  the  selectors  swarmed  over 
the  country  and  ate  up  the  sub- 
stance of  the  squatters  ;  hence 
they  were  called  Cockatoos.  The 
word  is  also  used  adjectivally. 

1863.  M.  K.  Beveridge,  '  Gatherings 
among  the  Gum-trees,'  p.  154  : 

"  Oi  'm  going  to  be  married 
To  what  is  termed  a  Cockatoo — 
Which  manes  a  farmer." 

1867.  Lady  Barker,  '  Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  1 10  : 

"These  small  farmers  are  called 
cockatoos  in  Australia  by  the  squatters 
or  sheep-farmers,  who  dislike  them  for 
buying  up  the  best  bits  on  their  runs  ; 
and  say  that,  like  a  cockatoo,  the  small 
freeholder  alights  on  good  ground,  ex- 
tracts all  he  can  from  it,  and  then  flies 
,away  to  'fresh  fields  and  pastures 
new.'  .  .  .  However,  whether  the  name 
is  just  or  not,  it  is  a  recognised  one 
here  ;  and  I  have  heard  a  man  say  in 
answer  to  a  question  about  his  usual 
occupation,  '  I'm  a  cockatoo.' " 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  135  : 

"The  word  cockatoo  in  the  farina- 
ceous colony  has  become  so  common 
as  almost  to  cease  to  carry  with  it  the 
intended  sarcasm  ...  It  signifies  that 
the  man  does  not  really  till  his  land, 
but  only  scratches  it  as  the  bird  does." 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,  'Old  Colonials,' 
P-  32  : 

"  It  may  possibly  have  been  a  term 
of  reproach  applied  to  the  industrious 
farmer,  who  settled  or  perched  on  the 
resumed  portions  of  a  squatter's  run, 
so  much  to  the  latter's  rage  and  disgust 
that  he  contemptuously  likened  the 
farmer  to  the  white-coated,  yellow- 
crested  screamer  that  settles  or  perches 
on  the  trees  at  the  edge  of  his  name- 
sake's clearing." 

1889.  '  Cornhill  Magazine,'  Jan.,  p.  33  : 
" '  With  a  cockatoo '  [Title].    Cocka- 
too is  the  name  given  to  the  small, 
bush  farmer  in  New  Zealand." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xliii.  p.  377  : 

"  The  governor  is  a  bigoted  agricul- 


turist ;  he  has  contracted  the  cockatoo 
complaint,  I'm  afraid." 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  June  17,  p.  13, 
col.  4 : 

"  Hire  yourself  out  to  a  dairyman, 
take  a  contract  with  a  rail-splitter,  sign 
articles  with  a  cockatoo  selector  ;  but 
don't  touch  land  without  knowing 
something  about  it." 

Cockatoo,  v.  intr.  (i)  To  be  a 
farmer. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  xx.  p.  245  : 

"Fancy  three  hundred  acres  in 
Oxfordshire,  with  a  score  or  two  of 
bullocks,  and  twice  as  many  black- faced 
Down  sheep.  Regular  cockatooing." 

(2)  A  special  sense — to  sit  on  a 
fence  as  the  bird  sits. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  c.  xviii.  p.  224 : 

"  The  correct  thing,  on  first  arriving 
at  a  drafting-yard,  is  to  '  cockatoo,'  or 
sit  on  the  rails  high  above  the  tossing 
horn-billows." 

Cockatooer,  n.  a  variant  of 
Cockatoo  (q.v.),  quite  fallen  into  dis- 
use, if  quotation  be  not  a  nonce 
use. 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  ii.  p.  137  : 

"A  few  wretched-looking  huts  and 
hovels,  the  dwellings  of  '  cockatooers,' 
who  are  not,  as  it  might  seem,  a  species 
of  bird,  but  human  beings :  who  rent 
portions  of  this  forest  ...  on  exorbi- 
tant terms  .  .  .  and  vainly  endeavour 
to  exist  on  what  they  can  earn  besides, 
their  frequent  compulsory  abstinence 
from  meat,  when  they  cannot  afford  to 
buy  it,  even  in  their  land  of  cheap  and 
abundant  food,  giving  them  some  af- 
finity to  the  grain-eating  white  cocka- 
toos." 

Cockatoo  Fence,  n.  fence 
erected  by  small  farmers. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  xxii.  p.  155  : 

"  There  would  be  roads  and  cockatoo 
fences  ...  in  short,  all  the  hostile 
emblems  of  agricultural  settlement." 

1890.  Lyth,  '  Golden  South,'  c.  xiv. 
p.  120 : 

"The  fields  were  divided  by  open 
rails  or  cockatoo  fences,  i.e.  branches 


94 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[COC-COL 


and  logs  of  trees  laid  on  the  ground 
one  across  the  other  with  posts  and 
slip-rails  in  lieu  of  gates." 

Cockatoo  Bush,  n.  i.q.  Native 
Currant  (q.v). 

Cockatoo  Orchis,  n.  a  Tasman- 
ian  name  for  the  Orchid,  Caleya 
major,  R.  Br. 

Cock-eyed  Bob,  a  local  slang 
term  in  Western  Australia  for  a 
thunderstorm. 

1894.  ' The  ASe>'  Jan-  20»  P-  J3>  co1-  4  : 
"They  [the  natives  of  the  north- 
west of  Western  Australia]  are  ex- 
tremely frightened  of  them  [sc.  storms 
called  Willy  Willy,  q.v.],  and  in  some 
places  even  on  the  approach  of  an 
ordinary  thunderstorm  or  '  Cock-eyed 
Bob,'  they  clear  off  to  the  highest 
ground  about." 

Cockle,  n.  In  England  the 
name  is  given  to  a  species  of  the 
familiar  marine  bivalve  mollusc, 
Cardium.  The  commonest  Aus- 
tralian species  is  Cardium  tenui- 
costatum,  Lamarck,  present  in  all 
extra-tropical  Australia.  The 
name  is  also  commonly  applied  to 
members  of  the  genus  Chione. 

Cock-Schnapper,  n.  a  fish ;  the 
smallest  kind  of  Schnapper  (q.v.). 
See  also  Count-fish. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,' p.  41  : 

"  The  usual  method  of  estimating 
quantity  for  sale  by  the  fisherman  is, 
by  the  schnapper  or  count-fish,  the 
school-fish,  and  squire,  among  which 
from  its  metallic  appearance  is  the 
copper  head  or  copper  colour,  and  the 
red  bream.  Juveniles  rank  the  smallest 
of  the  fry,  not  over  an  inch  or  two  in 
length,  as  the  cock-schnapper.  The 
fact,  however,  is  now  generally  ad- 
mitted that  all  these  are  one  and  the 
same  genus,  merely  in  different  stages 
of  growth." 

Cod,  n.  This  common  English 
name  of  the  Gadus  morrhua  is 
applied  to  many  fishes  in  Aus- 
tralia of  various  families,  Gadoid 
and  otherwise.  In  Melbourne  it 


is  given  to  Lotella  callarias,  Giinth., 
and  in  New  South  Wales  to  several 
fishes  of  the  genus  Serranus.  Lotella 
is  a  genus  of  the  family  Gadidcz, 
to  which  the  European  Cod 
belongs  ;  Serranus  is  a  Sea-perch 
(q.v.).  See  Rock  Cod,  Black  Rock 
Cod,  Red  Rock  Cod,  Black  Cod* 
Blue  Cod,  Red  Cod,  Murray  Cod, 
Cloudy  Bay  Cod,  Ling,  Gropery 
Hapuku,  and  Haddock. 

Coffee-Bush,  n.  a  settlers'  name 
for  the  New  Zealand  tree  the 
Karamu  (q.v.).  Sometimes  called 
also  Coffee-plant. 

Coffer-fish,  n.  i.q.  Trunk-fish 
(q.v.). 

Coffee  Plant,  or  Coffee  Berry, 
n.  name  given  in  Tasmania  to  the 
Tasmanian  Native  Holly  (q.v.). 

Colonial  Experience,  n.  and 
used  as  adj.  same  as  cadet  (q.v.) 
in  New  Zealand  ;  a  young  man 
learning  squatting  business,  gain- 
ing his  colonial  experience.  Called 
3\so  Jackaroo  (q.v.). 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  95  : 

"You're  the  first  'colonial  experi- 
ence '  young  fellow  that  it  ever  occurred 
to  within  my  knowledge." 

Colonial  Goose,  n.  a  boned 
leg  of  mutton  stuffed  with  sage 
and  onions.  In  the  early  days 
the  sheep  was  almost  the  sole 
animal  food.  Mutton  was  then 
cooked  and  served  in  various 
ways  to  imitate  other  dishes. 

Colour,  n.  sc.  of  gold.  It  is 
sometimes  used  with  '  good,'  to 
mean  plenty  of  gold  :  more 
usually,  the  *  colour '  means  just 
a  little  gold,  enough  to  show  in 
the  dish. 

1860.  Kelly,  'Life  in  Victoria,'  vol.  i. 
p.  222  : 

"...  they  had  not,  to  use  a  current 
phrase,  '  raised  the  colour.' " 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Miner's  Right/ 
c.  xiv.  p.  149: 


CON-COO] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


95' 


"  This  is  the  fifth  claim  he  has  been 
in  since  he  came  here,  and  the  first  in 
which  he  has  seen  the  colour." 

1891.  W.  Lilley,  'Wild  West  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  14 : 

"  After  spending  a  little  time  there, 
and  not  finding  more  than  a  few 
colours  of  gold,  he  started  for  Mount 
Heemskirk." 

Convictism,  n.  the  system  of 
transportation  of  convicts  to 
Australia  and  Van  Diemen's 
Land,  now  many  years  abolished. 

1852.  J.  West,  'History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  i.  p.  309  : 

"  May  it  remain  nailed  to  the  mast 
until  these  colonies  are  emancipated 
from  convictism." 

1864.  'Realm,'  Feb.  24,  p.  4(<O.E.D.') : 

"No  one  who  has  not  lived  in 
Australia  can  appreciate  the  profound 
hatred  of  convictism  that  obtains  there." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,' p.  16: 

"  They  preferred  to  let  things  remain 
as  they  were,  convictism  included." 

Coobah,  n.  an  aboriginal  name 
for  the  tree  Acacia  salicina,  Lindl., 
N.O.  Leguminosa.  See  Acacia. 
The  spellings  vary,  and  sometimes 
begin  with  a  K. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Squatter's 
Dream,'  v.  46  : 

"  A  deep  reach  of  the  river,  shaded 
by  couba  trees  and  river-oaks." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xxviii.  p.  400  : 

"  The  willowy  coubah  weeps  over 
the  dying  streamlet." 

Coo-ee,  or  Gooey,  n.  and  inter/. 
spelt  in  various  ways.  See  quo- 
tations. A  call  borrowed  from 
the  aborigines  and  used  in  the 
bush  by  one  wishing  to  find  or 
to  be  found  by  another.  In  the 
vocabulary  of  native  words  in 
4  Hunter's  Journal,'  published  in 
1790,  we  find  "  C<?z£/-££=tocome." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'New  South 
Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  23  : 

"  In  calling  to  each  other  at  a  dis- 
tance, the  natives  make  use  of  the  word 
Coo-ee,  as  we  do  the  word  Hollo,  pro- 
longing the  sound  of  the  coo,  and 


closing  that  of  the  ee  with  a  shrill  jerk. 
...  [It  has]  become  of  general  use- 
throughout  the  colony  ;  and  a  new- 
comer, in  desiring  an  individual  to  call 
another  back,  soon  learns  to  say 
'  Coo-ee '  to  him,  instead  of  Hollo  to 
him." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  162  : 

"  He  immediately  called  '  coo-oo-oo  T 
to  the  natives  at  the  fire." 

1836.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,'" 
p.  84: 

"There  yet  might  be  heard  the 
significant  '  cooy*  or  'quhy,'  the  true 
import  of  which  was  then  unknown  to 
our  ears." 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' p.  46 : 

"Although  Mr.  Brown  made  the 
woods  echo  with  his  '  cooys.3 "  [See 
also  p.  87,  note.] 

1845.  Clement  Hodgkinson,  '  Australia 
from  Port  Macquarie  to  Moreton  Bay,'  p. 
28: 

"  We  suddenly  heard  the  loud  shrill. 
couis  of  the  natives." 

1846.  C.  P.   Hodgson,   '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  231  : 

"  Their  cooi'eys  are  not  always  what 
we  understand  by  the  word,  viz.,  a  call 
in  which  the  first  note  is  low  and  the 
second  high,  uttered  after  sound  of  the 
word  coo'iey.  This  is  a  note  which 
congregates  all  together  and  is  used 
only  as  a  simple  '  Here.3  " 

1852.  J.  West,  'History  of  Tasmania/ 
vol.  ii.  p.  91  : 

"Like  the  natives  of  New  South 
Wales,  they  called  to  each  other  from 
a  great  distance  by  the  cooey ;  a  word 
meaning  '  come  to  me.5  The  Sydney 
blacks  modulated  this  cry  with  succes- 
sive inflexions  ;  the  Tasmanian  uttered 
it  with  less  art.  It  is  a  sound  of  great 
compass.  The  English  in  the  bush 
adopt  it :  the  first  syllable  is  prolonged  ;, 
the  second  is  raised  to  a  higher  key, 
and  is  sharp  and  abrupt." 

1862.  W.  Landsborough,  '  Exploration 
of  Australia,'  [Footnote]  p.  24: 

"  Coo-oo-oo-y  is  a  shrill  treble  cry 
much  used  in  the  bush  by  persons 
wishful  to  find  each  other.  On  a  still 
night  it  will  travel  a  couple  of  miles,, 
and  it  is  thus  highly  serviceable  to> 
lost  or  benighted  travellers.33 


96 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[coo 


1869.  J.  F.  Townend,  '  Reminiscences  of 
Australia,'  p.  155  : 

"The  jingling  of  bells  round  the 
necks  of  oxen,  the  cooey  of  the  black 
fellow  .  .  .  constituted  the  music  of 
these  desolate  districts." 

1873.  J.*B.  Stephens,4 Black  Gin/  p.  82  : 

"  Hi !  .  .  .  cooey  !  you  fella  .  .  . 
open  3im  lid." 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  '  Kamilaroi 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  283  : 

"A  particular  'cooee3  .  .  .  was 
made  known  to  the  young  men  when 
-they  were  initiated." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  '  Tales  of  the  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  40  : 

"  From  the  woods  they  heard  a  pro- 
longed cooee,  which  evidently  pro- 
ceeded from  some  one  lost  in  the 
.bush." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Australian  Life,' 
p.  276 : 

"Two  long  farewell  coo-ees,  which 
died  away  in  the  silence  of  the  bush." 

1890.  E.  W.  Hornung,  '  A  Bride  from 
the  Bush,'  p.  184: 

"The  bride  encircled  her  lips  with 
her  two  gloved  palms,  and  uttered  a 
cry  that  few  of  the  hundreds  who  heard 
it  ever  forgot — '  coo-ee  ! '  That  was 
the  startling  cry  as  nearly  as  it  can  be 
written.  But  no  letters  can  convey  the 
sustained  shrillness  of  the  long,  pene- 
trating note  represented  by  the  first 
syllable,  nor  the  weird,  die-away  wail 
of  the  second.  It  is  the  well-known 
bush  call,  the  'jodel'  of  the  black 
fellow." 

Cooee,  within,  adv.  within  easy 
distance. 

1887.  G.  L.  Apperson,  in  '  All  the  Year 
Round,' July  30,  p.  67,  col.  I  ('O.E.D.'): 

"  A  common  mode  of  expression  is 
to  be  '  within  cooey ;  of  a  place.  .  .  . 
Now  to  be  '  within  cooey '  of  Sydney  is 
to  be  at  the  distance  of  an  easy  journey 
therefrom." 

1893.  '  The  Herald '  (Melbourne),  June 
26,  p.  2,  col.  6 : 

"  Witness  said  that  there  was  a  post- 
office  clock  'within  coo-ee,'  or  within 
less  than  half-a-mile  of  the  station." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  80  : 

"  Just  to  camp  within  a  cooey  of  the 
Shanty  for  the  night." 

Cooee,  v.  intr.  to  utter  the  call. 


1830.  R.  Dawson,  '  Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  81  : 

"  Our  sable  guides  '  cooed J  and 
'cooed'  again,  in  their  usual  tone  of 
calling  to  each  other  at  a  distance." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition," p.  115  : 

"Brown  cooeed  to  him,  and  by  a 
sign  requested  him  to  wait  for  us." 

1847.  J.    D.    Lang,    '  Phillipsland,'   p. 
85  [Footnote]  : 

"  Cooey  is  the  aboriginal  mode  of 
calling  out  to  any  person  at  a  distance, 
whether  visible  or  not,  in  the  forest. 
The  sound  is  made  by  dwelling  on  the 
first  syllable,  and  pronouncing  the 
second  with  a  short,  sharp,  rising  in- 
flexion. It  is  much  easier  made,  and 
is  heard  to  a  much  greater  distance 
than  the  English  holla!  and  is  con- 
sequently in  universal  use  among  the 
colonists.  .  .  .  There  is  a  story  current 
in  the  colony  of  a  party  of  native-born 
colonists  being  in  London,  one  of 
whom,  a  young  lady,  if  I  recollect 
aright,  was  accidentally  separated  from 
the  rest,  in  the  endless  stream  of 
pedestrians  and  vehicles  of  all  descrip- 
tions, at  the  intersection  of  Fleet  Street 
with  the  broad  avenue  leading  to 
Blackfriars  Bridge.  When  they  were 
all  in  great  consternation  and  per- 
plexity at  the  circumstance,  it  occurred 
to  one  of  the  party  to  cooey,  and  the 
well-known  sound,  with  its  ten  thousand 
Australian  associations,  being  at  once 
recognised  and  responded  to,  a  reunion 
of  the  party  took  place  immediately, 
doubtless  to  the  great  wonderment  of 
the  surrounding  Londoners,  who  would 
probably  suppose  they  were  all  fit  for 
Bedlam." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
p.  90 : 

'They  [the  aborigines]  warily  entered 
scrubs,  and  called  out  (cooyed)  re- 
peatedly in  approaching  water-holes, 
even  when  yet  at  a  great  distance." 

1852.  J.  .West,  c  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  91  : 

"  A  female,  born  on  this  division  of 
the  globe,  once  stood  at  the  foot  of 
London  Bridge,  and  cooyed  for  her 
husband,  of  whom  she  had  lost  sight, 
and  stopped  the  passengers  by  the 
novelty  of"  the  sound  ;  which  however 
is  not  unknown  in  certain  neighbour- 
hoods of  the  metropolis.  Some  gen- 


COO-COP] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


97 


tlemen,  on  a  visit  to  a  London  theatre, 
to  draw  the  attention  of  their  friends 
in  an  opposite  box,  called  out  cooey ;  a 
voice  in  the  gallery  answered  '  Botany 
Bay  ! J " 

1880  (circa).  'Melbourne  Punch,'  [In 
the  days  of  long  trains] : 

"  George,  there's  somebody  treading 
on  my  dress  ;  cooee  to  the  bottom  of 
the  stairs." 

Coo  -  in  -  new,  n.  aboriginal 
name  for  "a  useful  verbenace- 
ous  timber -tree  of  Australia, 
Gmelina  leichhardtii,  F.  v.  M.  The 
wood  has  a  fine  silvery  grain,  and 
is  much  prized  for  flooring  and 
for  the  decks  pf  vessels,  as  it  is 
reputed  never  to  shrink  after  a 
moderate  seasoning."  ('  Century.') 
Usually  called  Mahogany  -  tree 
(q.v.). 

Coolaman  or  Kooliman,  n.  an 
aboriginal  word,  Kamilaroi  Dia- 
lect of  New  South  Wales.  [W. 
Ridley,'  Kamilaroi,'  p.  25,  derives 
it  from  Kulu,  seed,  but  it  is  just 
as  likely  from  Kolle,  water. — J. 
Mathew.]  A  hollowed  knot  of  a 
tree,  used  as  a  seed  vessel,  or 
for  holding  water.  The  word  is 
applied  to  the  excrescence  on  the 
tree  as  well  as  to  the  vessel ;  a 
bush  hand  has  been  heard  to 
speak  of  a  hump-backed  man  as 
*  cooliman-backed.' 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  269  : 

"  Three  koolimans  (vessels  of  stringy 
bark)  were  full  of  honey  water,  from 
one  of  which  I  took  a  hearty  draught." 

1863.  M.  K.  Beveridge,  '  Gatherings 
among  the  Gum-trees,'  p.  37  : 

"  And  the  beautiful  Lubrina 

Fetched  a  Cooliman  of  water/ 

[In  Glossary.]  Cooliman,  a  hollow 
knot  of  a  tree  for  holding  water. 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  p.  24 : 

"  Koolimans,  water  vessels  .  .  .  The 
koolimans  were  made  of  the  inner  layer 
of  the  bark  of  the  stringy-bark  tree." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  185  : 


"  Coolaman,  native  vessel  for  holding 
water." 

1885.  Mrs.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,'  p. 
76: 

"  Cooliman,  a  vessel  for  carrying 
water,  made  out  of  the  bark  which 
covers  an  excrescence  peculiar  to  a 
kind  of  gum-tree." 

Cooper's-flag,  n.  another  name 
in  New  Zealand  for  Raupo  (q.v.). 

Coopers-wood,  n.  the  timber 
of  an  Australian  tree,  Alphitonia 
excelsa,  Reiss,  JV.  O.  Rhamnea. 
The  wood  becomes  dark  with 
age,  and  is  used  for  coopers' 
staves  and  various  purposes. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  373 : 

"  Variously  called  Mountain-ash, 
Red-ash,  Leather-jacket,  and  Coopers- 
wood." 

Coordaitcha.     See  Kurdaitcha. 

Coot,  n.  common  English  bird- 
name  ;  the  Australian  species  is 
Fulica  australis,  Gould.  See  also 
Bald-Coot. 

Copper-head,  n.  See  under 
Snake. 

Copper  Maori.  This  spelling 
has  been  influenced  by  the  Eng- 
lish word  Copper,  but  it  is  really 
a  corruption  of  a  Maori  word. 
There  is  a  difference  of  opinion 
amongst  Maori  scholars  what 
this  word  is.  Some  say  Kapura, 
a  common  fire  used  for  cooking, 
in  contradistinction  to  a  *  chiefs 
fire,'  at  which  he  sat,  and  which 
would  not  be  allowed  to  be 
defiled  with  food.  Others  say 
Kopa.  The  Maori  word  Kopa 
was  (i)  adj.  meaning  bent,  (2)  n. 
angle  or  corner,  and  (3)  the  native 
oven,  or  more  strictly  the  hole 
scooped  out  for  the  oven. 

1888.  T.  Pine,  'Transactions  of  New 
Zealand  Institute,'  'A  local  tradition  of 
Raukawa,'  vol.  xxi.  p.  417  : 

"So  they  set  to  work  and  dug  holes 
on  the  flat,  each  hole  about  2  ft.  across 
and  about  \\  ft.  deep,  and  shaped 
something  like  a  Kopa  Maori." 

H 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[COP--COR 


1889.  H.  D.  M.  Haszard,  ibid.  '  Notes 
on  some  Relics  of  Cannibalism,'  vol.  xxii. 
p.  104  : 

"  In  two  distinct  places,  about  four 
chains  apart,  there  were  a  number 
of  Kapura  Maori,  or  native  ovens, 
scattered  about  within  a  radius  of 
about  forty  feet." 

Coprosma,  n.  scientific  and 
vernacular  name  for  a  large  genus 
of  trees  and  shrubs  of  the  order 
Rubiacece.  From  the  Greek  /coVpos, 
dung,  on  account  of  the  bad  smell 
of  some  of  the  species.  See  quot- 
ation. The  Maori  name  is  Kara- 
mu  (q.v.).  Various  species  receive 
special  vernacular  names,  which 
appear  in  their  places  in  the 
Dictionary. 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  'Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  no: 

"  Coprosma  comprises  about  forty 
species,  of  which  at  least  thirty  are 
found  in  New  Zealand,  all  of  which 
are  restricted  to  the  colony  except  C. 
pumila,  which  extends  to  Australia. 
Five  species  are  found  in  Australia, 
one  of  which  is  C.  pumila  mentioned 
above.  A  few  species  occur  in  the 
Pacific,  Chili,  Juan  Fernandez,  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  &c." 

Coral,  n.     See  Bat  swing- Coral. 

Coral-Pern,  n.  name  given  in 
Victoria  to  Gleichenia  circinata, 
Swartz,  called  in  Bailey's  list 
Parasol-fern.  See  Fern. 

Coral-Flower,  n.  a  plant,  Epacris 
(q.v.),  Epacris  microphylla,  R.  Br., 
N.O.  Epacridece. 

Coral-Pea,  n.  another  name  for 

the  Kennedy  a  (q.v.). 

1896.  '  The  Melburnian,'  Aug.  28,  p.  53  : 
"The    trailing    scarlet   kennedyas, 

aptly  called  the    'bleeding-heart5   or 

'  coral  pea,'  brighten  the  greyness  of 

the  sandy,  peaty  wastes." 

Coranderrk,  n.  the  aboriginal 
name  for  the  Victorian  Dogwood 
(q.v.).  An  "aboriginal  station," 
or  asylum  and  settlement  for  the 
remaining  members  of  the  abori- 
ginal race  of  Victoria,  is  called 


after  this  name  because  the  wood 
grew  plentifully  there. 

Cordage-tree,  n.  name  given 
in  Tasmania  to  a  Kurrajong  (q.v.). 
The  name  Sida  pulchella  has  been 
superseded  by  Plagianthus  sidoides, 
Hook. 

1835.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack/ 
p.  108: 

"  Sida  pulchella.  Handsome  Sida. 
Currijong  or  cordage  tree  of  Hobart 
Town.  .  .  .  The  bark  used  to  be  taken 
for  tying  up  post  and  rail  fences,  the 
rafters  of  huts,  in  the  earlier  periods  of 
the  colony,  before  nails  could  be  so 
easily  procured." 

Corella,  n.  any  parrot  of  the 
genus  Nymphicus;  the  word  is  dim. 
of  late  Lat.  cora  =  Koprj,  a  girl,  doll, 
etc.  The  Australian  Corella  is 
N.  nova-hollandice,  and  the  name 
is  also  given  to  Licmetus  nasicus, 
Temm,  the  Long -billed  Cockatoo 
(q.v.).  It  is  often  used  indis- 
criminately by  bird-fanciers  for 
any  pretty  little  parrot,  parrakeet, 
or  cockatoo. 


Cork-tree, 

Coral. 


See  Bafs-wing 


Corkwood,  n.  a  New  Zealand 
tree,  Entelea  arborescens^  R.  Br., 
N.O.  Tiliacece.  Maori  name,  Wliau* 

1889.  T-  Kirk)  'Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  45  : 

"  The  whau  ...  is  termed  cork- 
wood by  the  settlers  on  account  of  its 
light  specific  gravity." 

Cormorant,  n.  common  Eng- 
lish bird-name.  In  Australia  the 
name  is  applied  to  the  following 
birds:  — 

Black  Cormorant — 

Graculus  nova-hollandia,  Stephu 
Little  C.— 

G.  melanoleucus,  Vieill. 
Little-black  C.— 

G.  stictocephalus ,  Bjp. 
Pied  C.— 

G.  varius.  Gm. 


COR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


99 


White-breasted  Cormorant — 

G.  leucogaster,  Gould. 
White-throated  C. — 

G.  brevirostris,  Gould. 

Cornstalk,  n.  a  young1  man  or 
a  girl  born  and  bred  in  New  South 
Wales,  especially  if  tall  and  big. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  116  : 

"The  colonial-born,  bearing  also 
the  name  of  cornstalks  (Indian  corn), 
from  the  way  in  which  they  shoot  up." 

1834.  Geo.  Bennett,  '  Wanderings  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  341  : 

"The  Australian  ladies  may  com- 
pete for  personal  beauty  and  elegance 
with  any  European,  although  satirized 
as  '  Cornstalks/  from  the  slenderness 
of  their  forms." 

1849.  J.  P.  Townsend,  'Rambles  in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  68  : 

"  Our  host  was  surrounded  by  a 
little  army  of  'cornstalks.3  .  .  .  The 
designation  'cornstalk'  is  given  be- 
cause the  young  people  run  up  like 
the  stems  of  the  Indian  corn." 

1869.  W.  R.  Honey,  '  Madeline  Clifton,' 
Act  III.  sc.  v.  p.  30 : 

"  Look  you,  there  stands  young 
cornstalk." 

1878.    'The  Australian,'  vol.  i.  p.  526  : 

"  If  these  are  the  heroes  that  my 
cornstalk  friends  worship  so  ardently, 
they  must  indeed  be  hard  up  for 
heroes." 

1893.  Haddon  Chambers,  'Thumbnail 
Sketches  of  Australian  Life,'  p.  217  : 

"  While  in  the  capital  I  fell  in  with 
several  jolly  cornstalks,  with  whom 
I  spent  a  pleasant  time  in  boating, 
fishing,  and  sometimes  camping  out 
down  the  harbour." 

Correa,  n.  the  scientific  name 
of  a  genus  of  Australian  plants  of 
the  N.  O.  Rutacea,  so  named  after 
Correa  de  Serra,  a  Portuguese 
nobleman  who  wrote  on  rutaceous 
plants  at  the  beginning  of  the 
century.  They  bear  scarlet  or 
green  and  sometimes  yellowish 
flowers,  and  are  often  called 
Native  Fuchsias  (q.v.),  especially 
C.  speciosa,  Andrews,  which  bears 
crimson  flowers. 


1827.  R.  Sweet,  'Flora  Australasica,' 
p.  2: 

"  The  genus  was  first  named  by  Sir 
J.  E.  Smith  in  compliment  to  the  late 
M.  Correa  de  Serra,  a  celebrated 
Portuguese  botanist." 

1859.  H-  Kingsley,  'Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
p.  384 : 

"  The  scarlet  correa  lurked  among 
the  broken  quartz." 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller,  '  Botanic  Teachings,' 
p.  70: 

"With  all  wish  to  maintain  ver- 
nacular names,  which  are  not  actually 
misleading,  I  cannot  call  a  correa  by 
the  common  colonial  name  'native 
fuchsia,5  as  not  the  slightest  structural 
resemblance  and  but  little  habitual 
similarity  exists  between  these  plants  ; 
they  indeed  belong  to  widely  different 
orders." 

Ibid. 

"All  Correas  are  geographically 
restricted  to  the  south-eastern  portion 
of  the  Australian  continent  and  Tas- 
mania, the  genus  containing  but  few 
species." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith, 'Tasmanian  Friends 
and  Foes, '  p.  23  : 

"  I  see  some  pretty  red  correa  and 
lilac."  [Footnote]  :  "  Correa  speciosa, 
native  fuchsia  of  Colonies." 

Corrobbery,  n.  This  spelling 
is  nearest  to  the  accepted  pro- 
nunciation, the  accent  falling  on 
the  second  syllable.  Various 
spellings,  however,  occur,  viz. — 
Corobbery,  Corrobery,  Corroberry, 
Corroborree,  Corrobbory,  Corro- 
borry,  Corrobboree,  Coroboree^  Cor- 
roboree,  Korroboree^  Corroborri^ 
Corrobaree,  and  Caribberie.  To 
these  Mr.  Eraser  adds  Kardbari 
(see  quotation,  1892),  but  his 
spelling  has  never  been  accepted 
in  English.  The  word  comes 
from  the  Botany  Bay  dialect. 

[The  aboriginal  verb  (see  Rid- 
ley's *  Kamilaroi  and  other  Aus- 
tralian Languages,'  p.  107)  is 
korobra,  to  dance  ;  in  the  same 
locality  boroya  or  beria  means  to 
sing ;  probably  koro  is  from  a 


100 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[COR 


common    Australian     word     for 
emu. — J.  Mathew.] 

(i)  An  aboriginal  name  for  a 
dance,  sacred,  festive,  or  warlike. 

1793.  Governor  Hunter,  'Port  Jack- 
son,' p.  195  : 

"  They  very  frequently,  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  dance,  would  apply  to 
us  ...  for  marks  of  our  approbation 
.  .  .  which  we  never  failed  to  give 
by  often  repeating  the  word  boojery, 
good ;  or  boojery  caribberie,  a  good 
dance." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  '  Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  280 : 

"Dancing  with  their  corrobery 
motion." 

Ibid.  p.  311  : 

"With  several  corrobery  or  harle- 
quin steps." 

1833.  C.  Sturt, '  Southern  Australia/  vol. 
ii.  c.  iii.  p.  55  : 

"  They  hold  their  corrobories  (mid- 
night ceremonies)." 

1836.  C.  Darwin,  'Journal  of  the  Voyage 
of  the  Beagle'  (ed.  1882),  c.  xix.  p.  450: 

"  A  large  tribe  of  natives,  called  the 
white  cockatoo  men,  happened  to  pay 
a  visit  to  the  settlement  while  we  were 
there.  These  men  as  well  as  those  of 
the  tribe  belonging  to  King  George's 
Sound,  being  tempted  by  the  offer  of 
some  tubs  of  rice  and  sugar  were 
persuaded  to  hold  a  '  corrobery '  or 
great  dancing  party."  [Description 
follows.] 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions/ vol.  ii.  p.  4  : 

"  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the 
corrobboree  is  the  medium  through 
which  the  delights  of  poetry  aud  the 
drama  are  enjoyed  in  a  limited  degree, 
even  by  these  primitive  savages  of 
New  Holland." 

1844.  Mrs.  Meredith.  '  Notes  and 
Sketches  of  New  South  Wales/  p.  91  : 

"  Great  preparations  were  made,  as 
for  a  grand  corrobory,  or  festival,  the 
men  divesting  themselves  of  even  the 
portions  of  clothing  commonly  worn, 
and  painting  their  naked  black  bodies 
in  a  hideous  manner  with  pipe-clay. 
After  dark,  they  lit  their  fires,  which 
are  small,  but  kept  blazing  with  con- 
stant additions  of  dry  bark  and  leaves, 
and  the  sable  gentry  assembled  by 
degrees  as  they  completed  their  even- 


ing toilette,  full  dress  being  painted 
nudity.  A  few  began  dancing  in 
different  parties,  preparatory  to  the 
grand  display,  and  the  women,  squat- 
ting on  the  ground,  commenced  their 
strange  monotonous  chant,  each  beat- 
ing accurate  time  with  two  boomer- 
angs. Then  began  the  grand  corro- 
bory, and  all  the  men  joined  in  the 
dance,  leaping,  jumping,  bounding 
about  in  the  most  violent  manner,  but 
always  in  strict  unison  with  each  other, 
and  keeping  time  with  the  chorus, 
accompanying  their  wild  gesticulations 
with  frightful  yells,  and  noises.  The 
whole  *  tableau '  is  fearfully  grand  ! 
The  dark  wild  forest  scenery  around — 
the  bright  fire-light  gleaming  upon 
the  savage  and  uncouth  figures  of  the 
men,  their  natural  dark  hue  being 
made  absolutely  horrible  by  the  paint- 
ings bestowed  on  them,  consisting  of 
lines  and  other  marks  done  in  white 
and  red  pipe-clay,  which  gives  them 
an  indescribably  ghastly  and  fiendish 
aspect — their  strange  attitudes,  and 
violent  contortions  and  movements, 
and  the  unearthly  sound  of  their  yells, 
mingled  with  the  wild  and  monotonous 
wail-like  chant  of  the  women,  make 
altogether  a  very  near  approach  to  the 
horribly  sublime  in  the  estimation  of 
most  Europeans  who  have  witnessed 
an  assembly  of  the  kind." 

1846.  G.   H.   Haydon,  '  Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix/  p.  103  : 

"  They  have  no  instrument  of  music, 
the  corobery's  song  being  accom- 
panied by  the  beating  of  two  sticks 
together,  and  by  the  women  thumping 
their  opossum  rugs." 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  '  Cooksland/  p.  447 
[Footnote]  : 

"  These  words,  which  were  quite  as 
unintelligible  to  the  natives  as  the  cor- 
responding words  in  the  vernacular 
language  of  the  white  men  would  have 
been,  were  learned  by  the  natives,  and 
are  now  commonly  used  by  them  in 
conversing  with  Europeans,  as  English 
words.  Thus  corrobbory,  the  Sydney 
word  for  a  general  assembly  of  natives, 
is  now  commonly  used  in  that  sense  at 
Moreton  Bay  ;  but  the  original  word 
there  is  yanerwille.  Gabon,  great  ; 
narang,  little  ;  boodgeree,  good  ;  myall, 
wild  native,  etc.  etc.,  are  all  words  of 
this  description,  supposed  by  the 


COR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


101 


natives  [of  Queensland]  to  be  English 
words,  and  by  the  Europeans  to  be 
aboriginal  words  of  the  language  of 
that  district." 

[The  phrase  "general  assembly" 
would  rise  naturally  in  the  mind  of 
Dr.  Lang  as  a  Presbyterian  minister  ; 
but  there  is  no  evidence  of  anything 
parliamentary  about  a  corrobbery.] 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
p.  78: 

"  The  exact  object  or  meaning  of 
their  famous  corrobboree  or  native 
dance,  beyond  mere  exercise  and 
patience,  has  not  as  yet  been  properly 
ascertained ;  but  it  seems  to  be 
mutually  understood  and  very  ex- 
tensively practised  throughout  Aus- 
tralia, and  is  generally  a  sign  of 
mutual  fellowship  and  good  feeling 
on  the  part  of  the  various  tribes." 

1849.  J.    P.    Townsend,    '  Rambles  in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  100  : 

"  When  our  blacks  visited  Sydney, 
and  saw  the  military  paraded,  and 
heard  the  bands,  they  said  that  was 
'  white  fellows'  corrobbory.' " 

1854.  E.  Stone  Parker,  'Aborigines  of 
Australia,'  p.  21  : 

"It  is  a  very  great  mistake  to  sup- 
pose .  .  .  that  there  is  any  kind  of 
religious  ceremony  connected  with 
the  ordinary  corrobory  ...  I  may 
also  remark  that  the  term  corrobory  is 
not  a  native  word." 

[It  is  quite  certain  that  it  is  native, 
though  not  known  to  Mr.  E.  Stone 
Parker.] 

1862.  G.  T.  Lloyd,  '  Thirty-three  Years 
in  Tasmania  and  Victoria,'  p.  49  : 

[In  Tasmania]  "the  assembling  of 
the  tribes  was  always  celebrated  by  a 
grand  corroboree,  a  species  of  bestial 
bal  masque.  On  such  occasions  they 
presented  a  most  grotesque  and 
demon-like  appearance,  their  heads, 
faces,  and  bodies,  liberally  greased 
were  besmeared  alternately  with  clay 
and  red  ochre  ;  large  tufts  of  bushy 
twigs  were  entwined  around  their 
ankles,  wrists,  and  waists  ;  and  these 
completed  their  toilet." 

1879.  J-  D-  Woods,  '  Native  Tribes  of 
South  Australia,'  Introduction,  pp.  xxxii. 
and  xxxiii. : 

"The  principal  dance  is  common 
all  over  the  continent,  and  'corrob- 
boree5 is  the  name  by  which  it  is 


commonly  known.  It  is  not  quite 
clear  what  a  corrobboree  is  intended 
to  signify.  Some  think  it  a  war-dance 
— others  that  it  is  a  representation  of 
their  hunting  expeditions  —  others 
again,  that  it  is  a  religious,  or  pagan, 
observance ;  but  on  this  even  the 
blacks  themselves  give  no  inform- 
ation." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  41  : 

"The  good  fortune  to  witness  a 
korroboree,  that  is  a  festive  dance  by 
the  natives  in  the  neighbourhood." 

1892.  J.  Fraser,  '  The  Aborigines  of 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  21  : 

"  '  Kardbari '  is  an  aboriginal  name 
for  those  dances  which  our  natives 
often  have  in  the  forests  at  night. 
Hitherto  the  name  has  been  written 
corrobboree,  but  etymologically  it 
should  be  kardbari,  for  it  comes  from 
the  same  root  as  '  karaji,'  a  wizard  or 
medicine-man,  and  '  bari '  is  a  common 
formative  in  the  native  languages. 
The  kardbari  has  been  usually  re- 
garded as  a  form  of  amusement  .  .  . 
these  dances  partake  of  a  semi- 
religious  character."  [Mr.  Eraser's 
etymology  is  regarded  as  far-fetched.] 

(2)  The  song  that  accompanied 
the  dance. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  323  : 

"  I  feared  he  might  imagine  we  were 
afraid  of  his  incantations,  for  he  sang 
most  lamentable  corroborris." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  '  Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  68  : 

"...  listen  to  the  new  corroborree. 
Great  numbers  arrive  ;  the  corroborree 
is  danced  night  after  night  with  the 
utmost  enthusiasm.  .  .  .  These  corro- 
borrees  travel  for  many  hundreds  of 
miles  from  the  place  where  they  origin- 
ated. .  .  .  These  composers  [of  song 
and  dance]  pretend  that  the  Spirit 
of  Evil  originally  manufactured  their 
corroborree." 

1889.  Rev.  J.  H.  Zillman,  '  Australian 
Life,'  p.  132  : 

"  The  story  was  a  grand  joke  among 
the  blacks  for  many  a  day.  It  became, 
no  doubt,  the  theme  for  a  '  corroberee,' 
and  Tommy  was  always  after  a  hero 
amongst  his  countrymen." 

(3)  By  transference,  any  large 


102 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[COR-COT 


social  gathering  or  public  meet- 
ing. 

1892.  'Saturday  Review,'  Feb.  13,  p. 
168,  col.  2  : 

"  A  corrobory  of  gigantic  dimensions 
is  being  prepared  for  [General  Booth's] 
reception  [in  Australia]."  ('  O.E.D.') 

1895.  Modern  : 

"There's  a  big  corrobbery  on  to-night 
at  Government  House,  and  you  can't 
get  a  cab  for  love  or  money." 

(4)  By  natural  transference,  a 
noise,  disturbance,  fuss  or  trouble. 

1874.  Garnet  Walch,  '  Adamanta,'  Act 
II.  sc.  ii.  p.  27  : 

"  How  can  I  calm  this  infantile 
corroboree  ?  " 

1885.  H.  O.  Forbes,  '  Naturalist's 
Wanderings/  p.  295  : 

"Kingfishers  ...  in  large  chatter- 
ing corrobories  in  the  tops  of  high 
trees." 

1888.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Robbery 
under  Arms,'  p.  242  : 

"The  boy  raises  the  most  awful 
corroboree  of  screams  and  howls, 
enough  for  a  whole  gang  of  bush- 
rangers, if  they  went  in  for  that  sort 
of  thing." 

1897.  'The  Herald,'  Feb.  15,  p.  i, 
col.  i  : 

"  Latest  about  the  Cretan  corroboree 
in  our  cable  messages  this  evening. 
The  situation  at  the  capital  is  decidedly 
disagreeable.  A  little  while  ago  the 
Moslems  threw  the  Christians  out  and 
took  charge.  Now  the  last  report  is 
that  there  is  a  large  force  of  Christians 
attacking  the  city  and  quite  ready,  we 
doubt  not,  to  cut  every  Moslem  throat 
that  comes  in  the  way." 

Corrobbery,  v.  (i)  To  hold  a 
corrobbery. 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  61 : 

"  They  began  to  corrobery  or  dance, 
(p.  206)  :  They  '  corroberried,'  sang, 
laughed,  and  screamed." 

1885.  R.  M.  Fraed,  'Australian  Life,' 
p.  22  : 

"  For  some  time  the  district  where 
the  nut  [bunya]  abounds  is  a  scene  of 
feasting  and  corroboreeing." 

.  (2)  Bv  transference  to  animals, 
birds,  insects,  etc. 


1846.  C.  P.   Hodgson,    'Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  257  : 

"  The  mosquitoes  from  the  swamps 
corroboreed  with  unmitigated  ardour." 

1871.  C.  Darwin,  'Descent  of  Man' 
(2nd  ed.  1885),  p.  406  : 

"The  Menura  Alberti  [see  Lyre- 
bird] scratches  for  itself  shallow  holes, 
or,  as  they  are  called  by  the  natives, 
corroborying  places,  where  it  is  be- 
lieved both  sexes  assemble." 

(3)  To  boil ;  to  dance  as  boil- 
ing water  does. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  43  : 

"  *  Look  out  there  ! '  he  continued  ; 
'quart-pot  corroborree,'  springing  up 
and  removing  with  one  hand  from  the 
fire  one  of  the  quart-pots,  which  was 
boiling  madly,  while  with  the  other  he 
dropped  in  about  as  much  tea  as  he 
could  hold  between  his  fingers  and 
thumb." 

Ibid.  p.  49  : 

"They  had  almost  finished  their 
meal  before  the  new  quart  corro- 
borreed,  as  the  stockman  phrased  it." 

Corypha-palm,  «.  an  obsolete 
name  for  Livistona  inermis,  now 
called  Cabbage-tree  (q.v.). 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  49  : 

"The  bottle-tree  and  the  corypha- 
palm  were  frequent." 

Cottage,  n.  a  house  in  which 
all  the  rooms  are  on  the  ground- 
floor.  An  auctioneer's  advertise- 
ment often  runs — "  large  weather- 
board cottage,  twelve  rooms,  etc.," 
or  "double-fronted  brick  cottage." 
The  cheapness  of  land  caused 
nearly  all  suburban  houses  in 
Australia  to  be  built  without 
upper  storeys  and  detached. 

Cotton-bush,  n.  name  applied 
to  two  trees  called  Salt-bush  (q.v.). 
(i)  Bassia  bicornis,  Lindl.  (2) 
Kochia  aphylla,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Sal- 
solacea.  •S.  Dixon  (apud  Maiden, 
p.  132)  thus  describes  it— 

"  All  kinds  of  stock  are  often  largely 
dependent  on  it  during  protracted 
droughts,  and  when  neither  grass  nor 


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AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


103 


hay  are  obtainable  I  have  known  the 
whole  bush  chopped  up  and  mixed 
with  a  little  corn,  when  it  proved  an 
excellent  fodder  for  horses." 

1876.  W.  Harcus,  '  South  Australia,'  p. 
126  : 

"  This  is  a  fine  open,  hilly  district, 
watered,  well  grassed,  and  with  plenty 
of  herbage  and  cotton-bush." 

Cotton-shrub,  n.  a  name  given 
in  Tasmania  to  the  shrub  Pimelea 
mvea}  Lab.,  N.O.  Thymelecz. 

Cotton-tree,  n.  an  Australian 
tree,  Hibiscus  tiliaceus.  Linn.,  N.O. 
Malvaceae. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants/  p.  624  : 

"  The  fibre  of  the  bark  [cotton-tree] 
is  used  for  nets  and  fishing-lines  by 
the  aborigines." 

Cotton-wood,  n.  the  timber  of 
an  Australian  tree,  Bedfordia  sali- 
cina,  De  C.,N.O.  Composite.  Called 
Dog-wood  (q.v.)  in  Tasmania. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  386  : 

"  The  '  dog-wood '  of  Tasmania,  and 
the  'cotton-wood'  of  Southern  New 
South  Wales,  on  account  of  the  abun- 
dant down  on  the  leaves.  A  hard, 
pale-brown,  well-mottled  wood,  said 
by  some  to  be  good  for  furniture.  It 
emits  a  foetid  smell  when  cut/' 

Coucal,  n.  a  bird-name,  "  men- 
tioned probably  for  the  first  time 
in  Le  Vaillant's  *  Oiseaux  d'Af- 
rique,'  beginning  about  1796  ; 
perhaps  native  African.  An 
African  or  Indian  spear-headed 
cuckoo  :  a  name  first  definitely 
applied  by  Cuvier  in  1817  to  the 
birds  of  the  genus  Centropus" 
('  Century.')  The  Australian  spe- 
cies is  Centropus  phasianellus, 
Gould,  or  Centropus  phasianus, 
Lath.  It  is  called  also  Swamp- 
pheasant  (q.v.),  and  Pheasant-cuckoo. 

Count-fish,  n.  a  large  Schnapper 
(q.v.).  See  Cock- Schnapper. 

1874.  '  Sydney  Mail,'  '  Fishes  and  Fish- 
ing in  New  South  Wales '  : 

"  The  ordinary  schnapper  or  count- 


fish  implies  that  all  of  a  certain  size  are 
to  count  as  twelve  to  the  dozen,  the 
shoal  or  school-fish  eighteen  or  twenty- 
four  to  the  dozen,  and  the  squire,  thirty 
or  thirty-six  to  the  dozen — the  latter 
just  according  to  their  size,  the  red- 
bream  at  per  bushel." 

Count-muster,  n.  a  gathering, 
especially  of  sheep  or  cattle  in 
order  to  count  them. 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  i  : 

"  The  old  man's  having  a  regular 
count-muster  of  his  sons  and  daughters, 
and  their  children  and  off-side  rela- 
tives— that  is,  by  marriage." 

Cowdie,  n.  an  early  variant 
of  Kauri  (q.v.),  with  other 
spellings. 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  'Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  143  : 

"  The  native  name  *  Kauri J  is  the 
only  common  name  in  general  use. 
When  the  timber  was  first  introduced 
into  Britain  it  was  termed  '  cowrie-'  or 
'  kowdie-pine ' ;  but  the  name  speedily 
fell  into  disuse,  although  it  still  appears 
as  the  common  name  in  some  horti- 
cultural works." 

Cowshorns,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
orchid,  Pterostylis  nutans,  R.  Br. 

Cow-tree,  n.  a  native  tree  of 
New  Zealand.  Maori  name, 
Karaka  (q.v.). 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  '  Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  346  : 

"The  karaka-tree  of  New  Zealand 
(Corynocarptis  Icevigata),  also  called 
kopi  by  the  natives,  and  cow-tree  by 
Europeans  (from  that  animal  being 
partial  to  its  leaves),  grows  luxuriantly 
in  Sydney." 

Crab,  n.  Of  the  various  Austra- 
lian species  of  this  marine  crusta- 
cean, Scylla  serrata  alone  is  large 
enough  to  be  much  used  as  food, 
and  it  is  seldom  caught.  In  Tas- 
mania and  Victoria,  Pseudocarcinus 
gigas,  called  the  King-Crab,  which 
reaches  a  weight  of  20  Ibs.,  is 
occasionally  brought  to  market. 
There  is  only  one  fresh-water 


104 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[CRA 


crab    known    in    Australia — Tel- 
phusa  transversa. 

1896.  Spencer  and  Hall,  '  Home  Expe- 
dition in  Central  Australia,'  Zoology,  p. 
228: 

"  In  the  case  of  Telphusa  transversa, 
the  fresh-water  crab,  the  banks  of 
certain  water  holes  are  riddled  with 
its  burrows." 

Crab-hole,  n.  a  hole  leading 
into  a  pit-like  burrow,  made  origin- 
ally by  a  burrowing  crayfish,  and 
often  afterwards  increased  in  size 
by  the  draining  into  it  of  water. 
The  burrows  are  made  by  cray- 
fish belonging  to  the  genera 
Engceus  and  Astacopsis,  which  are 
popularly  known  as  land-crabs. 

1848.  Letter  by  Mrs.  Perry,  given  in 
Canon  Goodman's  '  Church  in  Victoria, 
during  Episcopate  of  Bishop  Perry,'  p.  72  : 

"  Full  of  crab  holes,  which  are  ex- 
ceedingly dangerous  for  the  horses. 
There  are  holes  varying  in  depth  from 
one  to  three  feet,  and  the  smallest  of 
them  wide  enough  to  admit  the  foot 
of  a  horse  :  nothing  more  likely  than 
that  a  horse  should  break  its  leg  in 
one  .  .  .  These  holes  are  formed  by 
a  small  land-crab  and  then  gradually 
enlarged  by  the  water  draining  into 
them." 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  'Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
p.  368  : 

"  This  brute  put  his  foot  in  a  crab- 
hole,  and  came  down,  rolling  on  my 
leg." 

1875.  Wood  and  Lapham,  'Waiting 
for  the  Mail,'  p.  49  : 

"  Across  the  creek  we  went  .  .  .  now 
tripping  over  tussocks,  now  falling 
into  crab  holes." 

Crab-tree,  n.  i.q.  Bitter-bark 
(q.v.). 

Cradle,  7z.  common  in  Australia, 
but  of  Californian  origin.  "A 
trough  on  rockers  in  which  auri- 
ferous earth  or  sand  is  shaken 
in  water,  in  order  to  separate  and 
collect  the  gold."  ('  O.E.D.') 

1849.  { Illustrated  London  News,'  Nov. 
T7>  P-  325>  col.  I  ('O.E.D.')  [This  applies 
to  California,  and  is  before  the  Australian 
diggings  began]  : 

"  Two  men  can  keep    each   other 


steadily  at  work,  the  one  digging  and 
carrying  the  earth  in  a  bucket,  and 
the  other  washing  and  rocking  the 
cradle." 

1851.  Letter  by  Mrs.  Perry,  quoted  in 
Canon  Goodman's  '  Church  in  Victoria 
during  Episcopate  of  Bishop  Perry,'  p. 
171  : 

"  The  streets  are  full  of  cradles  and 
drays  packed  for  the  journey." 

1858.  T.  McCombie,  '  History  of  Vic- 
toria,' c.  xv.  p.  215  : 

"  Cradles  and  tin  dishes  to  supply 
the  digging  parties." 

1865.  F.  H.  Nixon,  'Peter  Perfume,'  p. 
56: 

"They  had  cradles  by  dozens  and 
picks  by  the  score." 

1884.  T.  Bracken,  'Lays  of  Maori,'  p. 
154: 

"  The  music  of  the  puddling  mill,  the 
cradle,  and  the  tub." 

Cradle,  v.  tr.  to  wash  auriferous 
gravel  in  a  miner's  cradle. 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  'Miner's Right,' 
c.  21,  p.  197  : 

"  The  laborious  process  of  washing 
and  *  cradling '  the  ore." 

Crake,  n.  common  English 
bird-name.  The  Australian  varie- 
ties ^re — 

Little  Crake— 

Porzana  palustris,  Gould. 
Spotless  C.— 

P.  tabuensis,  Gmel. 
Spotted  C.— 

P.  fluminea,  Gould. 
White-browed  C.— 

P.  cinereus,  Vieill. 

See  also  Swamp-crake. 

Cranberry,  Native,  n.  called 
also  Ground-berry  ;  name  given 
to  three  Australian  shrubs,  (i) 
Styphelia  (formerly  Lissanthe)  humi- 
fusa,  Persoon,  N.O.  Epacridcce. 

1834.  J.  Ross,  'Van  Diemen's  Land 
Annual,'  p.  133  : 

"  Astroloma  humifusum.  The  native 
cranberry  has  a  fruit  of  a  green,  red- 
dish, or  whitish  colour,  about  the  size 
of  a  black  currant,  consisting  of  a 
viscid  apple-flavoured  pulp  inclosing 
a  large  seed ;  this  fruit  grows  singly  on 
the  trailing  stems  of  a  small  shrub 


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AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


105 


resembling  juniper,  bearing  beautiful 
scarlet  blossoms  in  autumn." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  8 : 

"Commonly  called  'ground-berry.' 
In  Tasmania  the  fruits  are  often  called 
native  cranberries.  The  fruits  of  these 
dwarf  shrubs  are  much  appreciated 
by  school-boys  and  aboriginals.  They 
have  a  viscid,  sweetish  pulp,  with  a 
relatively  large  stone.  The  pulp  is 
described  by  some  as  being  apple- 
flavoured,  though  I  have  always  failed 
to  make  out  any  distinct  flavour." 

(2)  Styphelia  sapida,  F. v.  M.,  N. O. 

Epacridea. 

1866.  'Treasury  of  Botany/  p.  688 
('O.E.D.')  : 

"  Lissanthe  sapida,  a  native  of  South- 
eastern Australia,  is  called  the  Aus- 
tralian Cranberry,  on  account  of  its 
resemblance  both  in  size  and  colour 
to  our  European  cranberry,  Vaccinium 
Oxyconos." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  39 : 

"  Native  cranberry.  The  fruit  is 
edible.  It  is  something  like  the  cran- 
berry of  Europe  both  in  size  and 
colour,  but  its  flesh  is  thin,  and  has 
been  likened  to  that  of  the  Siberian 
crab.  [Found  in]  New  South  Wales." 

(3)  Pernettya   tasmanica,  Hook., 
N.O.    Ericece.    (peculiar    to    Tas- 
mania). 

Crane,  n.  common  English 
bird-name.  In  Australia  used  for 
(i)  the  Native-Companion  (q.v.), 
Grus  australianus,  Gould ;  (2)  vari- 
ous Herons,  especially  in  New 
Zealand,  where  the  varieties  are 
— Blue  Crane  (Matuku},  Ardea 
sacra,  Gmel. ;  White  Crane  (Ko- 
tuku],  Ardea  egretta,  Gmel.  See 
Kotuku  and  Nankeen  Crane.  The 
Cranes  and  the  Herons  are  often 
popularly  confused. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,'  vol. 
vi.  pi.  53 : 

"  Ardea  Novcz-Hollandicz,  Lath., 
White-fronted  Heron,  Blue  Crane  of 
the  colonists.  Herodias  Jugnlaris, 
Blue  Reef  Heron,  Blue  Crane,  colonists 
of  Port  Essington." 


1848.  Ibid.  pi.  58  : 

"  Herodias  Immaculata,  Gould  [later 
melanopus^  Spotless  Egret,  White 
Crane  of  the  colonists." 

1890.  'Victorian  Consolidated  Statutes,. 
Game  Act,'  3rd  Schedule  : 

"[Close  Season.]  All  Birds  known 
as  Cranes  such  as  Herons,  Egrets,  &c. 
From  First  day  of  August  to  Twentieth 
day  of  December  following  in  each 
year." 

Craw-fish,  n.  a  variant  of 
Crayfish  (q.v.). 

Crawler,  n.  that  which  crawls  ;. 
used  specially  in  Australia  of 
cattle. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  217  : 

"  Well-bred  station  crawlers,  as  the 
stockmen  term  them  from  their  peace- 
able and  orderly  habits." 

Cray-fish,  n.  The  Australasian 
Cray-fish  belong  to  the  family 
ParastacidcB)  the  members  of  which 
are  confined  to  the  southern  hemi- 
sphere, whilst  those  of  the  family 
Potamobiidce,  are  found  in  the 
northern  hemisphere.  The  two 
families  are  distinguished  from 
one  another  by,  amongst  other 
points  of  structure,  the  absence 
of  appendages  on  the  first  ab- 
dominal segment  in  the  Para- 
stacidcz.  The  Australasian  cray- 
fishes are  classified  in  the  fol- 
lowing genera — Astacopsis,  found 
in  the  fresh  waters  of  Tasmania 
and  the  whole  of  Australia  ;  En- 
gaeus,  a  land-burrowing  form, 
found  only  in  Tasmania  and 
Victoria  ;  Paranephrops,  found  in 
the  fresh  waters  of  New  Zealand  ; 
and  Palinurus,  found  on  the  coasts 
of  Australia  and  New  Zealand.. 
The  species  are  as  follows  :— 

(i)  The  Yabber  or  Yabbie  Cray- 
fish. Name  given  to  the  com- 
monest fresh  -  water  Australian 
Cray-fish,  Astacopsis  bicarinatus^ 
Gray.  This  is  found  in  water- 
holes,  but  not  usually  in  running 
streams,  over  the  greater  part  of 


io6 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[CRA 


the  continent,  and  often  makes 
burrows  in  the  ground  away  from 
water,  and  may  also  do  great 
damage  by  burrowing  holes 
through  the  banks  of  dams  and 
reservoirs  and  water-courses,  as 
at  Mildura.  It  was  first  described 
as  the  Port  Essington  Crayfish. 

1845.  Gray,  in  E.  J.  Eyre's  '  Expeditions 
into  Central  Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  410  : 

"The  Port  Essington  Cray  fish. 
Astacus  bicarinatus" 

1885.  F.  McCoy,  'Prodromus  of  the 
Zoology  of  Victoria/  Dec.  2,  pi.  29  : 

"  They  are  commonly  known  about 
Melbourne  by  the  native  name  of 
Yabber  or  Yabbie." 

(2)  The   Murray  Lobster  or  the 
.Spiny  Cray-fish.     Name  given   to 
the  largest  Australian  fresh-water 
Cray-fish,  Astacopsisserratus,  Shaw, 
which  reaches  a  length  of  over 
twelve  inches,   and   is    found    in 
the  rivers  of  the  Murray  system, 
and    in    the   southern    rivers    of 
Victoria  such  as  the  Yarra,  the 
latter   being   distinguished   as    a 
variety  of  the  former  and  called 
locally  the  Yarra  Spiny  Cray-fish. 

1890.  F.  McCoy,  '  Prodromus  of  the 
Zoology  of  Victoria/  Dec.  8,  pi.  160: 

"  Our  plate  160  illustrates  a  remark- 
able variety  of  the  typical  A.  serratus 
of  the  Murray,  common  in  the  Yarra 
and  its  numerous  affluents  flowing 
southwards." 

(3)  The     Tasmanian    Cray-fish. 
Name  given  to  the    large  fresh- 
water  Cray-fish    found   in    Tas- 
mania, Astacopsis frankUnii)  Gray. 

(4)  The  Land-crab.      Name  ap- 
plied to  the  burrowing  Cray-fish 
of  Tasmania  and   Victoria,   En- 
gceus   fossor,    Erich.,  and     other 
species.     This  is  the  smallest  of 
the  Australian  Cray-fish,  and  in- 
habits burrows  on  land,  which  it 
excavates  for  itself  and  in  which 
a  small  store  of  water  is  retained. 
When  the  burrow,  as  frequently 
happens,  falls  in  there  is  formed 
a  Crab-hole  (q.v.). 


1892.  G.  M.  Thomson,  '  Proceedings  of 
the  Royal  Society  of  Tasmania/  p.  2  : 

"Only  four  of  the  previously  de- 
scribed forms  are  fresh-water  species, 
namely  :  Astacopsis  franklinii  and 
A.  tasmanicus,  Engaus  fossor  and 
E.  cunicularius,  all  fresh-water  cray 
fishes." 

(5)  New    Zealand    Fresh -water 
Cray-fish.    Name  applied  to  Para- 
nephrops  zealandicus,  White,  which 
is  confined  to  the  fresh  water  of 
New  Zealand. 

1889.  T-  I-  Parker,  '  Studies  in  Biology ' 
(Colonial  Museum  and  Geological  Survey 
Department,  New  Zealand),  p.  5  : 

"  Paranephrops  which  is  small  and 
has  to  be  specially  collected  in  rivers, 
creeks  or  lakes." 

(6)  Sydney     Cray-fish.        Name 
given    to    the    large    salt-water 
Cray-fish,  rarely  called  Craw-fish, 
or    Spiny    Lobster,   found   along 
the      Sydney     coast,      Palinurus 
hilgeli,  Heller. 

1890.  F.    McCoy,    '  Prodromus  of   the 
Zoology  of  Victoria/  Dec.  16,  pi.  159: 

"  This  species,  which  is  the  common 
Sydney  Craw-fish,  is  easily  distin- 
guished from  the  southern  one,  the 
P.  Lalandi,  which  is  the  common 
Melbourne  Craw-fish." 

(7)  Southern  Rock-Lobster  or  Mel- 
bourne Cray-fish.     Name  given  to 
the    large    salt-water    Cray-fish, 
sometimes  called  Craw-fish,  found 
along    the   southern    coast    and 
common  in  the  Melbourne  market, 
Palinurus  lalandi,  Lam. 

1890.  F.  McCoy,  'Prodromus  of  the 
Zoology  of  Victoria/  Dec.  15,  pi.  150: 

"  I  suggest  the  trivial  name  of 
Southern  Rock  Lobster  for  this  species, 
which  abounds  in  Victoria,  Tasmania 
and  New  Zealand,  as  well  as  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  .  .  .  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  noticed  as  far  north  as 
Sydney." 

The  name  Craw-fish  is  merely 
an  ancient  variant  of  Cray-fish, 
though  it  is  said  by  Gasc,  in  his 
French  Dictionary,  that  the  term 
was  invented  by  the  London  fish- 
mongers to  distinguish  the  small 


CRE] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


107 


Spiny  Lobster •,  which  has  no  claws, 
from  the  common  Lobster,  which 
has  claws.  The  term  Lobster,  in 
Australia,  is  often  applied  to  the 
Sydney  Cray-fish  (see  7,  above). 

Creadion,  n.  scientific  name 
given  by  Vieillot  in  1816  to  a 
genus  of  birds  peculiar  to  New 
Zealand,  from  Greek  /cpeaSiov,  a 
morsel  of  flesh,  dim.  of  xpeas,  flesh. 
Buller  says,  "  from  the  angle 
of  the  mouth  on  each  side  there 
hangs  a  fleshy  wattle,  or  caruncle, 
shaped  like  a  cucumber  seed  and 
of  a  changeable  bright  yellow 
colour."  ('Birds of  New  Zealand,' 
1886,  vol.  i.  p.  1 8.)  The  Jack- 
bird  (q.v.)  and  Saddle-back  (q.v.) 
are  the  two  species. 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  404  : 

"  Family  Sturnida — Tieki  (Creadion 
Carunculatus).  This  is  a  beautiful 
black  bird  with  a  chestnut  band  across 
the  back  and  wings  ;  it  has  also  a 
fleshy  lappet  on  either  side  of  the 
head.  The  tieki  is  considered  a  bird 
of  omen  :  if  one  flies  on  the  right  side 
it  is  a  good  sign ;  if  on  the  left,  a  bad 
one." 

Cream  of  Tartar  tree,  n.  i.q. 
Baobab  (q.v.). 

Creek,  n.  a  small  river,  a 
brook,  a  branch  of  a  river.  "An 
application  of  the  word  entirely 
unknown  in  Great  Britain." 
{'O.E.D.')  The  'Standard  Dic- 
tionary' gives,  as  a  use  in  the 
United  States,  "a  tidal  or  valley 
stream,  between  a  brook  and  a 
river  in  size."  In  Australia,  the 
name  brook  is  not  used.  Often 
pronounced  crick,  as  in  the  United 
States. 

Dr.  J.  A.  H.  Murray  kindly 
sends  the  following  note: — "Creek 
goes  back  to  the  early  days  of 
exploration.  Men  sailing  up  the 
Mississippi  or  other  navigable 
river  saw  the  mouths  of  tributary 
streams,  but  could  not  tell  with- 


out investigation  whether  they 
were  confluences  or  mere  inlets, 
creeks.  They  called  them  creeks, 
but  many  of  them  turned  out  to 
be  running  streams,  many  miles 
long — tributary  rivers  or  rivulets. 
The  name  creek  stuck  to  them, 
however,  and  thus  became  syno- 
nymous with  tributary  stream, 
brook." 

1793.  Governor  Hunter,  'Voyage/  p. 
516: 

"In  the  afternoon  a  creek  obliged 
them  to  leave  the  banks  of  the  river, 
and  go  round  its  head,  as  it  was  too 
deep  to  cross  :  having  rounded  the 
head  of  this  creek  .  .  .  7' 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  228  : 

"  They  met  with  some  narrow  rivers 
or  creeks." 

1809.  Aug.  6,  '  History  of  New  South 
Wales  '(1818),  p.  327  : 

"  Through  Rickerby's  grounds  upon 
the  riverside  and  those  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Marsden  on  the  creek." 

1826.  Goldie,  in  Bischoifs  'Van  Die- 
men's  Land'  (1832),  p.  162  : 

"  There  is  a  very  small  creek  which 
I  understand  is  never  dry." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
p.  17: 

"  The  creeks  and  rivers  of  Australia 
have  in  general  a  transitory  existence, 
now  swollen  by  the  casual  shower,  and 
again  rapidly  subsiding  under  the 
general  dryness  and  heat  of  the 
climate." 

1854.  'Bendigo  Advertiser,'  quoted  in 
'  Melbourne  Morning  Herald,'  May  29  : 

"  A  Londoner  reading  of  the  cross- 
ing of  a  creek  would  naturally  imagine 
the  scene  to  be  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  the  coast,  instead  of 
being  perhaps  some  hundreds  of  miles 
in  the  interior,  and  would  dream  of 
salt  water,  perriwinkles  and  sea-weed, 
when  he  should  be  thinking  of  slimy 
mud-holes,  black  snakes  and  gigantic 
gum-trees." 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Over  the  Straits,' 
c.  iv.  p.  134  : 

"  The  little  rivulet,  called,  with  that 
singular  pertinacity  for  error  which  I 
have  so  often  noticed  here,  'the 
creek.' " 


loS 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[CRE-CRU 


1865.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  29  : 

"  The  creek,  just  like  a  Scotch  burn, 
hurrying  and  tumbling  down  the  hill- 
side to  join  the  broader  stream  in  the 
valley." 

1870.  P.  Wentworth,  'Amos  Thorne,' 
i.  p.  II  : 

"  A  thirsty  creek-bed  marked  a  line 
of  green." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  39 : 

"  In  the  rivers,  whether  large  water- 
courses, and  dignified  by  the  name  of 
'river,'  or  small  tributaries  called  by 
the  less  sounding  appellation  'creeks.' " 

1887.  Cassell's  'Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  i.  p.  41  : 

"  Generally  where  the  English  lan- 
guage is  spoken  a  creek  means  a  small 
inlet  of  the  sea,  but  in  Australia  a 
creek  is  literally  what  it  is  etymologic- 
ally,  a  crack  in  the  ground.  In  dry 
weather  there  is  very  little  water ; 
perhaps  in  the  height  of  summer  the 
stream  altogether  ceases  to  run,  and 
the  creek  becomes  a  string  of  water- 
holes  ;  but  when  the  heavens  are 
opened,  and  the  rain  falls,  it  reappears 
a  river." 

Creeklet,  n.  diminutive  of  Creek. 

1884.  T.  Bracken,  '  Lays  of  Maori,'  p. 
91  : 

"One  small  creeklet    day  by  day 
murmurs." 

Creeper,  n.  The  name  (sc.  Tree- 
creeper]  is  given  to  several  New 
Zealand  birds  of  the  genus  Certhi- 
parus,  N.O.  Passeres.  The  Maori 
names  are  Pipipi,  Toitoi,  and 
Mohona. 

1888.  W.    L.    Buller,    'Birds   of   New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  51  : 

"  Certhiparus  Novce  Zelandice, 
Finsch.  New  Zealand  Creeper."  [A 
full  description.] 

Cronk,  adj.  Derived  from  the 
German  krank — sick  or  ill.  (i) 
A  racing  term  used  of  a  horse 
which  is  out  of  order  and  not 
"  fit  "  for  the  contest  ;  hence 
transferred  to  a  horse  whose 
owner  is  shamming  its  illness 
and  making  it  "run  crooked" 
for  the  purpose  of  cheating  its 


backers.  (2)  Used  more  gener- 
ally as  slang,  but  not  recognized 
in  Barere  and  Leland's  '  Slang 
Dictionary.' 

1893.  '  The  Herald  '  (Melbourne),  July 
4,  p.  2,  col.  7  : 

"  He  said  he  would  dispose  of  the 
cloth  at  a  moderate  figure  because 
it  was  '  cronk.'  The  word  '  cronk,* 
Mr.  Finlayson  explained,  meant  'not 
honestly  come  by.' " 

Crow,  n.  common  English 
bird-name.  The  Australian 
species  is — White-eyed,  Corvus 
coronoides  V.  and  H.  In  New 
Zealand  (Maori  name,  Kokako] 
the  name  is  used  for  the  Blue- 
wattled  Crow,  Glaucopis  wilsoni 
and  for  the  (N.  island)  Orange- 
wattled,  G.  tittered,  Gmel.  (S. 
island). 

Crow-shrike,  n.  Australian 
amalgamation  of  two  common 
English  bird-names.  The  Crow- 
shrikes  are  of  three  genera,  Stre- 
pera, Gymnorrhina,  and  Cracticus. 
The  varieties  of  the  genus  Strepera 
are — 

Black  Crow-shrike — 

Strepera  fuliginosa,  Gould. 
Black-winged  C. — 

S.  melanoptera,  Gould. 
Grey  C.— 

S.  cuneicaudata,  Vieill. 
Hill  C.— 

S.  arguta,  Gould. 
Leaden  C.— 

S.  plumbed^  Gould. 
Pied  C.- 

S.  graculina,  White. 

Birds  of  the  genus  Gymnorrhina 
are  called  Magpies  (q.v.).  Those 
of  the  genus  Cracticus  are  called 
Butcher-birds  (q.v.). 

Crush,  n.  a  part  of  a  stock- 
yard. See  quotations. 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  69 : 

"A  crush,  which  is  an  elongated 
funnel,  becoming  so  narrow  at  the  end 


CUC-CUL] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


109 


that  a  beast  is  wedged  in  and  unable 
to  move." 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon/  p.  87  : 

"  There  were  some  small  yards,  and 
a  '  crush,'  as  they  call  it,  for  branding 
cattle." 

Cuckoo,  n.  common  English 
bird-name.  The  Australian  birds 
to  which  it  is  applied  are — 

Black-eared  Cuckoo — 

Mesocalius  osculant,  Gould. 
Bronze  C. — 

Chalcoccyx  plagosuS)  Lath. 
Brush  C.— 

Cacomantis    insperatus.     [Gould, 
'Birds  of  Australia,'  vol.  iv. 
pi.  87.] 
Chestnut-breasted  C. — 

C.  castanei-ventris,  Gould. 
Fantailed  C. — 

C.flabtlliformis,  Lath. 
Little-bronze  C. — 

Chalcoccyx  malayanus,  Raffles. 
Narrow-billed  bronze  C. — 

C.  basalts,  Hors. 
Oriental  C.— 

Cuculus  intermedius,  Vahl. 
Pallid  C.— 

Cacomantis  pallidus  and  C.  cano- 

rus.  Linn. 
Square-tailed  C.— 

C.  variolosus,  Hors. 
Whistling-bronze  C. — 

Chalcoccyx  lucidus,  Gmel. 

In  New  Zealand,  the  name  is 
applied  to  Eudynamis  taitensis  (sc. 
of  Tahiti)  Sparm.,  the  Long-tailed 
Cuckoo;  and  to  Chrysococcyx  luci- 
dus,  Gmel.,  the  Shining  Cuckoo. 
The  name  Cuckoo  has  sometimes 
been  applied  to  the  Mopoke  (q.v.) 
and  to  the  Boobook  (q.v.).  See 
also  Pheasant-cuckoo, 

1855.  G.  W.  Rusden,  '  Moyarra,'  Notes, 
p.  30: 

"  The  Australian  cuckoo  is  a  night- 
jar, and  is  heard  only  by  night." 

1868.  W.  Carleton,  'Australian  Nights,' 
p.  19: 


"  The  Austral  cuckoo  spoke 
His  melancholy  note,  '  Mopoke.'" 

1889.  Prof.  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  118  : 

"  There  are  two  species  of  the  Long- 
tailed  Cuckoo  (Eudynamis  taitensis}, 
and  the  beautiful  Bronze  or  Shining 
Cuckoo  (Chrysococcyx  lucidtis}.  They 
are  both  migratory  birds.  The  Long- 
tailed  Cuckoo  spends  its  winter  in  some 
of  the  Pacific  islands,  the  Shining 
Cuckoo  in  Australia." 

Cuckoo-shrike,  n.  This  com- 
bination of  two  common  English 
bird-names  is  assigned  in  Aus- 
tralia to  the  following — 

Barred  Cuckoo-shrike — 

Graucalus  lineatus,  Swains. 
Black-faced  C.— 

G.  melanops,  Lath. 
Ground  C.— 

Pteropodocys  phasianella,  Gould. 
Little  C.— 

Graucalus    mentalis,    Vig.     and 

Hors. 
Small-billed  C.— 

G.  parvirostris,  Gould. 
White-bellied  C.— 

G.  hyperleucus,  Gould. 

Cucumber-fish,  n.  i.q.  Grayling 
(q.v.). 

Cucumber-Mullet,  n.  i.q.  Gray- 
ling (q.v.). 

Cultivation  paddock,  n.  a  field 
that  has  been  tilled  and  not  kept 
for  grass. 

1853.  Chas.  St.  Julian  and  Ed.  K.  Sil- 
vester, 'The  Productions,  Industry,  and 
Resources  of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  170  : 

"Few  stations  of  any  magnitude 
are  without  their  'cultivation  pad- 
docks,' where  grain  and  vegetables 
are  raised  .  .  ." 

1860.  A  Lady,  '  My  Experiences  in 
Australia,'  p.  173  : 

"  Besides  this  large  horse  paddock, 
there  was  a  space  cleared  of  trees, 
some  twenty  to  thirty  acres  in  extent, 
on  the  banks  of  the  creek,  known  as 
the  'Cultivation  Paddock,'  where  in 
former  days  my  husband  had  grown 
a  sufficient  supply  of  wheat  for  home 
consumption.'"' 


110 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[CUR 


1893.  'The  Argus,'  June  17,  p.  I3> 
col.  4 : 

"How  any  man  could  have  been 
such  an  idiot  as  to  attempt  to  make  a 
cultivation  paddock  on  a  bed  of  clay 
passed  all  my  knowledge.' 

Curlew,  n.  common  English 
bird-name.  The  Australian 
species  is  Numenius  cyanopus, 
Vieill.  The  name,  however,  is 
more  generally  applied  to  (Edic- 
nemus  grallarius,  Lath. 

1862.   H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  43  : 
"They    rend    the    air    like    cries    of 

despair, 
The  screams  of  the  wild  curlew." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  18  : 

'"Truly  the  most  depressing  cry  I 
ever  heard  is  that  of  the  curlew,  which 
you  take  no  notice  of  in  course  of 
time  ;  but  which  to  us,  wet,  weary, 
hungry,  and  strange,  sounded  most 
eerie." 

1890.  'Victorian  Statutes,  Game  Act, 
Third  Schedule '  : 

"  Southern  Stone  Plover  or  Curlew." 

1894.  <The  Argus,'  June  23,  p.  II, 
col.  4 : 

"The  calling  of  the  stone  plover. 
It  might  as  well  be  a  curlew  at  once, 
for  it  will  always  be  a  curlew  to  country 
people.  Its  first  call,  with  the  pause 
between,  sounds  like  'Curlew3 — that 
is,  if  you  really  want  it  to  sound  so, 
though  the  blacks  get  much  nearer 
the  real  note  with  '  Koo-loo,'  the  first 
syllable  sharp,  the  second  long  drawn 
out." 

1896.  Dr.  Holden,  of  Hobart,  '  Private 
letter,'  Jan.  : 

"There  is  a  curlew  in  Australia, 
closely  resembling  the  English  bird, 
and  it  calls  as  that  did  over  the  Locks- 
ley  Hall  sand-dunes  ;  but  Australians 
are  given  to  calling  CEdicnemus  gral- 
larius Latham  (our  Stone  Plover), 
the  '  curlew,'  which  is  a  misnomer.  This 
also  drearily  wails,  and  after  dark." 

Currajong  or  Currijong,  i.q. 
Kurrajong  (q.v.). 

Currant,  Native,  n.  The  name 
is  given  to  various  shrubs  and 
trees  of  the  genus  Coprosma,  espe- 
cially Coprosma  billardieri,  Hook., 


N.O.  Rubiacea;  also  to  Leucopogon 
richei,  Lab.,  N.O.  Epacridea, 
various  species  of  Leptomeria,  N.  O. 
Santalacea,  and  Myoporum  serra- 
tum,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Myoporima. 
The  names  used  for  M.  serratum, 
chiefly  in  South  Australia,  are 
Blueberry  Tree,  Native  Juniper, 
Native  Myrtle^  Palberry,  and  Cock- 
atoo Bush. 

See  also  Native  Plum. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  220 : 

"  Our  native  currants  are  strongly 
acidulous,  like  the  cranberry,  and 
make  an  excellent  preserve  when 
mixed  with  the  raspberry." 

1834.  Ross,  'Van  Diemen's  Land 
Annual,'  p.  133: 

"  Leucopogon  lanceolatum.  A  large 
bush  with  numerous  harsh  leaves, 
growing  along  the  sea  shore,  with 
some  other  smaller  inland  shrubs  of 
the  same  tribe,  produces  very  small 
white  berries  of  a  sweetish  and  rather 
herby  flavour.  These  are  promiscuously 
called  white  or  native  currants  in  the 
colony." 

["The  insignificant  and  barely  edible 
berries  of  this  shrub  are  said  to  have 
saved  the  life  of  the  French  botanist 
Riche,  who  was  lost  in  the  bush  on  the 
South  Australian  coast  for  three  days,, 
at  the  close  of  the  last  century." 
(Maiden.)  The  plant  is  now  called  L. 
Riekei.] 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  19: 

"Native  Currant.  .  .  .  This  plant 
bears  a  small  round  drupe,  about  the 
size  of  a  small  pea.  Mr.  Backhouse 
states  that  (over  half  a  century  ago) 
when  British  fruits  were  scarce,  it 
was  made  into  puddings  by  some 
of  the  settlers  of  Tasmania,  but  the 
size  and  number  of  the  seeds  were 
objectionable." 

Currant,  Plain,  n.  See  Plain 
Currant. 

Currency,  n.  (i)  Name  given 
especially  to  early  paper-money 
in  the  Colonies,  issued  by  private 
traders  and  of  various  values,  and 
in  general  to  the  various  coins  of 


CUS-CUT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


IIP 


foreign  countries,  which  were 
current  and  in  circulation.  Bar- 
rington,  in  his  4  History  of  New 
South  Wales  '  (1802),  gives  a 
table  of  such  specie. 

1824.  Edward  Curr,  'Account  of  the 
Colony  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,'  p.  5  : 

"Much  of  this  paper-money  is  of 
the  most  trifling  description.  To  this 
is  often  added  '  payable  in  dollars  at 
$s.  each.3  Some  .  .  .  make  them  pay- 
able in  Colonial  currency." 

[p.  69,  note]  :  "  25^.  currency  is  about 
equal  to  a  sovereign." 

1826.  Act  of  Geo.  IV.,  No.  3  (Van 
Diemen's  Land): 

"  All  Bills  of  Exchange,  Promissory 
Notes  ...  as  also  all  Contracts  and 
Agreements  whatsoever  which  .  .  . 
shall  be  drawn  and  circulated  or  issued, 
or  made  and  entered  into,  and  shall 
be  therein  expressed  ...  to  be  pay- 
able in  Currency,  Current  Money, 
Spanish  Dollars  .  .  .  shall  be  ... 
Null  and  Void." 

1862.  Geo.  Thos.  Lloyd,  '  Thirty-three 
years  in  Tasmania  and  Victoria,'  p.  9  : 

"Every  man  in  business  .  .  issued 
promissory  notes,  varying  in  value 
from  the  sum  of  fourpence  to  twenty 
shillings,  payable  on  demand.  "These 
notes  received  the  appellation  of  paper 
currency.  .  .  The  pound  sterling  re- 
presented twenty-five  shillings  of  the 
paper-money." 

(2)  Obsolete  name  for  those 
colonially-born. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  (Table  of 
Contents) : 

"  Letter  XX I . — Currency  or  Colonial- 
born  population." 

Ibid.  p.  33  : 

"  Our  colonial-born  brethren  are  best 
known  here  by  the  name  of  Cttrrency,  in 
contradistinction  to  Sterling,  or  those 
born  in  the  mother-country.  The 
name  was  originally  given  by  a  face- 
tious paymaster  of  the  73rd  Regiment 
quartered  here— the  pound  currency 
being  at  that  time  inferior  to  the 
pound  sterling." 

1833.  H.  W.  Parker,  'Rise,  Progress, 
and  Present  State  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
p.  189  : 

"  The  Currency  lads,  as  the  country- 


born  colonists  in  the  facetious  nomen- 
clature of  the  colony  are  called,  in 
contradistinction  to  those  born  in  the 
mother  country." 

1840.  Martin's  '  Colonial  Magazine/ 
vol.  iii.  p.  35  : 

"  Currency  lady." 

1849.  J.  P.  Townsend,  '  Rambles  in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  68  : 

"  Whites  born  in  the  colony,  who  are 
also  called  'the  currency';  and  thus 
the  *  Currency  Lass '  is  a  favourite  name 
for  colonial  vessels."  [And,  it  may  be 
added,  also  of  Hotels.] 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  i.  p.  6 : 

"A  singular  disinclination  to  finish 
any  work  completely,  is  a  striking 
characteristic  of  colonial  craftsmen,  at 
least  of  the  *  currency '  or  native-born 
portion.  Many  of  them  who  are  clever, 
ingenious  and  industrious,  will  begin  a 
new  work,  be  it  ship,  house,  or  other 
erection,  and  labour  at  it  most  assidu- 
ously until  it  be  about  two-thirds  com- 
pleted, and  then  their  energy  seems 
spent,  or  they  grow  weary  of  the  old 
occupation,  and  some  new  affair  is  set 
about  as  busily  as  the  former  one." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  35  : 

"English  girls  have  such  lovely 
complexions  and  cut  out  us  poor  cur- 
rency lasses  altogether." 

Ibid.  p.  342 : 

"  You're  a  regular  Currency  lass  .  .  . 
always  thinking  about  horses." 

Cushion-flower,  n.  i.q.  Hakea 
laurina,  R.  Br.  See  Hakea. 

Cut  out,  v.  ( i )  To  separate  cattle 
from  the  rest  of  the  herd  in  the 
open. 

1873.  Marcus  Clarke,  'Holiday  Peak, 
&c.,'  p.  70 : 

"The  other  two  .  .  .  could  cut  out 
a  refractory  bullock  with  the  best 
stockman  on  the  plains." 

1884.  Rolf   Boldrewood,      'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  x.  p.  72  : 

"  We  .  .  camped  for  the  purpose  of 
separating  our  cattle,  either  by  drafting 
through  the  yard,  or  by  *  cutting  out ' 
on  horse-back." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Ha»tton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  70 : 

"  Drafting  on  the  camp,  or  c  cutting 


112 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[CUT 


out '  as  it  is  generally  called,  is  a  very 
pretty  performance  to  watch,  if  it  is  well 
done." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  ii.  p.  13  : 

"Tell  him  to  get  'Mustang,'  he's 
the  best  cutting-out  horse." 

1893.   '  The  Argus,'  April  29,  p.  4.  col. 

4  = 

"A  Queenslander  would  have 
thought  it  was  as  sirpple  as  going  on  to 
a  cutting-out  camp  up  North  and  run- 
ning out  the  fats." 

(2)  To  finish  shearing. 

1890.  {  The  Argus,'  Sept.  20,  p.  13, 
col.  6  : 

"  When  the  stations  '  cut  out,'  as  the 
term  for  finishing  is,  and  the  shearers 
and  rouseabout  men  leave." 

Cutting-grass,  n.  Cladium  psit- 
tacorum,  Labill.,  N.O.  Cyperacea. 
It  grows  very  long  narrow  blades 


whose  thin  rigid  edge  will  readily 
cut  flesh  if  incautiously  handled  ; 
it  is  often  called  Sword-grass. 

1858.  T.  McCombie  '  History  of  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  8  : 

"  Long  grass,  known  as  cutting-grass 
between  four  and  five  feet  high,  the 
blade  an  inch  and  a  half  broad,  the 
edges  exquisitely  sharp." 

1891.  W.  Tilley,  « Wild  West  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  42  : 

"Travelling  would  be  almost  im- 
possible but  for  the  button  rush  and 
cutting  grass,  which  grow  in  big  tus- 
socks out  of  the  surrounding  bog." 

1894.  '  The  Age,'  Oct.  19,  p.  5,  col.  8 : 
" '  Cutting  grass  '  is  the  technical 
term  for  a  hard,  tough  grass  about 
eight  or  ten  inches  high,  three-edged 
like  a  bayonet,  which  stock  cannot  eat 
because  in  their  efforts  to  bite  it  off  it 
cuts  their  mouths." 


DAB-DAM] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


Dabchick,  n.  common  English 
bird-name.  The  New  Zealand 
species  is  Podiceps  rufipectus.  There 
is  no  species  in  Australia. 

Dacelo,  n.  Name  given  by 
"W.  E.  Leach,  1816.  An  ana- 
gram or  transposition  of  Lat. 
Alcedo,  a  Kingfisher."  ('Cen- 
tury.') Scientific  name  for  the 
Jackass  (q.v.). 

Dactylopsila,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  Australian  genus  of 
the  Striped  Phalanger,  called 
locally  the  Striped  Opossum;  see 
Opossum.  It  has  a  long  bare  toe. 
(Grk.  SaKTvAos,  a  finger,  and  i/fiAo?, 
bare.) 

Daisy,  Brisbane,  n.  a  Queens- 
land and  New  South  Wales  plant, 
Brachycome  microcarpa,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Composites. 

Daisy,  Native,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
flower,  Brachycome  detipiens.  Hook., 
N.O.  Composites. 

Daisy  Tree,  n.  two  Tasmanian 
trees,  Astur  stellulatus,  Lab.,  and 
A.  glandulosus,  Lab.,  N.O.  Com- 
posites. The  latter  is  called  the 

Swamp- Daisy-  Tree. 

Dam,  n.  In  England,  the  word 
means  a  barrier  to  stop  water  : 
in  Australia,  it  also  means  the 
rater  so  stopped,  as  'O.E.D.' 
shows  it  does  in  Yorkshire. 

1873.  Marcus  Clarke,  'Holiday  Peak, 
=.,'p.  76: 

"  The  dams  were  brimming  at 
Quartz-borough,  St.  Roy  reservoir  was 
running  over." 

1892.  '  Scribner's  Magazine,'  Feb.,  p. 
141: 


"  Dams    as    he  calls  his  reservoirs 
scooped  out  in  the  hard  soil." 
1893.    '  The  Leader,'  Jan.  14  : 
"  A  boundary  rider  has  been  drowned 
in  a  dam." 

1893.  'The  Times,'  [Reprint]  '  Letters 
from  Queensland,'  p.  68  : 

"  At  present  few  stations  are  sub- 
divided into  paddocks  smaller  than 
20,000  acres  apiece.  If  in  each  of 
these  there  is  but  one  waterhole  or 
dam  that  can  be  relied  upon  to  hold 
out  in  drought,  sheep  and  cattle  will 
destroy  as  much  grass  in  tramping 
from  the  far  corners  of  the  grazing  to 
the  drinking  spot  as  they  will  eat. 
Four  paddocks  of  5,000  acres  each, 
well  supplied  with  water,  ought  to 
carry  almost  double  the  number  of 
sheep." 

1896.  'The  Argus,'  March  30,  p.  6, 
col.  9 : 

"  [The  murderer]  has  not  since  been 
heard  of.  Dams  and  waterholes  have 
been  dragged  .  .  .  but  without  result." 

Dammara,  n.  an  old  scientific 
name  of  the  genus,  including  the 
Kauri  Pine  (q.v.).  It  is  from  the 
Hindustani,  damar,  *  resin.'  The 
name  was  applied  to  the  Kauri 
Pine  by  Lambert  in  1832,  but  it 
was  afterwards  found  that  Salis- 
bury, in  1805,  had  previously 
constituted  the  genus  Agathis  for 
the  reception  of  the  Kauri  Pine 
and  the  Dammar  Pine  of  Am- 
boyna.  This  priority  of  claim 
necessitated  the  modern  restora- 
tion of  Agathis  as  the  name  of 
the  genus. 

Damper,  n.  a  large  scone  of 
flour  and  water  baked  in  hot 
ashes  ;  the  bread  of  the  bush, 
which  is  always  unleavened. 
[The  addition  of  water  to  the 

i 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[DAM-DAP 


flour  suggests  a  more  likely  origin 
than  that  given  by  Dr.  Lang. 
See  quotation,  1847.] 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  190 : 

"  The  farm-men  usually  make  their 
flour  into  flat  cakes,  which  they  call 
damper •,  and  cook  these  in  the  ashes. . ." 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  'Southern  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  c.  viii.  p.  203  : 

"  I  watched  the  distorted  counten- 
ances of  my  humble  companions  while 
drinking  their  tea  and  eating  their 
damper." 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,   '  Sketches  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  103  : 

"  Damper  (a  coarse  dark  bread)." 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,    'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  122  : 

"  I  must  here  enlighten  my  readers 
as  to  what  'damper'  is.  It  is  the 
bread  of  the  bush,  made  with  flour  and 
water  kneaded  together  and  formed 
into  dough,  which  is  baked  in  the  ashes, 
and  after  a  few  months  keeping  is  a 
good  substitute  for  bread." 

[The  last  clause  contains  a  most 
extraordinary  statement — perhaps  a 
joke.  Damper  is  not  kept  for  months, 
but  is  generally  made  fresh  for  each 
meal.  See  quotation,  1890,  Lumholtz.] 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  '  Cooksland,'  p.  122  : 
"  A  cake  baked  in  the  ashes,  which 

in  Australia  is  usually  styled  a  damper." 
[Footnote]  :  "  This  appellation  is  said 
to  have  originated  somehow  with 
Dampier,  the  celebrated  navigator." 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  '  New  Zealand,' 
p.  284: 

" '  Damper '  is  a  dough  made  from 
wheat-flour  and  water  without  yeast, 
which  is  simply  pressed  flat,  and  baked 
in  the  ashes  ;  according  to  civilized 
notions,  rather  hard  of  digestion,  but 
quite  agreeable  to  hungry  woodmen's 
stomachs." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  2O: 

"  At  first  we  had  rather  a  horror  of 
eating  damper,  imagining  it  to  be 
somewhat  like  an  uncooked  crumpet. 
Experience,  however,  showed  it  to  be 
really  very  good.  Its  construction  is 
simple,  and  is  as  follows.  Plain  flour 
and  water  is  mixed  on  a  sheet  of  bark, 
and  then  kneaded  into  a  disc  some 
two  or  three  inches  thick  to  about  one 


or  two  feet  in  diameter,  great  care  to 
avoid  cracks  being  taken  in  the  knead- 
ing. This  is  placed  in  a  hole  scraped 
to  its  size  in  the  hot  ashes,  covered 
over,  and  there  left  till  small  cracks 
caused  by  the  steam  appear  on  the 
surface  of  its  covering.  This  is  a  sign 
that  it  is  nearly  done,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  skilful  chef  will  sound  it 
over  with  his  knife,  and  if  he  finds  it 
hard  will  take  it  out  and  stand  it  on  its 
edge  to  cool.  No  disagreeable  dust  or 
grit  ever  adheres,  and  the  smell,  espe- 
cially to  a  hungry  bushman,  is  most 
seductive." 

1888.  D.    Macdonald,    'Gum   Boughs,' 

P-  9: 

"  Their  palates  have  been  ruined  by 
an  everlasting  diet  of  mutton  and 
dyspeptic  damper." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  85  : 

"  Wedges  of  damper  (or  bread  baked 
in  hot  ashes)  were  cut  from  time  to  time 
from  great  circular  flat  loaves  of  that 
palatable  and  wholesome  but  some- 
what compressed-looking  bread." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz, '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  32: 

"  Damper  is  the  name  of  a  kind  of 
bread  made  of  wheat  flour  and  water. 
The  dough  is  shaped  into  a  flat  round 
cake,  which  is  baked  in  red-hot  ashes. 
This  bread  looks  very  inviting,  and 
tastes  very  good  as  long  as  it  is  fresh, 
but  it  soon  becomes  hard  and  dry." 

Damson,  Native,  n.  called  also 
Native  Plumy  an  Australian  shrub, 
Nageia  spimdosa,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O. 
Conifera. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  53 : 

"Native  Damson  or  Native  Plum. 
This  shrub  possesses  edible  fruit, 
something  like  a  plum,  hence  its  ver- 
nacular names.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Woolls 
tells  me  that,  mixed  with  jam  of  the 
Native  Currant  (Leptomeria  acida),  it 
makes  a  very  good  pudding." 

Dandelion,  Native,  n.  a  flower- 
ing plant,  Podolepis  acuminata^  R. 
Br.,  N.O.  Composite. 

Daphne,  Native,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian timber,  Myoporum  viscorum,  R. 
Br.,  N.O.  Myoporinece;  called  also 
Dogwood  and  Waterbush. 


DAR-DEA 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


115 


1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
IMams,'  p.  575  : 

"  Native  Daphne.  .  .  .  Timber  soft 
.and  moderately  light,  yet  tough.  It 
is  used  for  building  purposes.  It 
dresses  well,  and  is  straight  in  the 
grain." 

Darling  Pea,  n.  an  Australian 
plant,  Swainsonia  galegifolia,  R. 
Br.,  N.O.  Leguminoscc  ;  i.q.  Indigo 
Plant  (q.v.).  See  also  Poison- 
bush.  The  Darling  Downs  and 
River  were  named  after  General 
(later  Sir  Ralph)  Darling,  who 
was  Governor  of  New  South 
Wales  from  Dec.  19,  1825,  to 
Oct.  21,  1831.  The  "pea"  is 
named  from  one  of  these. 

Darling  Shower,  n.  a  local 
name  in  the  interior  of  Australia, 
and  especially  on  the  River  Dar- 
ling, for  a  dust  storm,  caused  by 
•cyclonic  winds. 

Dart,  n.  (i)  Plan,  scheme,  idea 
[slang].  It  is  an  extension  of 
the  meaning — "sudden  motion." 

1887.  J.  Farrell,  '  How  he  died;'  p.  20  : 
•"  Whose  '  dart '  for  the  Looard 
Was  to  appear  the  justest  steward 
That  ever  hiked  a  plate  round." 

1890.    '  The  Argus,'  Aug.  9,  p.  4,  col.  2  : 

"  When  I  told  them  of  my  '  dart,' 
some  were  contemptuous,  others  in- 
•credulous." 

1892.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Nevermore,' 
p.  22: 

"  Your  only  dart  is  to  buy  a  staunch 
Tiorse  with  a  tip-cart." 

(2)  Particular  fancy  or  personal 
taste. 

1895.    Modern  : 

"  *  Fresh  strawberries  eh ! — that's  my 
•dart,'  says  the  bushman  when  he  sees 
the  fruit  lunch  in  Collins-street." 

Darter,  n.  common  English 
name  for  birds  of  the  genus 
Plotus.  So  called  from  the  way 
it  "  darts"  upon  its  prey.  The 
Australian  species  is  Plotus  novce- 
.hollandice,  Gould. 

Dasyure,  and  Dasyurus,  n.  the 


scientific  name  of  the  genus  of 
Australian  animals  called  Native 
Cats.  See  under  Cat.  The  first 
form  is  the  Anglicized  spelling, 
and  is  scientifically  used  in  pre- 
ference to  the  misleading  verna- 
cular name.  From  the  Greek 
oWvs,  thick  with  hair,  hairy, 
shaggy,  and  ovpa,  tail.  They 
range  over  Australia,  Tasmania, 
New  Guinea,  and  the  adjacent 
islands.  Unlike  the  Thylacine  and 
Tasmanian  Devil  (q.v.),  which  are 
purely  terrestrial,  the  Dasyures 
are  arboreal  in  their  habits,  while 
they  are  both  carnivorous  and 
insectivorous. 

The  Thylacine,  Tasmanian 
Devil,  Pouched  Mice,  and  Banded 
Ant-eater  have  sometimes  been 
incorrectly  classed  as  Dasyures, 
but  the  name  is  now  strictly 
allotted  to  the  genus  Dasyurus, 
or  Native  Cat. 

Date,  Native,  n.  a  Queensland 
fruit,  Capparis  canescens,  Banks, 
N.O.  Capparidece.  The  fruit  is 
shaped  like  a  pear,  and  about 
half  an  inch  in  its  largest  dia- 
meter. It  is  eaten  raw  by  the 
aborigines. 

Deadbeat,  n.  In  Australia,  it 
means  a  man  "down  on  his 
luck,"  "stone-broke,"  beaten  by 
fortune.  In  America,  the  word 
means  an  impostor,  a  sponge. 
Between  the  two  uses  the  con- 
nection is  clear,  but  the  Austra- 
lian usage  is  logically  the  earlier. 

Dead-bird,  n.  In  Australia,  a 
recent  slang  term,  meaning  "a 
certainty."  The  metaphor  is  from 
pigeon-shooting,  where  the  bird 
being  let  loose  in  front  of  a  good 
shot  is  as  good  as  dead. 

Dead-finish,  n.  a  rough  scrub- 
tree.  ( i )  Albizzia  basaltica,  Benth. , 
N.O.  Leguminosce. 

(2)   Acacia  farnesiana,    Willd., 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[DEA-DEF 


N.  O.  Leguminosce.  See  quotation, 
1889. 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia/ p.  272  : 

"On  the  eastern  face  of  the  coast 
range  are  pine,  red  cedar,  and  beech, 
and  on  the  western  slopes,  rose-wood, 
myall,  dead-finish,  plum-tree,  iron- 
wood  and  sandal-wood,  all  woods  with 
a  fine  grain  suitable  for  cabinet-making 
and  fancy  work." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  355  : 

"Sometimes  called  by  the  absurd 
name  of  '  Dead  Finish.'  This  name 
given  to  some  species  of  Acacia  and 
Albizzia,  is  on  account  of  the  trees 
or  shrubs  shooting  thickly  from  the 
bottom,  and  forming  an  impenetrable 
barrier  to  the  traveller,  who  is  thus 
brought  to  a  'dead  finish'  (stop)." 

1893.  '  The  Times,'  [Reprint]  '  Letters 
from  Queensland,'  p.  60  : 

"  The  hawthorn  is  admirably  repre- 
sented by  a  brush  commonly  called 
'  dead  finish.' "  [p.6i]:  "  Little  knolls 
are  crowned  with  'dead  finish'  that 
sheep  are  always  glad  to  nibble." 

Dead-wood  Fence,  n.  The 
Australian  fence,  so  called,  is  very 
different  from  the  fence  of  the 
same  name  in  England.  It  is 
high  and  big,  built  of  fallen  tim- 
ber, logs  and  branches.  Though 
still  used  in  Australia  for  fencing 
runs,  it  is  now  usually  superseded 
by  wire  fences. 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  i.  p.  157  : 

"A  'dead- wood  fence,'  that  is,  a 
mass  of  timber  four  or  five  feet  thick, 
and  five  or  six  high,  the  lower  part 
being  formed  of  the  enormous  trunks 
of  trees,  cut  into  logs  six  or  eight  feet 
long,  laid  side  by  side,  and  the  upper 
portion  consisting  of  the  smaller 
branches  skilfully  laid  over,  or  stuck 
down  and  twisted." 

1872.  G.  Baden-Powell,  '  New  Homes 
for  the  Old  Country,'  p.  207  : 

"A  very  common  fence  is  built  by 
felling  trees  round  the  space  to  be 
enclosed,  and  then  with  their  stems  as 
a  foundation,  working  up  with  the 
branches,  a  fence  of  a  desirable 
height." 


Deal,  Native,  n.  an  Australian 
timber,  Nageia  data,  F.  v.  M., 
N.  O.  Conifers.  For  other  ver- 
nacular names  see  quotation. 

1869.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  589  : 

"  Pine,  white  pine,  called  she-pine  in 
Queensland  ;  native  deal,  pencil  cedar. 
This  tree  has  an  elongated  trunk,  rarely 
cylindrical ;  wood  free  from  knots, 
soft,  close,  easily  worked,  good  for 
joiners'  and  cabinet-work  ;  some  trees 
afford  planks  of  great  beauty.  (Mac- 
arthur.)  Fine  specimens  of  this 
timber  have  a  peculiar  mottled  appear- 
ance not  easily  described,  and  often 
of  surpassing  beauty." 

[See  also  Pine.] 

December,  n.  a  summer  month 
in  Australia.  See  Christmas. 

1885.  J.  Hood,  '  Land  of  the  Fern,'  p. 
34: 

"  Warm  December  sweeps  with  burn- 
ing breath 

Across  the  bosom  of  the  shrinking 
earth." 

Deepsinker,  n.  (i)  The  largest 
sized  tumbler  ;  (2)  the  long  drink 
served  in  it.  The  idea  is  taken 
from  deep-sinking  in  a  mining 
shaft. 

1897.  'The  Argus,'  Jan.  15,  p.  6,  col  5: 

"As  athletes  the  cocoons  can  run 

rings  round  the  beans  ;  they  can  jump 

out  of  a  tumbler — whether  medium, 

small,  or  deepsinker  is  not  recorded." 

Deep  Yellow- Wood,  n.  Rhus 
rhodanthema,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Ana- 
cardiacea.  A  tree  with  spreading 
head  ;  timber  valuable.  See 

Yellow-  Wood. 

Deferred  Payment,  «.  a  legal 
phrase.  "  Land  on  deferred  pay- 
ment"; "  Deferred  payment 
settler";  "Pastoral  deferred 
payment."  These  expressions  in 
New  Zealand  have  reference  to 
the  mode  of  statutory  alienation 
of  Crown  lands,  known  in  other 
colonies  as  conditional  sale,  etc., 
i.e.  sale  on  time  payment,  with 
conditions  binding  the  settler  to 


DEL-DEV] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


117 


erect  improvements,  ending1  in 
his  acquiring  the  fee-simple.  The 
system  is  obsolete,  but  many 
titles  are  still  incomplete. 

Dell-bird,  n.  another  name  for 
the  Bell-bird  (q.v.). 

Dendrolagus,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  of  Australian 
marsupials  called  Tree-Kangaroos 
(q.v.).  (Grk.  SeVS/ooi/,  a  tree,  and 
Aaywg,  a  hare.)  Unlike  the  other 
kangaroos,  their  fore  limbs  are 
nearly  as  long  as  the  hinder  pair, 
and  thus  adapted  for  arboreal 
life.  There  are  five  species,  three 
belong  to  New  Guinea  and  two  to 
Queensland;  they  are  the  Queens- 
land Tree-Kangaroo,  Dendrolagus 
lumholtzi ;  Bennett's  T.-k.,  D. 
bennettianus ;  Black  T.-k.,  D.  ursi- 
nus ;  Brown  T.-k.,  D.  inustus ; 
Doria's  T.-k.,  D.  dorianus.  See 
Kangaroo. 

Derry,  n.  slang.  The  phrase 
"  to  have  a  down  on  "  (see 
Down]  is  often  varied  to  "have 
a  derry  on."  The  connection  is 
probably  the  comic-song  refrain, 
"  Hey  derry  down  derry." 

1896.  'The  Argus,'  March  19,  p.  5, 
col.  9  : 

"Mr.  Croker:  Certainly.  We  will 
tender  it  as  evidence.  (To  the  wit- 
ness.) Have  you  any  particular  '  derry ' 
upon  this  Wendouree? — No;  not  at 
all.  There  are  worse  vessels  knocking 
about  than  the  Wendouree." 

Dervener,  n.  See  quotation, 
and  Derwenter. 

1896.  '  The  Argus,'  Jan.  2,  p.  3,  col.  4, 
Letters  to  the  Editor  : 

"'Dervener.' — An  expression  used 
in  continental  Australia  for  a  man  from 
the  Derwent  in  Tasmania.  Common 
up  till  1850  at  least.— David  Blair." 

Ibid.  Jan.  3,  p.  6,  col.  6  : 

"With  respect  to  'dervener,'  the 
word  was  in  use  while  the  blue  shirt 
race  existed  [sc.  convicts],  and  these 
people  did  not  become  extinct  until 
after  1860. — Cymro- Victoria." 


Derwenter,  n.  a  released  con- 
vict from  Hobart  Town,  Tas- 
mania, which  is  on  the  River 
Derwent. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  xx.  p.  140  : 

"  An  odd  pair  of  sawyers,  generally 
'  Derwenters,'  as  the  Tasmanian  ex- 
pirees  were  called." 

Desert  Lemon,  n.  called  also 

Native  Kumquat^    Atalantia  glauca, 
Hook.,  N.O.  Rutacecz. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  8 : 

"The  native  kumquat  or  desert 
lemon.  The  fruit  is  globular,  and 
about  half  an  inch  in  diameter.  It 
produces  an  agreeable  beverage  from 
its  acid  juice." 

Desert-Oak,  n.  an  Australian 
tree,  Casuarina  decaisneana, 
F.  v.  M.  See  Casuarina  and  Oak. 

1896.  Baldwin  Spencer,  'Home  Expe- 
dition in  Central  Australia,'  Narrative, 
p.  49: 

"  We  had  now  amongst  these  sand- 
hills come  into  the  region  of  the 
'Desert  Oak'  (Casuarina  Decaisne- 
ana). Some  of  the  trees  reach  a  height 
of  forty  or  fifty  feet,  and  growing  either 
singly  or  in  clumps  form  a  striking- 
feature  amongst  the  thin  sparse  scrub. 
.  .  .  The  younger  ones  resemble 
nothing  so  much  as  large  funeral 
plumes.  Their  outlines  seen  under  a 
blazing  sun  are  indistinct,  and  they 
give  to  the  whole  scene  a  curious 
effect  of  being  '  out  of  focus.'  " 

Devil,  Tasmanian,  72.  an  animal, 
Sarcophilus  ur sinus  ^  Harris.  Form- 
erly, but  erroneously,  referred  to 
the  genus  Dasyurus  (q.v.),  which 
includes  the  Native  Cat  (see  under 
Cat} :  described  in  the  quotations. 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  29  : 

"The  devil,  or  as  naturalists  term 
it,  Dasyurtis  ursinus,  is  very  properly 
named." 

1853.  J.  West,  'History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  i.  p.  323  : 

"The  devil  (Dasyurus  ur sinus, 
Geoff.),  about  the  size  of  a  bull  terrier, 
is  an  exceedingly  fierce  and  disgusting- 


iiS 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[DEV-DIG 


looking  animal,  of  a  black  colour,  usu- 
ally having  one  white  band  across  the 
chest,  and  another  across  the  back, 
near  the  tail.  It  is  a  perfect  glutton, 
and  most  indiscriminate  in  its  feeding." 

1862.  F.  J.  Jobson,  '  Australia,'  c.  vii. 
p.  186 : 

"  Dasyurus  ursimis — a  carnivorous 
marsupial.  Colonists  in  Tasmania, 
where  only  it  exists  .  .  .  called  it  the 
'  devil/  from  the  havoc  it  made  among 
their  sheep  and  poultry." 

1891.  'Guide  to  Zoological  Gardens, 
Melbourne'  : 

"  In  the  next  division  is  a  pair  of 
Tasmanian  devils  {Dasyurus  ursinus)\ 
these  unprepossessing-looking  brutes 
are  hated  by  every  one  in  Tasmania, 
their  habitat,  owing  to  their  destruc- 
tiveness  amongst  poultry,  and  even 
sheep.  They  are  black  in  colour, 
having  only  a  white  band  across  the 
chest,  and  possess  great  strength  in 
proportion  to  their  size." 

Devil's  Guts,  n.  The  name  is 
given  in  Australia  to  the  Dodder- 
Laurel  (see  Laurel],  Cassytha  fili- 
formis.  Linn.,  N. O.  Lauracea.  In 
Tasmania  the  name  is  applied  to 
Lyonsia  straminea,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 
Apocynece. 

1862.  W.  Archer,  'Products  of  Tas- 
mania,'  p.  41 : 

"  Lyonsia  {Lyonsia  straminea,  Br.). 
Fibres  of  the  bark  fine  and  strong. 
The  lyonsia  is  met  with,  rather  spar- 
ingly, in  dense  thickets,  with  its  stems 
hanging  like  ropes  among  the  trees." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  14 : 

"  This  and  other  species  of  Cassytha 
are  called  'dodder-laurel.3  The  em- 
phatic name  of  *  devil's  guts '  is  largely 
used.  It  frequently  connects  bushes 
and  trees  by  cords,  and  becomes  a 
nuisance  to  the  traveller."  [This  plant 
is  used  by  the  Brahmins  of  Southern 
India  for  seasoning  their  buttermilk. 
('Treasury  of  Botany.')] 

Ibid,  p.;  162: 

"  It  is  also  used  medicinally." 

Devil-on-the-Coals,  n.  a 
Bushman's  name  for  a  small  and 
quickly-baked  damper. 

1862.  Rev.  A.  Polehampton,  '  Kangaroo 
Land,'  p.  77  : 


"  Instead  of  damper  we  occasionally 
made  what  is  colonially  known  as 
'  devils  on  the  coals.J  .  .  .  They  are 
convenient  when  there  is  not  time  to 
make  damper,  as  only  a  minute  or  sa 
is  required  to  bake  them.  They  are 
made  about  the  size  of  a  captain's 
biscuit,  and  as  thin  as  possible,  thrown 
on  the  embers  and  turned  quickly 
with  the  hand." 

Diamond  Bird,  n.  a  bird-name. 
In  the  time  of  Gould  this  name 
was  only  applied  to  Pardalotus 
punctatus,  Temm.  Since  that  time 
it  has  been  extended  to  all  the 
species  of  the  genus  Pardalotus 
(q.v.).  The  broken  colour  of  the 
plumage  suggested  a  sparkling 
jewel. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Transac- 
tions of  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  238: 

"We  are  informed  by  Mr.  Caley 
that  this  species  is  called  diamond 
bird  by  the  settlers,  from  the  spots  on 
its  body.  By  them  it  is  reckoned  as 
valuable  on  account  of  its  skin." 

Diamond  Snake,  n.  In  Queens- 
land and  New  South  Wales, 
Python  spilotes,  Lace" p.;  in  Tasma- 
nia, Hoplocephalus  superbus.  Gray, 
venomous.  See  under  Snake. 

Digger,  n.  a  gold-miner.  The 
earliest  mines  were  alluvial.  Of 
course  the  word  is  used  else- 
where, but  in  Australia  it  has 
this  special  meaning. 

1852.  Title: 

"  Murray's  Guide  to  the  Gold  Dig- 
gings.— The  Australian  Gold  Diggings ; 
where  they  are,  and  how  to  get  at 
them  ;  with  letters  from  Settlers  and 
Diggers  telling  how  to  work  them. 
London  :  Stewart  &  Murray,  1852." 

J853.  Valiant,  'Letter  to  Council, 'given 
in  McCombie's  '  History  of  Victoria'  (1858), 
c.  xvi.  p.  248 : 

"  It  caused  the  diggers,  as  a  body, 
to  pause  in  their  headlong  career." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Land,  Labour,  and 
Gold,'  vol.  ii.  p.  148,  Letter  xxx  : 

"Buckland  River,  January  29th,  1854. 
The  diggers  here  are  a  very  quiet  and 
civil  race,  at  the  same  time  that  they 
are  a  most  active  and  laborious  one. 


J)ICz] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


119 


.  .  .  The  principal  part  of  the  diggers 
here  are  from  the  Ovens." 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  'New  Rush,'  pt.  ii. 
P-  31  : 

"  Drink  success  to  the  digger's  trade, 
And  break  up  to  the  squatter's." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'While  the  Billy 
boils,'  p.  148 : 

"  His  Father's  Mate  had  always  been 
a  general  favourite  with  the  diggers 
and  fossickers,  from  the  days  when  he 
used  to  slip  out  first  thing  in  the 
morning  and  take  a  run  across  the 
frosty  flat  in  his  shirt." 

Digger's  Delight,  n.  a  flower, 
Veronica  perfoliata,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 
Scrophularinece,  described  in  quo- 
tations. 

1878.  W.  R.  Guilfoyle,  'First  Book  of 
Australian  Botany,'  p.  64  : 

"  Digger's  Delight,  Veronica  perfo- 
liata,  N.O.  Scrophularinece.  A  pretty, 
blue-flowering  shrub,  with  smooth 
stem-clasping  leaves ;  found  in  the 
mountainous  districts  of  Victoria  and 
New  South  Wales,  and  deriving  its 
common  name  from  a  supposition 
that  its  presence  indicated  auriferous 
country.  It  is  plentiful  in  the  elevated 
cold  regions  of  Australia." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  147 : 

"Such  native  flowers  as  the  wild 
violet,  the  shepherd's  purse,  or  the 
blue-flowered  '  digger's  delight.'  This 
latter  has  come,  perhaps,  with  the 
seeds  from  some  miner's  holding 
amongst  the  iron-barks  in  the  gold 
country,  and  was  once  supposed  to 
grow  only  on  auriferous  soils.  When 
no  one  would  think  of  digging  for 
gold  in  this  field,  the  presence  of  the 
flower  is,  perhaps,  as  reliable  an  in- 
dication of  a  golconda  underneath  as 
the  reports  and  information  on  the 
strength  of  which  many  mining  com- 
panies are  floated." 

Diggerdom,  n.  collective  noun, 
the  diggers. 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in 
Victoria,'  vol.  i.  p.  43: 

"Diggerdom  is  gloriously  in  the 
ascendant  here." 

Diggeress,  n.  a  digger's  wife. 


1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in 
Victoria,'  vol.  i.  p.  43  : 

"  The  digger  marching  off,  followed 
by  his  diggeress,  a  tall,  slim  young" 
woman,  who  strode  on  like  a  trooper. 
.  .  .  Open  carriages  driving  about, 
crowded  with  diggers  and  their  dig- 
geresses." 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  'New  Rush,'  pt.  ii.  p. 
36: 

"  I'm  tir'd  of  being  a  diggeress, 
And  yearn    a    farmer's   home   to 
grace." 

Diggings,  «.  a  place  where 
gold-mining  is  carried  on.  The 
word  is  generally  regarded  as 
singular.  Though  common  in 
Australia,  it  is  very  old,  even 
in  the  sense  of  a  place  where 
digging  for  gold  is  carried  on. 

1769.  De  Foe's  '  Tour  of  Great  Britain,' 
i.  39  ('O.E.D.'): 

"  King  Henry  VIII.  was  induced  to 
dig  for  Gold.  He  was  disappointed, 
but  the  Diggings  are  visible  at  this 
Day." 

1852.  J.  Morgan,  '  Life  and  Adventures 
of  William  Buck  ley '(published  at  Hobart), 
p.  183  [quoting  from  the  '  Victoria  Com- 
mercial Review,'  published  at  Melbourne, 
by  Messrs.  Westgarth,  Ross,  &  Co.,  under 
date  September  i,  1851] : 

"The  existence  of  a  'goldfield'  was 
not  ascertained  until  May  last.  .  .  . 
Numbers  of  persons  are  daily  'pro- 
specting' throughout  this  Colony  and 
New  South  Wales  in  search  of  gold. 
.  .  .  In  Victoria,  as  well  as  in  New 
South  Wales,  regular  'diggings  'are 
now  established." 

1852.  Murray,  '  The  Australian  Gold 
Diggings  :  where  they  are  and  how  to  get 
at  them,'  p.  I  : 

"  It  cannot  but  be  acceptable  to  the 
crowds  of  intending  colonists  and  gold 
seekers,  to  present  them  with  a  picture 
of  the  'Progress  of  the  Diggins,' 
[sic]  drawn  by  the  diggers." 

1858.  T.  McCombie,  '  History  of  Vic- 
toria,' c.  xv.  p.  234 : 

"  Immigrants  who  had  not  means 
to  start  to  the  diggings." 

1870.  J.  O.  Tucker,  '  The  Mute,'  p.  48  : 

"  Ye    glorious    diggings    'neath    a 

southern  clime  ! 

I  saw  thy  dawn."     ['Ye,'  'thy.'    Is 
this  singular  or  plural  ?] 


120 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[DIL-DIN 


1887.  H.  H.  Hayter,  '  Christmas  Ad- 
venture,' p.  I  : 

"  Fryer's  creek,  a  diggings  more 
than  90  miles  from  Melbourne." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Miner's  Right, ' 
c.  vii.  p.  71  : 

"  It  was  a  goldfield  and  a  diggings 
in  far-away  Australia." 

Dilli,  later  Dilly-bag,  n.  an 
aboriginal  word,  coming1  from 
Queensland,  for  a  bag  made  either 
of  grasses  or  of  fur  twisted  into 
cord.  Dhilla  is  the  term  for 
hair  in  Kabi  dialect,  Mary  River, 
Queensland.  Dirrang  and  jirra 
are  corresponding  words  in  the 
east  of  New  South  Wales.  The 
aboriginal  word  dilli  has  been 
tautologically  increased  to  dilly- 
bag,  and  the  word  is  used  by 
bushmen  for  a  little  bag  for  odds- 
and-ends,  even  though  made  of 
calico  or  holland. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Ex- 
pedition,' p.  90: 

"In  their  'dillis5  (small  baskets) 
were  several  roots  or  tubers." 

Ibid.  p.  195 : 

"  A  basket  (dilli)  which  I  examined 
was  made  of  a  species  of  grass." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Australian  Life,'  p. 

34  = 

"  I  learned  too  at  the  camp  to  plait 
dilly-bags." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xvii.  p.  210  : 

"  Mayboy  came  forward  dangling 
a  small  dilly-bag." 

Dingle-bird,  n.  a  poetical  name 
for  the  Australian  Bell-bird (Q.V.}. 

1870.  F.  S.  Wilson,  'Australian Songs,' 
p.  30: 

"  The  bell-like  chimings  of  the  dis- 
tant dingle-bird." 
1883.  C.  Harpur,  '  Poems,'  p.  78  : 

"I  ...  list  the  tinkling  of  the  dingle- 
bird." 

1896.  A.  J.  North,  '  Report  of  Austra- 
lian Museum,'  p.  26  : 

"  Dilly-bag  (partly  wool  and  partly 
grass)." 

Dingo,  n.  the  native  dog  of 
Australia,  Cants  dingo.  "The 


aborigines,  before  they  obtained 
dogs  from  Europeans,  kept  the 
dingo  for  hunting,  as  is  still  done 
by  coast  tribes  in  Queensland. 
Name  probably  not  used  further 
south  than  Shoalhaven,  where 
the  wild  dog  is  called  Mirigang." 
(A.  W.  Howitt.) 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  280 : 

[A  dingo  or  dog  of  New  South 
Wales.  Plate.  Description  by  J. 
Hunter.]  "  It  is  capable  of  barking, 
although  not  so  readily  as  the  Euro- 
pean dogs  ;  is  very  ill-natured  and 
vicious,  and  snarls,  howls,  and  moans, 
like  dogs  in  common.  Whether  this 
is  the  only  dog  in  New  South  Wales, 
and  whether  they  have  it  in  a  wild 
state,  is  not  mentioned  ;  but  I  should 
be  inclined  to  believe  they  had  no 
other  ;  in  which  case  it  will  constitute 
the  wolf  of  that  country  ;  and  that 
which  is  domesticated  is  only  the  wild 
dog  tamed,  without  having  yet  pro- 
duced a  variety,  as  in  some  parts  of 
America." 

1798.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  p.  614 
[Vocab.]: 

"Jungo — Beasts,  common  name. 
Tein-go — Din-go. 
Wor-re-gal — Dog." 

1820.  W.  C.  Wentworth,  'Description 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  62  : 

"  The  native  dog  also,  which  is  a 
species  of  the  wolf,  was  proved  to  be 
fully  equal  in  this  respect  [sport]  to  the 
fox  ;  but  as  the  pack  was  not  sufficiently 
numerous  to  kill  these  animals  at  once, 
they  always  suffered  so  severely  from 
their  bite  that  at  last  the  members  of 
the  hunt  were  shy  in  allowing  the  dogs 
to  follow  them." 

^  1834.    L.     E-    Threlkeld,     « Australian 
Grammar,'  p.  55  : 

"Tigko— a  bitch." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes  ' 
(1855),  p.  153: 

"  I  have  heard  that  the  dingo,  war- 
ragal  or  native  dog,  does  not  hunt  in 
packs  like  the  wolf  and  jackal." 

1860.  William  Story,  '  Victorian  Govern- 
ment Prize  Essays,'  p.  101 : 
•  "The   English  hart    is   so  greatly 
superior,  as  an  animal  of  chase,  to 
that   cunning   poultry  thief   the   fox, 


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AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


121 


that  I  trust  Mister  Reynard  will  never 
be  allowed  to  become  an  Australian 
immigrant,  and  that  when  the  last  of 
the  dingoes  shall  have  shared  the  fate 
of  the  last  English  wolf,  Australian 
Nimrods  will  resuscitate,  at  the  anti- 
podes of  England,  the  sterling  old 
national  sport  of  hart  hunting,  con- 
jointly with  that  of  African  boks, 
gazelles,  and  antelopes,  and  leave  the 
fox  to  their  English  cousins,  who 
cannot  have  Australian  choice." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  103  : 

"  In  the  neighbourhood  of  Brisbane 
and  other  large  towns  where  they 
have  packs,  they  run  the  dingoes  as 
you  do  foxes  at  home." 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  'Victoria  in  1880,' 
p.  113: 

"  The  arms  of  the  Wimmera  should 
be  rabbit  and  dingo,  'rampant,3  sup- 
porting a  sun,  '  or,  inflamed.' " 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,    'Bush    Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.   71  : 

"  Dingoes,  the  Australian  name  for 
the  wild  dogs  so  destructive  to  sheep. 
They  were  .  .  .  neither  more  nor  less 
than  wolves,  but  more  cowardly  and 
not  so  ferocious,  seldom  going  in  large 
packs.  They  hunted  kangaroos  when 
in  numbers,  or  driven  to  it  by  hunger ; 
but  usually  preferred  smaller  and  more 
easily  obtained  prey,  as  rats,  bandi- 
coots, and  'possums." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  38: 

"On  the  large  stations  a  man  is 
kept  whose  sole  work  it  is  to  lay  out 
poison  for  the  dingo.  The  black 
variety  with  white  breast  generally 
appears  in  Western  Queensland  along 
with  the  red." 

1891.  'Guide   to   Zoological   Gardens, 
Melbourne '  : 

"The  dingo  of  northern  Australia 
can  be  distinguished  from  his  brother 
of  the  south  by  his  somewhat  smaller 
size  and  courageous  bearing.  He 
always  carries  his  tail  curled  over  his 
back,  and  is  ever  ready  to  attack  any 
one  or  anything  ;  whilst  the  southern 
dingo  carries  his  tail  low,  slinks  along 
like  a  fox,  and  is  easily  frightened. 
The  pure  dingo,  which  is  now  ex- 
ceedingly rare  in  a  wild  state,  partly 
through  the  agency  of  poison,  but  still 
more  from  the  admixture  of  foreign 


breeds,  is  unable  to  bark,  and  can 
only  express  its  feelings  in  long-drawn 
weird  howls." 

1894.  'The  Argus,'  June  23,  p.  11, 
col.  4  : 

"Why  is  the  first  call  of  a  dingo 
always  apparently  miles  away,  and 
the  answer  to  it — another  quavering 
note  slightly  more  shrill — so  close  at 
hand  ?  Is  it  delusion  or  distance  ?  " 

Dinornis,  n.  the  scientific 
name  given  by  Professor  Owen 
to  the  genus  of  huge  struthious 
birds  of  the  post-Pliocene  period, 
in  New  Zealand,  which  survive 
in  the  traditions  of  the  Maoris 
under  the  name  of  Moa  (q.v.). 
From  the  Greek  6Wo's,  terrible, 
and  opvts,  bird. 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  Intro,  p.  xviii : 

"  The  specimens  [fossil-bones]  trans- 
mitted .  .  .  were  confided  to  the  learned 
Professor  [Owen]  for  determination  ; 
and  these  materials,  scanty  as  they  * 
were,  enabled  him  to  define  the  generic 
characters  of  Dinornis,  as  afforded  by 
the  bones  of  the  hind  extremity." 

Ibid.  p.  xxiv  : 

"  Professor  Owen  had  well-nigh 
exhausted  the  vocabulary  of  terms 
expressive  of  largeness  by  naming  his 
successive  discoveries  ingens,  gigan- 
teiiS)  crasstis,  robustus,  and  elephanto- 
pus,  when  he  had  to  employ  the 
superlative  Dinornis  maximus  to  dis- 
tinguish a  species  far  exceeding  in 
stature  even  the  stately  Dinornis 
giganteus.  In  this  colossal  bird  .  .  . 
some  of  the  cervical  vertebras  almost 
equal  in  size  the  neck-bones  of  a 
horse  !  The  skeleton  in  the  British 
Museum  .  .  .  measures  n  feet  in 
height,  and .  .  .  some  of  these  feathered 
giants  attained  to  a  still  greater 
stature." 

Dipper,  n.  a  vessel  with  a 
handle  at  the  top  of  the  side  like 
a  big  tin  mug.  That  with  which 
one  dips.  The  word  is  not  Aus- 
tralian, but  is  of  long  standing  in 
the  United  States,  where  it  is  used  ' 
as  a  name  for  the  constellation  of 
the  Great  Bear. 


122 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[DIP-DIV 


1893. 

Feb.  : 


Australasian        Schoolmaster,' 


"These  answers  have  not  the  true 
colonial  ring  of  the  following,  which 
purports  to  be  the  remark  of  the 
woman  of  Samaria  :  *  Sir,  the  well  is 
very  deep,  and  you  haven't  got  a 
dipper.' " 

Dips,  n.  Explained  in  quota- 
tion. 

1859.  G.  Bunce,  « Travels  with  Leich- 
hardt,'  p.  161  : 

".  .  .  Dr.  Leichhardt  gave  the  party 
a  quantity  of  dough  boys,  or  as  we 
called  them,  dips  .  .  ." 

[p.  171]:  "In  this  dilemma,  Dr.  Leich- 
hardt ordered  the  cook  to  mix  up  a  lot 
of  flour,  and  treated  us  all  to  a  feed  of 
dips.  These  were  made  as  follows : — a 
quantity  of  flour  was  mixed  up  with 
water,  and  stirred  with  a  spoon  to  a 
certain  consistency,  and  dropped  into 
a  pot  of  boiling  water,  a  spoonful  at  a 
time.  Five  minutes  boiling  was  suffi- 
cient, when  they  were  eaten  with  the 
water  in  which  they  were  boiled." 

Dirt,  n.  In  Australia,  any  allu- 
vial deposit  in  which  gold  is 
found ;  properly  Wash-dirt.  The 
word  is  used  in  the  United  States. 
See  quotation,  1857. 

1853.  Mrs.  Chas.  Clancy,  '  Lady's  Visit 
to  the  Gold  Diggings,'  p.  109  : 

"  And  after  doing  this  several  times, 
the  *  dirt,'  of  course,  gradually  dimin- 
ishing, I  was  overjoyed  to  see  a  few 
bright  specks." 

1857.  Borthwick,  'California,' [Bartlett, 
quoted  in  '  O.E.D.']  p.  120  : 

"In  California,  'dirt'  is  the  univer- 
sal word  to  signify  the  substance  dug  ; 
earth,  clay,  gravel,  or  loose  slate.  The 
miners  talk  of  rich  dirt  and  poor  dirt, 
and  of  stripping  off  so  many  feet  of 
'  top  dirt '  before  getting  to  *  pay-dirt,' 
the  latter  meaning  dirt  with  so  much 
gold  in  it  that  it  will  pay  to  dig  it  up 
and  wash  it." 

1870.  J.  O.  Tucker,  '  The  Mute,'  p.  40  : 

"  Others  to  these  the  precious  dirt 

convey, 

Linger  a  moment  till  the  panning's 
through." 


1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  c  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xiv.  p.  142  : 

"We  were  clean  worked  out  .  .  . 
before  many  of  our  neighbours  at 
Greenstone  Gully  were  half  done  with 
their  dirt." 

Ibid.  c.  xviii.  p.  177  : 

"We  must  trust  in  the  Oxley  'dirt' 
and  a  kind  Providence." 

Dish,  n.  and  adj.  a  small  and 
rough  vessel  in  which  gold  is 
washed.  The  word  is  used  in  the 
United  States. 

1890.   "Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  17: 
"  I  have  obtained  good  dish  prospects 
after  crudely  crushing  up  the  quartz." 

Dishwasher,  n.  an  old  English 
bird-name  for  the  Water-wag- 
tail ;  applied  in  Australia  to 
Seisura  inquieta.  Lath.,  the  Restless 
Fly-catcher  (q.v.).  Seisura  is  from 
Grk.  o-eieiv  (to  shake),  and  ovpd 
(a  tail),  being  thus  equal  in 
meaning  to  Wagtail.  Also  called 
Dishlick,  Grinder^  and  Razor-grinder 
(q.v.). 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  '  Transac- 
tions of  the  Linnaean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p. 
250  : 

"  This  bird  is  called  by  the  colonists 
Dishwasher.  It  is  very  curious  in  its 
actions.  In  alighting  on  the  stump 
of  a  tree  it  makes  several  semi-circular 
motions,  spreading  out  its  tail,  and 
making  a  loud  noise  somewhat  like 
that  caused  by  a  razor-grinder  when 
at  work." 

Distcechurus,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  of  the  New 
Guinea  Pentailed-Phalanger,  or 
so-called  Opossum-mouse  (q.v.).  It 
has  a  tail  with  the  long  hairs 
arranged  in  two  opposite  rows, 
like  the  vanes  of  a  feather.  (Grk. 
Storot^os,  with  two  rows,  and  ovpa, 
a  tail.) 

Diver,  ;/.  common  bird-name 
used  in  Australia  for  a  species  of 
Grebe. 

1848.    J.   Gould,    'Birds   of  Australia,' 
vol.  vii.  pi.  80  : 
" Podiceps  australis,  Gould  ;  Austra- 


DOC-DOG] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


123 


lian    Tippet    Grebe  ;    Diver    of    the 
Colonists." 

Doctor,  n.  word  used  in  the 
South  Australian  bush  for  "  the 
cook." 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  June  13,  p. 
1133,  col.  i: 

"  'The  doctor's  in  the  kitchen,  and  the 

boss  is  in  the  shed ; 
The  overseer's  out  mustering  on 

the  plain ; 
Sling  your  bluey  down,  old  boy,  for 

the  clouds  are  overhead, 
You  are  welcome  to  a  shelter  from 
the  rain.' " 

Dodder  Laurel,  n.  i.q.  Devil's 
Guts  (q.v.). 

Dog-fish,  n.  The  name  be- 
longs to  various  fishes  of  distinct 
families,  chiefly  sharks.  In  Aus- 
tralia, it  is  used  for  the  fish 
Scyllium  lima,  family  Scylliida.  In 
New  South  Wales  it  is  Scyllium 
maculatum,  Bl.  The  Spine  Dog-fish 
of  New  Zealand  is  Acanthias 
maculatus,  family  Spinacidce.  The 
Spotted  Dog-fish  of  New  South 
Wales  is  Scyllium  anale.  The 
Dusky  Dog-fish  of  New  South 
Wales  is  Chiloscyllium  modestum, 
Gunth.,  and  there  are  others  in 
Tasmania  and  Australia. 

Dogleg,  adj.  applied  to  a  primi- 
tive kind  of  fence  made  of  rough 
timber.  Crossed  spars,  which 
are  the  doglegs,  placed  at  inter- 
vals, keep  in  place  a  low  rail 
resting  on  short  posts,  and  are 
themselves  fixed  by  heavy  sap- 
lings resting  in  the  forks  above. 

1875.  R.  and  F.  Hill,  'What  we  saw 
in  Australia,'  p.  61  : 

"  .  .  we  made  acquaintance  with 
the  '  dog's  leg '  fence.  This  is  formed 
of  bare  branches  of  the  gum-tree  laid 
obliquely,  several  side  by  side,  and' 
the  ends  overlapping,  so  that  they  have 
somewhat  the  appearance  that  might 
be  presented  by  the  stretched-out  legs 
of  a  crowd  of  dogs  running  at  full 
speed.  An  upright  stick  at  intervals, 
with  a  fork  at  the  top,  on  which 


some  of  the  cross-branches  rest,  adds 
strength  to  the  structure." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
P-  13  : 

"  While  the  primaeval  *  dog-leg '  fence 
of  the  Victorian  bush,  or  the  latter-day 
'  chock  and  log '  are  no  impediments 
in  the  path  of  our  foresters."  [sc. 
kangaroos  ;  see  ForesterJ] 

1888.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Robbery 
under  Arms,'  p.  71  : 

"  As  we  rode  up  we  could  see  a 
gunyah  made  out  of  boughs,  and  a 
longish  wing  of  dog  leg  fence,  made 
light  but  well  put  together." 

Dog's  Tongue,  n.  name  given  to 
the  plant  Cynoglossum  sitaveolens, 
R.  Br.,  N.O.  Asperifolicz. 

Dogwood,  n.  various  trees  and 
their  wood  ;  none  of  them  the 
same  as  those  called  dogwood 
in  the  Northern  Hemisphere,  but 
their  woods  are  used  for  similar 
purposes,  e.g.  butchers'  skewers, 
fine  pegs,  and  small  pointed 
wooden  instruments.  In  Aus- 
tralia generally,  Jacksonia  scoparia, 
R.  Br.,  also  Myoporum platycarpum, 
R.  Br.  In  Tasmania,  Bedfordia 
salicina,  De  C.,  N.O.  Composite \ 
which  is  also  called  Honeywood^ 
and  in  New  South  Wales,  Cotton- 
wood  (q.v.),  and  the  two  trees 
Pomaderris  elliptica,  Lab.,  and  P. 
apetala,  Lab.,  N.O.  Rhamnacece, 
which  are  called  respectively 
Yellow  and  Bastard  Dogwood.  See 
also  Coranderrk.  In  parts  of 
Tasmania,  Pomaderris  apetala, 
Lab.,  N.O.  Rhamnece,  is  also 
called  Dogwood,  or  Bastard  Dog- 
wood. 

1836.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack/ 
p.  164  : 

"  There  is  a  secluded  hollow  of  this 
kind  near  Kangaroo  Bottom,  near 
Hobart  Town,  where  the  common 
dogwood  of  the  colony  (pomaderris 
apetala)  has  sprung  up  so  thick  and 
tall,  that  Mr.  Babington  and  myself 
having  got  into  it  unawares  one  day, 
had  the  greatest  difficulty  imaginable 
to  get  out  after  three  or  four  hours* 


124 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[DOG-DOT 


labour.  Not  one  of  the  plants  was 
more  than  six  inches  apart  from  the 
others,  while  they  rose  from  6  to 
12  yards  in  height,  with  leaves  at 
the  top  which  almost  wholly  excluded 
the  light  of  the  sun." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,    '  Overland  Expe- 
dition/ p.  ii  : 

"  Iron-bark  ridges  here  and  there, 
with  spotted  gum,  with  dogwood 
(Jacksonia)  on  a  sandy  soil."  (p.  20) : 
"  A  second  creek,  with  running  water, 
which  from  the  number  of  dogwood 
shrubs  (Jacksonia),  in  the  full  glory 
of  their  golden  blossoms,  I  called 
'  Dogwood  Creek.'" 

1894.  '  Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue — 
Economic  Woods,'  p.  46  : 

"Native  dogwood,  a  hard,  pale- 
.brown,  well-mottled  wood ;  good  for 
turnery." 

Dogwood  Poison-bush,  n.  a 
New  South  Wales  name;  the  same 
as  Ellangowan  Poison-bush  (q.v.). 

Dollar,  n.     See  Holy  Dollar. 

Dollar-bird,  n.  name  given  to 
the  Roller  (q.v.).  See  quotations. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  '  Trans  - 
.-actions  of  Linnaean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  202: 

"The  settlers  call  it  dollar-bird, 
from  the  silver-like  spot  on  the  wing." 

1848.  J.   Gould,    'Birds   of  Australia.' 
vol.  ii.  pi.  17  : 

"  Eurystomus  Atistralis,  Swains., 
Australian  Roller.  Dollar  Bird  of  the 
Colonists.  During  flight  the  white 
spot  in  the  centre  of  each  wing,  then 
widely  expanded,  shows  very  distinctly, 
and  hence  the  name  of  Dollar  Bird." 

1851.  J.  Henderson,  c  Excursions  in  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  183  : 

"The  Dollar-bird  derives  its  name 
from  a  round  white  spot  the  size  of  a 
dollar,  on  its  wing.  It  is  very  hand- 
some, and  flies  in  rather  a  peculiar 
manner.  It  is  the  only  bird  which  I 
have  observed  to  perform  regular  mi- 
-grations  ;  and  it  is  strange  that  in  such 
a  climate  any  one  should  do  so.  But 
it  appears  that  the  dollar-bird  does  not 
relish  even  an  Australian  winter.  It 
is  the  harbinger  of  spring  and  genial 
weather." 

Dollar-fish  n.  a  name  often 
.given  formerly  to  the  John  Dory 


(q.v.),  from  the  mark  on  its  side. 
See  quotation,  1880.     The  name 
Dollar-fish  is  given  on  the  Ameri- 
can coasts  to  a  different  fish. 
1880.  Gunther,    'Study  of  Fishes,'   p. 

451  : 

"  The  fishermen  of  Roman  Catholic 
countries  hold  this  fish  in  special 
respect,  as  they  recognize  in  a  black 
round  spot  on  its  side  the  mark  left  by 
the  thumb  of  St.  Peter,  when  he  took 
the  piece  of  money  from  its  mouth." 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  62  : 

"The  dory  has  been  long  known, 
and  when  the  currency  of  the  colony 
was  in  Mexican  coin  it  was  called  a 
'  dollar-fish.3  " 

Dorca-Kangaroo,  n.  See  Dor- 
copsis  and  Kangaroo. 

Dorcopsis,  n.  the  scientific  name 
of  a  genus  of  little  Kangaroos 
with  pretty  gazelle-like  faces. 
(Grk.  Sop/cas,  a  gazelle,  and  oi/as, 
appearance.)  They  are  called 
Dorca-Kangaroos,  and  are  confined 
to  New  Guinea,  and  form  in 
some  respects  a  connecting  link 
between  Macropus  and  the  Tree- 
Kangaroo  (q.v.).  There  are  three 
species — the  Brown  Dorca  l&ax\- 
g&r oo, Dorcopsis  mueller i ;  Grey  D., 
D.  luctuosa  ;  Macleay's  D.,  D. 
macleayi.  See  Kangaroo  (e). 

Dottrel,  n.  formerly  Dotterel, 
common  English  bird-name, 
applied  in  Australia  to  Charadrius 
australis,  Gould. 

Black-fronted  Dottrel— 

Charadrius  nigrifrons,  Temm. 
Double-banded  D. — 

C.  bicincta,  Jord.  and  Selb. 
Hooded  D. — 

C.  monacha,  Geoff. 
Large  Sand  D. — 

C.  (^Egialitis)  geoffroyi,  Wag. 
Mongolian  Sand  D. — 

C.  (./Egialitis)  mongolica,  Pallas. 
Oriental  D.— 

C.  veredus,  Gould. 


DOV-DRA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


125 


Red-capped  Dottrel— 

Charadrius   ruficapilla,   Temm. ; 

called  also  Sand-lark. 
Red-necked  D. — 

C.  (sEgialitis]  master  si >  Ramsay. 
Ringed  D. — 

C.  hiaticula.  Linn. 
[See  also  Red-knee^ 

Dove,  n.  a  well-known  English 
bird-name,  applied  in  Australia  to 
the— 

Barred-shouldered  Dove— 
Geopelia  humeralis^  Temm. 

Ground  D. — 

G.  tranquiUa,  Gould. 

Little  D.— 

G.  cuneata,  Lath. 

[See  also  Ground-dove?\ 

Dove-Petrel,  n.  a  well-known 
English  bird-name.  The  species 
in  the  Southern  Seas  are — 

Prion  turtur,  Smith. 
Banks  D.-P.— 

P.  banksii,  Smith. 
Broad-billed  D.-P. — 

P.  vittata,  Forst. 
Fairy  D.-P.— 

P.  artel,  Gould. 

Dover,  n.  a  clasp  knife,  by  a 
maker  of  that  name,  once  much 
used  in  the  colonies. 

1878.    '  The  Australian,'  vol.  i.  p.  418  : 

"In   plates   and  knives  scant  is    the 

shepherd's  store, 

'  Dover '  and  pan  are  all,  he  wants  no 
more." 

1893.  April  15,    'A  Traveller's  Note'  : 
" '  So  much  a  week  and  the  use  of 

my  Dover '  men  used  to  say  in  making 
a  contract  of  labour." 

1894.  '  Bush  Song '  [Extract] : 

"  Tie  up  the  dog  beside  the  log, 
And  come  and  flash  your  Dover." 

Down,  n.  a  prejudice  against, 
hostility  to  ;  a  peculiarly  Austra- 
lian noun  made  out  of  the  adverb. 

1856.  W.  W.  Dobie,  '  Recollections  of 
a  Visit  to  Port  Philip,'  p.  84  : 

"...  the  bushranger  had  been  in 


search  of  another  squatter,  on  whom 
'  he  said  he  had  a  down J  .  .  ." 

1884.  J.  W.  Bull,  '  Early  Life  in  South 
Australia,'  p.  179  : 

"  It  was  explained  that  Foley  had  a 
private  '  down '  on  them,  as  having 
stolen  from  him  a  favourite  kangaroo 
dog." 

1889.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia, 
vol.  iv.  p.  1 80  : 

"  They  [diggers]  had  a  '  dead  down r 
on  all  made  dishes." 

1893.  Professor  Gosman,  '  The  Argus/ 
April  24,  p.  7,  col.  4  : 

"  That  old  prejudice  in  the  minds  of 
many  men  to  the  effect  that  those  who 
represented  the  churches  or  religious 
people  had  a  regular  down  upon  free- 
dom of  thought." 

1893.   '  The  Age,'  June  24,  p.  5,  col.  I : 

"Mr.  M.  said  it  was  notorious  in 
the  department  that  one  of  the  com- 
missioners had  had  'a  down'  on 
him." 

1893.  R.  L.  Stevenson,  'Island  Nights' 
Entertainments,'  p.  46: 

" '  They  have  a  down  on  you,'  says 
Case.  'Taboo  a  man  because  they 
have  a  down  on  him ! '  I  cried.  *  I 
never  heard  the  like.3 " 

Down,  adv.  "To  come,  or  be 
down,"  is  the  phrase  used  in 
Australian  Universities  for  to  be 
"plucked,"  or  "ploughed,"  or 
"  spun,"  i.  e.  to  fail  in  an  examin- 
ation. It  has  been  in  use  for  a 
few  years,  certainly  not  earlier 
than  1886.  The  metaphor  is 
either  taken  from  a  fall  from  a 
horse,  or  perhaps  from  the  prize- 
ring.  The  use  has  no  connection 
with  being  "sent  down," or  "going 
down,"  at  Oxford  or  Cambridge. 

Draft,  v.  to  separate  and  sort 
cattle.  An  adaptation  of  the 
meaning  "to  select  and  draw  off 
for  particular  service,"  especially 
used  of  soldiers. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  vi.  p.  46: 

"  I  should  like  to  be  drafting  there 
again." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  The  Squatter's 
Dream, '  p.  2 : 

"  There  were    those    cattle    to    be 


126 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[DRA-DRO 


drafted  that  had  been  brought   from 
the  Lost  Waterhole." 

Draft,  n.  a  body  of  cattle 
separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
herd. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  ii.  p.  22: 

"A  draft  of  out-lying  cattle  rose 
and  galloped  off." 

Drafter,  n.  a  man  engaged  in 
drafting  cattle. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Colonial  Re- 
former/ c.  xviii.  p.  227: 

"  They  behave  better,  though  all  the 
while  keeping  the  drafters  incessantly 
popping  at  the  fence  by  truculent 
charges." 

Drafting-gate,  n.  gate  used  in 
separating  cattle  and  sheep  into 
different  classes  or  herds. 
-  1890.  '  The  Argus,'  Aug.  16,  p.  4,  col.  7 : 
"  But  the  tent-flap  seemed  to  go  up 
and  down  quick  as  a  drafting-gate." 

Drafting-stick,  n.  a  stick  used 
in  drafting  cattle. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  x.  p.  72: 

"We  .  .  .  armed  ourselves  with 
drafting-sticks  and  resolutely  faced 
it." 

Drafting-yard,  n.  a  yard  for 
drafting  cattle. 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  Aug.  16,  p.  13, 
col.  i : 

"There  were  drafting-yards  and  a 
tank  a  hundred  yards  off,  but  no 
garden." 

Dray,  n.  an  ordinary  cart  for 
goods.  See  quotation,  1872. 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  'Southern  Australia/ 
vol.  i.  Intro,  p.  xlix: 

"They  send  their  produce  to  the 
market  .  .  .  receiving  supplies  for 
home  consumption  on  the  return  of 
their  drays  or  carts  from  thence." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland/  p.  31 : 

"A  horse  dray,  as  known  in  Aus- 
tralia, is  by  no  means  the  enormous 
thing  its  name  would  signify,  but 
simply  an  ordinary  cart  on  two  wheels 
without  springs."  [There  are  also 
spring-drays.] 


1886.   II.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems/  p.  41 : 
"  One  told  by  camp  fires  when  the 

station  drays 
Were  housed  and    hidden,   forty 

years  ago." 

Dromicia,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  Australian  Dormouse 
Phalangers,  or  little  Opossum-  Q*  Fly- 
ing-Mice, as  they  are  locally  called. 
See  Opossum,  Opossum-mouse,  and 
Phalanger.  They  are  not  really 
the  "  Flying  "-Mice  or  Flying- 
phalanger,  as  they  have  only  an 
incipient  parachute,  but  they  are 
nearly  related  to  the  Pigmy 
Petaurists  (q.v.)  or  small  Flying- 
Phalangers.  (Grk.  Spo/xiKos,  good 
at  running,  or  swift.) 

Drongo,  n.  This  bird-name  was 
"  given  by  Le  Vaillant  in  the  form 
drongeur  to  a  South  African  bird 
afterwards  known  as  the  Musical 
Drongo,  Dicrurus  musicus,  then 
extended  to  numerous  .  .  .  fly- 
catching,  crow-like  birds. "  ( '  Cen- 
tury.') The  name  is  applied  in 
Australia  to  Chibia  bracteata, 
Gould,  which  is  called  the  Spangled 
Drongo. 

1895.  W.  O.  Legge,  '  Australasian  Asso- 
ciation for  the  Advancement  of  Science' 
(Brisbane),  p.  448  : 

"There  being  but  one  member  of 
the  interesting  Asiatic  genus  Drongo 
in  Australia,  it  was  thought  best  to 
characterize  it  simply  as  the  Drongo 
without  any  qualifying  term." 

Drop,  «.  (Slang.)  To  "  have  the 
drop  on "  is  to  forestall,  gain 
advantage  over,  especially  by 
covering  with  a  revolver. 

It  is  curious  that  while  an 
American  magazine  calls  this 
phrase  Australian  (see  quotation), 
the  '  Dictionary  of  Slang ' — one 
editor  of  which  is  the  distinguished 
American,  Godfrey  C.  Leland — 
says  it  is  American.  It  is  in 
common  use  in  Australia. 

1894.   '  Atlantic  Monthly/  Aug.,  p.  179 : 

"  His  terrible  wife,  if  we  may  borrow 


DRO-DUC] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


127 


a  phrase  from  Australia,  'had  the  drop 
•on  him '  in  every  particular." 

Drooping  Acacia,  n.  See  Acacia. 

Drove,  v.  to  drive  travelling 
cattle  or  sheep. 

1890.  A.  J.  Vogan,   '  Black  Police,'  p. 

334  = 

"  I  don't  know  how  you'd  be  able  to 
get  on  without  the  '  boys '  to  muster, 
track,  and  drove." 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  '  Man  from  Snowy 
River '  [Poem  '  In  the  Droving  Days'], 
P-  95  : 

•"  For  though  he   scarcely  a  trot  can 
raise, 

He  can  take  me  back  to  the  droving 
days." 

Drum,  n.  a  bundle  ;  more 
usually  called  a  swag  (q.v.). 

1866.  Wm.  Stamer,  « Recollections  of  a 
Life  of  Adventure,'  vol.  i.  p.  304  : 

"...  and  '  humping  his  drum '  start 
off  for  the  diggings  to  seek  more  gold." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,' p.  17: 

"They  all  chaffed  us  about  our 
swags,  or  donkeys,  or  drums,  as  a 
bundle  of  things  wrapped  in  a  blanket 
is  indifferently  called." 

1886.  Frank  Cowan,  'Australia,  Char- 
coal Sketch, 'p.  31  : 

"  The  Swagman  :  bed  and  board 
upon  his  back — or,  having  humped  his 
•drum  and  set  out  on  the  wallaby  .  .  ." 

Drummer,  n.  a  New  South 
Wales  name  for  the  fish  Girella 
•elevata,  Macl.,  of  the  same  family 
as  the  Black-fish  (q.v.). 

Dry-blowing,  n.  a  Western 
Australian  term  in  gold-mining1. 

1894.  'The  Argus,'  March  28,  p.  5, 
col.  5 : 

"When  water  is  not  available,  as 
unfortunately  is  the  case  at  Coolgardie, 
*  dry  blowing '  is  resorted  to.  This  is 
•done  by  placing  the  pounded  stuff  in 
one  dish,  and  pouring  it  slowly  at  a 
certain  height  into  the  other.  If  there 
is  any  wind  blowing  it  will  carry  away 
the  powdered  stuff;  if  there  is  no  wind 
the  breath  will  have  to  be  used.  It  is 
not  a  pleasant  way  of  saving  gold, 
but  it  is  a  case  of  Hobson's  choice. 
The  unhealthiness  of  the  method  is 
apparent." 


Duboisine,  n.  an  alkaloid  de- 
rived from  the  plant  Duboisia  myo- 
posides,  N.  O.  Sofanacecz,  a  native  of 
Queensland  and  New  South 
Wales.  It  is  used  in  medicine 
as  an  application  to  the  eye  for 
the  purpose  of  causing  the  pupil 
to  dilate,  in  the  same  way  as 
atropine,  an  alkaloid  obtained 
from  the  belladonna  plant  in 
Europe,  has  long  been  employed. 
Duboisine  was  discovered  and 
introduced  into  therapeutics  by  a 
Brisbane  physician. 

Duck,  n.  the  well-known  Eng- 
lish name  of  the  birds  of  the 
Anatince,  Fuligulina,  and  other 
series,  of  which  there  are  about 
125  species  comprised  in  about 
40  genera.  The  Australian  genera 
and  species  are — 

Blue-billed  Duck— 

Erismatura  australis^  Gould. 
Freckled  D. — 

Stictonetta  nczvosa,  Gould. 
Mountain    D.     (the    Shel-drake, 

q.v.). 
Musk  D.  (q.v.)— 

Biziura  lobata,  'Shaw. 
Pink-eared       D.,     or     Widgeon 

(q.v.)- 
Malacorhynchus      membranaceus, 

Lath. 
Plumed  Whistling  D. — 

Dendrocygna  eytoni^  Gould. 
Whistling  D.— 

D.  vagans,  Eyton.   [Each  species 
of  the  Dendrocygna   is  called 
also     by     sportsmen     Tree- 
duck.] 
White-eyed     D.,    or     Hard-head 

(q.v.)- 

Nyroca  australis,  Gould. 
Wild  D.— 

Anas  superdliosa,  Gmel. 
Wood  D.  (the  Maned  Goose  ;  see 
Goose], 

The  following  is  a  table  of  the 
ducks  as  compiled  by  Gould 
nearly  fifty  years  ago. 


128 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[DUC-DUF 


1848.  J.    Gould,    '  Birds   of  Australia,' 

vol.  vii: 

Plate 

Anas  superciliosa,  Gmel.  Aus- 
tralian Wild  Duck  9 

Anas  ncEVOsa,  Gould,  Freckled 
Duck 10 

Anas  ptmctata,  Cuv.  Chestnut- 
breasted  Duck  ...  ii 

Spatula  Rhyncotis,  Australian 
Shoveller  12 

Malacorhynchus  membranaceus, 
Membranaceous  Duck  ...  ...  13 

Dendrocygna  arcitata,  Whistling 
Duck  (q.v.) 14 

Leptotarsis  Eytoni,  Gould,  Ey- 
ton's  Duck 15 

Nyroca  Australis,  Gould,  White- 
eyed  Duck 16 

Erismatura  Australis,  Blue-billed 
Duck 17 

Biziura  lobata,  Musk  Duck 18 

The  following  is  Professor 
Parker's  statement  of  the  New 
Zealand  Ducks. 

1889.  Prof.  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  117: 

"  There  are  eleven  species  of  Native 
Ducks  belonging  to  nine  genera,  all 
found  elsewhere,  except  two — the  little 
Flightless  Duck  of  the  Auckland 
Islands  (genus  Nesonetta)  and  the 
Blue  Mountain  Duck  (Hymenolcemus). 
Among  the  most  interesting  of  the 
non-endemic  forms,  are  the  Paradise 
Duck  or  Sheldrake  (Casarca  varie- 
.gato), the  Brown  Duck  (Anas  chlorotis\ 
the  Shoveller  or  Spoonbill  Duck  (Rhyn- 
chaspis  variegata},  and  the  Scaup  or 
Black  Teal  (Fuligula  Novce-Zea- 


Duckbill,  n.  See  Platypus. 
Sometimes  also  called  Duckmole. 

Duckmole,  n.     See  Platypus. 

1825.  Barren  Field,  '  First  Fruits  of 
Australian  Poetry,'  in  '  Geographical  Me- 
moirs of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  496  : 

"When   sooty  swans  are  once   more 

rare, 
And  duck-moles  the  museum's  care." 

[Appendix  :  "  Water  or  duck-mole."] 

1875.  Schmidt,  'Descent  and  Darwin- 
ism,' p.  237: 

"  The  Ornithorhyncus  or  duck-mole 
of  Tasmania." 


Duck-shoving,  and  Duck- 
shover,  n.  a  cabman's  phrase. 

In  Melbourne,  before  the  days 
of  trams,  the  wagonette-cabs 
used  to  run  by  a  time-table  from 
fixed  stations  at  so  much  (gener- 
ally ^d.)  a  passenger.  A  cabman 
who  did  not  wait  his  turn  on  the 
station  rank,  but  touted  for  pas- 
sengers up  and  down  the  street 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
rank,  was  termed  a  Duck- 
shover. 

1870.  D.  Blair,  '  Notes  and  Queries/ 
Aug.  6,  p.  ill: 

"  Duck-shoving  is  the  term  used  by 
our  Melbourne  cabmen  to  express  the 
unprofessional  trick  of  breaking  the 
rank,  in  order  to  push  past  the  cab- 
man on  the  stand  for  the  purpose  of 
picking  up  a  stray  passenger  or  so." 

1896.  '  Otago  Daily  Times,'  Jan.  25,  p. 
3,  col.  6: 

"The  case  was  one  of  a  series  of 
cases  of  what  was  technically  known 
as  '  duck  shoving,'  a  process  of  getting 
passengers  which  operated  unfairly 
against  the  cabmen  who  stayed  on 
the  licensed  stand  and  obeyed  the 
by-law." 

Dudu,  n.  aboriginal  name  for 
a  pigeon,  fat-breasted,  and  very 
good  eating. 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes ' 
(3rd  ed.  1855),  c-  vii-  P-  J7O: 

"  In  the  grassland,  a  sort  of  ground 
pigeon,  called  the  dudu,  a  very  hand- 
some little  bird,  got  up  and  went  oft" 
like  a  partridge,  strong  and  swift,  re- 
alighting  on  the  ground,  and  returning 
to  cover." 

Duff,  v.  to  steal  cattle  by 
altering  the  brands. 

1869.  E.  Carton  Booth,  '  Another 
England,'  p.  138  : 

"  He  said  there  was  a  '  duffing  pad- 
dock3 somewhere  on  the  Broken 
River,  into  which  nobody  but  the 
owner  had  ever  found  an  entrance, 
and  out  of  which  no  cattle  had  ever 
found  their  way — at  any  rate,  not  to 
come  into  their  owner's  possession. 
.  .  .  The  man  who  owned  the  '  duffing 
paddock '  was  said  to  have  a  knack  of 
altering  cattle  brands  .  .  ." 


DUF-DUM] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


129 


1890.  Rolf    Boldrewood,     '  Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  xiv.  p.  162  : 

"I  knew  Redcap  when  he'd  think 
more  of  duffing  a  red  heifer  than  all 
the  money  in  the  country." 

1891.  Rolf   Boldrewood,    'A   Sydney- 
side  Saxon/  p.  95  : 

"As  to  the  calves  I'm  a  few  short 
myself,  as  I  think  that  half-caste  chap 
of  yours  must  have  '  duffed.' " 

Duffer,  n.  a  cattle  stealer,  i.q. 
Cattle-duffer  (c^.v.). 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,   '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xxv.  p.  352  : 

"  What's  a  little  money  ...  if  your 
children  grow  up  duffers  and  plant- 
ers?" 

Duffer2,  n.  a  claim  on  a  mine 
which  turns  out  unproductive, 
called  also  shicer  (q.v.).  [This  is 
only  a  special  application  of  the 
slang  English,  duffer,  an  in- 
capable person,  or  a  failure. 
Old  English  Daffe,  a  fool.] 

1861.  T.  McCombie, '  Australian  Sketch- 
es,' p.  193  : 

"It  was  a  terrible  duffer  anyhow, 
every  ounce  of  gold  got  from  it  cost 
£20  I'll  swear." 

1864.  J  Rogers,  '  New  Rush,'  p.  55  : 

"  Tho'  duffers  are  so  common 

And  golden  gutters  rare, 
The  mining  sons  of  woman 
Can  much  ill  fortune  bear." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  291  : 

"A  shaft  sunk  without  any  produce 
from  it  is  a  duffer.  .  .  .  But  of  these 
excavations  the  majority  were  duffers. 
It  is  the  duffering  part  of  the  business 
which  makes  it  all  so  sad.  So  much 
work  is  done  from  which  there  is 
positively  no  return." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  266  : 

"  The  place  is  then  declared  to  be  a 
*  duffer,'  and  abandoned,  except  by  a 
few  fanatics,  who  stick  there  for 
months  and  years." 

1891.  'The  Australasian,'  Nov.  21,  p. 
1014: 

"  Another  duffer  !  Rank  as  ever 
was  bottomed  !  Seventy-five  feet  hard 
delving  and  not  a  colour  !  " 

Duffer  out,  v.     A  mine  is  said 


to  duffer  out,  when  it  has  ceased 
to  be  productive. 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia/ p.  279  : 

"He  then  reported  to  the  share- 
holders that  the  lode  had  'duffered 
out,'  and  that  it  was  useless  to  con- 
tinue working." 

1889.  Cassell's  *  Picturesque  Australasia/ 
vol.  iv.  p.  73  : 

"  Cloncurry  has,  to  use  the  mining 
parlance,  duffered  out." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Miner's  Right/ 


c.  vi.  p.  58  : 
"'So    yc 
Harry,'  she  said. 


p.  58: 
"'So    you're   duffered    out    again, 

'     c-T-.^,     c-o^    " 


Dugong  Oil,  n.  an  oil  obtained 
in  Australia,  from  Halicore  dugong, 
Gmel.,  by  boiling  the  superficial 
fat.  A  substitute  for  cod-liver 
oil.  The  dugongs  are  a  genus  of 
marine  mammals  in  the  order 
Sirenia.  If.  dugong  inhabits  the 
waters  of  North  and  North-east 
Australia,  the  southern  shores  of 
Asia,  and  the  east  coast  of  Africa. 
The  word  is  Malay. 

Dug-out,  n.  a  name  imported 
into  New  Zealand  from  America, 
but  the  common  name  for  an 
ordinary  Maori  canoe. 

Duke  Willy,  n.  See  Whistling 
Dick. 

Dummy,  n.  (i)  In  Australia, 
when  land  was  thrown  open  for 
selection  (q.v.),  the  squatters  who 
had  previously  the  use  of  the  land 
suffered.  Each  squatter  exer- 
cised his  own  right  of  selection. 
Many  a  one  also  induced  others 
to  select  nominally  for  them- 
selves, really  for  the  squatter. 
Such  selector  was  called  a  dummy. 
The  law  then  required  the  selector 
to  swear  that  he  was  selecting 
the  land  for  his  own  use  and 
benefit.  Some  of  the  dummies 
did  not  hesitate  to  commit  per- 
jury. Dictionaries  give  "  dummy, 
adj.  fictitious  or  sham."  The 
Australian  noun  is  an  extension 


1 3o 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[DUM 


of  this  idea.  Webster  gives 
"  (drama)  one  who  plays  a  merely 
nominal  part  in  any  action,  a 
sham  character."  This  brings 
us  near  to  the  original  dumby, 
from  dumb,  which  is  radically  akin 
to  German  dumm,  stupid. 

1866.  D.  Rogerson,  'Poetical  Works/ 
p.  23: 

"  The  good  selectors  got  most  of  the 

land, 
The    dummies    being    afraid    to 

stand." 

1866.  H.  Simcox,  'Rustic  Rambles,' 
p.  21  : 

"  See  the  dummies  and  the  mediums, 
Bagmen,      swagmen,      hastening 

down." 

1872.  A.  McFarland,  'Illawarra  and 
Manaro,'  p.  125  : 

"  Since  free  selection  was  introduced, 
a  good  many  of  the  squatters  (they  say, 
in  self-defence)  have,  in  turn,  availed 
themselves  of  it,  to  secure  '  the  eyes ' 
or  water-holes  of  the  country,  so  far 
as  they  could  by  means  of  *  dummies/ 
and  other  blinds." 

1879.  R-  Niven,  'Eraser's  Magazine/ 
April,  p.  516  : 

"  This  was  the,  in  the  colony,  well- 
known  'dummy'  system.  Its  nature 
may  be  explained  in  a  moment.  It 
was  simply  a  swindling  transaction 
between  the  squatter  on  the  one  hand 
and  some  wretched  fellow  on  the 
other,  often  a  labourer  in  the  employ- 
ment of  the  squatter,  in  which  the 
former  for  a  consideration  induced  the 
latter  to  personate  the  character  of  a 
free  selector,  to  acquire  from  the  State, 
for  the  purpose  of  transferring  to  him- 
self, the  land  he  most  coveted  out  of 
that  thrown  open  for  selection  adjoin- 
ing his  own  property." 

1892.  '  Scribner's  Magazine/  Feb.  p. 
140: 

"By  this  device  the  squatter  him- 
self, all  the  members  of  the  family,  his 
servants,  shepherds,  boundary-riders, 
station-hands  and  rabbiters,  each 
registered  a  section,  the  dummies 
duly  handing  their  *  selection  '  over 
to  the  original  holder  for  a  slight  con- 
sideration." 

(2)  Colloquial  name  for  the 
grip-car  of  the  Melbourne  trams. 


Originally  the  grip-car  was  not 
intended  to  carry  passengers  : 
hence  the  name. 

1893.  '  The  Herald '  (Melbourne),  p.  5, 
col.  5  : 

"  Linked  to  the  car  proper  is  what 
is  termed  a  dummy," 

1897.   'The  Argus/  Jan.  2,  p.  7,  col.  5  : 

"  But  on  the  tramcar,  matters  were 
much  worse.  The  front  seat  of  the 
dummy  was  occupied  by  a  young  Tas- 
manian  lady  and  her  cousin,  and, 
while  one  portion  of  the  cart  struck 
her  a  terrible  blow  on  the  body,  the 
shaft  pinned  her  by  the  neck  against 
the  front  stanchion  of  the  dummy." 

Dummy,  v.  to  obtain  land 
in  the  way  above  described. 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand/  c.  vi.  p.  101  : 

"  Each  partner  in  the  run  has  pur- 
chased his  ten  thousand,  and  there 
have  been  many  Mrs*  Harrises.  The 
Mrs.  Harris  system  is  generally  called 
dummying — putting  up  a  non-existent 
free-selector — and  is  illegal.  But  I 
believe  no  one  will  deny  that  it  has 
been  carried  to  a  great  extent." 

1896.  'The  Champion'  (Melbourne), 
Jan.  II  : 

"The  verb  'to  dummy'  and  the 
noun  '  dummyism '  are  purely  Austra- 
lian, quotations  to  illustrate  the  use 
of  which  can  be  obtained  from  *  Han- 
sard/ the  daily  papers,  and  such  works 
as  Epps'  monograph  on  the  '  Land 
Tenure  Systems  of  Australasia.'  " 

Dummyism,  n.  obtaining  land 
by  misrepresentation.  See  Dum- 
my, n. 

1875.  'The    Spectator'     (Melbourne), 
June  19,  p.  8,  coL  2  : 

"  *  Larrikinism '  was  used  as  a 
synonym  for  'blackguardism/  and 
'  dummyism  '  for  perjury." 

1876.  '  The  Argus/  Jan.  26,  p.  6,  col.  6 : 
"  Mr.  Bent  thought  that  a  stop  should 

be  put  to  all  selection  and  dummyism 
till  a  land  law  was  introduced." 

1887.  J.  F.  Hogan,  '  The  Irish  in  Aus- 
tralia/ p.  98 : 

"  This  baneful  and  illegal  system  of 
land-grabbing  is  known  throughout 
the  colonies  by  the  expressive  name  of 
'  dummyism,'  the  persons  professing  to 


DUM-DUN] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


be  genuine  selectors,  desirous  of  estab- 
lishing themselves  on  the  soil,  being 
actually  the  agents  or  the  *  dummies  ' 
of  the  adjoining  squatters." 

Dump,  n.  a  small  coin  formerly 
used  in  Australia  and  Tasmania. 
Its  history  is  given  in  the  quota- 
tions. In  England  the  word  for- 
merly meant  a  heavy  leaden 
counter ;  hence  the  expression, 
"  I  don't  care  a  dump."  See 
Holy  Dollar. 

1822.  '  Hobart  Town  Gazette,'  Decem- 
ber 14 : 

"  Government  Public  Notice. — The 
Quarter  Dollars,  or  '  Dumps,'  struck 
from  the  centre  of  the  Spanish  Dollar, 
and  issued  by  His  Excellency  Governor 
Macquarie,  in  the  year  1813,  at  One 
Shilling  and  Threepence  each,  will  be 
exchanged  for  Treasury  Bills  at  Par, 
or  Sterling  money." 

1823.  'Sydney    Gazette,'    Jan.    ['Cen- 
tury ']  : 

"The  small  colonial  coin  denom- 
inated dumps  have  all  been  called  in. 
If  the  dollar  passes  current  for  five 
shillings  the  dump  lays  claim  to  fifteen 
pence  value  still  in  silver  money.'' 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  44 : 

"  He  only  solicits  the  loan  of  a 
;  dump,'  on  pretence  of  treating  his  sick 
gin  to  a  cup  of  tea." 

Ibid.  p.  225  : 

"  The  genuine  name  of  an  Australian 
coin,  in  value  is.  $d.'} 

1852.  J.  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  141  : 

"  Tattered  promissory  notes,  of  small 
amount  and  doubtful  parentage,  flut- 
tered about  the  colony  ;  dumps,  struck 
out  from  dollars,  were  imitated  by  a 
coin  prepared  without  requiring  much 
mechanical  ingenuity." 

1870.  T.  H.  Braim,  'New  Homes,'  c. 
iii.  p.  131  : 

"  The  Spanish  dollar  was  much  used. 
A  circular  piece  was  struck  out  of  the 
centre  about  the  size  of  a  shilling,  and 
it  was  called  a  '  dump.' " 

1879.  w-  J-  Barry,  '  Up  and  Down,'  p. 

"The  coin  current  in  those  days 
(1829)  consisted  of  ring-dollars  and 


dumps,  the  dump  being  the  centre  of 
the  dollar  punched  out  to  represent  a 
smaller  currency." 

1893.  'The  Daily  News'  (London), 
May  n,  p.  4: 

"The  metallic  currency  was  then 
[1819-25]  chiefly  Spanish  dollars,  at 
that  time  and  before  and  afterwards 
the  most  widely  disseminated  coin  in 
the  world,  and  they  had  the  current 
value  of  5 s.  But  there  were  too  few  of 
them,  and  therefore  the  centre  of  them 
was  cut  out  and  circulated  under  the 
name  of  'dumps'  at  is.  $d.  each,  the 
remainder  of  the  coin — called  by  way 
of  a  pun,  '  holy  dollars ' — still  retaining 
its  currency  value  of  5^." 

Dump,  v.  to  press  closely  ; 
applied  to  wool.  Bales  are  often 
marked  "  not  to  be  dumped." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  98  : 

"The  great  object  of  packing  so 
close  is  to  save  carriage  through  the 
country,  for  however  well  you  may  do 
it,  it  is  always  re-pressed,  or  '  dumped,1 
as  it  is  called,  by  hydraulic  pressure  on 
its  arrival  in  port,  the  force  being  so 
great  as  to  crush  two  bales  into  one." 

1875.  R.  and  F.  Hill,  'What  we  saw 
in  Australia, '  p.  207  : 

"  From  the  sorting-tables  the  fleeces 
are  carried  to  the  packing-shed  ;  there, 
by  the  help  of  machinery,  they  are 
pressed  into  sacks,  and  the  sacks  are 
then  themselves  heavily  pressed  and 
bound  with  iron  bands,  till  they  be- 
come hard  cubes.  This  process  is 
called  'dumping.'" 

Dumplings,  n.  i.q.  Apple-berry 
(q.v.). 

Dundathee,  or  Dundathu 
Pine,  n.  the  Queensland  species 
(Agathis  robusta,  Sal.)  of  the  Kauri 
Pine  (q.v.)  ;  and  see  Pine. 

Dungaree-Settler,  n.  Now  ob- 
solete. See  quotation. 

1852.  Anon,  '  Settlers  and  Convicts  ;  or, 
Recollections  of  Sixteen  Years'  Labour  in 
the  Australian  Backwoods,'  p.  n  : 

"The  poor  Australian  settler  (or, 
according  to  colonist  phraseology,  the 
Dungaree-settler  ;  so  called  from  their 


132 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[DUN-DWA 


frequently  clothing  themselves,  their 
wives,  and  children  in  that  blue  Indian 
manufacture  of  cotton  known  as  Dun- 
garee) sells  his  wheat  crop." 

Dunite,  n.  an  ore  in  New  Zea- 
land, so  called  from  Dun  moun- 
tain, near  Nelson. 

1883.  J.  Hector, '  Handbook  of  New  Zea- 
land,' p.  56 : 

"  Chrome  ore.  This  ore,  which  is  a 
mixture  of  chromic  iron  and  alumina, 
is  chiefly  associated  with  magnesian 
rock,  resembling  olivine  in  composition, 
named  Dunite  by  Dr.  Hochstetter." 


Dust,  n.  slang  for  flour. 
1893.  Dec.  12,  '  A  Traveller's  Note ': 
"  A  bush  cook  said  to  me  to-day,  we 

gave  each  sundowner  a  pannikin  of 

dust." 

Dwarf-box,  n.  Eucalyptus  micro- 
theca,  F.  v.  M.  See  Box.  This  tree 
has  also  many  other  names.  See 
Maiden's  *  Useful  Native  Plants/ 

P-  495- 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  'Southern  Australia,' 
vol.  i.  c.  i.  p.  22  : 

"  Dwarf-box  and  the  acacia  pendula 
prevailed  along  the  plains." 


EAG-EBO] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


133 


E 


Eagle,  n.  There  are  nine  species 
of  the  true  Eagle,  all  confined  to 
the  Old  World,  except  one.  The 
word  is  also  applied  to  birds  of 
the  genus  Haliaetusy  such  as  the 
Baldheaded  Eagle  (H.  leucocephalus], 
the  national  emblem  of  the  United 
States.  ('Century.')  In  Australia 
the  name  is  assigned  to — 

Little  Eagle— 

Aquila  morphnoides,  Gould. 
Wedge-tailed  E.  (Eagle-hawk) — 

A.  audax.  Lath. 
Whistling  E.— 

Haliaetus  sphenurus,  Vieill. 
White-bellied  Sea  E.— 

H.  leucogaster,  Gmel. 
White-headed  Sea  E.— 

If  alias  tur  girrenera,  Vieill. 

Eaglehawk,  n.  an  Australian 
name  for  the  bird  Uroaetus,  or 
Aquila  audax,  Lath.  The  name 
was  applied  to  the  bird  by  the 
early  colonists  of  New  South 
Wales,  and  has  persisted.  In 
'O.E.D.'  it  is  shown  that  the  name 
was  used  in  Griffith's  translation 
(1829)  of  Cuvier's  <  Regne  Animal ' 
as  a  translation  of  the  French 
aigle-autour,  Cuvier's  name  for  a 
South  American  bird  of  prey  of 
the  genus  Morphnus,  called  Spizae- 
tus  by  Vieillot  ;  but  it  is  added 
that  the  word  never  came  into 
English  use.  See  Eagle.  There 
is  a  town  in  Victoria  called  Eagle- 
hawk.  The  Bendigo  cabmen 
make  the  name  a  monosyllable, 
"  Glawk." 

1834.  L.  E.  Threlkeld,  'Australian 
Grammar/  p.  56 : 

"The  large  eaglehawk,  which  de- 
vours young  kangaroos,  lambs,  etc." 


1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  i.  pi.  I  : 

"Aquila  Fucosa,  Cuv.,  [now  A. 
audax,  Lath.]  Wedge-tailed  eagle. 
Eaglehawk,  Colonists  of  New  South 
Wales." 

1863.  B.  A.  Heywood,  'Vacation  Tour 
at  the  Antipodes,'  p.  106  : 

"We  knew  it  was  dying,  as  two 
large  eaglehawks  were  hovering  about 
over  it." 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  '  Kamilaroi 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  251  : 

"  The  hair  of  a  person  is  tied  on  the 
end  of  the  throwing-stick,  together 
with  the  feathers  of  the  eagle  hawk." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia," p.  106: 

"Since  the  destruction  of  native 
dogs  and  eagle-hawks  by  the  squatters, 
who  stocked  the  country  with  sheep, 
the  kangaroos  have  not  a  single  natural 
enemy  left." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
P.  35: 

"  On  the  New  South  Wales  side  of 
the  river  the  eagle-hawk  is  sometimes 
so  great  a  pest  amongst  the  lambs  that 
the  settlers  periodically  burn  him  out 
by  climbing  close  enough  to  the  nest 
to  put  a  fire-stick  in  contact  with  it." 

Eagle-hawking,  n.  bush  slang : 
plucking  wool  off  dead  sheep. 

Eagle-Ray,  ;/.  name  belonging 
to  any  large  Ray  of  the  family 

Myliobatida ;    the    New    Zealand 
species  is  Myliobatis  nieuhofii. 

Eastralia,  n.  recent  colloquial 
name,  fashioned  on  the  model  of 
Westralia  (q.v.),  used  in  Wes^: 
Australiafor  the  Eastern  Colonies. 
In  Adelaide,  its  application  seems 
confined  to  New  South  Wales. 

Ebony,  n.  a  timber.  The  name 
is  applied  in  Australia  to  two 
species  of  Bauhinia,  B.  carronii. 


134 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[ECH 


F.  v.  M.,  and  B.  hookeri,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Leguminosce.  Both  are  called 
Queensland  or  Mountain  Ebony. 

Echidna,  n.  a  fossorial  Mono- 
treme,  in  general  appearance  re- 
sembling a  Porcupine,  and  often 
called  Spiny  Ant-eater  or  Porcupine, 
or  Porcupine  Ant-eater.  The  body  is 
covered  with  thick  fur  from  which 
stiff  spines  protrude  ;  the  muzzle 
is  in  the  form  of  a  long  toothless 
beak;  and  the  tongue  is  very  long 
and  extensile,  and  used  largely 
for  licking  up  ants  ;  the  feet  are 
short,  with  strong  claws  adapted 
for  burrowing.  Like  the  Marsu- 
pials, the  Echidna  is  provided 
with  a  pouch,  but  the  animal  is 
oviparous,  usually  laying  two 
eggs  at  a  time,  which  are  carried 
about  in  the  pouch  until  the 
young  ones  are  hatched,  when 
they  are  fed  by  a  secretion  from 
mammary  glands,  which  do  not, 
however,  as  in  other  mammals, 
open  on  to  a  nipple.  The  five- 
toed  Echidnas  (genus  Echidna) 
are  found  in  New  Guinea,  Aus- 
tralia, and  Tasmania,  while  the 
three-toed  Echidnas  (genus  Pro- 
echidna)  are  confined  to  New 
Guinea.  The  species  are — Com- 
mon E.,  Echidna  aculeata^  Shaw  ; 
Bruijn's  E.,  Proechidna  bruijni, 
Peters  and  Doria  ;  Black-spined 
E. ,  Proechidna  nigro-aculeata,  Roths- 
child. The  name  is  from  Grk. 
£X<^va,  an  adder  or  viper,  from  the 
shape  of  the  long  tongue. 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
c.  ii.  p.  29  : 

"The  native  porcupine  or  echidna 
is  not  very  common." 

1843.  J.  Backhouse,  '  Narrative  of  a 
Visit  to  the  Australian  Colonies,'  p.  89  : 

"The  Porcupine  of  this  land, 
Echidna  hystrix,  is  a  squat  species  of 
ant-eater,  with  short  quills  among  its 
hair  :  it  conceals  itself  in  the  day  time 
among  dead  timber  in  the  hilly  forests." 

1851.   '  Papers  and  Proceedings   of  the 


Royal   Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land/ 
vol.  i.  p.  178  : 

"  Mr.  Milligan  mentioned  that  one 
of  the  Aborigines  of  Tasmania  reports 
having  often  discovered  the  nest  of  the 
Echidna  Setosa,  porcupine  or  ant  eater, 
of  the  colony ;  that  on  several  occasions 
one  egg  had  been  found  in  it,  and  never 
more  :  this  egg  has  always  been  found 
to  contain  a  foetus  or  chick,  and  is  said 
to  be  round,  considerably  less  than  a 
tennis  ball,  and  without  a  shell.  The 
mother  is  said  to  sit  continuously  (for 
a  period  not  ascertained)  in  the  manner 
of  the  common  fowl  over  the  eggs  ; 
she  does  not  leave  the  young  for  a 
considerable  time  after  having  hatched 
it ;  at  length,  detaching  it  from  the 
small  teat,  she  moves  out  hurriedly 
and  at  long  intervals  in  quest  of  food, — 
the  young  one  becoming,  at  each  suc- 
cessive return,  attached  to  the  nipple. 
.  .  ,  The  Platypus  (Ornithorhyncus 
paradoxus)  is  said  to  lay  two  eggs, 
having  the  same  external  membranous 
covering,  but  of  an  oblong  shape." 

i860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist  in  Australasia,'  p.  147  : 

"  The  Porcupine  Ant-eater  of  Aus- 
tralia (Echidna  hystrix)  (the  native 
Porcupine  or  Hedgehog  of  the  colon- 
ists), and  the  Ornithorhynchus,  to 
which  it  is  allied  in  internal  organiza- 
tion, form  the  only  two  genera  of  the 
order  Monotremata." 

1888.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  230  : 

"  Among  the  gigantic  boulders  near 
the  top  he  may  capture  the  burrowing 
ant-eating  porcupine,  though  if  per- 
chance he  place  it  for  a  moment  in  the 
stoniest  ground,  it  will  tax  all  his 
strength  to  drag  it  from  the  instan- 
taneous burrow  in  which  it  will  defi- 
antly embed  itself." 

1892.  A.  Sutherland,  '  Elementary  Geo- 
graphy of  British  Colonies,'  p.  273  : 

"  The  echidna  is  an  animal  about  a 
foot  or  1 8  inches  long,  covered  with 
spines  like  a  hedgehog.  It  lives  chiefly 
upon  ants.  With  its  bill,  which  is  like 
a  duck's  but  narrower,  it  burrows  into 
an  ant's-hill,  and  then  with  its  long, 
whip-like,  sticky  tongue,  draws  the 
ants  into  its  mouth  by  hundreds." 

1894.  R-  Lydekker,  '  Marsupialia  and 
Monotremata,'  p.  247  : 

"  In  order  to  enable  them  to  procure 


ECH-EGR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


135 


with  facility  their  food   of  ants  and 
their  larvae,  echidnas  are  provided  with 

*  very  large    glands,  discharging    into 

*  the  mouth  the  viscid  secretion  which 
causes  the  ants  to  adhere  to  the  long 
worm-like  tongue  when  thrust  into  a 
mass  of  these  insects,  after  being  ex- 
posed by  the  digging  powers  of  the 
•claws    of    the    echidna's    limbs.  .  .  . 
When  attacked  they  roll  themselves 
into  a  ball  similar  to  the  hedgehog." 

Bchu,  n.  the  name  of  an  Aus- 
tralian bird  which  has  not  been 
identified.  The  word  does  not 
occur  in  the  ornithological  lists. 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems — Evening 
Hymn/  p.  53  : 

*'  The  echu's  songs  are  dying  with  the 
flute-bird's  mellow  tone." 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Jan.  II,  p. 
73,  col.  i  : 

' '  Yeldina  '  (Rochester)  writes— 
While  I  was  on  the  Murray,  a  few 
<lays  before  Christmas  last,  some  miles 
below  Echuca.)  my  attention  was  at- 
tracted to  the  melancholy  note,  as  of 
a  bird  which  had  lost  its  mate,  calling 
ee-k-o-o,  e-e-koo,  which  was  repeated 
•several  times,  after  which  a  pause, 
then  ee-koo,  ee-ko,  coolie,  coolie,  ee- 
koo.  This  happened  in  the  scrub  at 
sunset,  and  came,  I  think,  from  a  bird 
smaller  than  the  Australian  minah,  and 
of  a  greenish  yellowish  hue,  larger,  but 
similar  to  the  members  of  the  feathered 
tribe  known  to  young  city  '  knights  of 
the  catapult '  as  greenies.  It  was  while 
returning  to  camp  from  fishing  that  I 
noticed  this  bird,  which  appeared  of 
solitary  habits." 

"'Crossbolt'  (Kew)  writes— The  echu 
is  probably  identical  with  a  handsome 
little  bird  whose  peculiar  cry  'e-e- 
choo '  is  familiar  to  many  bush  ramblers. 
It  is  the  size  of  a  small  wood-swallow  ; 
black  head,  back,  wings,  and  tail  more 
or  less  blue  -  black  ;  white  throat ; 
neck  and  breast  light  to  rich  brown. 
The  female  is  much  plainer,  and  would 
scarcely  be  recognized  as  the  mate  of 
the  former.  The  melodious  '  e-e-choo ' 
is  usually  answered  from  a  distance, 
whether  by  the  female  or  a  rival  I  can- 
not say,  and  is  followed  by  a  prolonged 
warbling." 

Eel,  n.  The  kinds  present  in 
Australia  are — 


Common  Eel — 

Anguilla  australts,  Richards. 
Conger  E. — 

Conger     labiatus,    Castln.,    and 
Gonorhynchus  grayi,  Richards. 
Green  E.  (New  South  Wales)— 

Murczna  afra,  Bl. 
Silver  E. — 

Mur&nesox  cinereus,  Forsk. ;  also 
called  the  Sea-eel  (New  South 
Wales). 

Conger  wilsoni,  Castln.  (Mel- 
bourne). 

The  New  Zealand  Eels  are — 
Black  Eel— 

Anguilla  australis,  Richards. 
Conger  E. — 

Conger  vulgaris,  Cuv. 
Sand  E. — 

Gonorhynchus  grayi,  Richards. 
Serpent  E.— 

Ophichthys  serpens,  Linn. 
Silver  E. — 

Congromurcena    habenata,    Rich- 
ards. 
Tuna  E. — 

Anguilla  aucklandii,  Richards. 

The  Sand  Eel  does  not  belong 
to  the  Eel  family,  and  is  only 
called  an  Eel  from  its  habits. 

Bel-fish,  n  Plotosus  tandanus, 
Mitchell.  Called  also  Catfish 
(q.v.),  and  Tandan  (q.v.). 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  i.  pi.  5,  pp.  44  and  95  [Note]  : 

'•'•Plotosus  tandanus,  tandan  or 
eel-fish.  Tandan  is  the  aboriginal 
name." 

Egret,  n.  an  English  bird-name. 
The  following  species  are  present 
in  Australia,  some  being  European 
and  others  exclusively  Austra- 
lian— 

Lesser  Egret — 

Herodias  melanopus,  Wagl. 
Little  E.— 

H.  garzetta^  Linn. 
Pied  E.— 

H.  picata,  Gould. 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[ELD-EMU 


Plumed  Egret — 

Herodias  intermedia,  v.  Hasselq. 
White  E.— 

H.  alba,  Linn. 

Elder,  n.     See  next  word. 

Elderberry,  Native,  n.  The  two 
Australian  species  of  the  Elder 
are  Sambucus  gaudichaudiana, 
De  C,  and  S.  xanthocarpa,  F.  v. 
M.,  N.O.  Caprifoliacece. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  56: 

"Native  elderberry.  The  fruit  of 
these  two  native  elders  is  fleshy  and 
sweetish,  and  is  used  by  the  aborigines 
for  food." 

Elephant-fish,  n.  a  fish  of  New 
Zealand,  South  Australian,  and 
Tasmanian  waters,  Callorhynchus 
antarcticus,  Lace"p.,  family  Chimce- 
ridce.  "It  has  a  cartilaginous 
prominence  of  the  snout,  ending 
in  a  cutaneous  flap "  (Giinth.), 
suggesting  a  comparison  with  an 
elephant's  trunk.  Called  also 
King  of  the  Herrings  (q.v.). 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  Voyage  to  New 
South  Wales, 'p.  388: 

"The  sea  affords  a  much  greater 
plenty,  and  at  least  as  great  a  variety 
as  the  land  ;  of  these  the  elephant  fish 
were  very  palatable  food.3'' 

Ellangowan  Poison-bush,  n.  a 
Queensland  name  for  'Myoporum 
deserti,  Cunn.,  N.O.  Myoporina  ; 
called  "Dogwood  Poison-bush" 
in  New  South  Wales.  Ellan- 
gowan is  on  the  Darling  Downs 
in  Queensland.  Poisonous  to 
sheep,  but  only  when  in  fruit. 

Emancipatist,  and  Emanci- 
pist, n.  (the  latter,  the  commoner), 
an  ex-convict  who  has  served  out 
his  sentence.  The  words  are 
never  used  now  except  historically. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  118  : 

"  Emigrants  who  have  come  out  free 
from  England,  and  emancipists,  who 
have  arrived  here  as  convicts,  and  have 


either  been    pardoned    or  completed 
their  term  of  servitude." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  '  Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  302 : 

"  Men  who  had  formerly  been  con- 
victs, but  who,  after  their  period  of 
servitude  had  expired,  were  called 
'emancipists.'" 

1837.  Jas.  Mudie.  '  Felonry  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  vii : 

"  The  author  begs  leave  to  record  his 
protest  against  the  abuse  of  language 
in  the  misapplication  of  the  terms 
emancipists  and  absentees  to  two  por- 
tions of  the  colonial  felonry.  An  eman- 
cipist could  not  be  understood  to  mean 
the  emancipated  but  the  emancipator. 
Mr.  Wilberforce  may  be  honoured 
with  the  title  of  emancipist  ;  but  it  is 
as  absurd  to  give  the  same  appellation 
to  the  emancipated  felons  of  New 
South  Wales  as  it  would  be  to  bestow 
it  upon  the  emancipated  negroes  of  the 
West  Indies." 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  69  : 

"  The  same  emancipist  will,  however, 
besides  private  charity,  be  among  the 
first  and  greatest  contributors  to  a  new 
church." 

1852.   'Eraser's  Magazine,'  vol.  xlvi.  p. 

135  = 

"  The  convict  obtained  his  ticket-of- 
leave  .  .  .  became  an  emancipist  .  .  . 
and  found  transportation  no  punish- 
ment." 

Emu,  71.  an  Australian  bird, 
Dromaius  novce-hollandice,  Lath. 
There  is  a  second  species,  Spotted 
Emu,  Dromaius  irroratus,  Bartlett. 
An  earlier,  but  now  unusual,  spell- 
ing is  Emeu.  Emeus  is  the  scien- 
tific name  of  a  New  Zealand 
genus  of  extinct  struthious  birds. 
The  word  Emu  is  not  Australian, 
but  from  the  Portuguese  Ema, 
the  name  first  of  the  Crane, 
afterwards  of  the  Ostrich.  Form- 
erly the  word  Emu  was  used  in 
English  for  the  Cassowary,  and 
even  for  the  American  Ostrich. 
Since  1885  an  Emu  has  been  the 
design  on  the  twopenny  postage; 
stamp  of  New  South  Wales. 


EMU] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


137 


;•  1613.  '  Purchas  Pilgrimmage, '  pt.  I. 
vol.  v.  c.  xii.  p.  430  ('  O.K. p.') : 

"The  bird  called  Emia  or  Erne  is 
admirable." 

1774.  Oliver  Goldsmith,  'Natural 
History,'  vol.  iii.  p.  69,  Book  III.  c.  v. 
[Heading]  : 

"The  Emu." 

1788.  '  History  of  New  South  Wales ' 
(1818),  p.  53: 

"  A  bird  of  the  ostrich  genus,  but  of 
a  species  very  different  from  any  other 
in  the  known  world,  was  killed  and 
brought  in.  Its  length  was  between 
seven  and  eight  feet ;  its  flesh  was 
good  and  thought  to  resemble  beef. 
It  has  obtained  the  name  of  the  New 
South  Wales  Emu." 

1789.  Captain  W.  Tench,  'Expedition 
to  Botany  Bay,'  p.  123  : 

"  The  bird  which  principally  claims 
attention  is  a  species  of  ostrich,  ap- 
proaching nearer  to  the  emu  of  South 
America  than  any  other  we  know  of." 

1793-  Governor  Hunter,  'Voyage,' 
p.  69: 

"  Some  were  of  opinion  that  it  was 
the  emew,  which  I  think  is  particularly 
described  by  Dr.  Goldsmith  from  Lin- 
neus  :  others  imagined  it  to  be  the 
cassowary,  but  it  far  exceeds  that  bird 
in  size  .  .  .  two  distinct  feathers  grew 
out  from  every  quill." 

1802.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii. 
p.  307  : 

"  These  birds  have  been  pronounced 
by  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  of  whose  judg- 
ment none  can  entertain  a  doubt,  to 
come  nearer  to  what  is  known  of  the 
American  ostrich  than  to  either  the 
emu  of  India  or  the  ostrich  of  Africa." 

1804.  «  Rev.  R.  Knopwood's  Diary  '  (J. 
J.  Shillinglaw — '  Historical  Records  of 
Port  Phillip,'  1879),  p.  115: 

[At  the  Derwent]  26  March,  1804— 
"  They  caught  six  young  emews  [sic], 
about  the  size  of  a  turkey,  and  shot 
the  old  mother." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
p.  165  : 

"We  saw  an  emu  track  down  the 
side  of  a  hill." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  c.  ix.  p.  276  : 

"  The  face  of  the  emu  bears  a  most 
remarkable  likeness  to  that  of  the 
aborigines  of  New  South  Wales." 


1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  160  : 

"  They  will  pick  up  anything, 
thimbles,  reels  of  cotton,  nails,  bullets 
indiscriminately  :  and  thus  the  proverb- 
of  'having  the  digestion  of  an  emu'  has 
its  origin." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia/ 
vol.  vi.  pi.  i  : 

"  Dromaius  NOVCB  Hollandice.  The 
Emu.  New  Holland  Cassowary. — • 
'Governor  Phillips'  Voyage,  1789.'" 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck, '  Port  Phillip  irv 
1849,'  P-  42  : 

"  The  emu  strides  with  such  rapidity 
over  the  plains  as  to  render  its  capture 
very  difficult  even  by  the  swiftest  grey- 
hound." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  52  : 

"A  couple  of  grave-looking  emus.. 
These  wobble  away  at  an  ungainly 
but  rapid  pace  directly  they  sight  us, 
most  probably  vainly  pursued  by  the 
dray  dogs  which  join  us  farther  on, 
weary  and  unsuccessful — indeed  the 
swiftest  dog  finds  an  emu  as  much  as- 
he  can  manage." 

1878.  A.  Newton,  in  '  Encyclopaedia 
Britannica'  (gth  edit.),  vol.  viii.  p.  173  : 

"  Next  to  the  ostrich  the  largest  of 
existing  birds,  the  common  emeu  .  .  ." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant, '  Bush  Life  in  Queens- 
land,' vol.  i.  p.  210  : 

"...  points  out  two  emus  to  John. 
.  .  .  They  resemble  ostriches,  but  are 
not  so  large,  and  the  tail  droops  more. 
.  .  .  John  can  distinguish  every  point 
about  them,  from  their  black  cast-iron 
looking  legs,  to  the  bare  neck  and 
small  head,  with  its  bright  eye  and 
strong  flat  beak." 

1890.  'Victorian  Statutes— Game  Act,, 
Third  Schedule ' : 

"Emu.  [Close  Season.]  From  the 
1 4th  day  of  June  to  the  2oth  day  of 
December  following  in  each  year." 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  March  25,  p.  4, 
col.  5  : 

"  The  chief  in  size  is  the  egg  of  the 
cassowary,  exactly  like  that  of  the  emu 
except  that  the  colour  is  pale  moss 
green  instead  of  the  dark  green  of  the 
emu." 

Emu-Apple,  n.     See  Apple. 
Emu-Bush,    n.    an    Australian 


i38 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[EMU-EUC 


shrub,    Eremophila    longifolia,    F. 
v.    M.,  N.  O.  Myoporinea. 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  'Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  206  : 

"Emu-tree.  A  small  Tasmanian 
tree  ;  found  on  low  marshy  ground  ; 
used  for  turners'  work." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants/  p.  317  : 

"  Emu-bush.  Owing  to  emus  feed- 
ing on  the  seeds  of  this  and  other 
species.  Heterodendron  oleafolium, 
Desf." 

Ibid.  p.  132  : 

"The  seeds,  which  are  dry,  are 
>eaten  by  emus." 

Emu- Wren,  n.  a  bird-name. 
See  Malurus. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iii.  pi.  31  : 

"  StipiturusMalachurus,  Less.  Emu 
Wren.  The  decomposed  or  loose 
structure  of  these  [tail]  feathers,  much 
resembling  those  of  the  emu,  has  sug- 

tested  the  colonial  name  of  Emu-Wren 
>r  this  species,  an  appellation  singu- 
larly appropriate,  inasmuch  as  it  at 
once  indicates  the  kind  of  plumage 
with  which  the  bird  is  clothed,  and  the 
Wren-like  nature  of  its  habits." 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  213  : 

"  The  delicate  little  emeu  wren." 

1865.  Lady  Barker  (letter  from  Mel- 
bourne), '  Station  Life  in  New  Zealand,' 
p.  8: 

"Then  there  is  the  emu-wren,  all 
sad-coloured,  but  quaint,  with  the  tail- 
feathers  sticking  up  on  end,  and  exactly 
like  those  of  an  emu,  on  the  very  small- 
est scale,  even  to  the  peculiarity  of  two 
feathers  growing  out  of  the  same  little 
-quill." 

Eopsaltria,  n.  scientific  name 
for  the  genus  of  Australian  birds 
called  Shrike-Robins  (q.v.).  (Grk. 
j)ws,  dawn,  and  if/dX-pia,  a  female 
harper.) 

Epacris,  n.  scientific  name  of 
the  typical  genus  of  the  order 
Epacridea,  a  heath-like  flower  of 
which  there  are  twenty  -  five 
species,  mostly  Australian.  From 
vGreek  «ri,  upon,  and  a/cpov,  top 


|  (the  flowers  grow  in  spikes  at 
the  top  of  the  plant).  In  Aus- 
tralia they  are  frequently  confused 
with  and  called  Ericas. 

Ephthianura,  n.  scientific  name 
of  a  genus  of  very  small  Austra- 
lian birds,  anglicized  as  Ephthia- 
nure.  For  species  see  quotation, 
1848.  A  fourth  species  has  been 
discovered  since  Gould's  day,  E. 
crocea,  Castln.  and  Ramsay,  which 
inhabits  Northern  Australia.  The 
name  was  first  given  by  Gould, 
in  the  '  Proceedings  of  the  Zoo- 
logical Society  of  1837,'  p.  148, 
as  a  genus  novum.  The  origin  of 
the  word  is  not  certain,  but  as 
the  tail  is  unusually  small,  it  is 
suggested  that  the  name  is  from 
the  Greek  ov/oa,  tail,  and  Homeric 
imperfect  3rd  person  sing.  2<f>6uv, 
wasted  away,  from  <£#uo  ( =  <£0iVw). 
[The  word  occurs  //.  xviii.  446.] 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iii.  pi.  64 : 

"Ephthianura  Albifrons,  White- 
fronted  Ephthianura,"  pi.  65.  "  Auri- 
frons,  Gould,  Orange-fronted  E.,"  pi. 
66.  "  Tricolor,  Gould,  Tricoloured  E." 

1890.  'Victorian  Statutes — Game  Act, 
Third  Schedule': 

"  Close  season. — Ephthianuras.  The 
whole  year." 

Escapee,  n.  one  who  has  es- 
caped. Especially  used  of  French 
convicts  who  escape  from  New 
Caledonia.  The  word  is  formed 
on  the  model  of  absentee,  refugee, 
etc.,  and  is  manifestly  influenced 
by  Fr.  echappe.  Escaper  is  the  his- 
torical English  form.  (See  Bible, 
2  Kings  ix.  15,  margin.) 

1880.  '  Melbourne  Argus,' July  22,  p.  2, 
col.  3  ('O.E.D.'): 

"  The  ten  New  Caledonia  escapees 
.  .  .  are  to  be  handed  over  to  the 
French  consul." 

Eucalyn,  n.  a  sugar  obtained, 
together  with  laevulose,  by  fer- 
mentation of  melitose  (q.v.)  with 
yeast,  or  by  boiling  it  with  dilute 
acids. 


EUC] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


139 


Bucalypt,  n.  shortened  English 
form  of  Eucalyptus  used  especially 
in  the  plural,  Eucalypti.  Euca- 
lypti sounds  pedantic. 

1880.  T.  W.  Nutt,  '  Palace  of  Industry,' 
p.  II  : 

•"  Stems  of  the  soaring  eucalypts  that 

rise 

Four  hundred  friendly  feet  to  glad 
the  skies." 

1887.  J.  F.  Hogan,  '  The  Irish  in  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  126  : 

"There  is  no  unmixed  good,  it  is 
said,  on  this  mundane  sphere,  and  the 
evil  that  has  accompanied  the  exten- 
sive settlement  of  Gipps  Land  during 
recent  years  is  to  be  found  in  the  wide- 
spread destruction  of  the  forests,  re- 
sulting in  a  disturbance  of  the  atmo- 
spheric conditions  and  the  banishment 
of  an  ever-active  agent  in  the  preserv- 
ation of  health,  for  these  eucalypts,  or 
gum-trees,  as  they  are  generally  called, 
possess  the  peculiar  property  of  arrest- 
ing fever-germs  and  poisonous  exhal- 
ations. They  have  been  transplanted 
for  this  especial  purpose  to  some  of 
the  malaria-infested  districts  of  Europe 
and  America,  and  with  pronounced 
success.  Australia,  to  which  they  are 
indigenous,  has  mercilessly  hewn  them 
down  in  the  past,  but  is  now  repenting 
of  its  folly  in  that  respect,  and  is  re- 
planting them  at  every  seasonable 
opportunity." 

1892.  A.  Sutherland,  '  Elementary  Geo- 
graphy of  British  Colonies,'  p.  270  : 

"  Throughout  the  whole  of  Australia 
the  prevailing  trees  are  eucalypts, 
known  generally  as  gum-trees  on  ac- 
count of  the  gum  which  they  secrete, 
and  which  may  be  seen  standing  like 
big  translucent  beads  on  their  trunks 
and  branches." 

Eucalyptene,  n.  the  name 
given  by  Cloez  to  a  hydrocarbon 
obtained  by  subjecting  Eucalyptol 
(q.v.)  to  dehydration  by  phos- 
phorus pentoxide.  The  same  name 
has  also  been  given  by  other 
chemists  to  a  hydrocarbon  be- 
lieved to  occur  in  eucalyptus  oil. 

Bucalyptian,  adj.  playfully 
formed  ;  not  in  common  use. 


1870.  A.  L.  Gordon,  'Bush  Ballads,' 
p.  8: 

"  Gnarl'd,  knotted  trunks  Eucalyptian 
Seemed  carved,  like  weird  columns 

Egyptian, 

With  curious  device — quaint  inscrip- 
'  tion 
And  hieroglyph  strange." 

Eucalyptic,  adj.  full  of  gum- 
trees. 

1873.  J.  Brunton  Stephens,  '  Black  Gin, 
etc., 'p.  6: 

"  This  eucalyptic  cloisterdom  is  any- 
thing but  gay." 

Eucalyptol,  n.  a  volatile  oil  of 
camphor-like  smell,  extracted 
from  the  oil  of  Eucalyptus  globulus, 
Labill.,  E.  amygdalina,  Labill., 
etc.  Chemically  identical  with 
cineol,  got  from  other  sources. 

Eucalyptus,  n.  the  gum  tree. 
There  are  120  species,  as  set  forth 
in  Baron  von  Miiller's  *  Eucalypto- 
graphia,  a  Descriptive  Atlas  of 
the  Eucalypts  of  Australia.'  The 
name  was  first  given  in  scientific 
Latin  by  the  French  botanist 
L'He"ritier,  in  his  Sertum  Anglicum^ 
published  in  1788.  From  the 
Greek  cv,  well,  and  icoA/un-reiv,  to 
cover.  See  quotation,  1848.  N.O. 
Myrtacece.  The  French  now  say 
Eucalyptus ;  earlier  they  called  it 
F  acajou  de  la  nouvelle  Hollande. 
The  Germans  call  it  Schonmutze. 
See  Gum. 

1823.   Sidney  Smith,  '  Essays,'  p.  440  : 

"  A  London  thief,  clothed  in  Kan- 
garoo's skins,  lodged  under  the  bark 
of  the  dwarf  eucalyptus,  and  keeping 
sheep,  fourteen  thousand  miles  from 
Piccadilly,  with  a  crook  bent  into  the 
shape  of  a  picklock,  is  not  an  uninter- 
esting picture." 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  '  Southern  Australia,'  vol. 
i.  c.  ii.  p.  80 : 

"  A  large  basin  in  which  there  are 
stunted  pines  and  eucalyptus  scrub." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
p.  132  : 

"  The  scientific  term  Eucalyptus  has 
been  derived  from  the  Greek,  in  allu- 
sion to  a  lid  or  covering  over  the 


140 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[EUR-EXP 


blossom,  which  falls  off  when  the 
flower  expands,  exposing  a  four-celled 
capsule  or  seed-vessel." 

1851.  G.  W.  Rusden,  *  Moyarra,'  canto 
i.  p.  8 : 

"  The  eucalyptus  on  the  hill 
Was  silent  challenge  to  his  skill." 

1870.     'Temple     Bar/    Oct.,    p.    237 

CO.E.D.'): 

"The  sombre  eucalypti  .  .  .  inter- 
spersed here  and  there  by  their  dead 
companions." 

1886.  J.  A.  Froude,  'Oceana,'  p.  118: 

"At  intervals  the  bush  remained 
untouched,  but  the  universal  eucalyp- 
tus, which  I  had  expected  to  find  grey 
and  monotonous,  was  a  Proteus  in 
shape  and  colour,  now  branching  like 
an  oak  or  a  cork  tree,  now  feathered 
like  a  birch,  or  glowing  like  an  arbutus, 
with  an  endless  variety  of  hue— green, 
orange,  and  brown." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood, '  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  v.  p.  46  : 

"A  lofty  eucalyptus  .  .  .  lay  with 
its  bared  foots  sheer  athwart  a  tiny 
watercourse." 

Euro,  n.  one  of  the  aboriginal 
names  for  a  Kangaroo  (q.v.)  ; 
spelt  also  Yuro. 

1885.  Mrs.  Praed,  '  Head  Station,'  p. 
192: 

"  Above  and  below .  .  .  were  beetling 
cliffs,  with  ledges  and  crannies  that 
afforded  foothold  only  to  yuros  and 
rock- wallabies.' ' 

Exclusionist,  n.  and  adj.  See 
quotation. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham.  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  pp.  118-19  : 

".  .  .  one  subdivision  of  the  emi- 
grant class  alluded  to,  is  termed  the 
exclusionist  party,  from  their  strict 
exclusion  of  the  emancipists  from  their 
society." 


Exileism,  n.  a  word  of  same 
period  as  Exiles  (q.v.). 

1893.  A.  P.  Martin,  '  Life  of  Lord  Sher- 
brooke,'  vol.  i.  p.  381  : 

"  A  gentleman  who  was  at  this  time 
engaged  in  pastoral  pursuits  in  New 
South  Wales,  and  was  therefore  a  sup- 
porter of '  exileism.' " 

Exiles,  n.  euphemistic  name  for 
convicts.  It  did  not  last  long. 

1847.  A.  P.  Martin,  <  Life  of  Lord  Sher- 
brooke  '  (1893),  vol.  i.  p.  378  : 

"  The  cargoes  of  criminals  were  no 
longer  to  be  known  as  '  convicts,'  but 
(such  is  the  virtue  in  a  name !)  as 
'  exiles.'  It  was,  as  Earl  Grey  ex- 
plained in  his  despatch  of  Sept  3, 
1847,  'a  scheme  of  reformatory  dis- 
cipline.' " 

1852.  G.  B.  Earp,  'Gold  Colonies  of 
Australia,'  p.  100  : 

"  The  convict  system  ceased  in  New 
South  Wales  in  1839  ;  but  'exiles'  as 
they  were  termed,  i.e.  men  who  had 
passed  their  probation  at  home,  were 
forwarded  till  1843." 

Expiree,  n.  a  convict  whose 
term  of  sentence  had  expired. 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes ' 
(ed.  1885),  p.  107 : 

"  A  hireling  convict  —  emancipist, 
expiree,  or  ticket  of  leave." 

Expiree,  adj.     See  preceding. 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  '  Cooksland,'  p.  271  : 

"  Very  many  of  their  servants,  being 
old  hands  or  expiree  convicts  from 
New  South  Wales  and  Van  Diemen's 
Land,  are  thoroughly  unprincipled 
men." 

1883.  E.  M.  Curr,  'Recollections  of 
Squatting  in  Victoria'  (1841 — 1851),  p.  40  : 

"Hiring  men  in  Melbourne  in  1841 
was  not  by  any  means  an  agreeable 
job,  as  wages  were  high,  and  labourers 
(almost  all  old  gaol-birds  and  expiree 
convicts)  exceedingly  independent  and 
rowdy." 


FAI-FAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


141 


F 


Fairy  Gardens,  n.  a  miner's 
term,  explained  in  quotation. 

1852.  F.  Lancelott,  'Australia,  as  it  is,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  221  : 

"On  the  south-eastern  portion  of 
this  county  is  the  world-famed  Burra 
Burra  copper  mine.  .  .  .  Some  of  the 
cuttings  are  through  solid  blocks  of 
•ore,  which  brilliantly  glitter  as  you 
pass  with  a  lighted  candle,  while  others 
are  formed  in  veins  of  malachite,  and 
from  their  rich  variegated  green 
appearance  are  not  inaptly  called  by 
the  miners  'Fairy  gardens.'" 

Fake-mucker,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
name  for  the  Dusky  Robin  (Petroica 
vittata).  See  Robin. 

Falcon,  n.  English  bird-name. 
The  Australian  species  are — 

Black  Falcon— 

Falco  subniger.  Gray. 
Black-cheeked  F.— 

F.  melanogenys,  Gould. 
Grey  F.— 

F.  hypoleuatS)  Gould. 
Little  F.— 

F.  lunulatus,  Lath. 

See  also  Nankeen-Hawk. 

Fantail,  n.  bird-name  applied 
in  England  to  a  pigeon  ;  in  Aus- 
tralia and  New  Zealand,  to  the 
little  birds  of  the  genus  Rhipidura 
(q.v.).  It  is  a  fly-catcher.  The 
Australian  species  are — 

Rhipidura  albiscapa,  Gould. 
Black-and-White    Fantail  (called 
also  the   Wagtail y  q.v.) — 

R.  tricolor,  Vieill. 
Dusky  F.— 

R.  diemenensis,  Sharpe. 
Northern  F.— 

R.  setosa,  Quoy  and  Gaim. 


Pheasant  F. — 

Rhipidura  phasiana,  De  Vis. 
Rufous  F.— 

R.  rufifrons,  Lath. 
Western  F. — 

R.  preissi,  Cab. 
White-tailed  F.— 

R.  albicauda,  North. 
Wood  F.— 

R.  dryas,  Gould. 

The  New  Zealand  species  are — 

Black  F.— 

Rhipidura    fuliginosa,     Sparrm. 

(TiwaiwaJca). 
Pied  F.— 

R.  flabellifera,    Gmel.   (Piwaka- 

waka). 

In  Tasmania,  the  R.  diemenensis 
is  called  the  Cranky  Fantail,  be- 
cause of  its  antics. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Journal,' vol.  ii. 
p.  80: 

"  We  also  observed  the  .  .  fantailed 
fly-catcher  (Rhipidura)? 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  69  : 

"  The  Red  Fantail,  ever  flitting  about 
with  broadly  expanded  tail,  and  per- 
forming all  manner  of  fantastic  evolu- 
tions, in  its  diligent  pursuit  of  gnats 
and  flies,  is  one  of  the  most  pleasing 
and  attractive  objects  in  the  New  Zea- 
land forest.  It  is  very  tame  and 
familiar." 

Farinaceous  City,  or  Village,/?, 
a  playful  name  for  Adelaide.  The 
allusion  is  to  wheat  being  the 
leading  export  of  South  Australia. 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  184  : 

"[Adelaide]  has  also  been  nick- 
named the  Farinaceous  City.  A  little 
gentle  ridicule  is  no  doubt  intended  to 
be  conveyed  by  the  word." 


142 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[FAT-FER 


Fat-cake,  n.  ridiculous  name 
sometimes  applied  to  Eucalyptus 
leucoxylon,  F.  v.  M.,  according  to 
Maiden  (<  Useful  Native  Plants,' 
p.  471). 

Pat-hen,  n.  a  kind  of  wild 
spinach.  In  England  the  name  is 
applied  to  various  plants  of  thick 
foliage. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  40  : 

"  The  fat-hen  (Atriplex)  .  .  ." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland/  p.  120  : 

"Another  wild  vegetable  grew  in 
the  sandy  beds  of  the  rivers  and 
creeks,  called  *  fat-hen.'  It  was  exactly 
like  spinach,  and  not  only  most  agree- 
able but  also  an  excellent  anti-scor- 
butic, a  useful  property,  for  scurvy  is 
not  an  unknown  thing  in  the  bush  by 
any  means." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  '  Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  156. 

"  Boiled  salt  junk,  with  fat-hen  (a 
kind  of  indigenous  spinach)." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  1 6  : 

"  Chenopodium  murale,  Linn.,  Aus- 
tralian spinach.  Bentham  considers 
this  may  have  been  introduced." 

Felonry,  n.     See  quotation. 

1837.  Jas.  Mudie,  'Felonry  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  6: 

"  The  author  has  ventured  to  coin 
the  word  felonry,  as  the  appellative  of 
an  order  or  class  of  persons  in  New 
South  Wales — an  order  which  happily 
exists  in  no  other  country  in  the  world. 
A  legitimate  member  of  the  tribe  of 
appellatives  ...  as  peasantry,  ten- 
antry, yeomanry,  gentry." 

1858.  T.  McCombie,  '  History  of  Vic- 
toria/ c.  xv.  p.  24  : 

"The  inundation  of  the  Australian 
colonies  with  British  Felonry." 

1888.  Sir  C.  Gavan  Duffy,  'Contem- 
porary Review/  vol.  liii.  p.  14  ['Cen- 
tury']: 

"  To  shut  out  the  felonry  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland." 

Ferns.  The  following  list  of 
Australian  ferns  is  taken  from 
'The  Fern  World  of  Australia,' 


by  F.  M.  Bailey  of  Brisbane 
(1881),  omitting  from  his  list  alt 
ferns  of  which  the  vernacular  and 
scientific  names  coincide  with  the 
names  of  ferns  elsewhere. 

Bat's-wing  Fern — 

Pteris  incisa,  Thunb. 
Black    Tree    F.    of    New    Zea- 
land— 

Cyathea  medullaris,  Sw. 
Blanket  F.— 

Grammitis  rutcefolia,  R.  Br. 
Braid  F.— 

Platyzoma  microphyllum,  R.  Br. 
Caraway  F. — 

Athyrium  umbrosum,  J.  Sm. 
Curly  F.— 

Cheilanthes  tenuifolia,  Sw. 
Deer's-tongue  F. — 

Acrostichum  conforme,  Sw. 
Ear  F.— 

Pteris  falcata,  R.  Br. 
Elk's-horn  F.— 

Platy cerium  alcicorne,  Desv. 
Fan  F.— 

Gleichenia  flabellata,  R.  Br. 
Golden  Swamp  F. — 

Acrostichum  aureum,  Linn. 
Grass-leaved  F.  (q.v.) — 
Vittaria  elongata,  Sw. 

*  Hare's-foot  F.— 

Davallia  pyxidata,  Cav. 
Jersey  F. — 

Grammitis  leptophyllay  Sw. 

*  Lady  F.— 

Aspidium  aculeatum,  Sw. 

*  Maiden-hair  F. — 

Adiantum,  spp. 
Meadow-rue  Water  F. — 

Ceratoptoris  thalictroides,  Brong. 
Parasol  F.— 

Gleichenia  circinata^  Sw. 
Pickled-cabbage  F. — 

Lomaria  capensis^  Willd. 
Potato  F.  (q.v.)  — 

Marattia  fraxinea,  S  m . 
Prickly  F.  (q.v.)— 

Alsophila  australis,  R.  Br. 

*  Elsewhere  the  name  is  applied  to  a 
different  species. 


FER] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


143; 


Prickly-tree  Fern — 

Alsophila  leichhardtiana,  F.  v.  M. 
Ribbon  F.— 

Ophioglossum  pendulum.  Linn. 
Shiny  F.— 

Poly  podium  aspidoides,  Bail. 
Snake's-tongue  F.— 

Lygodium,  spp. 

The  following  are  not  in  Bailey's 

List: 
Parsley  F. — 

Cheilanthes  tenuifolia,  Sw.  (Name 
Parsley  applied  to  a  different 
Fern  elsewhere.) 
Sword  F.— 

Grammitis  australis,  R.  Br. 
Umbrella    F.,    Tasmanian    name 
for  Fan  F.  (q.v.). 

Other  ferns  not  in  this  list 
appear  elsewhere.  See  also  Fern- 
tree. 

Pern-bird,  n.  a  New  Zealand 
bird  of  the  genus  Sphenczcus. 
Also  called  Grass-bird,  and  New 
Zealand  Pipit.  There  are  three 
species — 

The  Fern-bird— 

Sphencecus punctatus •,  Gray. 
Chatham  Island  F.-b.— 

S.  rufescens,  Buller. 
Fulvous  F.-b. — 

S.  fulvus,  Gray. 

1885.  '  Transactions  of  the  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  vol.  xviii.  p.  125  : 

"The  peculiar  chirp  of  the  fern 
bird  is  yet  to  be  heard  among  the  tall 
fern." 

1885.  A.  Hamilton,  'Native  Birds  of 
Petane,  Hawke's  Bay': 

"Fern-bird.  The  peculiar  chirp  of 
this  lively  little  bird  is  yet  to  be  heard 
among  the  tall  fern,  though  it  is  not  so 
plentiful  as  in  days  gone  by." 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  59: 

"  Fern  Bird  .  .  .  This  recluse  little 
species  is  one  of  our  commonest  birds, 
but  is  oftener  heard  than  seen.  It 
frequents  the  dense  fern  of  the  open 
country  and  the  beds  of  Raupo." 


Fern-tree,  n.  Name  applied  to 
various  species  of  ferns  which 
grow  to  a  large  size,  the  stem  in 
the  fully  grown  plant  reaching 
often  a  height  of  many  feet  before 
the  leaves  are  given  off.  Such 
Tree-ferns  clothe  the  sides  of  deep 
and  shady  gullies  amongst  the 
hills,  and  give  rise  to  what  are 
known  as  Fern-tree  gullies, 
which  form  a  very  characteristic 
feature  of  the  moister  coastal 
Ranges  of  many  parts  of  Australia. 
The  principal  Fern-trees  or  Tree- 
ferns,  as  they  are  indiscriminately 
called,  of  Australia  and  Tasmania 
are — Dicksonia  antarctica,  Lab.  ; 
Alsophila  australis,  R.  Br.  ;  Todea 
africana,  'Willd. ;  Cyathea  cun- 
ninghami,  J.  Hook.  ;  Alsophila  ex- 
celsa,  R.  Br. ;  the  last  named,  how- 
ever, not  occurring  in  Tasmania 
or  Victoria. 

1836.  Ross,  'Hobart  Town  Almanack/ 
p.  164: 

"  We  entered  a  beautiful  fern-tree 
grove,  that  also  concealed  the  heavens 
from  view,  spreading  like  a  plantation 
or  cocoa-nut  tree  orchard,  but  with  far 
more  elegance  and  effect." 

1839.  C.  Darwin,  '  Voyage  of  Beagle  ' 
(ed.  1890),  p.  177  : 

"Tree-ferns  thrive  luxuriantly  in 
Van  Diemen's  Land  (lat.  45°),  and  I 
measured  one  trunk  no  less  than  six 
feet  in  circumference.  An  arborescent 
fern  was  found  by  Forster  in  New 
Zealand  in  46°,  where  orchideous 
plants  are  parasitical  on  the  trees.  In 
the  Auckland  Islands,  ferns,  according 
to  Dr.  Dieffenbach,  have  trunks  so 
thick  and  high  that  they  may  be 
almost  called  tree-ferns." 

1857.  F.  R.  Nixon  (Bishop  of  Tasmania), 
'  Cruise  of  the  Beacon,'  p.  26  : 

"  With  these  they  [i.e.  the  Tasma- 
nian Aborigines]  mingled  the  core  or 
pith  of  the  fern  trees,  Cibotium  Billar- 
dieri  and  Alsophila  Australis  (of  which 
the  former  is  rather  astringent  and 
dry  for  a  European  palate,  and  the 
latter,  though  more  tolerable,  is  yet 
scarcely  equal  to  a  Swedish  turnip.)" 


144 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[FER-FIG 


1870.    S.    H.    Wintle,     '  Fragments    of 
Fern  Fronds,'  p.  39  : 

•"  Where  the  feet  of  the  mountains  are 

bathed  by  cool  fountains, 
The  green,  drooping  fern  trees  are 
seen." 

1878.  William  Sharp,   'Australian  Bal- 
ls,' 'Canterbury  Poets '  (Scott,  1888),  pp. 


lads, 
180-81  : 


fern-trees    make    a 


"  The    feathery 

screen, 
Wherethrough  the  sun-glare  cannot 

pass — 
Fern,  gum,  and  lofty  sassafras." 

*'  Under  a  feathery  fern-tree  bough 

A  huge  iguana  lies  alow." 

1884.  R.  L.  A.  Davies,  '  Poems  and 
Literary  Remains,'  p.  83  : 

"  There  were  mossy  fern-trees  near 

me, 
With    their     graceful     feathered 

fronds, 
Which  they  slowly  waved  above  me, 

Like  hoar  magicians'  wands." 
1893.  A.  R.  Wallace,  '  Australasia,'  vol. 

i-  P-  53  : 

"  Here  are  graceful  palms  rising  to 
70  or  even  100  feet ;  the  Indian  fig 
with  its  tortuous  branches  clothed  with 
a  drapery  of  curious  parasites  ;  while 
graceful  tree  ferns,  30  feet  high,  flourish 
in  the  damp  atmosphere  of  the  sheltered 
dells." 

Fern-tree  Gully.  See  Fern- 
tree  and  Gully. 

Fever-bark,  ;/.  another  name 
for  Bitter-bark  (q.v.). 

Fibrous  Grass,  n.  aTasmanian 
grass  (see  Grass),  Stipa  semi- 
barbata,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Graminea. 

1862.  W.  Archer,  <  Products  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  41 : 

"  Fibrous  grass  (Stipa  scmibarbata, 
Br.).  After  the  seed  has  ripened  the 
upper  part  of  the  stem  breaks  up  into 
fibre,  which  curls  loosely  and  hangs 
down  waving  in  the  wind." 

Fiddle-back,  n.  name  given  in 
Australia  to  the  beetle,  Schizor- 
rhina  australasia. 

Fiddler,  n.  a  New  South  Wales 
and  Victorian  name  for  a  species 


of  Ray,  Trygonorhina  fasciata, 
Mull,  and  Heule,  family  Rhinoba- 
tida. 

Fig-bird,  n.  a  bird-name.  Sphe- 
cotheres  maxillaris.  Lath.  ;  Yellow- 
bellied,  S.  flaviventris,  Gould.  S. 
maxillaris  is  also  called  Mulberry- 
bird  (q.v.). 

Fig-eater,  n.  a  bird,  i.q.  Grape- 
eater  (q.v.). 

Fig-tree,  n.  The  name  is  applied 
in  Australia  to  the  following 
species : — 

Blue  Fig— 

Elaocarpus   grandis,    F.   v.   M., 

N.O.  Tiliacea. 
Clustered  F.— 

Ficus  glomerata,    Willd.,    N.O. 

Urticacea. 
Moreton  Bay  F. — 

F.  macrophylla,  Desf.,  N.O.  Ur- 
ticaria. 
Prickly  F.— 

Elaocarpus  holopetalus,  F.  v.  M., 

N.O.  Tiliacea. 

Purple  F.,  or  White  F.,  or  Rough- 
leaved    F.,    or    Flooded    F. 
[Clarence  River]— 
Ficus   scabra,    G.    Forst.,  N.O. 

Urticaria. 
Ribbed  F.— 

F.  pleurocarpa,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O. 

Urticaria. 
Rusty  F.,  or   Narrow-leaved    F. 

[or  Port  Jackson] — 
F.  rubiginosay  Desf.,  N.O.  Urti- 
caria ;     called     also     Native 
Banyan. 

1862.   H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems/  p.   119: 
"And  I  forget  how  lone  we  sit  beneath 
this  old  fig-tree." 

1870.  F.  S.  Wilson,  'Australian  Songs,' 
p.  115: 

"  The  fig-tree  casts  a  pleasant  shade 
On  the  straggling  ferns  below." 

1882.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  537: 

"Moreton  Bay  fig.  This  noble- 
looking  tree  has  a  wood  which  is 


FIL-FIR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


sometimes  used,  though  it  is  very 
difficult  to  season." 

[It  is  a  handsome  evergreen 
with  dark  leaves,  larger  than 
those  of  a  horse-chestnut,  much 
used  as  an  ornament  in  streets 
and  gardens,  especially  in  Sydney 
and  Adelaide.  The  fig  is  not 
edible.] 

1890.  Rolf  Boldre wood,  'Miner's  Right,' 
c.  44,  p.  380: 

"The  ,  .  .  venerable  church  with 
its  alleys  of  araucaria  and  Moreton 
Bay  fig-trees." 

File-fish,  n.  name  given  in  New 
Zealand  to  the  fish  Monacanthus 
rudis,  Richards,  family  Schroder- 
mi;  in  New  South  Wales  to 
species  of  the  genus  Balistes.  The 
first  of  the  spines  of  the  dorsal 
fin  is  roughened  in  front  like  a 
file.  Batistes  maculatus  is  the 
"Spotted  File-fish"  of  Sydney. 
It  is  closely  allied  to  the  genus 
Monacanthus,  called  Leather-jacket 
(q.v.),  which  is  much  more  numer- 
ously represented  in  Australasia. 

Finch,  n.  a  bird-name,  first 
applied  in  Australia,  in  1848,  by 
Gould,  to  the  genus  Poephila 
(Grass-lover),  and  since  extended 
to  other  genera  of  birds.  The 
species  are — 
Banded  Finch — 

Stictoptera   bichenovii,    Vig.   and 

Hors. 
Black-ringed  F.— 

S.  annulosa,  Gould. 
Black-rumped  F. — • 

Poephila  atropygialis,  Diggles. 
Black-throated  F. — 

P.  cincta,  Gould. 
Chestnut-breasted  F. — 

Munia  castaneothorax,  Gould. 
Chestnut-eared  F. — 

Taniopygia  castanotis,  Gould. 
Crimson  F. — 

Neochmia   phaeton,   Homb.   and 

Jacq. 
Fire-tailed  F. — 

Zonceginthus  bellus,  Lath. 


Gouldian  F. — 

Poephila  gouldice,  Gould. 
Long-tailed  F. — 

P.  acuticauda,  Gould. 
Masked  F. — 

P.  personata,  Gould. 
Painted  F.— 

Emblema  picta,  Gould. 
Plum-head  F. — 

Aidemosyne  modesta,  Gould. 
Red-browed  F. — 

sEgintha  temporalis,  Lath. 
Red-eared  F. — 

Zonceginthus  oculatus,  Quoy  and 

Gaim. 
Red-tailed  F.— 

Bathilda  ruficauda,  Gould. 
Scarlet-headed  F. — 

Poephila   mirabilis,    Homb.   and 

Jacq. 
Spotted-sided  F. — 

Staganopleura  guttata,  Shaw. 
White-breasted  F.— 

Munia  pectoralis,  Gould. 
White-eared  F.— 

Poephila  leucotis,  Gould. 
Yellow-rumped  F.— 

Munia  flaviprymna,  Gould. 

Fire-stick,  n.  name  given  to 
the  lighted  stick  which  the  Aus- 
tralian natives  frequently  carry 
about,  when  moving  from  camp 
to  camp,  so  as  to  be  able  to  light 
a  fire  always  without  the  neces- 
sity of  producing  it  by  friction. 
The  fire-stick  may  be  carried  in  a 
smouldering  condition  for  long 
distances,  and  when  traversing 
open  grass  country,  such  as  the 
porcupine-grass  covered  districts 
of  the  interior,  the  stick  is  used 
for  setting  fire  to  the  grass,  partly 
to  destroy  this  and  partly  to  drive 
out  the  game  which  is  hiding 
amongst  it.  The  fire-stick  (see 
quotations)  is  also  used  as  em- 
blematic of  the  camp-fire  in  cer- 
tain ceremonies. 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  'Cooksland,'  p. 
126,  n.  : 

"When    their  fire-stick    has   been 


146 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[FIR-FLA 


extinguished,  as  is  sometimes  the  case, 
for  their  jins  or  vestal  virgins,  who 
have  charge  of  the  fire,  are  not  always 
sufficiently  vigilant." 

1896.  F.  J.  Gillen,  'Home  Expedition 
in  Central  Australia,'  Anthropology,  pt. 
iv.  p.  170: 

"  Carrying  fire-sticks,  they  place 
rings,  woven  of  fur  and  vegetable 
down,  round  the  boy's  neck  and  arms 
and  sometimes  over  and  under  the 
shoulders ;  the  fire-sticks  are  then 
handed  to  him,  the  lubras  saying : 
*  Take  care  of  the  fire  ;  keep  to  your 
own  camp.' " 

Firetail,  n.  name  applied  in 
Victoria  to  the  bird  sEgintha 
temporalis,  Lath.  ;  and  in  Tas- 
mania to  Zonczginthus  (Estrelda) 
bellus,  Lath.  In  New  South 
Wales,  sE.  temporalis  is  known 
as  the  Red-head. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iii.  pi.  78: 

"Estrelda  Bella,  Fire-tailed  finch. 
Fire-tail,  Colonists  of  Van  Diemen's 
Land." 

Fire-tree,  n.  a  tree  of  New 
Zealand ;  another  name  for  Pohu- 
tukawa  (q.v.).  For  Queensland 
Fire-tree,  see  Tulip-tree. 

Fireweed,  n.  a  name  given  to 
several  weeds,  such  as  Senetio 
lautus,  Sol.,  N.O.  Composite ;  so 
called  because  they  spring  up  in 
great  luxuriance  where  the  forest 
has  been  burned  off. 

Fish-hawk,  n.  English  name 
applied  to  Pandion  leucocephalus, 
Gould  ;  called  also  the  Osprey. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  i.  pi.  6: 

"  Pandion  Leucocephalus,  Gould, 
White-headed  osprey.  Little  fish 
hawk,  Colonists  of  New  South  Wales. 
Fish-hawk,  Colonists  of  Swan  River." 

Fist,  v.  to  use  the  hands.  The 
word  is  not  unknown  in  English 
in  the  sense  of  to  grip.  (Shak- 
speare,  'Cor.'  IV.  v.  124.) 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  366 : 

"'Fist    it,'    a    colonial    expression, 


which  may  convey  to  the  uninitiated 
the  idea  that  knives,  forks,  plates,  etc., 
are  unknown  in  the  bush  ;  such  was 
formerly  the  case,  but  the  march  of 
improvement  has  banished  this  pecu- 
liar simplicity." 

Five-corners,  n.  name  given 
to  the  fruit  of  an  Australian  tree 
and  to  the  tree  itself,  Styphelia 
triflora,  Andr.,  N.O.  Epacridea. 
There  are  many  species  of  Sty- 
phelia (q.v.),  the  fruit  of  several 
being  edible. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  6 1 : 

"  Five-corners.  These  fruits  have  a 
sweetish  pulp  with  a  large  stone.  They 
form  part  of  the  food  of  the  aboriginals, 
and  are  much  appreciated  by  school- 
boys. When  from  a  robust  plant  they 
are  of  the  size  of  a  large  pea,  and  not 
at  all  bad  eating." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  158 : 

"  Still  I  see  in  my  fancy  the  dark- 
green  and  blue 

Of  the  box-covered  hills  where  the 
five-corners  grew." 

Flame-tree,  n.  The  name  is 
given  in  India  and  elsewhere  to 
several  trees  with  bright  scarlet, 
or  crimson,  flowers.  In  Australia, 
two  different  trees  are  called 
Flame-trees — 

(1)  A  tree  of  Eastern  Australia, 
with    profuse     bright     coral-like 
flowers,    Brachychiton   acerifolium, 
F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Sterculiacea. 

(2)  A   tree    of  Western   Aus- 
tralia,   with  brilliant   orange-col- 
oured flowers,  Nuytsia  floribunda, 
N.O.  Loranthacea  ;  which  is  also 
called  Tree  Mistletoe,  and,  locally, 
a  Cabbage-tree. 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Australian  Life,'  p. 
96: 

"There  are  flame-trees  showing  in 
spring  vivid  patches  of  crimson." 

Flannel  Flower,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian flower,  Actinotus  helianthi, 
Labill.,  N.O.  Composite.  It  ranges 
from  Gippsland  to  Southern 


FLA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


147 


Queensland,  but  is  particularly 
abundant  in  New  South  Wales. 
Sometimes  called  the  Australian 
Edelweiss.  For  the  reason  of  the 
name  see  quotation. 

1895.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Flowering  Plants 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  9  : 

"  We  only  know  one  truly  local  name 
for  this  plant,  and  that  is  the  '  Flannel 
Flower5 — a  rather  unpoetical  designa- 
tion, but  a  really  descriptive  one,  and 
one  universally  accepted.  It  is,  of 
course,  in  allusion  to  the  involucre, 
which  looks  as  if  it  were  snipped  out  of 
white  flannel.  It  is  also  known  to  a  few 
t>y  the  name  of  Australian  Edelweiss." 

Flathead,  n.  name  given  to 
several  Australian  marine  fishes, 
Platycephalusfuscus,  Cuv.  and  Val., 
and  other  species  of  Platycephalus, 
family  Cottida.  The  Red  Flat- 
head  is  P.  bassensis,  Cuv.  and 
Val.,  and  the  Rock  F.  is  P.  Icevi- 
gatus,  Cuv.  and  Val.  See  also 
Tupong  and  Maori-chief. 

1793.  Governor  Hunter,  '  Voyage,'  p. 
410  (Aboriginal  Vocabulary) : 

"Paddewah,  a  fish  called  a  flat- 
head." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
c.  ii.  p.  32  : 

"  The  market  of  Hobart  Town  is 
supplied  with  small  rock  cod,  flat- 
heads,  and  a  fish  called  the  perch." 

Flat  Pea,  n.  a  genus  of  Aus- 
tralian flowering  plants,  Platylo- 
bium,  N.  O.  Leguminosce. 

1793.  '  Transactions  of  Linnaean  Society,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  350 : 

"  Its  name  I  have  deduced  from 
TrXaruy,  broad,  and  Xo/3os-,  a  pod." 

"  P.  formosum.  Orange  flat-pea  .  .  . 
A  figure  of  this  .  .  .  will  soon  be 
given  in  the  work  I  have  undertaken 
on  the  botany  of  New  Holland." 

[The  figure  referred  to  will  be  found 
at  p.  17  of  the  '  Specimen  of  the  Botany 
of  New  Holland.'] 

Flax,  Native,  n.  The  European 
flax  is  Linum  usitatissimum,  N.  O. 
Lima.  There  is  a  species  in 
Australia,  Linum  marginale,  Cunn., 
JV.  O.  Lmacece.)  called  Native  Flax. 


In  New,- Zealand,  the  Phormium  is 
called  Native  Flax.  See  next 
word. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants, 'p.  626: 

" '  Native  flax.'  Although  a  smaller 
plant  than  the  true  flax,  this  plant 
yields  fibre  of  excellent  quality.  It 
is  used  by  the  blacks  for  making  fish- 
ing-nets and  cordage." 

Flax,  New  Zealand,  n.  Phorm- 
ium tenax,  N.  O.  Liliacece.  A  plant 
yielding  a  strong  fibre.  Called 
also,  in  New  Zealand,  Native  Flax, 
and  Flax  Lily. 

1807.  J.  Savage,  '  Some  account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  56: 

"  Small  baskets  made  of  the  green 
native  flax." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i,  p.  63 : 

"The  plant  is  called  Phormium 
tenax  by  naturalists.  The  general 
native  name  for  the  plant,  we  are  told, 
is  '  korari,'  but  each  sort,  and  there  are 
ten  or  twelve,  has  its  distinctive  name. 
Any  portion  of  the  leaf,  when  gathered, 
becomes  here  'kie  kie,5  or  literally, 
'  tying  stuff.'  The  operation  of  scrap- 
ing is  called  'karo,'  the  fibre  when 
prepared,  'muka.'"  [Mr.  Tregear  says 
that  Wakefield's  statements  are  mis- 
taken.] 

1851.  Mrs.  Wilson,  'New  Zealand,'  p. 
23: 

"  His  robe  of  glossy  flax  which  loosely 
flows." 

1861.  C.  C.  Bowen,  '  Poems,'  p.  57 : 

"  And  flax  and  fern  and  tutu  grew 
In  wild  luxuriance  round." 

1870.  T.  H.  Braim,  'New  Homes,'  c. 
viii.  p.  375: 

"  The  native  flax  (Phormium  tenax) 
is  found  in  all  parts  of  New  Zealand  ; 
it  grows  to  the  height  of  about  nine 
feet." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  'Ranolf,'  v.  3,  p. 
93  = 

"  In  flowing  vest  of  silky  flax,  un- 
dyed." 

1893.  'Murray's  Handbook  to  New 
Zealand,'  p.  29: 

"The  so-called  native  flax  (phorm- 
ium  tenax)? 


i48 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[FLA-FLY 


Flax-blade,  n.  the  leaf  of  the 

New  Zealand  Flax  (q.v.). 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  i.  5,  p. 
II: 

"  With  flax-blades  binding  to  a  tree 
The  Maid  who  strove  her  limbs  to 

free." 

Flax-bush,  n.  the  bush  of  the 
New  Zealand  Flax. 

1854.  w-  Golder,  '  Pigeons'  Parliament/ 
Intro,  p.  v : 

"I  had  ...  to  pass  a  night  .  .  . 
under  the  shade  of  a  flax-bush." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  x.  4,  p. 
171: 

"  And  the  louder  flax-bushes 
With  their  crowding  and  crossing 
Black  stems,  darkly  studded 
With  blossoms  red-blooded." 

Flax-flower,  n.   the  flower  of 

the  New  Zealand  Flax  (q.v.). 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  xiv.  3,  p. 
221  : 

"  little  isles 

Where  still  the  clinging  flax-flower 
smiles." 

Flax-leaf,  n.  the  blade  of  the 

New  Zealand  Flax  (q.v.). 

1884.  T.  Bracken,  'Lays  of  Maori,'  p. 
69: 

"  Zephyrs  stirred  the  flax-leaves  into 
tune." 

Flax-lily,  n.  (i)  An  Australian 
fibre  plant,  Dianella  Icevis,  van 
aspera,  R.Br.,  N.  O.  Liliacece.  (2) 
Phormium  tenax.  See  Flax,  New 
Zealand. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  621  : 

"  Flax-lily.  The  fibre  is  strong,  and 
of  a  silky  texture.  The  aboriginals 
formerly  used  it  for  making  baskets, 
etc.  All  the  colonies  except  Western 
Australia.'' 

Flindosa,  and  Flindosy,  n.  two 
trees  called  Beech  (q.v.). 

Flintwood,  n.  another  name 
for  Blackbutt  (q.v.),  Eucalyptus 
pillularis. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  502 : 

"From  the  great  hardness  of  the 
wood  it  is  often  known  as  flintwood." 


Flounder,  n.  The  Flounders  in 
Australia  are — In  Sydney,  Pseu- 
dorhombus  russelii,  Gray  ;  in  Mel- 
bourne, Rhombosolea  victoria, 
Castln. ;  in  New  Zealand  and 
Tasmania,  R.  monopus,  Giinth. 
Maori  name,  Pdtiki ;  family  Pleu- 
ronectidcz.  They  are  all  excellent 
eating". 

1876.  P.  Thomson,  '  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  ix.  art.  Ixvii., 
p.  487  : 

"Patiki  (flounder).  Flounders  are 
in  the  market  all  the  year." 

Flower-pecker,  n.  bird-name 
used  elsewhere,  but  in  Australia 
assigned  to  Dicceum  hirundin- 
aceum.  Lath. 

Flowering  Rush,  n.  name  given 
to  the  rush  or  reed,  Xyris  opercu- 
lata,  Lab.,  N.O.  Xyridece. 

Flute-bird,  n.  another  name  for 

the  bird  Gymnorrhina  tibicen.  Lath. 

Called  also  Magpie  (q.v.). 

1862.   H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  53  : 
"  The  flute-bird's  mellow  tone." 
Fly-catcher,  n.  bird-name  used 

elsewhere.   The  Australian  species 

are — 

Black-faced  Fly-catcher — 
Monarcha  melanopsis,  Vieill. 

Blue  F.— 

Myiagra  concinna,  Gould. 

Broad-billed  F.— 
M.  latirostriS)  Gould. 

Brown  F.  [called  also  Jacky  Winter 

(q-v.)I- 

MicrcBca  fascinans.  Lath 
Leaden  F. — 

Myiagra  rubecula,  Lath. 
Lemon-breasted  F. — 

Micrceca  flavigaster )  Gould. 
Lesser  Brown  F.— 

M.  assimiliS)  Gould. 
Little  F.— 

Seisura  nana,  Gould. 
Pale  F.— 

Micraca  pallida. 
Pearly  F.— 

Monarcha  canescens,  Salvad. 


FLY] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


149 


Pied  Fly-catcher— 

Arses  kaupi,  Gould. 
Restless  F.— 

Seisura   inquieta,    Lath,    [called 
also  Razor-grinder,  q.v.,  and 
Dishwasher,  q.v.] 
Satin  F. — 

Myiagra    nitida,    Gould    [called 
Satin -robin,    q.v.,    in    Tas- 
mania]. 
Shining  F. — 

Piezorhynchus  nitidus,  Gould. 
Spectacled  F.— 

P.  gouldi,  Gray. 
White-bellied  F.— 

P.  albiventris,  Gould. 
White-eared  F. — 

P.  leucotis,  Gould. 
Yellow-breasted  F. — 
Macharirhynchus         flaviventer, 
Gould. 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  161  : 

"  We  this  day  caught  a  yellow-eared 
fly-catcher  (see  annexed  plate).  This 
bird  is  a  native  of  New  Holland." 
[Description  follows.] 

Ply-eater,  n.  the  nevv  ver- 
nacular name  for  the  Australian 
birds  of  the  genus  Gerygone  (q.v.), 
and  see  Warbler.  The  species 
are — 

Black-throated  Fly-eater — 

Gerygone  per  sonata,  Gould. 
Brown  F. — 

G.  fusca,  Gould. 
Buff-breasted  F.— 

G.  Icevigaster,  Gould. 
Green-backed  F.— 

G.  chloronota,  Gould. 
Large-billed  F.— 

G.  magnirostris,  Gould. 
Southern  F. — 

G.  culicivora,  Gould. 
White-throated  F. — 

G.  albogularis,  Gould. 
Yellow-breasted  F.— 

G.flavida,  Ramsay. 

.  1895.  W.  O.  Legge,  '  Australasian  Asso- 
ciation for  the  Advancement  of  Science  ' 
(Brisbane),  p.  447  : 


"[The  habits  and  habitats  of  the 
genus  as]  applied  to  Gerygone  sug- 
gested the  term  Yly-eater,  as  distin- 
guished from  Fly- catcher,  for  this 
aberrant  and  peculiarly  Australasian 
form  of  small  Fly-catchers,  which  not 
only  capture  their  food  somewhat  after 
the  manner  of  Fly-catchers,  but  also 
seek  for  it  arboreally." 

Flyer,  n.  a  swift  kangaroo. 

1866.  T.  McCombie,'  Australian  Sketch- 
es,' second  series,  p.  172  : 

"  I  may  here  state  that  the  settlers 
designate  the  old  kangaroos  as  'old 
men '  and  '  old  women/'  the  full-grown 
animals  are  named  'flyers/  and  are 
swifter  than  the  British  hare." 

Flying-Pox,  n.  a  gigantic  Aus- 
tralian bat,  Pteropus  poliocephalus , 
Temm.  It  has  a  fetid 'odour  and 
does  great  damage  to  fruits,  and 
is  especially  abundant  in  New 
South  Wales,  though  often  met 
with  in  Victoria.  Described,  not 
named,  in  first  extract. 

1793.    Governor  Hunter,    'Voyage,'  p. 

5°7: 

"The  head  of  this  bat  strongly 
resembles  that  of  a  fox,  and  the  wings 
of  many  of  them  extend  three  feet  ten 
inches.  .  .  .  [Description  of  one 
domesticated.]  .  .  .  They  are  very  fat, 
and  are  reckoned  by  the  natives  ex- 
cellent food  ...  It  was  supposed  more 
than  twenty  thousand  of  them  were 
seen  within  the  space  of  one  mile." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  315  : 

"  One  flying  fox  is  an  immense  bat, 
of  such  a  horrific  appearance,  that  no 
wonder  one  of  Cook's  honest  tars 
should  take  it  for  the  devil  when 
encountering  it  in  the  woods." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  310: 

"...  a  flying  fox,  which  one  of 
them  held  in  his  hand.  It  was,  in  fact, 
a  large  kind  of  bat,  with  the  nose 
resembling  in  colour  and  shape  that 
of  a  fox,  and  in  scent  it  was  exactly 
similar  to  it.  The  wing  was  that  of  a 
common  English  bat,  and  as  long  as 
that  of  a  crow,  to  which  it  was  about 
equal  in  the  length  and  circumference 
of  its  body." 


150 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[FLY 


1849.  J.  P.  Townsend,  'Rambles  in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  97  : 

"  Some  of  the  aborigines  feed  on  a 
large  bat  popularly  called  '  the  flying 
fox.'  .  .  We  found  the  filthy  creatures, 
hanging  by  the  heels  in  thousands, 
from  the  higher  branches  of  the 
trees." 

1863.  B.  A.  Hey  wood,  '  Vacation  Tour 
at  the  Antipodes/  p.  IO2  : 

"  The  shrill  twitter  of  the  flying  fox, 
or  vampire  bat,  in  the  bush  around 
us." 

1871.  Gerard  Krefft,  '  Mammals  of  Aus- 
tralia ' : 

"The  food  on  which  the  'Foxes' 
principally  live  when  garden  fruit  is 
not  in  season,  consists  of  honey-bear- 
ing blossoms  and  the  small  native 
figs  abounding  in  the  coast-range 
scrubs.  .  .  .  These  bats  are  found  on 
the  east  coast  only,  but  during  very 
dry  seasons  they  occur  as  far  west  as 
the  neighbourhood  of  Melbourne." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  2O: 

"  A  little  further  on  they  came  to  a 
camp  of  flying  foxes.  The  huge  trees 
on  both  sides  of  the  river  are  actually 
black  with  them.  The  great  bats 
hang  by  their  hooked  wings  to  every 
available  branch  and  twig,  squealing 
and  quarrelling.  The  smell  is  dread- 
ful. The  camp  extends  for  a  length  of 
three  miles.  There  must  be  millions 
upon  millions  of  them." 

Flying-Mouse,  n.  See  Opossum- 
mouse  and  Flying-Phalanger. 

Flying-Phalanger,  n.  included 
in  the  class  of  Phalanger  (q.v.). 
The  "  flying"  Phalangers  "  have 
developed  large  parachute-like 
expansions  of  skin  from  the  sides 
of  the  body,  by  means  of  which 
they  are  able  to  take  long  flying 
leaps  from  bough  to  bough,  and 
thus  from  tree  to  tree.  .  .  . 
While  the  great  majority  of  the 
members  of  the  family  are  purely 
vegetable  feeders,  ...  a  few 
feed  entirely  or  partly  on  insects, 
while  others  have  taken  to  a  diet 
of  flesh."  (R.  Lydekker.) 

They  include  the  so-called  Fly- 


ing-Squirrel,   Flying- Mouse,    etc. 
There  are  three  genera — 
Acrobates  (q.v.),  called  the  Flying- 
Mouse,    and     Opossum- Mouse 
(q.v.). 

Petauroides  commonly  called  the 
Taguan,    or    Taguan    Flying- 
Squirrel. 
Petaurus  (q.v.),  commonly  called 

the  Fly  ing- Squirrel. 
The  species  are — 
Lesser  F.-Ph.— 

Petaurus  breviceps. 
Papuan  Pigmy  F.-Ph. — 

Acrobates  pulchellus  (confined  to 
Northern  Dutch  NewGuinea). 
Pigmy  F.-Ph.— 

A.  pygmceus. 
Squirrel  F.-Ph.— 

Petaurus  sciureus. 
Taguan  F.-Ph.— 

Petauroides  volans. 
Yellow-bellied  F.-Ph.— 
P.  australis. 

Flying-Squirrel,  n.  popular 
name  for  a  Flying-Phalanger, 
Petaurus  sciureus,  Shaw,  a  mar- 
supial with  a  parachute-like  fold 
of  skin  along  the  sides  by  which 
he  skims  and  floats  through  the 
air.  The  name  is  applied  to 
entirely  different  animals  in 
Europe  and  America. 

1789.  Governor  Phillip,  'Voyage  to 
Botany  Bay,'  c.  xv.  p.  151  : 

"Norfolk  Island  flying  squirrel." 
[With  picture.] 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,' vol.  i.: 

"The  flying  squirrels  are  of  a 
beautiful  slate  colour,  with  a  fur  so  fine 
that,  although  a  small  animal,  the 
hatters  here  give  a  quarter  dollar  for 
every  skin." 

1849.  J.    P.    Townsend,     '  Rambles    in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  37  : 

"  The  squeal  and  chirp  of  the  flying 
squirrel." 

1850.  R.  C.  Gunn,  '  Proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,'  vol. 

i-  ?•  253: 

"  In  the  year  1845  I  drew  the  atten- 


FLY-FOR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


tion  of  the  Tasmanian  Society  to  the 
interesting  fact  that  the  Petaurus 
stiureus,  or  Flying  Squirrel,  of  Port 
Phillip,  was  becoming  naturalized  in 
Van  Diemen's  Land.  .  .  .  No  species 
of  Petaurus  is  indigenous  to  Tasmania. 
...  It  does  not  appear  from  all  that  I 
can  learn,  that  any  living  specimens 
of  the  Petaurus  scmretts  were  im- 
ported into  Van  Diemen's  Land  prior 
to  1834 ;  but  immediately  after  the 
settlement  of  Port  Phillip,  in  that  year, 
considerable  numbers  of  the  flying 
squirrel  were,  from  their  beauty, 
brought  over  as  pets  by  the  early 
visitors." 

1851.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip 
in  1849,'  p.  78  : 

"  The  flying  squirrel,  another  of  the 
opossum  species  of  the  marsupial 
order,  is  a  beautiful  little  creature,  and 
disposed  over  the  whole  of  the  interior 
of  New  South  Wales  :  its  fur  is  of  a 
finer  texture  than  that  of  the  opossum." 

1855.  W.  Blandowski,  'Transactions  of 
Philosophical  Society  of  Victoria/  vol.  i. 
p.  70: 

"  The  common  flying  squirrel  (Pe- 
taurus sciureus)  is  very  plentiful  in 
the  large  gum  trees  near  the  banks  of  a 
creek  or  river,  and  appears  to  entertain 
a  peculiar  aversion  to  the  high  lands." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among Cannibals,' 
p.  90: 

"Flying  squirrel."  [Footnote]  : 
"The  marsupial  flying  phalanger  is 
so  called  by  the  Australians." 

Fly-Orchis,  n.  name  applied  in 
Tasmania  to  the  orchid,  Pra- 
sophyllum  patens,  R.  Br. 

Forest,  n.     See  quotation. 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions into  the  Interior  of  Eastern  Aus- 
tralia,' vol  i.  p.  71  [Footnote]  : 

"A  'forest'  means  in  New  South 
Wales  an  open  wood  with  grass.  The 
common  'bush'  or  'scrubb'  consists 
of  trees  and  saplings,  where  little  grass 
is  to  be  found." 

[It  is  questionable  whether  this 
fine  distinction  still  exists.] 

Forester,  n.  the  largest  Kan- 
garoo, Macropus  giganteus,  Zimm. 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  27  : 


"There  are  three  or  four  varieties 
of  kangaroos ;  those  most  common 
are  denominated  the  forester  and  brush 
kangaroo." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Ex- 
pedition,' p.  423 : 

"  I  called  this  river  the  '  Red  Kan- 
garoo River,'  for  in  approaching  it  we 
first  saw  the  red  forester  of  Port 
Essington." 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  'Poems,'  p.  67  : 

"  And  the  forester  snuffing  the  air 
Will    bound  from    his  covert  so 
dark." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  15  : 

"We  have  never  had  one  of  the 
largest  kind — the  Forester  Kangaroo 
(Macropus  giganteus) — tame,  for  they 
have  been  so  hunted  and  destroyed 
that  there  are  very  few  left  in  Tas- 
mania, and  those  are  in  private  pre- 
serves, or  very  remote  out-of-the-way 
places,  and  rarely  seen.  .  .  .  The  ab- 
origines called  the  old  father  of  a  flock 
a  Boomer.  These  were  often  very 
large  :  about  five  feet  high  in  their 
usual  position,  but  when  standing  quite 
up,  they  were  fully  six  feet  .  .  .  and 
weighing  1 50  or  200  pounds." 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  'Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xix.  p.  181  : 

"The  dogs  .  .  .  made  for  them  as 
if  they  had  been  a  brace  of  stray 
foresters  from  the  adjacent  ranges." 

Forest-Oak,  n.     See  Oak. 

Forget-me-not,  n.  The  species 
of  this  familiar  flower  is  Myosotis 
australiS)  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Asperifolm. 

Fortescue,  or  40-skewer,  n.  a 
fish  of  New  South  Wales,  Pen- 
taroge  marmorata,  Cuv.  and  Val., 
family  Scorpcenidce ;  called  also 
the  Scorpion,  and  the  Cobbler.  All 
its  names  allude  to  the  thorny 
spines  of  its  fins.  The  name 
Fortescue  is  an  adaptation  of  Forty- 
skewer  by  the  law  of  Hobson- 
Jobson. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  49  : 

"  Of  this  fish  Mr.  Hill  says  :  The 
scorpion  or  Fortescue,  as  these  fish 
are  popularly  termed  by  fishermen, 


152 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[FOR-  FOS 


have  been  known  for  a  long  time,  and 
bear  that  name  no  doubt  in  memory 
of  the  pain  they  have  hitherto  inflicted  ; 
and  for  its  number  and  array  of  prickles 
it  enjoys  in  this  country  the  alias 
1  Forty-skewer '  or  *  Fortescure.'  " 

1896.  F.  G.  Aflalo,  'Natural  History  of 
Australia,'  p.  228  : 

"  Fortescue  is  a  terrible  pest,  lurking 
among  the  debris  in  the  nets  and  all 
but  invisible,  its  spines  standing  erect 
in  readiness  for  the  unwary  finger. 
And  so  intense  is  the  pain  inflicted  by 
a  stab,  that  I  have  seen  a  strong  man 
roll  on  the  ground  crying  out  like  a 
madman." 

Forty-legs,  n.  name  given  to 
a  millipede,  Cermatia  smithii. 

Forty-spot,  n.  name  for  a  bird, 
a  Pardalote  (q.v.).  Pardalote  it- 
self means  spotted  "like  the 
pard."  See  also  Diamond-bird. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  pi.  37  : 

"  Pardalotus  quadragintus,  Gould, 
Forty-spotted  pardalote.  Forty-spot, 
Colonists  of  Van  Diemen's  Land." 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 
407,  col.  5  : 

'' '  Lyre  bird '  is  obvious  ;  so,  too,  is 
'  forty-spot ' ;  only  one  wonders  why 
the  number  40  was  pitched  upon. 
Was  it  a  guess  ?  Or  did  the  namer 
first  shoot  the  bird  and  count  ?  " 

Fossick,  v.  intrans.  to  dig,  but 
with  special  meanings.  Derived, 
like  fosse,  a.  ditch,  and  fossil^ 
through  French  from  Lat.  fossus, 
perfect  part,  of  fodere,  to  dig. 
Fossicking  as  pres.  part.,  or  as 
verbal  noun,  is  commoner  than 
the  other  parts  of  the  verb. 

(1)  To  pick  out  gold. 

1852.  W.  H.  Hall,  '  Practical  Ex- 
periences at  the  Diggings  in  Victoria,' 
p.  16: 

"Or  fossicking  (picking  out  the 
nuggets  from  the  interstices  of  the 
slate  formation)  with  knives  and 
trowels." 

(2)  To  dig  for  gold  on   aban- 
doned claims  or  in  waste-heaps. 

1865.  F.  H.  Nixon,  'Peter  Perfume,'  p. 
59: 


"  They'll  find  it  not  quite  so  *  welly 

good' 

As  their  fossicking  freak  at  the 
Buckland." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  c.  xix.  p.  286 : 

"  Here  we   found    about    a    dozen 

hinamen  'fossicking'  after  gold 
amidst  the  dirt  of  the  river,  which 
had  already  been  washed  by  the  first 
gold-seekers." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  '  Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  22  : 

"He  commenced  working  along 
with  several  companions  at  surface 
digging  and  fossicking." 

1894.  'The  Argus,'  March  14,  p.  4, 
col.  6 : 

"The  easiest  and  simplest  of  all 
methods  is  '  fossicking.'  An  old  dig- 
gings is  the  place  for  this  work,  because 
there  you  will  learn  the  kind  of  country, 
formation,  and  spots  to  look  for  gold 
when  you  want  to  break  new  ground. 
'Fossicking'  means  going  over  old 
workings,  turning  up  boulders,  and 
taking  the  clay  from  beneath  them, 
exploring  fissures  in  the  rock,  and 
scraping  out  the  stuff  with  your  table 
knife,  using  your  pick  to  help  matters. 
Pulling  up  of  trees,  and  clearing  all 
soil  from  the  roots,  scraping  the  bot- 
toms of  deserted  holes,  and  generally 
keeping  your  eye  about  for  little  bits 
of  ground  left  between  workings  by 
earlier  miners  who  were  in  too  great  a 
hurry  looking  after  the  big  fish  to 
attend  much  to  small  fry." 

(3)  To  search  for  gold  gener- 
ally, even  by  stealing. 

1861.  T.  McCombie,'  Australian  Sketch- 
es,' p.  60 : 

"A  number  of  idle  and  disorderly 
fellows  had  introduced  a  practice 
which  was  termed  'fossicking.'.  .  .  . 
In  the  dead  hours  of  midnight  they 
issued  forth,  provided  with  wax  tapers, 
and,  entering  upon  the  ground,  stole 
the  auriferous  earth." 

(4)  To    search    about  for  any- 
thing, to  rummage. 

1870.  S.  Lemaitre,  'Songs  of  Goldfields, ' 
p.  14: 

"  He  ran  from  the  flat  with  an  awful 

shout 

Without  waiting    to    fossick    the 
coffin  lid  out." 


FOS-FRE] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


153 


1890.  '  The    Argus/    Aug.    2,    p.    4, 
col.  3  : 

"  Half  the  time  was  spent  in  fossick- 
ing for  sticks." 

1891.  'The    Argus/    Dec.    19,    p.    4, 
col.  2 : 

"  I  was  ...  a  boy  fossicking  for 
birds'  nests  in  the  gullies." 

1893.   '  The  Australasian/  Jan.  14  : 
"  The  dog  was  fossicking  about." 

Fossicker,  n.  one  who  fossicks, 
sc.  works  among  the  tailings  of 
old  gold-mines  for  what  may  be 
left. 

1853.  C.  Rudston  Read, '  What  I  heard, 
saw,  and  did  at  the  Australian  Gold  Fields/ 
p.  150: 

"The  man  was  what  they  called  a 
night  fossicker,  who  slept,  or  did  nothing 
during  the  day,  and  then  went  round 
at  night  to  where  he  knew  the  claims 
to  be  rich,  and  stole  the  stuff  by  candle- 
light." 

1861.  T.  McCombie, '  Australian  Sketch- 
es/ p.  87 : 

"I  can  at  once  recognize  the  ex- 
perienced '  fossickers/  who  know  well 
how  to  go  to  work  with  every  chance 
in  their  favour." 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  '  New  Rush/  pt.  ii.  p. 

"Steady    old   fossickers    often    get 

more 

Than  the  first    who    open'd    the 
ground." 

1869.  R.  Brough  Smyth,  '  Goldfields 
of  Victoria/  p.  612  : 

"A  fossicker  is  to  the  miner  as  is 
the  gleaner  to  the  reaper  ;  he  picks 
the  crevices  and  pockets  of  the  rocks." 

1891.  'The  Australasian/  Nov.  21,  p. 
1015. 

"  We  had  heard  that,  on  this  same 
field,  years  after  its  total  abandonment, 
a  two  hundred  ounce  nugget  had  been 
found  by  a  solitary  fossicker  in  a  pillar 
left  in  an  old  claim." 

1891.  'The  Argus/  Dec.  19,  p.  4, 
col.  2  : 

"  The  fossickers  sluiced  and  cradled 
with  wonderful  cradles  of  their  own 
building." 

Four-o'clock,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Friar-bird  (q.v.). 


Free-select,  v.  to  take  up  land 
under  the  Land  Laws.  See  Free- 
selector.  This  composite  verb, 
derived  from  the  noun,  is  very 
unusual.  The  word  generally 
used  is  to  select. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories/  c.  xix.  p.  134: 

"  Everything  which  he  could  have 
needed  had  he  proceeded  to  free-select 
an  uninhabited  island." 

Free-selection,  n.  (i)  The  pro- 
cess of  selecting  or  choosing  land 
under  the  Land  Laws,  or  the 
right  to  choose.  Abbreviated 
often  into  Selection.  See  Free- 
selector. 

1865.  'Ararat  Advertiser'  [exact  date 
lost] : 

"He  was  told  that  the  areas  open 
for  selection  were  not  on  the  Geelong 
side,  and  one  of  the  obliging  officials 
placed  a  plan  before  him,  showing  the 
lands  on  which  he  was  free  to  choose 
a  future  home.  The  selector  looked 
vacantly  at  the  map,  but  at  length  be- 
came attracted  by  a  bright  green  allot- 
ment, which  at  once  won  his  capricious 
fancy,  indicating  as  it  did  such  luxurious 
herbage  ;  but,  much  to  his  disgust,  he 
found  that  '  the  green  lot '  had  already 
been  selected.  At  length  he  fixed  on 
a  yellow  section,  and  declared  his  in- 
tention of  resting  satisfied  with  the 
choice.  The  description  and  area  of 
land  chosen  were  called  out,  and  he 
was  requested  to  move  further  over 
and  pay  his  money.  '  Pay  ? '  queried 
the  fuddled  but  startled  bond  fide,  '  I 
got  no  money  (hie),  old  'un,  thought  it 
was  free  selection,  you  know.' " 

1870.  T.  H.  Braim,  'New  Homes/  ii.  87 : 
"  A  man  can  now  go  and  make  his 
free  selection  before  survey  of  any 
quantity  of  land  not  less  than  40  nor 
more  than  320  acres,  at  twenty  shil- 
lings an  acre." 

1878.   '  The  Australian/  vol.  i.  p.  743  : 
"  You  may  go  to  nine  stations  out  of 
ten  now  without  hearing  any  talk  but 
'  bullock  and  free-selection.'  " 

1880.    G.   Sutherland,   'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields/  p.  82 : 

"  His  intention  .  .  .  was  to  take  up 


154 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[FRE-FRI 


a  small  piece  of  land  under  the  system 
of '  free-selection.' " 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  xx.  p.  162  : 

"This  was  years  before  the  free- 
selection  discovery." 

(2)  Used  for  the  land  itself, 
but  generally  in  the  abbreviated 
form,  Selection. 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Longleat  of  Koo- 
ralhyn,'  vol.  vi.  p.  56  : 

"  I've  only  seen  three  females  on  my 
selection  since  I  took  it  up  four  years 
last  November." 

Free-selector,  n.  (abbreviated 
often  to  Selector\  one  who  takes 
up  a  block  of  Crown  land  under 
the  Land  Laws  and  by  annual 
payments  acquires  the  freehold. 
[320  acres  in  Victoria,  640  in 
New  South  Wales.] 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  'New  Rush,' pt.  i.  p. 
21  : 

"  Free  selectors  we  shall  be 
When  our  journey's  end  we  see." 

1866.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald,' 
Aug.  9 : 

"The  very  law  which  the  free 
selector  puts  in  force  against  the 
squatter,  the  squatter  puts  in  force 
against  him  ;  he  selected  upon  the 
squatter's  run,  and  the  squatter  selects 
upon  his  grazing  right." 

1873.  Ibid.  p.  33  : 

"  Men  who  select  small  portions  of 
the  Crown  lands  by  means  of  land 
orders  or  by  gradual  purchase,  and 
who  become  freeholders  and  then  per- 
manently wedded  to  the  colony." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  33  : 

"  The  condition  of  the  free-selector 
— that  of  ownership  of  a  piece  of  land 
to  be  tilled  by  the  owner — is  the  one 
which  the  best  class  of  immigrants 
desire." 

1875.  '  Melbourne  Spectator,'  June  12, 
p.  70,  col.  2  : 

"  A  public  meeting  of  non-resident 
selectors  has  been  held  at  Rushworth." 

1884.  Marcus  Clarke,  'Memorial  Vol- 
ume, p.  85  : 

"A  burly  free  selector  pitched  his 


tent  in  my  Home-Station  paddock  and 
turned  my  dam  into  a  wash." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xii.  p.  116  : 

"  No,  no ;  I've  kept  free-selectors 
out  all  these  years,  and  as  long  as  I 
live  here  I'll  do  so  still." 

Freezer,  n.  a  sheep  bred  and 
raised  in  order  that  its  mutton 
may  be  frozen  and  exported. 

1893.  J.  Hotson,  Lecture  in  « Age,'  Nov. 
30,  p.  7,  col.  2 : 

"In  the  breeding  of  what  are  in  New 
Zealand  known  as  '  freezers '  there  lies 
a  ready  means  of  largely  increasing 
the  returns  from  our  land." 

Fresh-water  Herring,  n.  In 
Sydney,  the  fish  is  Clupea  rich- 
mondia,  Macl.  Elsewhere  in  Aus- 
tralia, and  in  Tasmania,  it  is 
another  name  for  the  Grayling 
(q.v.). 

Fresh-water  Perch,  n.  name 
given  in  Tasmania  to  the  fish 
Microperca  tasmanice. 

Friar-bird,  n.  an  Australian 
bird,  of  the  genus  called  Philemon* 
but  originally  named  Tropidorhyn- 
chits  (q.v.).  It  is  a  honey-eater, 
and  is  also  called  Poor  Soldier 
and  other  names  ;  see  quotation,. 
1848.  The  species  are— 

Friar-Bird — 

Philemon      corniculatus^       Lath. 
[Called  also  Leather-head >  q.v.T 
Helmeted  F.— 

P.  buceroides.  Swains. 
Little  F.— 

P.  sordidus,  Gould. 
Silvery-crowned  F. — 

P.  argenticeps,  Gould. 
Yellow-throated  F.— 

P.  citreogularisy  Gould. 
Western  F.— 

P.  occidentalism  Ramsay. 

1798.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  p.  6iC 
(Vocab.): 

"  Wirgan,— bird  named  by  us  the 
friar." 


FRI-FRO] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


155 


1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Transac- 
tions of  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  324  : 

"  Friar,  —  a  very  common  bird  about 
Paramatta,  called  by  the  natives  '  col- 
dong?  It  repeats  the  words  'poor 
soldier'  and  'four  o'clock3  very  dis- 
tinctly." 

1845.  '  Voyage  to  Port  Phillip,'  p.  53  : 

"The  cheerful  sedge-wren    and  the 

bald-head  friar, 

The    merry   forest-pie    with  joyous 
song." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv.  pi.  58  : 

"  Tropidorhynchus  Corniculatus,  Vig. 
and  Hors. 

"From  the  fancied  resemblance  of 
its  notes  to  those  words,  it  has  ob- 
tained from  the  Colonists  the  various 
names  of  'Poor  Soldier,'  '  Pimlico,3 
'  Four  o'clock/  etc.  Its  bare  head  and 
neck  have  also  suggested  the  names 
of  'Friar  Bird.'  'Monk,'  'Leather 
Head,'  etc." 

1855.  W.  Blandowski,  '  Transactions  of 
the  Philosophical  Society  of  Victoria,'  vol. 
i.  p.  64  : 

"  The  Tropidorhynchus  corniculatus 
is  well  known  to  the  colonists  by  the 
names  '  poor  soldier,'  '  leather-headed 
jackass,'  '  friar-bird,'  etc.  This  curious 
bird,  in  common  with  several  other 
varieties  of  honey-eaters,  is  remarkable 
on  account  of  its  extreme  liveliness  and 
the  singular  resemblance  of  its  notes 
to  the  human  voice." 

Frilled-Lizard,  ;/.  See  quota- 
tion. 

1875.  G.Bennett,  '  Proceedings  of  Royal 
Society  of  Tasmania,'  p.  56  : 

"Notes  on  the  Chlamydosaunts  or 
frilled-lizard  of  Queensland  (C.  Kin- 


Frogsmouth,  n.  an  Australian 
bird  ;  genus  Podargus,  commonly 
called  Mopoke  (q.v.).  The  mouth 
and  expression  of  the  face  re- 
semble the  appearance  of  a  frog. 
The  species  are  — 

Freckled  Frogsmouth  — 
Podargus  phalanoides,  Gould. 


Marbled  F.— 

P.  marmoratus,  Gould. 
Plumed  F.— 

P.  papuensis,  Quoy  and  Gaim. 
Tawney  F. — 

P.  strigoides,  Lath. 

1895.  W.  O.  Legge,  '  Australasian  As- 
sociation for  the  Advancement  of  Science ' 
(Brisbane),  p.  447  : 

"  The  term  '  Frogsmouth '  is  used  in 
ordertogetrid  of  that  very  objectionable 
name  Podargus,  and  as  being  allied  to 
the  other  genera  Batrachostomtts  and 
Otothrix  of  the  family  Steatornina  in 
India.  It  is  a  name  well  suited  to  the 
singular  structure  of  the  mouth,  and 
presumably  better  than  the  mythical 
title  of  'Goatsucker.'  'Night-hawk,5 
sometimes  applied  to  the  Caprimul- 
gtncB,  does  not  accord  with  the  mode  of 
flight  of  the  genus  Podargus? 

Frontage,  n.  land  along  a 
river  or  creek,  of  great  import- 
ance to  a  station.  A  use  common 
in  Australia,  not  peculiar  to  it. 

1844.  'Port  Phillip  Patriot,' July  18,  p. 
3,  col.  7  : 

"...  has  four  miles  frontage  to  the 
Yarra  Yarra." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Squatter's- 
Dream,'  c.  iii.  p.  29 : 

"  Jack  was  piloted  by  Mr.  Hawkes- 
bury  through  the  'frontage'  and  a, 
considerable  portion  of  the  'back* 
regions  of  Gondaree." 

Frost-fish,  n.  name  given  irt 
Australia  and  New  Zealand  to> 
the  European  Scabbard-fish,  Lepi- 
dopus  caudatus,  White.  The  name 
is  said  to  be  derived  from  the  cir- 
cumstance that  the  fish  is  found 
alive  on  New  Zealand  sea-beaches 
on  frosty  nights.  It  is  called  the 
Scabbard-fish  in  Europe,  because 
it  is  like  the  shining  white  metal 
sheath  of  a  long  sword.  Lepi- 
dopus  belongs  to  the  family  Tri- 
chiurida;  it  reaches  a  length  of 
five  or  six  feet,  but  is  so  thin  that 
it  hardly  weighs  as  many  pounds. 
It  is  considered  a  delicacy  in 
New  Zealand. 


i56 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[FRU-FUR 


1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  51  : 

"The  frost-fish  ...  the  most  deli- 
cately flavoured  of  all  New  Zealand 
fishes,  is  an  inhabitant  of  deep  water, 
and  on  frosty  nights,  owing  probably 
to  its  air-bladders  becoming  choked, 
it  is  cast  up  by  the  surf  on  the  ocean- 
"beach." 

Fruit-Pigeon, ;/.  The  name  is 
given  to  numerous  pigeons  of 
the  genera  Ptilinopus  and  Car- 
pophaga.  In  Australia  it  is  as- 
signed to  the  following  birds  : — 

Allied  Fruit-Pigeon — 

Ptilinopus  assimilis,  Gould. 
Purple-breasted  F.-P.— 

P.  magnified,  Temm. 
Purple-crowned  F.-P. — 

P.  superbus,  Temm. 
Red-crowned  F.-P. — 

P.  swainsonii,  Gould. 
Rose-crowned  F.-P. — 

P.  ewingii,  Gould. 
White-headed  F.-P.— 

Columba  leucomela,  Temm. 

And  in  New  Zealand  to  Car- 
pophaga  novcR-zealandice,  Grnel. 
(Maori  name,  Kereru  Kuku,  or 
Kukupa.) 

Fryingpan-Brand,  n.  a  large 
brand  used  by  cattle-stealers  to 
cover  the  owner's  brand.  See 
Duffer  and  Cattle-Duffer. 

1857.  Frederic  De  Brebant  Cooper, 
*  Wild  Adventures  in  Australia,'  p.  104  : 

"...  This  person  was  an  '  old 
hand,'  and  got  into  some  trouble  on 
the  other  side  (z.  e.  the  Bathurst  side) 
by  using  a  'frying-pan  brand.'  He 
was  stock-keeping  in  that  quarter,  and 
was  rather  given  to  '  gulley-raking.' 
One  fine  day  it  appears  he  ran  in  three 
bullocks  belonging  to  a  neighbouring 
squatter,  and  clapt  his  brand  on  the 
top  of  the  other  so  as  to  efface  it." 

Fuchsia,  Native, ;/.  The  name 
is  applied  to  several  native  plants. 

(i)  In  Australia  and  Tasmania, 
to  various  species  of  Correa  (q.v.), 


especially  to  Correa  speciosa,  And. , 
N.O.  Rutacea. 

(2)  In    Queensland,   to  Eremo- 
phila    maculata,    F.   v.   M.,    N.O. 
Myoporinece. 

(3)  In  New  Zealand,  to  Fuchsia 
excorticata,  Linn.,  N.O.  Onagrarice. 
(Maori   name,    Kotukutuku,    q.v.) 
See  also  Tooky-took  and  Konini. 

1860.  Geo.  Bennett,  *  Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist  in  Australasia,'  pp.  371-2: 

"  The  Correa  virens,  with  its  pretty 
pendulous  blossoms  (from  which  it  has 
been  named  the  *  Native  Fuchsia '), 
and  the  Scarlet  Grevillea  (G.  coccinea) 
are  gay  amidst  the  bush  flowers." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  *  Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  23 : 

"  I  see  some  pretty  red  correa  and 
lilac."  [Footnote] :  "  Correa  speciosa 
— native  fuchsia  of  Colonies." 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey,  'Synopsis  of 
Queensland  Flora,'  p.  374 : 

"  E.  mactilata.  A  ...  shrub  called 
native  fuchsia,  and  by  some  considered 
poisonous,  by  others  a  good  fodder 
bush." 

1889.  J.    H.    Maiden,    'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  126 : 

"E.tnaculata Called '  Native 

Fuchsia '  in  parts  of  Queensland." 

1892.  'Otago  Witness,'  Nov.  24,  'Na- 
tive Trees ' : 

"  A  species  of  native  fuchsia  that  is 
coming  greatly  into  favour  is  called 
[Fuchsia]  Procumbens.  It  is  a  lovely 
pot  plant,  with  large  pink  fruit  and 
upright  flowers." 

Full  up  of,  adj.  (slang),  sick 
and  tired  of.  "  Full  on,"  and  "full 
of,"  are  other  forms. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood, '  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xxiii.  p.  213: 

"She  was  'full  up'  of  the  Oxley, 
which  was  a  rowdy,  disagreeable  gold- 
field  as  ever  she  was  on." 

Furze,  Native,  n.  a  shrub, 
Hakea  ulicina,  R.  Br.  See  Hakea. 

Futtah,  n.  a  settlers'  corruption 
of  the  Maori  word  Whata  (q.v.). 

1895.  W.  S.  Roberts,  '  Southland  in 
1856,'  p.  28 : 


FUT] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


157 


"These  stores  were  called  by  the 
Europeans  futters, — but  the  Maori 
name  was  Whata." 

1896.  '  Southland  Daily  News,'  Feb.  3  : 
"  *  Futtah '  is  familiar  as  '  household 
words.'  There  were  always  rats  in 
New  Zealand — that  is,  since  any  tradi- 
tions of  \\sfauna  existed.  The  original 
ones  were  good  to  eat.  They  were 
black  and  smooth  in  the  hair  as  the 
mole  of  the  Old  Country,  and  were 
esteemed  delicacies.  They  were  al- 
ways mischievous,  but  the  Norway  rat 
that  came  with  the  white  man  was 
worse.  He  began  by  killing  and  eating 


his  aboriginal  congener,  and  then  made 
it  more  difficult  than  ever  to  keep  any- 
thing eatable  out  of  reach  of  his  teeth. 
Human  ingenuity,  however,  is  superior 
to  that  of  most  of  the  lower  animals, 
and  so  the  'futtah'  came  to  be — a 
storehouse  on  four  posts,  each  of  them 
so  bevelled  as  to  render  it  impossible 
for  the  cleverest  rat  to  climb  them. 
The  same  expedient  is  to-day  in  use 
on  Stewart  Island  and  the  West  Coast 
— in  fact,  wherever  properly  constructed 
buildings  are  not  available  for  the. 
storage  of  things  eatable  or  destruc- 
tible by  the  rodents  in  question." 


1 58 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GAL-GAR 


G 


G-alah,  n.  a  bird.  (The  accent 
is  now  placed  on  the  second 
syllable.)  Aboriginal  name  for  the 
Cacatua  roseicapilla,  Vieill.,  the 
Rose-breasted  Cockatoo.  See  Cocka- 
too. With  the  first  syllable  com- 
pare last  syllable  of  Budgerigar 
(q.v.)- 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  Sept.  20,  p.  13, 
col.  5  : 

"  They  can  afford  to  screech  and  be 
merry,  as  also  the  grey,  pink-crested 
galahs,  which  tint  with  the  colours  of 
the  evening  sky  a  spot  of  grass  in  the 
distance." 

1890.  Lyth,    'Golden   South,'   c.    xiv. 
p.  127  : 

"The  galahs,  with  their  delicate 
grey  and  rose-pink  plumage,  are  the 
prettiest  parrots." 

1891.  Francis  Adams,    'John  Webb's 
End,'  p.  191  : 

"A  shrieking  flock  of  galahs,  on 
their  final  flight  before  they  settled  to 
roost,  passed  over  and  around  him, 
.and  lifting  up  his  head,  he  saw  how 
all  their  grey  feathers  were  flushed 
with  the  sunset  light,  their  coloured 
breasts  deepening  into  darkest  ruby, 
they  seemed  like  loosed  spirits." 

Gallows,  n.  Explained  in  quota- 
tion. Common  at  all  stations, 
where  of  course  the  butchering  is 
done  on  the  premises. 

1866.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  64  : 

"  The  gallows,  a  high  wooden  frame 
from  which  the  carcases  of  the 
butchered  sheep  dangle." 

Gang-gang,  or  Gan-gan,  n. 
the  aboriginal  word  for  the  bird 
Callocephalon  galeatum.  Lath.,  so 
called  from  its  note  ;  a  kind  of 
cockatoo,  grey  with  a  red  head, 
called  also  Gang-gang  Cockatoo. 
See  Cockatoo. 


1833.  C.  Sturt, '  Southern  Australia,'  vol. 
i.  Intro,  p.  xxxviii : 

"  Upon  the  branches  the  satin-bird, 
the  gangan,  and  various  kinds  of 
pigeons  were  feeding." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  v.  pi.  14 : 

"  Callocephalon  Galeatum,  Gang- 
gang  Cockatoo,  Colonists  of  New  South 
Wales." 

Gannet,  n.  the  English  name 
for  the  Solan  Goose  and  its  tribe. 
The  Australian  species  are—- 
The Gannet— 

Sula  serrator.  Banks. 
Brown  G.  (called  also  Booby) — 

S.  leucogastra,  Bodd. 
Masked  G.— 

S.  cyanopS)  Sunder. 
Red-legged  G. — 

S.  piscator^  Linn. 

The  species  in  New  Zealand 
is  Dysporus  serrator.  Grey  ;  Maori 
name,  Takapu. 

Garfish,  n.  In  England  the  name 
is  applied  to  any  fish  of  the  family 
Belonida.  The  name  was  origin- 
ally used  for  the  common  Euro- 
pean Belone  vulgaris.  In  Mel- 
bourne the  Garfish\s  a  true  one,^- 
loneferox,  Gunth.,  called  in  Sydney 
11  Long  Tom."  In  Sydney,  Tas- 
mania, and  New  Zealand  it  is 
Hemirhamphus  intermedius.  Can- 
tor. ;  and  in  New  South  Wales, 
generally,  it  is  the  river-fish  If. 
regularis,  Gunth.,  family  Sombre- 
sotidce.  Some  say  that  the  name 
was  originally  "Guard-fish,"  and 
it  is  still  sometimes  so  spelt. 
But  the  word  is  derived  from  Gar, 
in  Anglo  -  Saxon,  which  meant 
spear,  dart,  javelin,  and  the 


•GAS-GER] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


159 


allusion  is  to  the  long-  spear-like 
projection  of  the  fish's  jaws. 
Called  by  the  Sydney  fishermen 
Ballahoo,  and  in  Auckland  the 
Piper  (q.v.). 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  288  : 

"  Charley  brought  me  ...  the  head 
bones  of  a  large  guard-fish." 

1849.  Anon.,  '  New   South  Wales  :   its 
Past,  Present,  and  Future  Condition,'  p.  99 : 

"  The  best  kinds  of  fish  are  guard, 
mullet,  and  schnapper." 

1850.  Clutterbuck,  '  Port  Phillip,'  c.  iii. 
p.  44: 

"In  the  bay  are  large  quantities  of 
.guard-fish." 

1875.  '  Spectator '  (Melbourne),  June  19, 
p.  81,  col.  i  : 

"  Common  fish,  such  as  trout,  ruffies, 
mullet,  garfish." 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  83  : 

"Of  the  garfishes  we  have  four 
species  known  to  be  found  on  our 
coasts.  One,  Hemirhamphus  regularis^ 
is  the  favourite  breakfast  fish  of  the 
citizens  of  Sydney.  H.  melanochir,  or 
*  river  garfish,'  is  a  still  better  fish,  but 
has  become  very  scarce.  H.  argentcus, 
the  common  Brisbane  species  .  .  . 
and  H.  commersoni? 

Gastrolobium,  n.  scientific 
name  of  a  genus  of  Australian 
shrubs,  N.O.  Leguminostz,  com- 
monly known  as  Poison  Bushes 
(q.v.).  The  species  are — 

Gastrolobium  bilobum,  R.  Br. 

G.  callistachyS)  Meissn. 

G.  calyrium,  Benth. 

G.  obovatum,  Benth. 

G.  oxylobioideS)  Benth. 

G.  spinosum,)  Benth. 

G.  trilobum,  Benth. 

All  of  which  are  confined  to  West- 
ern Australia.  The  species  Gastro- 
lobium grandiflorum,  F.  v.  M.  (also 
called  Wall-flower\  is  the  only 
species  found  out  of  Western  Aus- 
tralia, and  extends  across  Central 
Australia  to  Queensland.  All  the 
species  have  pretty  yellow  and 
purple  flowers.  The  name  is  from 


the  Greek  yao-T?j/3,yao-T/oos,  the  belly, 
and  \6pLov,  dim.  of  Ao/?os,  "  the 
capsule  or  pod  of  leguminous 
plants."  (<L.  &  S.') 

Geebung,  or  Geebong,  n. 
aboriginal  name  for  the  fruit  of 
various  species  of  the  tree  Per- 
soonia,  and  also  for  the  tree  itself, 
N.O.  Proteacecz. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  221  : 

"The  jibbong  is  another  tasteless 
fruit,  as  well  as  the  five  corners,  much 
relished  by  children." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  478  : 

"We  gathered  and  ate  a  great 
quantity  of  gibong  (the  ripe  fruit  of 
Persoonia  falcata}" 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes,' 
c.  vii.  p.  176,  3rd  edition  1855  : 

"  The  geebung,  a  native  plum,  very 
woolly  and  tasteless." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,'  p. 
113: 

"  We  gathered  the  wild  raspberries, 
and  mingling  them  with  geebongs  and 
scrub  berries,  set  forth  a  dessert." 

1885.  RolfBoldrewood,  '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  255  : 

"  You  won't  turn  a  five-corner  into  a 
quince,  or  a  geebung  into  an  orange." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  584  : 

"A  'geebung'  (the  name  given  to 
the  fruits  of  Persoonias,  and  hence  to 
the  trees  themselves)." 

Gerygone,  n.  scientific  and 
vernacular  name  of  a  genus  of 
small  warblers  of  Australia  and 
New  Zealand  ;  the  new  name  for 
them  is  Fly-eater  (q.v.).  In  New 
Zealand  they  are  called  Bush- 
warblers •,  Grey-warblers,  etc.,  and 
they  also  go  there  by  their  Maori 
name  oiRiro-riro.  For  the  species, 
see  Fly-eater  and  Warbler.  The 
name  is  from  the  Greek  ycpvyov-r], 
"  born  of  sound,"  a  word  used  by 
Theocritus. 

1895.  W.  O.  Legge,  *  Australasian  Asso- 
ciation for  the  Advancement  of  Science ' 
(Brisbane),  p.  447  : 

"[The  habits  and  habitats   of  the 


i6o 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GHI-GID 


genus]  Gerygone  suggested  the  term 
Y\y-eater,  as  distinguished  from  Fly- 
catcher,  for  this  aberrant  and  peculiarly 
Australasian  form  of  small  Fly-catchers, 
which  not  only  capture  their  food  some- 
what after  the  manner  of  Fly-catchers, 
but  also  seek  for  it  arboreally." 

Ghilgai,  n.  an  aboriginal  word 
used  by  white  men  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Bourke,  New  South 
Wales,  to  denote  a  saucer-shaped 
depression  in  the  ground  which 
forms  a  natural  reservoir  for  rain- 
water. Ghilgais  vary  from  20 
to  100  yards  in  diameter,  and 
are  from  five  to  ten  feet  deep. 
They  differ  from  Claypans  (q.v.), 
in  being  more  regular  in  outline 
and  deeper  towards  the  centre, 
whereas  Claypans  are  generally 
flat-bottomed.  Their  formation 
is  probably  due  to  subsidence. 

Giant-Lily,  n.    See  under  Lily. 

Giant  -  Nettle,  i.q.  Nettle-tree 
(q.v.). 

Gibber,  n.  an  aboriginal  word 
for  a  stone.  Used  both  of  loose 
stones  and  of  rocks.  The  G  is 
hard. 

1834.  L.  E.  Threlkeld,  'Australian 
Grammar,'  p.  x.  [In  a  list  of '  barbarisms ']  : 

"  Gibber,  a  stone." 

[Pace  Mr.  Threlkeld,  the  word 
is  aboriginal,  though  not  of  the 
dialect  of  the  Hunter  District,  of 
which  he  is  speaking.] 

1852.  '  Settlers  and  Convicts  ;  or  Re- 
collections of  Sixteen  Years'  Labour  in  the 
Australian  Backwoods,'  p.  159  : 

"  Of  a  rainy  night  like  this  he  did 
not  object  to  stow  himself  by  the  fire- 
side of  any  house  he  might  be  near, 
or  under  the  '  gibbers '  (overhanging 
rocks)  of  the  river.  .  .  ." 

1890.  A.  J.  Vogan,  'Black  Police,' p. 
338: 

"  He  struck  right  on  top  of  them 
gibbers  (stones)." 

1894.  Baldwin  Spencer,  in  'The  Argus,' 
Sept.  i,  p.  4,  col.  2: 

"  At  first  and  for  more  than  a  hun- 
dred miles  [from  Oodnadatta  north- 
wards], our  track  led  across  what  is 


called  the  gibber  country,  where  the 
plains  are  covered  with  a  thin  layer  of 
stones — the  gibbers — of  various  sizes, 
derived  from  the  breaking  down  of  a 
hard  rock  which  forms  the  top  of 
endless  low,  table-topped  hills  belong- 
ing to  the  desert  sandstone  formation." 

Gibber-gunyah,  n.  an  abori- 
ginal cave-dwelling.  See  Gibber 
and  Gunyah,  also  Rock-shelter. 

1852.  '  Settlers  and  Convicts  ;  or,  Re- 
collections of  Sixteen  Years'  Labour  in  the 
Australian  Backwoods,'  p.  211  : 

"  I  coincided  in  his  opinion  that  it 
would  be  best  for  us  to  camp  for  the 
night  in  one  of  the  ghibber-gunyahs. 
These  are  the  hollows  under  over- 
hanging rocks." 

1863.  Rev.  R.  W.  Vanderkiste,  '  Lost, 
but  not  for  Ever,'  p.  210 : 

"  Our  home  is  the  gibber-gunyah, 
Where  hill  joins  hill  on  high, 
Where  the  turrama  and  berrambo 
Like  sleeping  serpents  lie." 

1891.  R.  Etheridge,  jun.,  'Records  of 
the  Australian  Museum,'  vol.  i.  no.  viii. 
p.  171  : 

"  Notes  on  Rock  Shelters  or  Gibba- 
gunyahs  at  Deewhy  Lagoon." 

Giddea,  Gidya,  or  Gidgee,  adj. 
aboriginal  word  of  New  South 
Wales  and  Queensland  for  (i)  a 
species  of  Acacia,  A.  homalophylla, 
Cunn.  The  original  meaning  is 
probably  small,  cf.  gidju,  War- 
rego,  Queensland,  and  kutyo, 
Adelaide,  both  meaning  small. 

(2)  A  long  spear  made  from 
this  wood. 

1878.  'Catalogue  of  Objects  of  Ethno- 
typical  Art  in  National  Gallery,  Melbourne,' 
p.  46: 

"  Gid-jee.  Hardwood  spear,  with 
fragments  of  quartz  set  in  gum  on  two 
sides  and  grass-tree  stem.  Total  length, 
7  feet  8  inches." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,    'Australian  Life,' 

P-  5i: 

"  Gidya  scrubs." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  357  : 

"  A.  homalophylla.  A  '  Spearwood.' 
Called 'Myall J  in  Victoria.  .  .  .  Abori- 

S'nal  names  are  .  .  .  Gidya,  Gidia,  or 
idgee  (with  other  spellings  in  New 


CIL-GIN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


161 


South  Wales  and  Queensland).  This 
is  the  commonest  colonial  name  .  .  . 
much  sought  after  for  turner's  work  on 
account  of  its  solidity  and  fragrance. 
,  .  .  The  smell  of  the  tree  when  in 
flower  is  abominable,  and  just  before 
rain  almost  unbearable." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xvii.  p.  2ii  : 

"I  sat  ...  watching  the  shadows 
of  the  gydya  trees  lengthen,  ah  !  so 
slowly." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals,' 

P-  37: 

"  Kind  of  scrub,  called  by  the  colon- 
ists gidya-scrub,  which  manifests  itself 
even  at  a  distance  by  a  very  character- 
istic, but  not  agreeable  odour,  being 
especially  pungent  after  rain." 

1896.  Baldwin  Spencer,  '  Home  Expe- 
dition in  Central  Australia,'  Narrative, 
p.  22  :T 

"  We  camped  beside  a  water-pool 
on  the  Adminga  Creek,  which  is  bor- 
dered for  the  main  part  by  a  belt  of  the 
stinking  acacia,  or  giddea  (A.  homa- 
lophylla).  When  the  branches  are 
freshly  cut  it  well  deserves  the  former 
name,  as  they  have  a  most  objection- 
able smell." 

Gill-bird,  n.  an  occasional 
name  for  the  Wattle-bird  (q.v.). 

1896.   '  Menu  '  for  October  15  : 
"  Gill-bird  on  Toast.53 

Gin,  n.  a  native  word  for  an 
aboriginal  woman,  and  used, 
though  rarely,  even  for  a  female 
kangaroo.  See  quotation  1833. 
The  form  gun  (see  quotation  1865) 
looks  as  if  it  had  been  altered  to 
meet  yw>j,  and  of  course  generate 
is  not  derived  from  ywrj,  though 
it  may  be  a  distant  relative.  In 
4  Collins's  Vocabulary '  occurs 
"*#«,  a  woman."  If  such  a  pho- 
netic spelling  as  djin  had  been 
adopted,  as  it  well  might  have 
been,  to  express  the  native  sound, 
where  would  the  yw?j  theory  have 
been? 

1798.  D.  Collins,  'Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  Vocabulary, 
p.  612  : 

"  Din — a  woman." 


1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  152  : 

"  A  proposition  was  made  by  one  of 
my  natives  to  go  and  steal  a  gin 
(wife)." 

Ibid.  p.  153  : 

"  She  agrees  to  become  his  gin." 

1833.  Lieut.    Breton,    R.N.,    'Excur- 
sions in  New  South  Wales,'  p.  254  : 

"The  flying  gin  (gin  is  the  native 
word  for  woman  or  female)  is  a  boo- 
mah,  and  will  leave  behind  every  de- 
scription of  dog." 

1834.  L-    E-    Threlkeld,     'Australian 
Grammar,'  p.  x : 

"As  a  barbarism  [sc.  not  used  on 
the  Hunter],  jin — a  wife." 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,    'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales.'  p.  8: 

"  A  gin  (the  aboriginal  for  a  married 
woman)." 

1846.  C.   P.    Hodgson,   '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  367  : 

"  Gin,  the  term  applied  to  the  native 
female  blacks  ;  not  from  any  attach- 
ment to  the  spirit  of  that  name,  but 
from  some  (to  me)  unknown  deriva- 
tion." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  I.  c.  iv.  p.  74  : 

"  Though  very  anxious  to  ...  carry 
off  one  of  their  '  gins,'  or  wives  ...  he 
yet  evidently  holds  these  north  men  in 
great  dread." 

1847.  J.    D.    Lang,     'Cooksland,'    p. 
126,  n.  : 

"When  their  fire-stick  has  been 
extinguished,  as  is  sometimes  the  case, 
for  their  jins  or  vestal  virgins,  who 
have  charge  of  the  fire,  are  not  always 
sufficiently  vigilant." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes  ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  98: 

"Gins — native  women — from 
mulier,  evidently ! " 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  'New  Rush,'  pt.  2,  p. 
46: 

"  The  females  would  be  comely  looking 

gins, 

Were  not  their  limbs  so  much  like 
rolling-pins." 

1865.  S.     Bennett,     'Australian    Dis- 
covery, '  p.  250  : 

"  Gin  or  gun,  a  woman.  Greek 
ywi?  and  derivative  words  in  English, 
such  as  generate,  generation,  and  the 
like." 


M 


1 62 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GIN-GOA 


1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  118  : 

"  The  gins  are  captives  of  their  bow 
and  spear,  and  are  brought  home  before 
the  captor  on  his  saddle.  This  seems 
the  orthodox  way  of  wooing  the  coy 
forest  maidens.  .  .  .  All  blacks  are 
cruel  to  their  gins." 

1880.  J.  Brunton  Stephens,  'Poems' 
[Title] : 

"  To  a  black  gin." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,' 
p.  23: 

"  Certain  stout  young  gins  or  lubras, 
set  apart  for  the  purpose,  were  sacri- 
ficed." 

Ginger,  Native,  n.  an  Australian 
tree,  Alpinia  coerulea^  Benth.,  N.  O. 
Scitaminece.  The  globular  fruit  is 
eaten  by  the  natives. 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  296 : 

"Fresh  green  leaves,  especially  of 
the  so-called  native  ginger  (Alpinia 
ccerulea)." 

Give  Best,  v.  Australian  slang, 
meaning  to  acknowledge  superi- 
ority, or  to  give  up  trying  at  any- 
thing. 

1883.  Keighley,  '  Who  are  You  ? '  p.  87  : 
"  But  then — the  fact  had  better  be  con- 
fessed, 

I  went  to  work  and  gave  the  schooling 
best." 

1887.  J.  Farrell,  '  How  he  Died,'  p.  80  : 

"  Charley  gave  life  best  and  died  of 
grief." 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  '  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xviii.  p.  174 : 

"  It's  not  like  an  Englishman  to  jack 
up  and  give  these  fellows  best." 

Globe-fish,  n.  name  given  to 
the  fish  Tetrodon  hamiltoni,  Rich- 
ards., family  Gymnodontes.  The 
Spiny  Globe-fish  is  Diodon.  These 
are  also  called  Toad-fish  (q.v.),  and 
Porcupine-fish  (q.v.).  The  name 
is  applied  to  other  fish  elsewhere. 

Glory  Flower,  or  Glory  Pea, 
i.q.  Clianthus  (q.v.). 

Glory  Pea,  i.q.  Clianthus  (q.v.). 
Glucking-bird,    n.    a   bird    so 


named  by  Leichhardt,  but  not 
identified.  Probably  the  Boobook 
(q.v.),  and  see  its  quotation  1827  ; 
see  also  under  Mopoke  quotation, 
Owl,  1846. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  23  : 

"  The  musical  note  of  an  unknown 
bird,  sounding  like  'gluck  gluck3  fre- 
quently repeated,  and  ending  in  a 
shake  .  .  .  are  heard  from  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  scrub." 

Ibid.  p.  29 : 

"  The  glucking  bird — by  which  name, 
in  consequence  of  its  note,  the  bird 
may  be  distinguished — was  heard 
through  the  night." 

Ibid.  p.  47  : 

"  The  glucking-bird  and  the  barking 
owl  were  heard  throughout  the  moon- 
light nights." 

Ibid.  pp.  398,  399  : 

"During  the  night,  we  heard  the 
well-known  note  of  what  we  called  the 
*  Glucking  bird,'  when  we  first  met  with 
it  in  the  Cypress-pine  country  at  the 
early  part  of  our  expedition.  Its  re- 
appearance with  the  Cypress-pine  cor- 
roborated my  supposition,  that  the  bird 
lived  on  the  seeds  of  that  tree." 

Glue-pot,  n.  part  of  a  road  so 
bad  that  the  coach  or  buggy 
sticks  in  it. 

1892.  '  Daily  News,'  London  (exact  date 
lost) : 

"The  Bishop  of  Manchester  [Dr. 
Moorhouse,  formerly  Bishop  of  Mel- 
bourne], whose  authority  on  missionary 
subjects  will  not  be  disputed,  assures 
us  that  no  one  can  possibly  under- 
stand the  difficulties  and  the  troubles 
attendant  upon  the  work  of  a  Colonial 
bishop  or  clergyman  until  he  has 
driven  across  almost  pathless  wastes 
or  through  almost  inaccessible  forests, 
has  struggled  through  what  they  used 
to  call  'glue-pots,'  until  he  has  been 
shaken  to  pieces  by  '  corduroy  roads,' 
and  has  been  in  the  midst  of  forests 
with  the  branches  of  trees  falling 
around  on  all  sides,  knowing  full  well 
that  if  one  fell  upon  him  he  would 
be  killed." 

Goai,  n.  common  name  in 
southern  island  of  New  Zealand 


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AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


163 


for  Kowhai  (q.v.),  of  which  it  is  a 
corruption.  It  is  especially  used 
of  the  timber  of  this  tree,  which  is 
valuable  for  fencing.  The  change 
from  K  to  G  also  took  place  in 
the  name  Ofago,  formerly  spelt 
Otakou. 

1860.     John    Blair,    'New  Zealand  for 
Me': 
"  The  land  of  \htgoai  tree,  mapu,  and 

pine, 

The   stately   totara,   and  blooming- 
wild  vine." 

1863.  S.  Butler,  '  First  Year  in  Canter- 
bury Settlement,'  p.  104  : 

"  I  remember  nothing  but  a  rather 
curiously  shaped  gowai-tree." 

Groanna,  Guana,  and  Guano,  n. 
popular  corruptions  for  Iguana, 
the  large  Lace-lizard  (q.v.),  Var- 
anus  variuS)  Shaw.  In  New  Zea- 
land, the  word  Guano  is  applied  to 
the  lizard-like  reptile  Sphenodon 
punctatum.  See  Tuatara.  In  Tas- 
mania, the  name  is  given  to  Tiliqua 
scincoides,  White,  and  throughout 
Australia  any  lizard  of  a  large  size 
is  popularly  called  a  Guana,  or  in 
the  bush,  more  commonly,  a  Go- 
anna.  See  also  Lace-lizard. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  *  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  viii.  p.  285  : 

"Among  other  reptiles  were  found 
.  .  .  some  brown  guanoes." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  '  Present  state  of 
Australia,'  p.  118  : 

"  At  length  an  animal  called  a  guana 
(a  very  large  species  of  lizard)  jumped 
out  of  the  grass,  and  with  amazing 
rapidity  ran,  as  they  always  do  when 
disturbed,  up  a  high  tree.;' 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  '  New  Rush,'  p.  6  : 

"  The  shy  guana  climbs  a  tree  in  fear." 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  « A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  99  : 

"  A  goanna  startled  him,  and  he  set 
to  and  kicked  the  front  of  the  buggy 
in." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  139  : 

"And  the  sinister  'gohanna,'  and 
the  lizard,  and  the  snake." 

Go-ashore,  n.    an  iron  pot  or 


cauldron,  with  three  iron  feet, 
and  two  ears,  from  which  it  was 
suspended  by  a  wire  handle  over 
the  fire.  It  is  a  corruption  of 
the  Maori  word  Kohua  (q.v.),  by 
the  law  of  Hobson-Jobson. 

1849.  W.  Tyrone  Power,  'Sketches  in 
New  Zealand  with  Pen  and  Pencil,'  p.  160  : 

"  Engaged  in  the  superintendence  of 
a  Maori  oven,  or  a  huge  gipsy-looking 
cauldron,  called  a  '  go-ashore.'  " 

1877.  An  Old  Colonist,  '  Colonial  Ex- 
periences,' p.  124 : 

"  A  large  go-ashore,  or  three-legged 
pot,  of  the  size  and  shape  of  the  caul- 
dron usually  introduced  in  the  witch 
scene  in  Macbeth." 

1879.  C.  L.  Innes,  'Canterbury 
Sketches,'  p.  23  : 

"There  was  another  pot,  called  by 
the  euphonious  name  of  a  '  Go-ashore,' 
which  used  to  hang  by  a  chain  over 
the  fire.  This  was  used  for  boiling." 

Goborro,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  Eucalyptus  microtheca,  F.  v.  M. 
See  Dwarf-box^  under  Box. 

Goburra,  and  Gogobera,  ;/. 
variants  of  Kookaburra  (q.v.). 

Goditcha.     See  Kurdaitcha. 

Godwit,  n.  the  English  name 
for  birds  of  the  genus  Limosa. 
The  Australian  species  are — 
Black-tailed  G.,  Limosa  melanu- 
roides,  Gould  ;  Barred-rumped  G., 
L.  uropygialis,  Gould. 

Gogobera,  and  Goburra,  n. 
variants  of  Kookaburra  (q.v.). 

Gold-.  The  following  words  and 
phrases  compounded  with  "gold" 
are  Australian  in  use,  though 
probably  some  are  used  else- 
where. 

Gold-bearing,  verbal  adj.  auri- 
ferous. 

1890.    '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  13  : 

"  A  new  line  of  gold-bearing  quartz." 

Gold-digging,  verbal  n.  mining 
or  digging  for  gold 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  '  Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  36  : 

"  There  were  over  forty  miners  thus 


1 64 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GOL 


playing  at  gold-digging  in    Hiscock's 
Gully." 

Gold-digger,  n. 

1852.  J.  Bonwick  [Title]  : 
"  Notes  of  a  Gold-digger." 

Gold-fever,  n.  the  desire  to 
obtain  gold  by  digging.  The 
word  is  more  especially  applied 
to  the  period  between  1851  and 
1857,  the  early  Australian  dis- 
covery of  gold.  The  term  had 
been  previously  applied  in  a  simi- 
lar way  to  the  Californian  excite- 
ment in  1848-49.  Called  also 
Yellow-fever. 
1888.  A.  J.  Barbour,  'Clara.'  c.  ix.  p. 

"The  gold  fever  coursed  through 
every  vein." 

Gold-field,  «.  district  where 
mining  for  gold  is  carried  on. 

1858.  T.  McCombie,  '  History  of  Vic- 
toria,' c.  xv.  p.  215  : 

"All  were  anxious  to  get  away  for 
the  gold  fields." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  [Title]  'Tales  of 
Goldfields,'  p.  19  : 

"  Edward  Hargreaves,  the  discoverer 
of  the  Australian  goldfields  ...  re- 
ceived ,£15,000  as  his  reward." 

Gold-founded,/^;-/,  adj.  founded 
as  the  result  of  the  discovery  of 
gold. 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  '  Miner's  Right.' 
c.  ix.  p.  91 : 

"I  rode  up  the  narrow  street,  ser- 
pentine in  construction,  as  in  all  gold- 
founded  townships." 

Gold-hunter,  n.  searcher  after 
gold. 

1852.  G.    S.  Rutter  [Title] : 
"  Hints  to  Gold-hunters." 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  'Miner's  Right,' 
c.  v.  p.  48  : 

"  I  was  not  as  one  of  the  reckless 
gold-hunters  with  which  the  camp  was 
thronged." 

Gold-mining,  verbal  n. 
1852.    J.  A.  Phillips  [Title] : 
"Gold-mining;    a   Scientific  Guide 
for  Australian  Emigrants." 


1880.  G.    Sutherland,   'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  23  : 

"  He  had  already  had  quite  enough 
of  gold-mining." 

Gold-seeking,  adj. 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  'Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xv.  p.  150  : 

"  The  great  gold-seeking  multitude 
had  swelled  ...  to  the  population  of 
a  province." 

Golden  Bell-Prog,  n.  name  ap- 
plied to  a  large  gold  and  green 
frog,  Hyla  aurea,  Less.,  which, 
unlike  the  great  majority  of  the 
family  Hylidce  to  which  it  belongs, 
is  terrestrial  and  not  arboreal  in 
its  habits,  being  found  in  and 
about  water-holes  in  many  parts 
of  Australia. 

1881.  F.   McCoy,   '  Prodromus  of  the 
Zoology  of  Victoria,'  Dec.  6,  pi.  53  : 

"  So  completely  alike  was  the  sound 
of  the  Bell-frogs  in  an  adjoining  pond 
at  night  to  the  noise  of  the  men  by 
day." 

Golden-chain,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Laburnum  (q.v.). 

Golden-eye,  n.  the  bird  Cer- 
thia  lunulatu,  Shaw ;  now  called 
Melithreptus  lunulatus,  Shaw,  and 
classed  as  White-naped  Honey- 
eater  (q.v.). 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Transac- 
tions of  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  315: 

"'This  bird,'  Mr.  Caley  says,  Ms 
called  Golden-eye  by  the  settlers.  I 
shot  it  at  Iron  Cove,  seven  miles  from 
Sydney,  on  the  Paramatta  road.' " 

Golden-Perch,  n.  a  fresh- water 
fish  of  Australia,  Ctenolates  am- 
biguus,  Richards.,  family  Perrida, 
and  C.  christyi,  Castln.;  also  called 
the  Yellow-belly.  C.  ambiguus  is 
common  in  the  rivers  and  lagoons 
of  the  Murray  system. 

Golden-Rosemary,  n.  See 
Rosemary. 

Golden- Wattle,  n.  See  Wattle. 
1896.     '  The  Argus,'  July  20,  p.  5,  col. 
8: 

"  Many  persons  who  had  been  lured 


GOO] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


165 


into  gathering  armfuls  of  early  wattle 
had  cause  to  regret  their  devotion  to 
the  Australian  national  bloom,  for  the 
golden  wattle  blossoms  produced  un- 
pleasant associations  in  the  minds  of 
the  wearers  of  the  green,  and  there 
were  blows  and  curses  in  plenty.  In 
political  botany  the  wattle  and  black- 
thorn cannot  grow  side  by  side." 

1896.     'The  Melburnian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 

"  The  last  two  weeks  have  been  alive 
with  signs  and  tokens,  saying  '  Spring 
is  coming,  Spring  is  here.'  And  though 
this  may  not  be  the  *  merry  month  of 
May,'  yet  it  is  the  time  of  glorious 
Golden  Wattle, — wattle  waving  by  the 
river's  bank,  nodding  aloft  its  soft 
plumes  of  yellow  and  its  gleaming 
golden  oriflamme,  or  bending  low  to 
kiss  its  own  image  in  the  brown  waters 
which  it  loves." 

Goodenia,  n.  the  scientific 
and  popular  name  of  a  genus  of 
Australian  plants,  closely  resem- 
bling the  Gentians;  there  are 
many  species.  The  name  was 
given  by  Sir  James  Smith,  presi- 
dent of  the  Linnsean  Society,  in 
1793.  See  quotation. 

I793-  'Transactions  of  the  Linnsean 
Society,'  vol.  ii.  p.  346  : 

"  I  [Smith]  have  given  to  this  .  .  . 
genus  the  name  of  Goodenia,  in  honour 
of ...  Rev.  Dr.  Goodenough,  treasurer 
of  this  Society,  of  whose  botanical 
merits  .  .  .  example  of  Tournefort, 
who  formed  Gundelia  from  Gundel- 
scheimer  .  .  ." 

[Dr.  Goodenough  became  Bishop  of 
Carlisle  ;  he  was  the  grandfather  of 
Commodore  Goodenough.] 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  1 88  : 

"  A  species  of  Goodenia  is  supposed 
to  be  used  by  the  native  gins  to  cause 
their  children  to  sleep  on  long  journeys, 
but  it  is  not  clear  which  is  used." 

Goodletite,  n.  scientific  name 
for  a  matrix  in  which  rubies  are 
found.  So  named  by  Professor 
Black  of  Dunedin,  in  honour  of 
his  assistant,  William  Goodlet, 
who  was  the  first  to  discover  the 


rubies  in  the  matrix,  on  the  west 

coast. 

1894.     '  Grey  River  Argus,'  September: 
"  Several  sapphires  of  good  size  and 

colour  have  been  found,  also  rubies  in 

the  matrix — Goodletite." 

Goondie,  n.  a  native  hut. 
Gundai  =  a  shelter  in  the  Wirad- 
huri  dialect.  It  is  the  same  word 
as  Gunyah  (q.v.). 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Colonial  Re- 
former, '  c.  xvii.  p.  204 : 

"There  were  a  dozen  'goondies' 
to  be  visited,  and  the  inmates  started 
to  their  work." 

Goose,  n.  English  bird-name. 
The  Australian  species  are — 

Cape  Barren  Goose — 

Cereopsis  novce-hollandice^  Lath. 
[Gould  ('Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  vii.  pi.  i)  calls  it  the 
Cereopsis  Goose,  or  Cape 
Barren  Goose  of  the  Colon- 
ists.] 
Maned  G.  (or  Wood-duck,  q.v.) — • 

Branta  jubata^  Lath. 
Pied  G.— 

Anseranus  melanoleuca,  Lath. 
Called  also  Magpie-Goose  and 
Swan-Goose. 

1843.  J.  Backhouse,  'Narrative  of  a 
Visit  to  the  Australian  Colonies,'  p.  75  : 

"Five  pelicans  and  some  Cape 
Barren  Geese  were  upon  the  beach  of 
Preservation  Island  [Bass  Strait]." 

Goose-teal,  n.  the  English 
name  for  a  very  small  goose  of 
the  genus  Nettapus.  The  Aus- 
tralian species  are — Green,  Net- 
tapus pulchellus,  Gould ;  White- 
quilled,  N.  albipenniS)  Gould. 

Gooseberry-tree,  Little,  n. 
name  given  to  the  Australian  tree 
Buchanania  mangoides,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Anacardiacecz. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  479 : 

"  My  companions  had,  for  several 
days  past,  gathered  the  unripe  fruits  of 
Coniogeton  arbor escens,  R.  Br.,  which, 
when  boiled,  imparted  an  agreeable 
acidity  to  the  water.  .  .  .  When  ripe, 


i66 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GOR-GRA 


they  became  sweet  and  pulpy,  like 
gooseberries.  .  .  .  This  resemblance 
induced  us  to  call  the  tree  '  the  little 
gooseberry-tree.' " 

Gordon  Lily,  n.  See  under  Lily. 

Gouty-stem,  n.  the  Australian 
Baobab-tree  (q.v.),  Adansonia 
gregorii)  F.  v.  M.  According  to 
Maiden  (p.  60),  Sterculia  rupestris, 
Benth.,  is  also  called  Gouty-stem, 
on  account  of  the  extraordinary 
shape  of  the  trunk.  Other  names 
of  this  tree  are  the  Sour-gourd, 
and  the  Cream-of-tartar  tree. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  II.  c.  iii.  p.  115  : 

"  The  gouty-stem  tree  .  .  .  bears  a 
very  fragrant  white  flower,  not  unlike 
the  jasmine."  [Illustration  given  at  p. 
1 1 6.] 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  289  [Note]  : 

"This  tree  is  distinguished  by  the 
extraordinary  swollen  appearance  of 
the  stem,  which  looks  as  though  the 
tree  were  diseased  or  the  result  of  a 
freak  of  nature.  The  youngest  as 
well  as  the  oldest  trees  have  the  same 
deformed  appearance,  and  inside  the 
bark  is  a  soft  juicy  pulp  instead  of 
wood,  which  is  said  to  be  serviceable  as 
an  article  of  food.  The  stem  of  the 
largest  tree  at  Careening  Bay  was 
twenty-nine  feet  in  girth  ;  it  is  named 
the  Adansonia  digitata.  A  species  is 
found  in  Africa.  In  Australia  it  occurs 
only  on  the  north  coast." 

Government,  n.  a  not  unusual 
contraction  of  "  Government  ser- 
vice," used  by  contractors  and 
working  men. 

Government  men,  n.  an 
obsolete  euphemistic  name  for 
convicts,  especially  for  assigned 
servants  (q.v.). 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  <  Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  122  : 

"Three  government  men  or  con- 
victs." 

1852.  J.  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  127  : 

"  Government  men,  as  assigned  serv- 
ants were  called." 


Government  stroke,  n.  a  lazy 
style  of  doing  work,  explained  in 
quotations.  The  phrase  is  not 
dead. 

1856.  W.  W.  Dobie,  '  Recollections  of 
a  Visit  to  Port  Phillip,'  p.  47  : 

"  Government  labourers,  at  ten  shil- 
lings a-day,  were  breaking  stones  with 
what  is  called  *  the  Government  stroke/ 
which  is  a  slow-going,  anti-sweating 
kind  of  motion.  .  .  ." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  c.  ix.  [near  end]  p.  163  : 

"  In  colonial  parlance  the  govern- 
ment stroke  is  that  light  and  easy 
mode  of  labour— perhaps  that  sem- 
blance of  labour — which  no  other 
master  will  endure,  though  govern- 
ment is  forced  to  put  up  with  it." 

1893.  'Otago  Witness,'  December  21, 
p.  9,  col.  I  : 

"The  government  stroke  is  good 
enough  for  this  kind  of  job." 

1897.   '  The  Argus,'  Feb.  22,  p.  4,  col.  9: 

"Like  the  poor  the  unemployed  are 
always  with  us,  but  they  have  a  pen- 
chant for  public  works  in  Melbourne, 
with  a  good  daily  pay  and  the '  Govern- 
ment stroke'  combined." 

Grab-all,  n.  a  kind  of  net  used 
for  marine  fishing  near  the  shore. 
It  is  moored  to  a  piece  of  floating 
wood,  and  by  the  Tasmanian 
Government  regulations  must 
have  a  mesh  of  z\  inches. 

1883.  Edward  O.  Cotton,  'Evidence 
before  Royal  Commission  on  the  Fisheries 
of  Tasmania,'  p.  82  : 

"  Put  a  graball  down  where  you  will 
in  'bell-rope'  kelp,  more  silver  trum- 
peter will  get  in  than  any  other  fish." 

1883.     Ibid.  p.  xvii : 

"Between  sunrise  and  sunset, 
nets,  known  as  'graballs,'  may  be 
used." 

Grammatophore,  n.  scientific 
name  for  "  an  Australian  agamoid 
lizard,  genus  Grammatophora." 
(<  Standard.') 

Grape,  Gippsland,  n.  called 
also  Native  Grape.  An  Australian 
fruit  tree,  Vitis  hypoglauca,  F.v.M., 
N.O.  Vinifera ;  called  Gippsland 
Grape  in  Victoria. 


•GRA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


167 


1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  66 : 

"  Native  grape  ;  Gippsland  grape. 
This  evergreen  climber  yields  black 
edible  fruits  of  the  size  of  cherries. 
This  grape  would  perhaps  be  greatly 
improved  by  culture.  (Mueller.)" 

Grape,  Macquarie  Harbour, 
or  Macquarie  Harbour  Vine 
;(q.v.),  n.  name  given  to  the  climb- 
ing shrub  Muhlenbeckia  adpressa, 
Meissn.,  N.O.  Polygonacecz.  Called 
Native  Ivy  in  Australia.  See 
under  Ivy. 

Grape-eater,  n.  a  bird,  called 
formerly  Fig-eater,  now  known  as 
the  Green-backed  White-eye  (q.v.), 
Zoster  ops  gouldi^  Bp. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv.  pi.  82  : 

"  Zosterops  chloronotus,  Gould, 
•Green-backed  Z. ;  Grape  and  Fig-eater, 
Colonists  of  Swan  River." 

Grass,  n.  In  Australia,  as  else- 
where, the  name  Grass  is  some- 
times given  to  plants  which  are 
not  of  the  natural  order  Grami- 
necE,  yet  everywhere  it  is  chiefly 
to  this  natural  order  that  the 
name  is  applied.  A  fair  propor- 
tion of  the  true  Grasses  common 
to  many  other  countries  in  the 
world,  or  confined,  on  the  one 
hand  to  temperate  zones,  or  on 
the  other  to  tropical  or  sub-trop- 
ical regions,  are  also  indigenous 
to  Australia,  or  Tasmania,  or 
New  Zealand,  or  sometimes  to 
all  three  countries.  In  most  cases 
such  grasses  retain  their  Old- 
World  names,  as,  for  instance, 
Barnyard-  or  Cock-spur  Grass 
{Panicum  crus-galli,  Linn.)  ;  in 
others  they  receive  new  Austra- 
lian names,  as  Ditch  Millet  (Pas- 
palum  scrobitulatum,  F.  v.  M.),  the 
'  Koda  Millet '  of  India  ;  and  still 
again  certain  grasses  named  in 
Latin  by  scientific  botanists  have 
been  distinguished  by  a  vernacular 
English  name  for  the  first  time  in 


Australia,  as  Kangaroo  Grass 
(Anthistiria  ciliata,  Linn.),  which 
was  "long  known  before  Aus- 
tralia became  colonized,  in  South 
Asia  and  all  Africa "  (von  Miil- 
ler),  but  not  by  the  name  of  the 
Kangaroo. 

Beyond  these  considerations, 
the  settlers  of  Australia,  whose 
wealth  depends  chiefly  on  its 
pastoral  occupation,  have  intro- 
duced many  of  the  best  Old- World 
pasture  grasses  (chiefly  of  the 
genera  Poa  and  Festucd],  and 
many  thousands  of  acres  are  said 
to  be  "  laid  down  with  English 
grass"  Some  of  these  are  now 
so  wide-spread  in  their  acclimatiz- 
ation, that  the  botanists  are  at 
variance  as  to  whether  they  are 
indigenous  to  Australia  or  not ; 
the  Couch  Grass,  for  instance 
( Cynodon  dactylon,  Pers.),  or  Indian 
Doub  Grass,  is  generally  con- 
sidered to  be  an  introduced  grass, 
yet  Maiden  regards  it  as  indige- 
nous. 

There  remain,  "from  the  vast 
assemblage  of  our  grasses,  even 
some  hundred  indigenous  to  Aus- 
tralia" (von  Miiller),  and  a  like 
number  indigenous  to  New  Zea- 
land, the  greater  proportion  of 
which  are  endemic.  Many  of 
these,  accurately  named  in  Latin 
and  described  by  the  botanists, 
have  not  yet  found  their  vernacu- 
lar equivalents  ;  for  the  bushman 
and  the  settler  do  not  draw  fine 
botanical  distinctions.  Maiden 
has  classified  and  fully  described 
158  species  as  "Forage  Plants," 
oif  which  over  ninety  have  never 
been  christened  in  English.  Mr. 
John  Buchanan,  the  botanist  and 
draughtsman  to  the  Geographical 
Survey  of  New  Zealand,  has 
prepared  for  his  Government  a 
'  Manual  of  the  Indigenous 
Grasses  of  New  Zealand,'  which 
enumerates  eighty  species,  many 


i68 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[GRA 


of  them  unnamed  in  English,  and 
many  of  them  common  also  to  Aus- 
tralia and  Tasmania.  These  two 
descriptive  works,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  Guilfoyle's  Botany  and 
Travellers'  notes,  have  been  made 
the  basis  of  the  following  list  of 
all  the  common  Australian  names 
applied  to  the  true  Grasses  of  the 
N.O.  Graminea.  Some  of  them 
of  very  special  Australian  charac- 
ter appear  also  elsewhere  in  the 
Dictionary  in  their  alphabetical 
places,  while  a  few  other  plants, 
which  are  grasses  by  name  and 
not  by  nature,  stand  in  such 
alphabetical  place  alone,  and  not 
in  this  list.  For  facility  of  com- 
parison and  reference  the  range 
and  habitat  of  each  species  is 
indicated  in  brackets  after  its 
name;  the  more  minute  limitation 
of  such  ranges  is  not  within  the 
scope  of  this  work.  The  species 
of  Grass  present  in  Australia, 
Tasmania,  and  New  Zealand  are — 

1.  Alpine  Rice  Grass — 
Ehrharta  colensot,  Cook.  (N.Z.) 

2.  Alpine  Whorl  G. — 
Catabrosa  antarctica,   Hook.  f. 

(N.Z.) 

3.  Bamboo  G. — 

Glyceria  ramigera,  F.  v.  M.    (A.) 

Called  also  Cane  Grass. 
Stipa  verticillata,  Nees.     (A.) 

4.  Barcoo  G.  (of  Queensland) — 
Anthistiria  membranacea,  Lindl. 

(A.)     Called    also     Lands- 
borough  Grass. 

5.  Barnyard  G. — 

Panicum  crus-galli,  Linn.  (A., 
not  endemic.)  Called  also 
Cockspur  Grass. 

6.  Bayonet  G. — 

Aciphylla  colensoi.  (N.Z.) 
Called  also  Spear-Grass 
(see  112),  and  Spaniard 
(q.v.). 

7.  Bent  G. — Alpine — 
Agrostis  muellerii)  Benth.   (A., 

N.Z.,  not  endemic.) 


Deyeuxia    setifolia,     Hook.    f. 
(N.Z.) 

8.  Bent  G. — Australian — 
Deyeuxia   scabra,    Benth.    (A., 

T.,  N.Z.) 

9.  Bent  G.— Billardi£re's— 

D.  billardierii,  R.Br.   (A.,   T., 
N.Z.) 

10.  Bent  G. — Brown — 
Agrostis  carina,  Linn.     (N.Z.) 

11.  Bent  G. — Campbell  Island — 
A.  antarctica,  Hook.  f.    (N.Z.) 

12.  Bent  G. — Dwarf  Mountain — 
A.  subululata,  Hook.  f.    (N.Z.) 

13.  Bent  G. — Oat-like— 
Deyeuxia   avenoides.    Hook.   f. 

(N.Z.) 

14.  Bent  G.— Pilose — 
D.pilosa,  Rich.      (N.Z.) 

15.  Bent  G.— Slender- 
Agrostis   scabra,   Willd.     (A., 

T.,  N.Z.) 

16.  Bent  G.— Spiked— 
Deyeuxia  quadriseta,  R.Br.  (A., 

T.,  N.Z.)    Called  also  ^<f 
Grass. 

17.  Bent  G. — Toothea — 

D.  forsteri,    Kunth.     (A.,   T.r 
N.Z.) 

18.  Bent  G.— Young's— 

D.  youngii,  Hook.   f.     (N.Z.) 

19.  Blady  G. — 

Imperata      arundinacea,      Cyr. 
(A.) 

20.  Blue  G.— 

Andropogon   annulatus,   Forst* 

(A.) 

A.pertusus,  Willd.     (A.) 
A.  sericeus,  R.Br.     (A.) 

21.  Brome  G. — Seaside — 
Bromus  arenarius,  Labill.    (A.r 

N.Z.)     Called    also     Wild 
Oats. 

22.  Canary  G. — 

Phalaris  canariensis.     (A. ) 

23.  Cane  G.— 

(i.q.  Bamboo  Grass.     See  3.) 

24.  Chilian  G. — 

(i.q.  Rat-tailed  Grass.     See  97.) 

25.  Cockspur  G. — 

(i.q.  Barnyard  Grass.     See  5.) 


GRA] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


169 


26.  Couch  G.— 

Cynodon  dactylon,  Pers.  (A., 
not  endemic.)  Called  also 
Indian  Doub  Grass. 

27.  Couch  G. — Native — 
Distichlys     maritima,     Raffin- 

esque.     (A.) 

28.  Couch  G.— Water— 

(i.q.  Seaside  Millet.     See  50.) 

29.  Feather  G. — 

(Several  species  of  Stipa.  See 
101.) 

30.  Fescue  G. — Hard — 

Festuca  duriuscula ,  Li n n .  ( Au s- 
tralasia,  not  endemic.) 

31.  Fescue  G. — Poa-like — 

F.  scoparia,  Hook.  f.     (N.Z.) 

32.  Fescue  G. — Sandhill — 

F.  littoralis,  R.Br.,  var.  triti- 
coides,  Benth.  (A.,T.,N.Z.) 

33.  Fescue  G. — Sheeps'— 
f.  ovina,  Linn.     (A.,  T.) 

34.  Finger  G. — Cocksfoot — 
Panicum  sanguinale,  Linn.  (A., 

not  endemic.)  Called  also 
Hairy  Finger  Grass,  and 
Reddish  Panic  Grass. 

35.  Finger  G. — Egyptian — 
Eleusine  cegyptica,   Pers.     (A., 

not  endemic.) 

36.  Finger  G. — Hairy — 

(i.q.  Cocksfoot  Finger  Grass. 
See  33.) 

37.  Foxtail  G. — 

(i.q.  Knee-jointed  Foxtail  Grass. 
See  42.) 

38.  Hair  G.— Crested— 
Koeleria  cristata,  Pers.    (A.,  T., 

N.Z.) 

39.  Hair  G.— Turfy— 
Deschampia   cczspitosa,    Beavo. 

(N.Z.,  not  endemic.) 

40.  Holy  G.— 

Hierochloe  alpina,  Rcem.  & 
Schult.  (Australasia,  not 
endemic.) 

41.  Indian  Doub  G. — 

(i.q.  Couch  Grass.     See  26.) 

42.  Kangaroo    G.      (A.,    T.,    not 

endemic) — 
Andropogon  refractus^  R.Br. 


Anthistiria  avenacea,  F.  v.  M. 
(Called  also  Oat  Grass.) 

A.  ciliata,  Linn.  (Common 
K.G.) 

A.  frondosa,  R.Br.  (Broad- 
leaved  K.G.) 

43.  Knee-jointed  Fox-tail  G.— 
Alopecurus    geniculatus,     Linn. 

(Australasia,  not  endemic.) 

44.  Landsborough  G. — 

(i.q.  Barcoo  Grass.     See  4.) 

45.  Love  G. — Australian — 
Eragrostis  brownii,  Nees.    (A.) 

46.  Manna  G. — 
Glyceriafluitans,  R.Br.    (A.,T.) 

47.  Millet — Australian — 
Panicum   decompositum,     R.Br., 

(A.,  not  endemic.)  Called 
also  Umbrella  Grass. 

48.  Millet— Ditch— 

Paspalum  scrobitulatum,  F.  v.  M. 
(A.,  N.Z.,  not  endemic.) 
The  Koda  Millet  of  India. 

49.  Millet — Equal-glumed — 
Isachne  australis,    R.Br.     (A.y 

N.Z.,  not  endemic.) 

50.  Millet — Seaside — 
Paspalum  distichum,  Burmann, 

(A.,  N.Z.,  not  endemic.) 
Called  also  Silt  Grass,  and 
Water  Couch  Grass. 

51.  Mitchell  G.— 

Astrebla  elymoides,  F.v.  M.   (A.,, 

True  Mitchell  Grass.) 
A.  pectinata,  F.  v.  M.     (A.) 
A.  triticoides,  F.  v.  M.     (A.) 

52.  Mouse  G. — 

(i.q.  Long-haired  Plume  Grass.. 
See  72.) 

53.  Mulga  G. — 

Danthonia  racemosa^  R.Br.  (A.) 
Neurachnea  Mitchelliana,  Nees. 
(A.) 

54.  New  Zealand  Wind  G.— 
Apera     arundinacea,     Palisot. 

(N.Z.,    not   endemic.) 

55.  Oat  G.— 

Anthistiria  avenacea,  F.  v.  M. 
(Called  also  Kangaroo  Grass. 
See  41.) 


170 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[GRA 


56.  Oat  G.— Alpine— 
Danthonia          semi-annularis, 

R.Br.,  var.  alpina.      (N.Z.) 

57.  Oat  G. — Buchanan's — 

D.  buchanii,  Hook.  f.     (N.Z.) 

58.  Oat  G.— Few-flowered— 

D.  paudflora,    R.Br.     (A.,  T., 
N.Z.) 

59.  Oat  G.— Hard— 

D.  pilosa,    R.Br.,   var.  stricta. 
(N.Z.) 

60.  Oat  G.— Naked— 

D.  nuda,  Hook.  f.     (N.Z.) 
-6 1.  Oat  G.— New  Zealand— 

D.  semi-annularis,  R.Br.     (A., 

T.,  N.Z.) 
62.  Oat  G. — Purple-awned — 

D.pilosa,  R.Br.  (A.,  T.,  N.Z.) 
-63.  Oat  G. — Racemed — 

D.  pilosa,  R.Br.,  var.  racemosa. 

(N.Z.) 
€4.  Oat  G. — Shining — 

Trisetum  antarcticum,  Hook.  f. 
(N.Z.) 

65.  Oat  G. — Sheep— 
Danthonia  semi-annular  is, 

R.Br.,  var.  gracilis.     (N.Z.) 

66.  Oat  G.— Spiked— 
Trisetum    subspicatum,    Beauv. 

(Australasia,  not  endemic.) 

67.  Oat  G. — Thompson's  Naked — 
Danthonia      thomsonii       (new 

species). 

68.  Oat  G. — Wiry-leaved— 

D.  raoulii,  Steud,  var.  Aus- 
tralis,  Buchanan.  (N.Z.) 

69.  Oat  G. — Young's — 
Trisetum    youngii,      Hook.    f. 

(N.Z.) 

70.  Panic  G. — Reddish — 

(i.q.  Cocksfoot  Finger- Grass. 
See  34.) 

71.  Panic  G.— Slender— 
Oplismenus  satarius,  var.  Rcem. 

and  Schult.  (A.,  N.Z.,  not 
endemic.) 

72.  Paper  G.— Native— 

Poa  caspitosa,  Forst.  (A.,  T., 
N.Z.)  Called  also  Wiry 
Grass,  Weeping  Polly,  and 


Tussock  Poa  Grass  ;  and,  in 
New  Zealand,  Snow  Grass. 

73.  Plume  G. — Long-haired — 
Dichelachne    crinita,    Hook.    f. 

(A.,  T.,  N.Z.) 

74.  Plume  G. — Short-haired — 
D.  sciurea,  Hook.  f.      (A.,  T., 

N.Z.) 

75.  Poa  G. — Auckland  Island — 
Poa  foliosa,   Hook,  f.,  var.  a. 

(N.Z.) 

76.  Poa  G. — Brown-flowered — 
P.  lindsayi,  Hook.  f.     (N.Z.) 

77.  Poa  G. — Brown  Mountain — 
P.     mackayi      (new    species). 

(N.Z.) 

78.  Poa  G.— Colenso's— 

P.  colensoi,  Hook.  f.     (N.Z.) 

79.  Poa  G. — Common  Field — 

P.  anceps,  Forst.,  var.  b,foliosa, 
Hook.  f.      (N.Z.) 

80.  Poa  G. — Dense-flowered — 
P.  anceps,  Forst.,  var.  d,  densi- 

flora,  Hook.  f.     (N.Z.) 

81.  Poa  G.— Dwarf— 
P.pigmaa (new species).  (N.Z.) 

82.  Poa  G. — Hard  short-stemmed 
P.  anceps,  Forst.,  var.  c,  brevi- 

calmis,  Hook.  f.      (N.Z.) 

83.  Poa  G. — Kirk's— 

P.  kirkii(nzvf  species).   (N.Z.) 

84.  Poa  G. — Large-flowered — 
P.  foliosa,   Hook,  f.,   var.  B. 

(N.Z.) 

85.  Poa  G.— Little— 

P.  exigua,  Hook.  f.      (N.Z.) 

86.  Poa  G. — Minute — 

P.  foliosa,    Hook,   f.,  var.   C. 
(N.Z.) 

87.  Poa  G. — Minute  Creeping — 
P.pusilla,  Berggren.     (N.Z.) 

88.  Poa  G.— Nodding  Plumed— 
P.  anceps,  Forst.,  var.  A,  data, 

Hook.  f.     (N.Z.) 

89.  Poa  G.— One-flowered — 

P.    uniflora     (new     species). 
(N.Z.) 

90.  Poa  G. — Short-glumed — 

P.  breviglumis,  Hook.  f.    (N.Z.) 


GRA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


171 


91. 
92. 

93- 
94. 

95- 

96. 
97- 

98. 

99 
100. 

101. 
102. 

103. 
104. 
105. 

106, 


Poa  G.—  Slender— 

P.    anceps,    Forst.,     var.    E, 

debilis,  Kirk,  Ms.     (N.Z.) 
Poa  G.—  Small  Tussock  — 
P.  intermedia  (new   species). 

(N.Z.) 

Poa  G.—  Tussock— 
P.  easpitosa,   Forst.  (A.,   T., 

N.Z.     See  71.) 
Poa  G.  —  Weak-stemmed  — 
Eragrostis    imbedlla,     Benth. 

(A.,  N.Z.) 

Poa  G.—  White-flowered  — 
Poa    sclerophylla,    Berggren. 

(N.Z.) 

Porcupine  G.  (q.v.)  — 
Triodia  (various  species). 
Rat-tailed  G.  — 
Sporobulus  indicus,  R.Br.  (A., 

N.Z.,  not  endemic.)  Called 

also  Chilian  Grass. 
Ischceum  laxum,  R.Br. 
Reed  G.— 
Pragmites     communis, 

(N.Z.     See  16.) 
Rice  G.  — 

Leer  sia  hexandria,  SIN  & 
Rice  G.—  Bush— 
Aficrotana  avenacea,  Hook.  f. 

(N.Z.) 

Rice  G.  —  Knot-jointed  — 
M.polynoda,  Hook.  f.    (N.Z.) 
Rice  G.  —  Meadow  — 
M.    stipoides,    R.Br.     (A.,T., 

N.Z.)   Called  also  Weeping 

Grass. 

Roly-Poly  G.  — 
Panicum  macractinum,  Benth. 

(A.) 

Rough-bearded  G.  — 
Echinopogon    ovatus,    Palisot. 

(A.,  T.,  N.Z.) 
Sacred  G.  — 
Hierochloe      redo  lens,      R.Br. 

(Australasia,  not  endemic.) 

Called  also  Scented  Grass, 

and  Sweet-scented  Grass. 
Scented  G.  — 
\Chryscpogon  pa  rviflorus^  Benth. 

(A.)     See  also  105. 


(A.) 
Trin. 


.  (A.) 


107.  Seaside  Brome  G. — 

(i.q.  Brome  Grass      See  21.) 

108.  Silt  G.— 

(i.q.  Seaside  Millet.     See  50.) 

109.  Seaside  Glumeless  G. — 
Gymnostychum  gractle,  Hook. 
'    f.     (N.Z.) 

1 10.  Snow  G.  (q.v.) — 

(i.q.   Paper  Grass.     See  72.) 

(N.Z.) 
in.  Spear  G.  (q.v.) — 

Aciphylla     colensoi.        (N.Z.) 

Called  also  Spaniard  (q.v.). 
Heteropogon   contortus,   Roem. 

and  Shult.  (N.Z.),  and  all 

species  of  Stipa  (A.,  T.). 

112.  Spider  G. — 

Panicum  divaricatissimum,   R. 
Br.     (A.) 

113.  Spinifex  G.  (q.v.) — 
Spinifeoc  hirsutus,  Labill.  (A., 

T.,  N.Z.,  not  endemic.) 
Called  also  Spiny  Rolling 
Grass. 

114.  Star  G.— Blue— 

Chloris  ventricosa,  R.Br.    (A.) 

115.  Star  G. — Dog's  Tooth — 
C.  divaricata,  R.Br.     (A.) 

116.  Star  G. — Lesser — 

C.  acicularis,  Lindl.     (A.) 

117.  Sugar  G. — 

Pollinia  fulva,  Benth.     (A.) 

118.  Summer  G. — 

(i.q.  HairyFinger  Grass.    See 

36.) 

119.  Sweet  G. — 

Glyceria  stricta,  Hook.  f.     (A., 
T.,  N.Z.) 

120.  Sweet-scented  G. — 

(i.q.  Sacred  Grass.     See  105.) 

121.  Traveller's  G.(N,O.Arotdea). 
(i.q.  Settlers'  Twine,  q.v.) 

122.  Tussock  G. — 
(See  93  and  72.) 

123.  Tussock    G.  —  Broad-leaved 
Oat — 
Danthoniaflavescens,  Hook.  f. 

(N.Z.) 


172 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[GRA 


124.  TussockG. — Erect  Plumed — 
Arundo   fulvida,     Buchanan. 

(N.Z.)    Maori  name,   Toi- 
toi  (q.v.). 

125.  Tussock  G. — Narrow-leaved 

Oat— 

Danthonia  raoulii,  Steud. 
(N.Z.) 

126.  Tussock  G.— Plumed — 
Arundo    conspicua,    A.  Cunn. 

(N.Z.)     Maori  name,  Toi- 
toi  (q.v.). 

127.  Tussock  G. — Small-flowered 

Oat— 

Danthonia  cunninghamii, 

Hook.  f.     (N.Z.) 

128.  Petrie's  Stipa  G.— 

Stipa  petriei  (new  species). 
See  101.  (N.Z.) 

129.  Umbrella  G. — 

(i.q.    Australian   Millet.     See 

47-) 

130.  Wallaby  G. — 
Danthonia  penicileata,  F.  v.  M. 

(A.,  N.Z.) 

131.  Weeping  G. — 

(i.q.  Meadow  Rice  Grass. 
See  102.) 

132.  Weeping  Polly  G. — 

(i.q.  Paper  Grass.     See  72.) 

133.  Wheat  G.— Blue— 
Agropyrum    scabrum,    Beauv. 

(A.,  T.,  N.Z.) 

134.  Wheat  G. — Short-awned — 
Triticum  multiflorum,    Banks 

and  Sol.     (N.Z.) 

135.  White-topped  G. — 
Danthonia  longifolia,  R.Br.  (A.) 

136.  Windmill  G.— 

Chloris  truncata,  R.Br.     (A.) 

137.  Wire  G.— 

Ehrharta  juncea,  Sprengel ; 
a  rush-like  grass  of  hilly 
country.  (A.,  T.,  N.Z.) 

Cynodon  dactylum,  Pers.  ;  so 
called  from  its  knotted, 
creeping,  wiry  roots,  so 
difficult  to  eradicate  in 
gardens  and  other  culti- 
vated land.  (Not  en- 
demic.) See  26. 


138.  WiryG.— 

(i.q.  Paper  Grass.     See  72.) 

139.  Wiry  Dichelachne  G. — 
Stipa   teretefolia,   Steud.    (A.,, 

T.,  N.Z.) 

140.  Woolly-headed  G.— 
Andropogon  bombycinus,  R.Br. 

(A.) 

141.  Vandyke  G. — 

Panicum  flavidum,  Retz.    (A.) 

Grass-bird,  n.  In  New  Zea- 
land, Sphenceacus  punctatus,  Gray, 
the  same  as  Fern-bird  (q.v.)  ;  in 
Australia,  Megalurus  (Sphenczacus) 
gramineus,  Gould. 

Grass-leaved.  Fern,  n.  Vittaria 
elongata,  Swartz,  N.O.  Filices. 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey,  'Synopsis  of  Queens- 
land Flora/  p.  693  : 

"  Grass-leaved  fern.  .  .  .  Frond 
varying  in  length  from  a  few  inches  to 
several  feet,  and  with  a  breadth  of 
from  one  to  five  lines.  .  .  .  This 
curious  grass-like  fern  may  be  fre- 
quently seen  fringing  the  stems  of 
the  trees  in  the  scrubs  of  tropical 
Queensland,  in  which  situation  the 
fronds  are  usually  very  long." 

Grass-Parrakeet,  n.  a  bird  of 
the  genus  Euphema.  The  Aus- 
tralian species  are — 

Blue-winged  Parrakeet — 

Euphema  aurantia,  Gould. 
Bourke's  P.— 

E.  bourkii)  Gould. 
Grass-P. — 

E.  elegant,  Gould. 
Orange-bellied  P. — 

E.  chrysogastra,  Lath. 
Orange-throated  P. — 

E.  splendida,  Gould. 
Red-shouldered  P.— 

E.  pulchella,  Shaw. 
Warbling  Grass-P. — 

Gould's    name   for    Budgerigar 
(q.v.). 

See  also  Rock-Parrakeet  {Eu- 
phema petrophila,  Gould),  which  is 
sometimes  classed  as  a  Grass- 
Parrakeet. 


•GRA] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


Grass-tree,  n.  (i)  The  name 
applied  to  trees  of  the  genus 
Xanthorrhcea,  N.O.  Liliacece,  of 
which  thirteen  species  are  known 
in  Australia.  See  also  Richea. 

(2)  In  New  Zealand  Pseudopanax 
crassifolium,  Seemann,  N.O.  Ara- 
leacecB.     When  young,  this  is  the 
same   as    Umbrella-tree^    so  called 
from  its  appearance  like  the  ribs 
of  an  umbrella.     When  older,  it 
grows  more  straight  and  is  called 
Lancewood  (q.v.). 

(3)  In  Tasmania,   besides    two 
species  of  Xanthorrhcea  the  Grass- 
tree  of  the  mainland,   the  Richea 
dracophylla,  R.Br. ,  N.  O.  Epacridece, 
found  on  Mount  Wellington,  near 
Hobart,   is  also    known    by  that 
name,  whilst  the  Richea  pandani- 

Jolia,  Hook.,  found  in  the  South- 
west forests,  is  called  the  Giant 
Grass-tree.  Both  these  are  pecu- 
liar to  the  island. 

(4)  An  obsolete  name  for  Cordy- 
line  australis,  Hook.,  JV.  O.  Lilia- 
cea,    now    more     usually     called 
Cabbage-tree  (q.v.). 

1802.  D.  Collins,  'Account  of  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  153  : 

"A  grass  tree  grows  here,  similar 
in  every  respect  to  that  about  Port 
Jackson." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  347  : 

"  Yielding  frequently  a  very  weak 
and  sour  kind  of  grass,  interspersed 
with  a  species  of  bulrush  called  grass- 
trees,  which  are  universal  signs  of 
poverty." 

*833.  C.  Sturt,  'Southern  Australia,' 
vol.  II.  c.  iii.  p.  54 : 

"  The  grass-tree  is  not  found  west- 
ward of  the  mountains." 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  ii.  p.  308: 

"  We  approached  a  range  of  barren 
hills  of  clay  slate,  on  which  grew  the 
grass-tree  (Xanthorhcea)  and  stunted 
eucalypti." 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  'Poems,'  p.  74: 
"The   shimmering  sunlight  fell    and 
kissed 

The  grass-tree's  golden  sheaves." 


1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  132: 

"  Here  and  there,  in  moist  places, 
arises  isolated  the  'grass-tree3  or 
'cabbage-tree'  (Ti  of  the  natives; 
Cordyline  Australis}" 

1874.  Garnet  Walch,  'Head  over  Heels,' 
p.  80: 

"The  grass-trees  in  front,  blame  my 

eyes, 

Seemed  like  plumes  on  the  top  of  a 
hearse." 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller,  '  Botanic  Teachings,' 
p.  119: 

"  How  strikingly  different  the  ex- 
ternal features  of  plants  may  be, 
though  floral  structure  may  draw  them 
into  congruity,  is  well  demonstrated 
by  our  so-called  grass-trees,  which 
pertain  truly  to  the  liliaceous  order. 
These  scientifically  defined  as  Xan- 
thorhosas  from  the  exudation  of  yellow- 
ish sap,  which  indurates  into  resinous 
masses,  have  all  the  essential  notes  of 
the  order,  so  far  as  structure  of  flowers 
and  fruits  is  concerned,  but  their  palm- 
like  habit,  together  with  cylindric  spikes 
on  long  and  simple  stalks,  is  quite 
peculiar,  and  impresses  on  landscapes, 
when  these  plants  in  masses  are  occur- 
ing,  a  singular  feature." 

1879.  A.  R.  Wallace,  'Australasia' 
(ed.  1893),  p.  52  : 

"  The  grass  trees  (Xanthorrhoea)  are 
a  peculiar  feature  in  the  Australian 
landscape.  From  a  rugged  stem,  vary- 
ing from  two  to  ten  or  twelve  feet  in 
height,  springs  a  tuft  of  drooping  wiry 
foliage,  from  the  centre  of  which  rises 
a  spike  not  unlike  a  huge  bulrush. 
When  it  flowers  in  winter,  this  spike 
becomes  covered  with  white  stars,  and 
a  heath  covered  with  grass  trees  then 
has  an  appearance  at  once  singular 
and  beautiful." 

1882.  A.  Tolmer,  '  Reminiscences,'  vol. 
ii.  p.  102: 

"The  root  of  the  grass-tree  is 
pleasant  enough  to  eat,  and  tastes 
something  like  the  meat  of  the  almond- 
tree  ;  but  being  unaccustomed  to  the 
kind  of  fare,  and  probably  owing  to 
the  empty  state  of  our  stomachs,  we 
suffered  severely  from  diarrhoea." 

1885.  H.  Finch- Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  43 : 

"  Grass-trees  are  most  comical-look- 
ing objects.  They  have  a  black  bare 


174 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GRA-GRE 


stem,  from  one  to  eight  feet  high,  sur- 
mounted by  a  tuft  of  half  rushes  and 
half  grass,  out  of  which,  again,  grows 
a  long  thing  exactly  like  a  huge  bull- 
rush.  A  lot  of  them  always  grow 
together,  and  a  little  way  off  they  are 
not  unlike  the  illustrations  of  Red- 
Indian  chiefs  in  Fenimore  Cooper's 
novels." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  59  : 

"It  \Pseudopanax  crassifolitun,  the 
Horoekd\  is  commonly  called  lance- 
wood  by  the  settlers  in  the  North 
Island,  and  grass-tree  by  those  in 
the  South.  This  species  was  dis- 
covered during  Cook's  first  voyage, 
and  it  need  cause  no  surprise  to  learn 
that  the  remarkable  difference  between 
the  young  and  mature  states  led  so 
able  a  botanist  as  Dr.  Solander  to 
consider  them  distinct  plants." 

1896.  Baldwin  Spencer.  '  Home  Expe- 
dition in  Central  Australia,'  Narrative, 
p.  98: 

"As  soon  as  we  came  upon  the 
Plains  we  found  ourselves  in  a  belt  of 
grass  trees  belonging  to  a  species  not 
hitherto  described  (X.  Thorntoni}.  .  .  . 
The  larger  specimens  have  a  stem 
some  five  or  six  feet  high,  with  a  crown 
of  long  wiry  leaves  and  a  flowering 
stalk,  the  top  of  which  is  fully  twelve 
feet  above  the  ground." 

[Compare  Blackboy  and  Maori- 
head.^ 

Grayling,  n.  The  Australian  fish 
of  that  name  is  Prototroctes  marczna, 
Giinth.  It  is  called  also  the 
Fresh-water  Herring,  Yarra  Herring 
(in  Melbourne),  Cucumber-Fish, 
and  Cucumber- Mullet.  The  last 
two  names  are  given  to  it  from 
its  smell.  It  closely  resembles 
the  English  Grayling. 

1880.  W.  Senior,  'Travel  and  Trout,' 
P-  93: 

"  These  must  be  the  long-looked-for 
cucumber  mullet,  or  fresh-water  her- 
ring. .  .  .  <  The  cucumber  mullet,'  I 
explain,  *  I  have  long  suspected  to  be 
a  grayling.' " 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales/  p.  109  : 

"  Though  not  a  fish  of  New  South 
Wales,  it  may  be  as  well  to  mention 


here  the  Australian  grayling,  which 
in  character,  habits,  and  the  manner 
of  its  capture  is  almost  identical  with 
the  English  fish  of  that  name.  In 
shape  there  is  some  difference  between 
the  two  fish.  ...  A  newly  caught  fish 
smells  exactly  like  a  dish  of  fresh-sliced 
cucumber.  It  is  widely  distributed  in 
Victoria,  and  very  abundant  in  all  the 
fresh-water  streams  of  Tasmania.  .  .  . 
In  Melbourne  it  goes  by  the  name  of 
the  Yarra  herring.  There  is  another 
species  in  New  Zealand." 

1889.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Austral- 
asia/ vol.  iv.  p.  206 : 

"The  river  abounds  in  delicious 
grayling  or  cucumber  fish,  rather 
absurdly  designated  the  'herring'  in 
this  [Deloraine]  and  some  other  parts 
of  the  colony  [Tasmania]." 

Grebe,  n.  common  English 
bird-name,  of  the  genus  Podiceps. 
The  species  known  in  Australia 
are — 

Black-throated  Grebe — 

Podiceps  novce-hollandia,  Gould. 
Hoary-headed  G. — 

P.  nestor,  Gould. 
Tippet  G. — 

P.  cristatus,  Linn. 
But  Buller  sees  no  reason  for  sep- 
arating P.  cristatus  from  the  well- 
known  P.  cristatus  of  Europe. 
Some  of  the  Grebes  are  sometimes 
called  Dabchicks  (q.v.). 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  <  Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  285  : 

"  The  Crested  Grebe  is  generally- 
speaking  a  rare  bird  in  both  islands." 

Greenhide,  n.  See  quotation. 
Greenhide  is  an  English  tannery 
term  for  the  hide  with  the  hair 
on  before  scouring. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  27: 

"  Drivers,  who  walked  beside  their 
teams  carrying  over  their  shoulders  a 
long-handled  whip  with  thong  of  raw 
salted  hide,  called  in  the  colony 
'  greenhide.' " 

Greenie,  n.  a  school-boys' 
name  for  Ptilotis penicillata,  Gould,, 
the  White-plumed  Honey-eater. 


GRE] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


1896.  '  The  Australasian,'  Jan.  u,  p.  73, 
col.  i  : 

"  A  bird  smaller  than  the  Australian 
minah,  and  of  a  greenish  yellowish 
hue,  larger,  but  similar  to  the  members 
of  the  feathered  tribe  known  to  young 
city  '  knights  of  the  catapult J  as 
greenies." 

1897.  A.  J.  Campbell  (in  '  The  Austral- 
asian,3 Jan.  23),  p.  180,  col.  5  : 

"  Every  schoolboy  about  Melbourne 
knows  what  the  'greenie'  is— the  white- 
plumed  honey-eater  (P.  penicillata). 
The  upper-surface  is  yellowish-grey, 
and  the  under-surface  brownish  in 
tone.  The  white-plumed  honey-eater 
is  common  in  Victoria,  where  it  appears 
to  be  one  of  the  few  native  birds  that 
is  not  driven  back  by  civilisation.  In 
fact,  its  numbers  have  increased  in  the 
parks  and  gardens  in  the  vicinity  of 
Melbourne." 

Green-leek,  n.  an  Australian 
Parrakeet.  See  quotation. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  v.  pi.  15 : 

u  Poly felis  Barrabandi,  Wagl,  Bar- 
raband's  Parrakeet ;  Green-leek  of  the 
colonists  of  New  South  Wales." 

1855.  R.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  123  : 

"We  observed  in  the  hollow  trees 
several  nests  of  the  little  green  paro- 
quet,— here,  from  its  colour,  called  the 
leek." 

Green  Lizard,  n.  sometimes 
called  the  Spotted  Green  Lizardy 
a  New  Zealand  reptile,  Naultinus 
elegans.  Gray. 

Green  Oyster,  n.  name  given  in 
Queensland  to  the  sea-weed  Ulva 
lactuca.  Linn.,  N.O.  Alga.  From 
being  frequently  found  attached 
to  oysters,  this  is  sometimes 
called  "Green  Oyster."  (Bailey.) 
See  Oyster. 

Greenstone,  n.  popular  name 
of  Nephrite  (q.v.).  Maori  name, 
Pounamu  (q.v.). 

1859.  A-  S.  Thomson,  '  Story  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  140 : 

"The  greenstone  composing  these 
implements  of  war  is  called  nephrite 
by  mineralogists,  and  is  found  in  the 


Middle  Island  of  New  Zealand,  in  the 
Hartz,  Corsica,  China  and  Egypt.  The 
most  valuable  kind  is  clear  as  glass 
with  a  slight  green  tinge." 

1889.  Dr.  Hocken,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  181 : 

"This  valued  stone — pounamu  of 
the  natives — nephrite,  is  found  on  the 
west  coast  of  the  South  Island.  In- 
deed, on  Captain  Cook's  chart  this 
island  is  called  '  T;Avai  Poenammoo ' 
— Te  wai  pounamu,  the  water  of  the 
greenstone." 

1892.  F.  R.  Chapman,  'The  Working 
of  Greenstone  by  the  Maoris  '  (New  Zea- 
land Institute),  p.  4 : 

"  In  the  title  of  this  paper  the  word 
'  greenstone '  occurs,  and  this  word  is 
used  throughout  the  text.  I  am  quite 
conscious  that  the  term  is  not  geo- 
logically or  mineralogically  correct; 
but  the  stone  of  which  I  am  writing  is 
known  by  that  name  throughout  New 
Zealand,  and,  though  here  as  elsewhere 
the  scientific  man  employs  that  word 
to  describe  a  totally  different  class  of 
rock,  I  should  run  the  risk  of  being 
misunderstood  were  I  to  use  any  other 
word  for  what  is  under  that  name  an 
article  of  commerce  and  manufacture 
in  New  Zealand.  It  is  called  'pounamu' 
or  'poenamu'  by  the  Maoris,  and  'jade,' 
'jadeite,'  or  '  nephrite '  by  various 
writers,  while  old  books  refer  to  the 
'  green  talc '  of  the  Maoris." 

Green-tops,  ^.Tasmanian  name 
for  the  Orchid,  Pterostylis peduncu- 
lata,  R.  Br. 

Green-tree  Ant,  n.  common 
Queensland  Ant. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  294: 

"  It  was  at  the  lower  part  of  the 
Lynd  that  we  first  saw  the  green-tree 
ant ;  which  seemed  to  live  in  small 
societies  in  rude  nests  between  the 
green  leaves  of  shady  trees." 

Green  Tree-snake,  n.  See 
under  Snake. 

Grevillea,  n.  a  large  genus  of 
trees  of  Australia  and  Tasma- 
nia, N.O.  Proteacece,  named  in 
honour  of  the  Right  Hon.  Charles 
Francis  Greville,  Vice-President 
of  the  Royal  Society  of  London.. 


1 76 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GRE-GRO 


The  name  was  given  by  Robert 
Brown  in  1809.  The  'Century' 
Dictionary  gives  Professor  Gre- 
ville  as  the  origin  of  the  name  ; 
but  "Professor  Robert  K.  Greville 
of  Edinburgh  was  born  on  the 
1 4th  Dec.,  1794,  he  was  therefore 
only  just  fourteen  years  old  when 
the  genus  Grevillea  was  estab- 
lished." ('  Private  letter  from 
Baron  F.  von  Miiller.') 

1851.   'Quarterly  Review,'  Dec.,  p.  40: 
"  Whether     Dryandra,     Grevillea, 
Hakea,  or  the    other   Proteacecz,   all 
may  take  part  in  the  same  glee — 

"*  It  was  a  shrub  of  orders  grey 
Stretched  forth  to  show  his  leaves." 

1888.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iii.  p.  138: 

"Graceful  grevilleas,  which  in  the 
spring  are  gorgeous  with  orange- 
coloured  blossoms." 

Grey-jumper,  n.  name  given 
to  an  Australian  genus  of  spar- 
row-like birds,  of  which  the  only 
species  is  Struthidea  cinerea,  Gould ; 
also  called  Brachystoma  and  Brachy- 
porus. 

Grey  Nurse,  n.  a  New  South 
Wales  name  for  a  species  of 
Shark,  Odontaspis  americanus, 
Mitchell,  family  Lamnidce,  which 
is  not  confined  to  Australasia. 

Gridironing,  v.  a  term  used  in 
the  province  of  Canterbury,  New 
Zealand.  A  man  purchased  land 
in  the  shape  of  a  gridiron,  know- 
ing that  nobody  would  take  the 
intermediate  strips,  which  later 
he  could  purchase  at  his  leisure. 
In  other  provinces  free-selection 
(q.v.)  was  only  allowed  after 
survey. 

Grinder,  n.  See  Razor-grinder 
-and  Dishwasher. 

Groper,  n.  a  fish.  In  Queens- 
land, Oligorus  terrcz-regince,  Ram- 
say ;  in  New  Zealand,  O.  gigas, 
"called  by  the  Maoris  and  col- 
onists 'HapukuJ"  (Giinther) — a 


large  marine  species.  Oligorus  is 
a  genus  of  the  family  Percidce,  and 
the  Murray- Cod  (Q.V.)  and  Murray- 
Perch  (q.v.)  belong  to  it.  There 
is  a  fish  called  the  Grouper  or 
Groper  of  warm  seas  quite  distinct 
from  this  one.  See  Cod,  Perch, 
Blue- Groper  and  Hapuku. 

Ground-berry,  i.q.  Cranberry 
(q.v.). 

Ground-bird,  n.  name  given  in 
Australia  to  any  bird  of  the  genus 
Cinclosoma.  The  species  are — 

Chestnut-backed  Ground-bird — 

Cinclosoma  castaneonotum,  Gould. 
Chestnut-breasted  G.-b. — 

C.  castaneothorax ,  Gould. 
Cinnamon  G.-b. — 

C.  cinnamomeum^  Gould. 
Northern,  or  Black-vented  G.-b. — 

C.  marginatuni)  Sharpe. 
Spotted  G.-b. — 

C.  punctatum,  Lath.,  called   by 
Gould  Ground-Dove  (q.v.). 

Ground-Dove,  n.  (i)  Tasmanian 
name  for  the  Spotted  Ground-bird 
(q.v.). 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv.  pi.  4  : 

"  Cinclosoma  punctatum^  Vig.  and 
Horsf.,  Spotted  Ground-thrush.  In 
Hobart  Town  it  is  frequently  exposed 
for  sale  in  the  markets  with  bronze- 
fwing  pigeons  and  wattle-birds,  where 
it  is  known  by  the  name  of  ground- 
dove  ...  very  delicate  eating." 

(2)  The  name  is  given  by  Gould 
to  three  species  of  Geopelia. 

1848.  J.   Gould,    'Birds   of    Australia,' 
vol.  v.  pis.  72,  73,  74  : 
"  Geopelia    humeralis,     Barred-shoul- 
dered Ground-dove "  (pi.  72) ; 
"  G.  tranquilla  "  (pi.  73) ; 
"  G.  cuneata,  Graceful  Ground-dove  " 

(Pi-  74). 

Ground-Lark,  n.  (i)  In  New 
Zealand,  a  bird  also  called  by  the 
Maori  names,  Pihoihoi  and  Hioi. 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  63  : 

"  Anthus  NovaZelandice,  Gray,  New 


GRO-GUL] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


177 


Zealand  Pipit  ;  Ground-Lark  of  the 
Colonists." 

(2)  In  Australia,  the  Australian 
Pipit  (Anthus  australis)  is  also 
called  a  Ground-lark. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iii.  pi.  73  : 

"  Anthus  Australis,  Vig.  and  Horsf., 
Australian  Pipit.  The  Pipits,  like 
many  other  of  the  Australian  birds, 
are  exceedingly  perplexing." 

Ground-Parrakeet,  n.  See 
Parrakeet  and  Pezoporus. 

Ground- Parrot,  n.  (i)  The 
bird  Psittacus  pulchellus,  Shaw. 
For  the  Ground-parrot  of  New 
Zealand,  see  Kakapo. 

1793.  G.  Shaw,  '  Zoology  [and  Botany] 
of  New  Holland,'  p.  10  : 

"Long-tailed  green  Parrot,  spotted 
with  black  and  yellow,  .  .  .  the  Ground 
Parrot." 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Trans- 
actions of  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p. 
278: 

"  The  settlers  call  it  ground-parrot. 
It  feeds  upon  the  ground." 

Ibid.  p.  286  : 

"  What  is  called  the  ground-parrot 
at  Sydney  inhabits  the  scrub  in  that 
neighbourhood." 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  '  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
p.  298  : 

"The  ground-parrot,  green,  with 
mottlings  of  gold  and  black,  rose  like 
a  partridge  from  the  heather,  and  flew 
low." 

(2)  Slang  name  for  a  small 
farmer.  See  Cockatoo,  n.  (2). 

Ground-Thrush,  //.  name  of 
birds  found  all  over  the  world. 
The  Australian  species  are — 

Geocincla  lunulata,  Lath. 
Broadbent  Ground-Thrush — 

G.  cuneata. 
Large-billed  G. — 

G.  macrorhyncha,  Gould. 
Russet-tailed  G.— 

G.  heinii,  Cab. 

Grub,  v.  to  clear  (ground)  of  the 
roots.  To  grub  has  long  been 


English  for  to  dig  up  by  the  roots. 
It  is  Australian  to  apply  the  word 
not  to  the  tree  but  to  the  land. 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  i.  p.  185 : 

"Employed  with  others  in  'grub- 
bing '  a  piece  of  new  land  which  was 
heavily  timbered." 

1869.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Tasmanian  Me- 
mory of  1834,'  p.  10  : 

"A  bit  of  land  all  grubbed  and 
clear'd  too." 

Guana,  or  Guano,  n.  i.q.  Goanna 
(q.v.). 

Guard-fish,  n.  Erroneous  spell- 
ing of  Garfish  (q.v.). 

Gudgeon,  n.  The  name  is  given 
in  New  South  Wales  to  the  fish 
Rleotris  coxii,  Krefft,  of  the  family 
of  the  Gobies. 

Guitar  Plant,  a  Tasmanian 
shrub,  Lomatia  tinctoria,  R.Br., 
N.O.  Proteacece. 

Gull,  n.  common  English  name 
for  a  sea-bird.  The  Australian  spe- 
cies are — 

Long-billed  Gull— 

Larus  longirostris,  Masters. 
Pacific  G. — 

L.  padficus,  Lath. 
Silver  G.— 

L.  nova-hollandice,  Steph. 
Torres-straits  G. — 

L.  gouldi,  Bp. 

Gully,  n.  a  narrow  valley.  The 
word  is  very  common  in  Australia, 
and  is  frequently  used  as  a  place- 
name.  It  is  not,  however,  Austra- 
lian. Dr.  Skeat  ('Etymological 
Dictionary ')  says, ' '  a  channel  worn 
by  water."  Curiously  enough, 
his  first  quotation  is  from  *  Capt. 
Cook's  Third  Voyage/  b.  iv.  c.  4. 
Skeat  adds, "  formerly  written  gul- 
let :  '  It  meeteth  afterward  with 
another  gullet,'  i.e.  small  stream. 
Holinshed,  '  Description  of 
Britain,'  c.  n  :  F.  goulet,  'a 
gullet  ...  a  narrow  brook  or 

N 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GUL-GUM 


deep  gutter  of  water.'  (Cotgrave.) 
Thus  the  word  is  the  same  as 
gullet."  F.  goulet  is  from  Latin 
gula.  Gulch  is  the  word  used  in 
the  Pacific  States,  especially  in 
California. 

1773.  '  Hawkesworth's  Voyages,'  vol. 
iii.  p.  532 — Captain  Cook's  First  Voyage, 
May  30,  1770  : 

"  The  deep  gullies,  which  were  worn 
by  torrents  from  the  hills." 

1802.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  214  : 

"  A  man,  in  crossing  a  gully  between 
Sydney  and  Parramatta,  was,  in  at- 
tempting to  ford  it,  carried  away  by 
the  violence  of  the  torrent,  and 
drowned." 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  17  : 
"  The  gums  in  the  gully  stand  gloomy 
and  stark." 

1867.  A.  L.  Gordon,  'Sea-spray,  etc.,' 
P-  134  : 

"  The  gullies  are  deep  and  the  uplands 
are  steep." 

1875.  Wood  and  Lapham,  '  Waiting  for 
the  Mail,'  p.  1 6  : 

"The  terrible  blasts  that  rushed 
down  the  narrow  gully,  as  if  through  a 
funnel." 

Gully-raker,  n.  a  long  whip. 

1881.  A  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  40  : 

"  The  driver  appealing  occasionally 
to  some  bullock  or  other  by  name, 
following  up  his  admonition  by  a 
sweeping  cut  of  his  '  gully-raker,3  and  a 
report  like  a  musket-shot." 

Gum,  or  Gum-tree,  n.  the 
popular  name  for  any  tree  of  the 
various  species  of  Eucalyptus. 
The  word  Gum  is  also  used  in  its 
ordinary  English  sense  of  exuded 
sap  of  certain  trees  and  shrubs,  as 
e.g.  Wattle-gum  (q.v.)in  Australia, 
and  Kauri-gum  (q.v.)  in  New  Zea- 
land. In  America,  the  gum-tree 
usually  means  "  the  Liquidambar 
styraclflua^  favourite  haunt  of  the 
opossum  and  the  racoon,  whence 
the  proverbial  possum  up  a  gum- 
tree"  ('Current  Americanisms,' 
s.v.  Gum.) 


The  names  of  the  various  Aus- 
tralian Gum-trees  are  as  follows — 

Apple     Gum,    or     Apple-scented 
Gum — 

Eucalyptus  stuartianay  F.  v.  M. 
Bastard  G.— 

E.  gunnii,  Hook. 
Bastard  Blue  G.— 

E.  leucoxylon,   F.  v.  M.  (South 

Australia). 
Bastard  White  G.— 

E.  gunnii)  Hook.   (South  Aus- 
tralia) ; 

E.  radiata  (Tasmania). 
Black  G.— 

E.  stellulata,  Sieb. 
Black-butted  G.— 

E.  pillularis,  Smith  (Victoria) ; 

E.  regnans,  F.  v.  M.  (New  South 

Wales).     See  Blackbutt. 
Blue  G.  [see  also  Blue-Gum]— 

E.  botryoideS)  Smith  (New  South 
Wales) ; 

E.  diversicolor,  F.  v.  M.  [Karri]; 

E.  globuluS)  Labill.  ; 

E.  goniocalyX)  F.  v.  M.  ; 

E.  leucoxylon,   F.  v.   M.  (South 
Australia)  [Ironbark] ; 

E.  saligna,  Smith  ; 

E.  tereticornis,  Smith  ; 

E.  vimtnalis,  Labill.  (West  New 

South  Wales). 
Botany  Bay  G.— 

E.  rcsinifcra,  Smith. 
Brittle  G.— 

E.  hczmastoma,  Smith  ; 

E.  micrantha^  Smith. 
Brown  G. — 

E.  robusta^  Smith. 
Cabbage  G.— 

E.  sieberiana,    F.  v.  M.   (Braid- 
wood,  New  South  Wales). 
Cider  G.— 

E.  gunnii^  Hook.  (Tasmania). 
Citron-scented  G.— 

E.  maculata,  Hook. 
Creek  G.— 

E.  rostrata,  Schlecht  (West  New 
South  Wales). 


•GUM] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


179 


Curly  White  G.— 

E.  radiata  (Tasmania). 
Dark  Red  G.— 

E.  rostrata,  Schlecht. 
Desert  G.— 

E.  eudesmoides^   F.  v.   M.  (Cen- 
tral Australia)  ; 
E.  gracilis,  F.  v.  M. 
Drooping  G. — 

E.  pauciflora,  Sieb.  (Drooping 
Gum  in  Tasmania  is  E.  ris- 
doni,  Hook.,  N.O.  Myrtacece  ; 
the  tree  is  peculiar  to  Tas- 
mania) ; 
E.  viminalis,  Labill.  (New  South 

Wales). 
Flood,  or  Flooded  G.— 

E.    gunnii,     Hook.     (Bombala, 

New  South  Wales)  ; 
E.  micro theca,  F.  v.  M.  (Carpen- 
taria and  Central  Australia) ; 
E.  rostrata,  Schlecht ; 
E.  saligna,  Smith  ; 
E.  tereticornis,       Smith       (New 

South  Wales). 
Fluted  G.— 

E.  salubris,  F.  v.  M. 
Forest  G.— 

E.     rostrata,    Schlecht    (South 

Australia). 
Giant  G.— 

E.  amygdalina,  Labill. 
Gimlet  G. — 

E.  salubris,  F.  v.  M. 
Green  G. — 

E.  stellulata,  Sieb.  (East  Gipps- 

land). 
Grey  G.— 

E.  crebra,  F.  v.  M.  ; 
E.  goniocalyx,    F.  v.   M.     (New 
South  Wales,  east  of  Divid- 
ing range) ; 
E.punctata,  DeC.  (South  Coast 

of  New  South  Wales) ; 
E.  raveretiana,  F.  v.  M  ; 
E.  resinifera,  Smith  ; 
E.  saligna,   Smith   (New  South 

Wales)  ; 

E.     tereticornis,     Smith     (New 
South  Wales)  ; 


E.  mminalis,  Labill  (Sydney) ; 
Honey-scented  G. — 

JS.  melliodora,)  Cunn. 
Iron  G.— 

E.  raveretiana,  F.  v.  M. 
Lemon-scented,  or  Lemon  G. — 

E.  titriodora,  Hook.  f. 
Lead  G.— 

E.  stellulata,  Cunn. 
Mallee  G.— 

E.    dumosa     (generally     called 

simply  Mallee^  q.v.). 
Mountain  G. — 

E.  tereticornis,  Smith  (South  New 

South  Wales). 
Mountain  White  G. — 

E.  pauciflora,  Sieb.  (Blue  Moun- 
tains). 
Nankeen  G. — 

E.  populifolia,  Hook.  (Northern 

Australia). 
Olive  Green  G.— 

E.  stellulata,  Cunn.  (Leichhardt's 

name). 
Pale  Red  G.— 

E.  rostrata,  Schlecht. 
Peppermint  G. — 

E.  viminaliS)  Labill. 
Poplar-leaved  G. — 

E.  polyanthema,  Schau. 
Red  G.— 

E.    amygdalina,     Labill.     (Vic- 
toria) ; 

E.  calophylla,  R.  Br.  ; 

E.  gunnii,  Hook.  (Bombala)  ; 

E.  melliodora,  Cunn.  (Victoria) ; 

E.  odorata,    Behr    (South    Aus- 
tralia) ; 

E.  punctata,  De  C.  ; 

E.  resinifera,  Smith  ; 

E.  rostrata,  Schlecht ; 

E.  stuartiana,   F.    v.    M.    (Tas- 
mania) ; 

E,     tereticornis,     Smith      (New 

South  Wales). 
Ribbon  G.— 

E.  amygdalina,  Labill. 
Ribbony  G.— 

E.  viminalis,  Labill. 


i8o 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTION 


ARY 


[GUM 


Risdon  G. — 

JS.  amygdalina,  Labill. 
River  G.— 

E.  rostrata,  Schlecht  (New  South 
Wales,  Queensland,  and  Cen- 
tral Australia). 
River  White  G. — 

E.  radiata. 
Rough-barked,  or  Rough  G. — 

E.  botryoides,  Smith  (Illawarra). 
Rusty  G.— 

E.  eximia,  Schau. 
Scribbly  G.— 

E.  hcemastoma,  Smith. 
Scribbly  Blue  G.— 

E.   leucoxylon,    F.  v.  M.   (South 

Australia). 
Scrub  G.— 

E.  cosmophylla,  F.  v.  M. 
Slaty  G.— 

E.  saligna,   Smith   (New  South 
Wales) ; 

E.tereticornis,  Smith  (New  South 
Wales  and  Queensland) ; 

E.  largiflorens,  F.  v.  M. 
Spotted  G.— 

E.  capitellata,  Smith  (New  Eng- 
land) ; 

E.  goniocalyx,  F.  v.  M.  ; 

E.  hcemastoma,  Smith  ; 

E.  maculata,  Hook. 
Sugar  G.— 

E.  corynocalyx,  F.  v.  M.  ; 

E.  gunnii,  Hook. 
Swamp  G. — 

E.  gunnii,  Hook.  ; 

E.  microtheca,  F.  v.  M.  ; 

E.  pauciflora,  Sieb.  ; 

E.  viminalis,  Labill.  (Tasmania). 
Weeping  G. — 

E.  pauciflora,  Sieb.  (Tasmania); 

E.  viminalis,  Labill.  (New  South 

Wales). 
White  G.— 

E.  amygdalina,  Labill. ; 

E.  gomphocephala,  De  C.  (West- 
ern Australia) ; 

E,  goniocalyx,  F.  v.  M.  ; 

E.  hcemastoma.  Smith  ; 

E.  hemiphloia,  F.  v.  M.  (Sydney); 


E.  leucoxylon,   F.  v.  M.  (South 
Australia)  ; 

E.  pauciflora,  Sieb.  ; 

E.  populifolia,    Hook.  (Queens- 
land) ; 

E.  radiata  (New  South  Wales); 

E.    redunca,     Schau.    (Western 
Australia) ; 

E.     robusta,     Schlecht.    (South 
Australia)  ; 

E.  saligna,  Smith   (New  South 
Wales)  ; 

E.  stellulata,  Cunn.  ; 

E.  stuartiana,  F.v.M.  (Victoria); 

E.  viminalis,  Labill. 
White  Swamp  G. — 

E.  gunnii,    Hook.  (South  Aus- 
tralia). 
Yellow  G.— 

E.  punctata,  De  C. 
York  G.— 

E.  fcecunda,    Schau.    (Western 
Australia). 

This  list  has  been  compiled  by 
collating  many  authorities.  But 
the  following  note  on  Eucalyptus 
amygda!ina(from  Maiden's  *  Useful 
Native  Plants,'  p.  429)  will  illus- 
trate the  difficulty  of  assigning 
the  vernacular  names  with  abso- 
lute accuracy  to  the  multitudinous 
species  of  Eucalyptus — 

''''Eucalyptus  amygdalina,  Labill., 
Syn.  E.  fissilis,  F.  v.  M. ;  E.  radiata, 
Sieb.;  E.  elata,  Dehn.;  E.  tenuiramis^ 
Miq.;  E.  nitida,  Hook,  f.;  E.  longi- 
folia,  Lindl. ;  E.  Lindleyana,  DC. ; 
and  perhaps  E.  Risdoni,  Hook,  f. ;  E. 
dives,  Schauer. — This  Eucalypt  has 
even  more  vernacular  names  than  bo- 
tanical synonyms.  It  is  one  of  the 
'Peppermint  Trees'  (and  variously 
'Narrow-leaved  Peppermint,3  'Brown 
Peppermint,3  'White  Peppermint,3  and 
sometimes  '  Dandenong  Peppermint 3), 
and  '  Mountain  Ashes 3  of  the  Dande- 
nong Ranges  of  Victoria,  and  also  of 
Tasmania  and  Southern  New  South 
Wales.  It  is  also  called  '  Giant  Gum r 
and  'White  Gum.3  In  Victoria  it  is 
one  of  the  '  Red  Gums.3  It  is  one  of 
the  New  South  Wales  '  Stringybarks/ 


GUM] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


181 


and  a 'Manna  Gum.'  Because  it  is 
allied  to,  or  associated  with,  '  Stringy- 
bark,'  it  is  also  known  by  the  name  of 
*  Messmate.'  .  .  .  A  variety  of  this  gum 
(E.  radiata}  is  called  in  New  South 
Wales  'White  Gum'  or  '  River  White 
Gum.'  ...  A  variety  of  E.  amygdalina 
growing  in  the  south  coast  district  of 
New  South  Wales,  goes  by  the  name 
of  '  Ribbon  Gum,'  in  allusion  to  the 
very  thin,  easily  detachable,  smooth 
bark.  This  is  also  E.  radiata  prob- 
ably. A  further  New  South  Wales 
variety  goes  by  the  name  of  '  Cut-tail 3 
in  the  Braidwood  district.  The  author 
has  been  unable  to  ascertain  the  mean- 
ing of  this  absurd  designation.  These 
varieties  are,  several  of  them,  quite 
different  in  leaves,  bark,  and  timber, 
and  there  is  no  species  better  than  the 
present  one  to  illustrate  the  danger  in 
attempting  to  fit  botanical  names  on 
Eucalypts  when  only  the  vernacular 
names  are  known." 

Various  other  trees  not  of  the 
genus  Eucalyptus  are  also  some- 
times popularly  called  Gums,  such 
as,  for  instance — 

Broad-leaved  Water  Gum — 

Tristania  suavolens,  Smith. 
Orange  G. — 

Angophora  lanceolata,  Cave. 
Water  G.— 

Callistemon  lanceolatus,  DeC. 

Tristania  laurina,  R.  Br. 

T.  neriifolia,  R.  Br. 
And  others. 

In  addition  to  this,  poets  and 
descriptive  writers  sometimes 
apply  epithets,  chiefly  denoting 
colour  or  other  outward  appear- 
ance, which  are  not  names  of  dis- 
tinct species,  such  as  Cinnamon, 
~  Worrell,  Salmon,  Cable,  Silver,  etc. 
See  quotation  under  Silver  Gum.] 

1642.  Abel  Tasman,  'Journal  of  the 
/oyage  to  the  Unknown  Southland' 
(Translation  by  J.  B.  Walker  in  '  Abel  J. 
^asman  :  His  Life,  etc.'  1896)  : 

[Under  date  Dec.  2,  1642,  after  de- 
ribing  the  trees  at  Fredrik  Hendrik's 

y  (now  Blackman's  Bay,  Forestier's 
'eninsula,  Tasmania)  2  to  2j  fathoms 
ick,  60  to  65  feet  to  the  first  branch, 


and  with  steps  5  feet  apart  cut  in  them, 
Tasman  says  that  they  found]  "  a  little 
gum,  fine  in  appearance,  which  drops 
out  of  the  trees,  and  has  a  resemblance 
to  gum  lac  (gomma  lacca)." 

177°-  '  Captain  Cook's  Journal '  (ed. 
Wharton,  1893),  p.  245  : 

"May  ist. — We  found  two  sorts  of 
gum,  one  sort  of  which  is  like  gum 
dragon,  and  is  the  same,  I  suppose, 
Tasman  took  for  gum  lac  ;  it  is  ex- 
tracted from  the  largest  tree  in  the 
woods. 

"May  6th.— The  biggest  trees  are 
as  large  or  larger  than  our  oaks  in 
England,  and  grow  a  good  deal  like 
them,  and  yield  a  reddish  gum  ;  the 
wood  itself  is  heavy,  hard,  and  black 
like  Lignum  vitce." 

1788.  Governor  Phillip  (Despatch,  May 
15)  in  'Historical  Records  of  New  South 
Wales,  vol.  i.  pt.  ii.  p.  128  : 

"  What  seeds  could  be  collected  are 
sent  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  as  likewise 
the  red  gum  taken  from  the  large  gum- 
tree  by  tapping,  and  the  yellow  gum 
which  is  found  on  the  dwarf  palm-tree." 

1789.  Captain  Watkin  Tench,  '  Narra- 
tive of  the  Expedition  to  Botany  Bay,'  p. 
119: 

"  The  species  of  trees  are  few,  and 
.  .  .  the  wood  universally  of  so  bad  a 
grain,  as  almost  to  preclude  the  possi- 
bility of  using  it.  ...  These  trees 
yield  a  profusion  of  thick  red  gum  (not 
unlike  the  Sanguis  draconis)." 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  231  : 

"The  red  gum-tree,  Eucalyptus 
resinifera.  This  is  a  very  large  and 
lofty  tree,  much  exceeding  the  English 
oak  in  size." 

1793.  Governor  Hunter,  'Voyage,'  p. 
69: 

"  I  have  likewise  seen  trees  bearing 
three  different  kinds  of  leaves,  and 
frequently  have  found  others,  bearing 
the  leaf  of  the  gum-tree,  with  the  gum 
exuding  from  it,  and  covered  with  bark 
of  a  very  different  kind." 

1820.  W.  C.  Wentworth,  'Description 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  66  : 

"Full-sized  gums  and  iron  barks, 
alongside  of  which  the  loftiest  trees  in 
this  country  would  appear  as  pigmies, 
with  the  beefwood  tree,  or,  as  it  is 


1 82 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GUM 


generally  termed,  the  forest  oak,  which 
is  of  much  humbler  growth,  are  the 
usual  timber." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  200  : 

"  The  gum-trees  are  so  designated 
as  a  body  from  producing  a  gummy 
resinous  matter,  while  the  peculiarities 
of  the  bark  usually  fix  the  particular 
names  of  the  species — thus  the  blue, 
spotted,  black-butted,  and  woolly  gums 
are  so  nominated  from  the  correspond- 
ing appearance  of  their  respective 
barks  ;  the  red  and  white  gums,  from 
their  wood  ;  and  the  flooded  gums 
from  growing  in  flooded  land." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia/ vol.  II.  c.  iii.  p.  108 : 

"The  silvery  stems  of  the  never- 
failing  gum-trees." 

1857.  H.  Parkes,  'Murmurs  of  Stream,' 
p.  56: 

"Where  now  the  hermit  gum-tree 
stands  on  the  plain's  heart." 

1864.  J.  S.  Moore,  '  Spring  Life  Lyrics,' 
p.  114: 

"  Amid  grand  old  gums,  dark  cedars 
and  pines." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  c.  xiii.  p.  209  : 

"  The  eternal  gum-tree  has  become 
to  me  an  Australian  crest,  giving  evi- 
dence of  Australian  ugliness.  The 
gum-tree  is  ubiquitous,  and  is  not  the 
loveliest,  though  neither  is  it  by  any 
means  the  ugliest,  of  trees." 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller, '  Botanic  Teachings,' 
p.  7: 

"  The  vernacular  name  of  gum-trees 
for  the  eucalypts  is  as  unaptly  given 
as  that  of  most  others  of  our  native 
plants,  on  which  popular  appellations 
have  been  bestowed.  Indeed  our 
wattles  might  far  more  appropriately 
be  called  gum-trees  than  the  eucalypts, 
because  the  former  exude  a  real  gum 
(in  the  chemical  meaning  of  the  word); 
whereas  the  main  exudation  from  the 
stems  and  branches  of  all  eucalypts 
hardens  to  a  kino-like  substance,  con- 
tains a  large  proportion  of  a  particular 
tannin  (kino-tannic  acid),  and  is  to  a 
great  extent  or  entirely  soluble  in  alco- 
hol, thus  very  different  from  genuine 
gum." 


1884.  R.  L.  A.  Davies,  '  Poems  and 
Literary  Remains,'  p.  176 : 

"  Golden,  'mid  a  sunlit  forest, 

Stood  the  grand  Titanic  forms 
Of  the  conquerors  of  storms  ; 
Stood  the  gums,  as  if  inspired, 
Every  branch  and  leaflet  fired 

With  the  glory  of  the  sun, 
In  golden  robes  attired, 
A  grand  priesthood  of  the  sun." 

1889.  P.  Beveridge,  *  Aborigines  of  Vic- 
toria and  Riverina,'  p.  61  : 

"Nearly  all  the  eucalyptus  species 
exude  gum,  which  the  natives  utilise 
in  the  fabrication  of  their  various 
weapons  as  Europeans  do  glue.  The 
myall  and  mimosa  also  exude  gum  ; 
these  the  natives  prefer  before  all  other 
kinds  when  obtainable,  they  being  less 
brittle  and  more  adhesive  than  any  of 
the  others." 

1891.  '  Guide  to  Zoological  Gardens, 
Melbourne ' : 

"  This  is  an  exact  representation  of 
the  camps  which  were  scattered  over 
the  country  not  more  than  fifty  years 
ago,  and  inhabited  by  the  original 
lords  of  the  soil.  The  beautiful  she- 
oak  and  red-gum  forest  that  used  to 
clothe  the  slopes  of  Royal  Park  was 
a  very  favourite  camping-ground  of 
theirs,  as  the  gum-tree  was  their  most 
regular  source  of  food  supply.  The 
hollows  of  this  tree  contained  the  sleek 
and  sleepy  opossum,  waiting  to  be 
dragged  forth  to  the  light  of  day  and 
despatched  by  a  blow  on  the  head. 
It  was  to  the  honey-laden  blossoms  of 
this  tree  that  the  noisy  cockatoos  and 
parrots  used  to  flock.  Let  the  kan- 
garoo be  wary  and  waterfowl  shy,  but 
whilst  he  had  his  beloved  gum-tree, 
little  cared  the  light-hearted  black." 

1892.  'The  Times,'  [Reprint]  'Letters 
from  Queensland,'  p.  2  : 

"  The  immense  extent  of  gum-trees 
stretches  indefinitely,  blotting  out  the 
conception  of  anything  but  its  own 
lightly-timbered  pasture.  It  has  not 
even  the  gloom  and  impressiveness 
which  we  associate  in  England  with 
the  name  of  forest  land,  for  the  trees 
are  thinly  scattered,  their  long  leaves 
hang  vertically  from  the  branches,  and 
sunlight  filters  through  with  sufficient 
force  to  promote  the  growth  of  the 
tussocked  grass  beneath.  The  whole 


GUM] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


183 


would  be  indescribably  commonplace, 
but  that  the  vastness  becomes  at  last 
by  its  own  force  impressive." 

The  following  quotations  illus- 
trate special  uses  of  the  word  in 
composition. 

Apple  Gum — 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  283  : 

"On  the  small  flats  the  apple-gum 
grew." 

Ibid.  c.  viii.  p.  264  : 

"Another  Eucalyptus  with  a  scaly 
butt  .  .  .  but  with  smooth  upper  trunk 
and  cordate  ovate  leaves,  which  was 
also  new  to  me  ;  we  called  it  the  Apple- 
gum." 

Blue  Gum — 

1802.  D.  Collins,  'Account  of  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  235  : 

"  The  blue  gum,  she-oak,  and  cherry- 
tree  of  Port  Jackson  were  common 
here." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
p.  22 : 

"  The  Blue  Gum  is  found  in  greater 
abundance  ;  it  is  a  loose-grained  heavy 
wood." 

1851.  James  Mitchell,  '  Proceedings  of 
the  Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
p.  125  : 

uThe  name  blue  gum  appears  to 
have  been  derived  from  the  bluish 
gray  colour  of  the  whole  plant  in  the 
earliest  stages  of  its  growth,  which  is 
occasioned  by  a  covering  of  dust  or 
bloom  similar  to  that  upon  the  sloe  or 
damson." 

1884.  R.  L.  A.  Davies,  'Poems  and 
Literary  Remains,'  p.  199  : 

"  I  love  to  see  the  blue  gums  stand 

Majestically  tall ; 
The  giants  of  our  southern  woods, 
The  loftiest  of  all." 

Black-butted  Gum — 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  '  Southern  Australia,'  vol. 
II.  c.  viii.  p.  236  : 

"One  species  .  .  .  resembling 
strongly  the  black-butted  gum." 

Cable  Gum— 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  II.  c.  iv.  p.  132  : 

"  Cable-gum  .  .  .  like  several  stems 
twisted  together,  abundant  in  interior." 


Cider  Gum  (or  Cider  Tree}— 

1830.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  119: 

"  That  species  of  eucalyptus  called 
the  cider  tree,  from  its  exuding  a 
quantity  of  saccharine  liquid  resem- 
bling molasses.  Streaks  of  it  were  to 
be  seen  dripping  down  the  bark  in 
various  parts,  which  we  tasted,  and 
found  very  palatable.  The  natives 
have  a  method  at  the  proper  season  of 
grinding  holes  in  the  tree,  from  which 
the  sweet  juice  flows  plentifully,  and  is 
collected  in  a  hole  at  the  root.  We 
saw  some  of  these  covered  up  with  a 
flat  stone,  doubtless  to  prevent  the 
wild  animals  from  coming  to  drink 
it.  When  allowed  to  remain  some 
time,  and  to  ferment,  it  settles  into  a 
coarse  sort  of  wine  or  cider,  rather 
intoxicating." 

Cinnamon  Gum — 

1893.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug. 
19,  p.  7,  col.  i  : 

"  A  forest  only  fit  for  urban  gnomes 
these  twisted  trunks.  Here  are  no 
straight  and  lofty  trees,  but  sprawling 
cinnamon  gums,  their  skin  an  unpleas- 
ing  livid  red,  pock-marked  ;  saplings 
in  white  and  chilly  grey,  bleeding  gum 
in  ruddy  stains,  and  fire-black  boles 
and  stumps  to  throw  the  greenery  into 
bright  relief." 

Drooping  Gum — 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  II.  c.  xii.  p.  387  : 

"  The  trees,  which  grew  only  in  the 
valleys,  were  small  kinds  of  banksia, 
wattles  and  drooping  gums ." 

Flooded  Gum — 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  7 : 

"Large  flooded  gum-trees  (but  no 
casuarinas)  at  the  low  banks  of  the 
lagoons." 

Lemon-scented  Gum — 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a  Na- 
turalist,' p.  265  : 

"  Among  the  Eucalypti  or  gum-trees 
growing  in  New  South  Wales,  a  species 
named  the  lemon-scented  gum-tree, 
Eucalyptus  citriodora^  is  peculiar  to 
the  Wide  Bay  district,  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  colony." 


1 84 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GUM 


Mountain  Gum — 

1833.  C.  Sturt, '  Southern  Australia,'  vol. 
I.  c.  iii.  p.  118  : 

"  The  cypresses  became  mixed  with 
casuarina,  box  and  mountain-gum." 

Red  Gum  [see  also  Red-gum} — 

1802.  O.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  xi.  p.  461  : 

"The  red  gum-tree.  This  is  a 
very  large  and  lofty  tree,  much  exceed- 
ing the  English  oak  in  size." 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  33  : 

"  Red  gum,  a  wood  which  has  of  late 
years  been  exported  to  England  in 
great  quantities  ;  it  has  all  the  proper- 
ties of  mahogany." 

1868.  W.  Carleton,  '  Australian  Nights,' 
p.  14: 
"  While  she,  the  younger,  went  to  fill 

Her  red-gum  pitcher  at  the  rill." 

1870.  J.  O.  Tucker,  'The  Mute,' etc., 
p.  85: 
"  Then  the  dark  savage  'neath  the  red 

gum's  shade 
Told  o'er  his  deeds." 

1890.  '  The  Argus,'  June  14,  p.  4,  col.  I  : 
"  Those  of  the  leaden  hue  are  red 
gums." 

Rough  Gum — 

1833.  C.  Sturt, '  Southern  Australia,'  vol. 
I.  c.  iii.  p.  118: 

"  The  rough-gum  abounded  near  the 
creek." 

Rusty  Gum — 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  48 : 

"The  range  was  openly  timbered 
with  white  gum,  spotted  gum,  Iron- 
bark,  rusty  gum  and  the  cypress  pine." 

Salmon  Gum — 

1893.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  3,  p. 
252,  col.  4 : 

"  The  chief  descriptions  are  salmon, 
morrel  and  white  gums,  and  gimlet- 
wood.  The  bark  of  the  salmon  gum 
approaches  in  colour  to  a  rich  golden 
brown,  but  the  satin-like  sheen  on  it 
has  the  effect  of  making  it  several 
shades  lighter,  and  in  the  full  glare  of 
the  sun  it  is  sufficiently  near  a  rich 
salmon  tint  to  justify  its  name." 


Silver  Gum — 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  113: 

"  When  so  many  of  our  Australian 
trees  were  named  'gums,'  a  distin- 
guishing prefix  for  each  variety  was 
clearly  necessary,  and  so  the  words  red, 
blue,  yellow,  white  and  scarlet,  as 
marking  some  particular  trait  in  the 
tree,  have  come  into  everyday  use. 
Had  the  pioneer  bush  botanist  seen  at 
least  one  of  those  trees  at  a  certain 
stage  in  its  growth,  the  term  *  silver 
gum '  would  have  found  expression." 

Spotted  Gum — 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  1 1  : 

"Ironbark  ridges  here  and  there 
with  spotted  gum  .  .  .  diversified  the 
sameness." 

Swamp  Gum — 

1853.  '  Papers  and  Proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  132  [James  Mitchell,  On  the 
Strength  of  Timber,  etc.,  read  Nov.  12, 
1851].: 

"The  Swamp  Gum  grows  to  the 
largest  size  of  any  of  this  family  in  Van 
Diemen's  Land.  Its  growth  is  nearly 
twice  as  rapid  as  that  of  the  Blue  Gum : 
the  annular  layers  are  sometimes  very 
large  ;  but  the  bark,  and  the  whole 
tree  indeed,  is  so  like  the  Blue  Gum, 
as  not  to  be  easily  distinguished  from 
it  in  outward  appearance.  It  grows 
best  in  moist  places,  which  may  prob- 
ably have  given  rise  to  its  name.  Some 
extraordinary  dimensions  have  been 
recorded  of  trees  of  this  species.  I 
lately  measured  an  apparently  sound 
one,  and  found  it  21  feet  in  circumfer- 
ence at  8  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
87  feet  to  the  first  branches.  Another 
was  i8£  feet  in  circumference  at  10 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  213  feet  to 
the  highest  branch  or  extreme  top. 
A  third  reached  the  height  of  251  feet 
to  the  highest  branch  :  but  I  am  told 
that  these  are  pigmies  compared  to 
the  giants  of  even  the  Blue  Gum  species 
found  in  the  southern  districts." 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  'Victoria  in  1880,' 
p.  loo : 

"  Groups  of  native  trees,  including 
the  black  wattle,  silver  box,  messmate, 


GUM] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


185 


stringy  bark,  and  the  picturesque  but 
less  useful  swamp  gum." 

Water  Gum — 

1847.  L.  Leichhhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  387  : 

"  Long  hollows  surrounded  with 
drooping  tea-trees  and  the  white  water- 
gums." 

Weeping  Gum — 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  i.  p.  169  : 

"A  kind  of  Eucalyptus,  with  long 
drooping  leaves,  called  the  '  Weeping 
Gum,'  is  the  most  elegant  of  the 
family." 

White  Gum— 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Transac- 
tions of  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  278  : 

"The  natives  tell  me  that  it  [the 
ground-parrot]  chiefly  breeds  in  a 
stump  of  a  small  White  Gum-tree." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  48 : 

"The  range  was  openly  timbered 
with  white  gum." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  471  : 

"  E.  leucoxylon,  F.  v.  M.-  The  '  blue 
or  white  gum  '  of  South  Australia  and 
Victoria  is  a  gum-tree  with  smooth 
bark  and  light-coloured  wood  (hence 
the  specific  name).  The  flowers  and 
fruit  of  E.  leucoxylon  are  very  similar 
to  those  of  E.  sideroxylon,  and  in  this 
way  two  trees  have  been  placed  under 
one  name  which  are  really  quite  dis- 
tinct. Baron  Mueller  points  out  that 
there  are  two  well-marked  varieties 
of  E.  leucoxylon  in  Victoria.  That 
known  as  '  white-gum '  has  the  greater 
portion  of  the  stem  pale  and  smooth 
through  the  outer  layers  of  the  bark 
falling  off.  The  variety  known  chiefly 
as  the  'Victorian  Ironbark,'  retains 
the  whole  bark  on  the  stem,  thus 
becoming  deeply  fissured  and  furrowed, 
and  very  hard  and  dark  coloured." 

Yellow  Gum — 

1848.  T.   L.    Mitchell,   'Tropical  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  107  : 

"  We  this  day  passed  a  small  group 
of  trees  of  the  yellow  gum,  a  species 
of  eucalyptus  growing  only  on  the  poor 
sandy  soil  near  Botany  Bay,  and  other 
parts  of  the  sea-coast  near  Sydney." 


York  Gum — 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  II.  c.  iv.  p.  132  : 

"  York  gum  .  .  .  abundant  in  York 
on  good  soil." 

Gum-  (In  Composition}.  See 
Gum. 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  134 : 

"  I  said  to  myself  in  the  gum- 
shadowed  glen." 

1868.  W.  L.  Carleton,  'Australian 
Nights,'  p.  I  : 

"  To  see  the  gum-log  flaming  bright 
Its   welcome    beacon    through    the 

night." 

1890.  '  The  Argus,'  August  2, p.  4,  col.  3 : 
"  Make  a  bit  of  a  shelter  also.     You 
can  always  do  it  with  easily-got  gum- 
boughs." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xvii.  p.  201  : 

"  The  edge  of  the  long,  black,  gum- 
shrouded  lagoon." 

Gummy,  n.  name  given  to  a 
shark  of  Victorian  and  Tasmanian 
waters,  Mustelus  antarcticus , 
Giinth.,  and  called  Hound  (q.v.) 
in  New  South  Wales,  Victoria, 
and  New  Zealand.  The  word 
Gummy  is  said  to  come  from  the 
small  numerous  teeth,  arranged 
like  a  pavement,  so  different  from 
the  sharp  erect  teeth  of  most 
other  sharks.  The  word  Hound 
is  the  Old  World  name  for  all 
the  species  of  the  genus  Mustelus. 
This  fish,  says  Hutton,  is  much 
eaten  by  the  Maoris. 

Gum-sucker,  n.  slang  for  Vic- 
torian-born, not  now  much  used  ; 
but  it  is  not  always  limited  to 
Victorians. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  201  : 

"The  acacias  are  the  common 
wattles  of  this  country ;  from  their 
trunks  and  branches  clear  transparent 
beads  of  the  purest  Arabian  gum  are 
seen  suspended  in  the  dry  spring 
weather,  which  our  young  currency 
bantlings  eagerly  search  after  and  re- 
gale themselves  with." 


1 86 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GUN 


[The  practice  of  'gum-sucking'  is 
here  noticed,  though  the  word  does  not 
occur.] 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  24 : 

"  If  he  had  not  been  too  'cute  to  be 
bitten  twice  by  the  over-'cute  'gum- 
suckers,'  as  the  native  Victorians  are 
called." 

1890.   '  Quiz  '  (Adelaide),  Dec.  26  : 

"  Quiz  will  take  good  care  that  the 
innocent  Australians  are  not  fooled 
without  a  warning.  Really  L.  and  his 
accomplices  must  look  upon  gum- 
suckers  as  being  pretty  soft." 

Gunyah,  n.  aboriginal  name  for 
a  black-fellow's  hut,  roughly  con- 
structed of  boughs  and  bark  ;  ap- 
plied also  to  other  forms  of  shelter. 
The  spelling  varies  greatly  :  in 
Col.  Mundy's  book  (1855)  there 
are  no  fewer  than  four  forms. 
See  Humpy  and  Gibber.  What 
Leichhardt  saw  (see  quotation 
1847)  was  very  remarkable. 

1798.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  in  an  abori- 
ginal vocabulary  of  Port  Jackson,  p.  610  : 

"  Go-m'e—a.  hut." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  70  : 

"  One  of  their  gunyers  (bark  huts)." 

Ibid.  p.  171  : 

"A  native  encampment,  consisting 
of  eight  or  ten  *  gunyers.'  This  is  the 
native  term  for  small  huts,  which  are 
supported  by  three  forked  sticks  (about 
three  feet  long)  brought  together  at  the 
top  in  a  triangular  form  :  the  two  sides 
towards  the  wind  are  covered  by  long 
sheets  of  bark,  the  third  is  always  left 
open  to  the  wind." 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  'Southern  Australia,' 
vol.  I.  c.  ii.  p.  78  : 

"We  observed  a  fresh-made  gun- 
neah  (or  native  hut)." 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  '  Three  Expedi- 
tions into  the  Interior  of  Eastern  Australia,' 
c.  ii.  p.  35  : 

"  Three  huts,  or  gunyahs,  consisted 
of  a  few  green  boughs,  which  had  just 
been  put  up  for  shelter  from  the  rain 
then  falling." 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  « Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  10  : 


"Their  only  habitation  ...  is 
formed  by  two  sheets  of  bark  stripped 
from  the  nearest  tree,  at  the  first 
appearance  of  a  storm,  and  joined 
together  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees. 
This,  which  they  call  a  gunnya,  is  cut 
up  for  firewood  when  the  storm  has 
passed." 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  238: 

"  Behind  appears  a  large  piece  of 
wood  hooded  like  a  '  gunyia '  or 
'  umpee.' " 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  290 : 

"  We  saw  a  very  interesting  camping 
place  of  the  natives,  containing  several 
two-storied  gunyas." 

1852.  '  Settlers  and  Convicts  ;  or.  Re- 
collections of  Sixteen  Years'  Labour  in  the 
Australian  Backwoods,'  p.  211  : 

"  I  coincided  in  his  opinion  that  it 
would  be  best  for  us  to  camp  for  the 
night  in  one  of  the  ghibber-gunyahs. 
These  are  the  hollows  under  over- 
hanging rocks." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes, ' 
ed.  1855,  p.  164  : 

"A  sloping  sheet  of  bark  turned 
from  the  wind — in  bush  lingo,  a  break- 
weather — or  in  guneeahs  of  boughs 
thatched  with  grass."  [p.  200]  :  "  Gun- 
eah."  [p.  558]:  "Gunneah."  [p.  606]  : 
"  Gunyah." 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  '  Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  1 14  [Footnote]  : 

"  The  name  given  by  the  natives  to 
the  burrow  or  habitation  of  any  animals 
is  'guniar,'  and  the  same  word  is 
applied  to  our  houses." 

1880.  P.  J.  Holdsworth,  '  Station  Hunt- 
ing': 

"hunger  clung 

Beneath  the  bough-piled  gunyah." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,'  p. 
19: 

"  The  sleepy  blacks  came  out  of 
their  gunyahs."  [p.  52]:  "A  gunya  of 
branches." 

1890.   Lyth, '  Golden  South,'  c.  ii.  p.  16  : 

"  Where  this  beautiful  building  now 
stands,  there  were  only  the  gunyahs 
or  homes  of  the  poor  savages." 

1890.  A.  J.  Vogan,  '  Black  Police/  p. 
98: 

"  One  of  the  gunyahs  on  the  hill. 
.  .  .  The  hut,  which  is  exactly  like  all 


GUN-GUT] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


187 


the  others  in  the  group, — and  for  the 
matter  of  that  all  within  two  or  three 
hundred  miles,  —  is  built  of  sticks, 
which  have  been  stuck  into  the  ground 
at  the  radius  of  a  common  centre,  and 
then  bent  over  so  as  to  form  an  egg- 
shaped  cage,  which  is  substantially 
thatched  on  top  and  sides  with  herb- 
age and  mud." 

Gunyang,  n.  the  aboriginal 
word  for  the  Kangaroo  Apple  (q.v.), 
though  the  name  is  more  strictly 
applied  not  to  Solarium  aviculare^ 
but  to  S.  vescum. 

1877.  F-  von  Muller,   'Botanic  Teach- 
ings,' p.  1 06  : 

"  The  similarity  of  both  [S.  vescum 
and  S.  amculare]  to  each  other  forbids 
to  recommend  the  fruit  of  the  Gunyang 
as  edible." 

1878.  W.    R.    Guilfoyle,     'Australian 
Botany,'  p.  73  : 

"  Kangaroo  Apple,  Solatium  amcu- 
lare .  .  .  The  Gunyang  (Solanum  ves- 
cum) is  another  variety  found  in  Vic- 
toria." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  222 : 

"A  couple  of  tiny  streams  trickle 
across  the  plains  to  the  sea,  a  dwarfed 
ti-tree,  clinging  low  about  the  ground, 
like  the  gunyang  or  kangaroo  apple, 
borders  the  banks." 

Gurnard,  n.  i.q.  Gurnet  (q.v.). 

Gurnet,  n.  The  species  of 
Trigla  found  in  British  waters, 
called  Gurnards  are  of  the  family 
of  Cottidce.  The  word  Gurnet  is 
an  obsolete  or  provincial  form  of 
Gurnard,  revived  in  Australia,  and 
applied  to  the  fish  Centropogon  scor- 
pcenoides,  Guich.,  family  Scorpon- 
nidce.  The  original  word  Gurnard 
is  retained  in  New  Zealand,  and 
applied  to  the  new  species  Trigla 
kumu  (kumu  being  the  Maori 
name),  family  Cottidce.  The  Flying 
Gurnet  \s  Trigla  polyommata,  Rich- 
ards., found  on  all  the  Australian 
coasts  from  New  South  Wales 
to  Western  Australia,  family 
Cottidcz.  It  is  a  distinct  species, 


not  included  in  the  British  species. 
They  have  large  pectoral  fins,  but 
are  not  known  to  possess  the 
power  of  supporting  themselves 
in  the  air  like  the  "flying  fish" 
which  belong  to  other  genera. 
Sir  Fredk.  McCoy  says  that 
Sebastes  Percoides,  Richards.,  is  call- 
ed Gurnet,  or  Garnet-perch,  by  the 
fishermen  and  dealers,  as  well  as 
the  more  common  Neosebastes 
scorpcenoides,  Guich.,  and  Scorpcena 
panda,  Richards. 

Gutter,  n.  in  Australian  gold- 
mining,"  the  lower  and  auriferous 
part  of  the  channel  of  an  old 
river  of  the  Tertiary  period  " 
('Century').  "The lowest  portion 
of  a  lead.  A  gutter  is  filled  with 
auriferous  drift  or  washdirt,  which 
rests  on  the  palaeozoic  bed-rock." 
(Brough  Smyth,  '  Glossary  of 
Mining  Terms.') 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  '  New  Rush,'  p.  55  : 

"Duffers  are  so  common 
And  golden  gutters  rare." 

1871.  J.  J.  Simpson,  '  Recitations,'  p.  23  : 

"  Privations    and    hardships   you   all 

have  to  suffer 

Ere  you  can  expect  to  get  on  to  the 
gutter." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Miner's Right,' 
c.  viii.  p.  8 1  : 

"  If  we  happened  to  drop  right  down 
on  the  '  gutter '  or  main  course  of  the 
lead,  we  were  all  right." 

1890.  '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  23  : 

"  The  Company  .  .  .  are  putting  in 
a  drive  to  strike  the  old  Shakspeare 
gutter." 

1891.  '  The  Australasian,'  Nov.  21,  p. 
1015  : 

"  Evidently  both  claims  had  been 
driving  for  a  'gutter.3  One  of  them 
had  got  to  the  end  of  its  tether  before 
reaching  it." 

Gutter-flags,  n. ' '  Flags  fixed  on 
the  surface  to  denote  where  the 
course  of  a  gutter  or  lead  under- 
ground has  been  discovered." 


i88 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[GWE-GYM 


(Brough    Smyth,      *  Glossary    of 
Mining-  Terms.') 

Gweeon,  n.  a  stone  tomakawk 
of  the  aborigines.  Gweh-un,  in 
Mukthang  language,  Gippsland. 
Apparently  a  remnant  of  a  term 
occurring  along  the  east  side  of 
Australia  ;  Burgoin,  New  South 
Wales  ;  bulgoon  and  balgon,  Burde- 
kin  River,  Queensland ;  related 
to  balgoungo,  to  chop. 

Gymnobelideus,  n.  the  scien- 
tific name  of  the  genus  confined 
to  Australia  of  Squirrel  Phalan- 
gers,  or  Squirrel  Opossums,  as  they 
have  been  called.  See  Opossum. 
The  name  was  given  by  Sir 
Frederick  McCoy  in  1867.  Only 
two  specimens  have  been  found, 


and  they  are  in  the  Melbourne 
Museum  of  Natural  History. 
There  is  only  one  species,  G.  lead- 
beateri,  M'Coy.  In  general  form 
they  resemble  the  so-called  Aus- 
tralian Flying-Squirrel (q.v.),  save 
for  the  absence  of  the  parachute. 
They  have  large  naked  ears. 
(Grk.  yv/xT/o's,  naked,  and  Latin, 
belideuS)  the  Flying-Phalanger  or 
Squirrel.) 

Gymnorrhina,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  Australian  genus  of 
Piping  Crow-Shrikes,  called  locally 
by  the  vernacular  name  of  Mag- 
pies (q.v.).  They  have  the  nostrils 
and  beak  unfeathered.  (Grk. 
yv/x,vos,  naked,  and  pi's,  nose.)  For 
the  species  see  under  Magpie. 


HAD-HAK] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


189 


Haddock,  n.  The  New  Zealand 
Haddock  is  Gadus  australis,  Hutton, 
Pseudophyds  barbatus,  Gunth.,  and 
Merlucius  gayi,  Guich.,  or  australis, 
Hutton,  all  belonging  to  the 
family  GadidcR  or  Cod-fishes.  The 
European  species  of  Merlucius  is 
known  as  the  "  Hake." 

Haeremai,  interj.  Maori  term  of 
welcome,  lit.  come  hither  ;  haere 
is  the  verb.  It  has  been  collo- 
quially adopted. 

1769.  J.  Hawkesworth,  'Voyages,' vol. 
iii.  p.  229  (ed.  1785) : 

"  When  they  came  near  enough  to 
be  heard,  they  waved  their  hands,  and 
called  out  *  Horomai.'  These  ceremo- 
nies we  were  told  were  certain  signs 
of  their  friendly  disposition." 

1832.  '  Henry  Williams'  Journal,'  in  H. 
Carleton's  '  Life  of  Henry  Williams,'  p. 
112: 

"After  breakfast  we  went  to  them 
all ;  they  were  very  glad  to  see  us,  and 
gave  us  the  usual  welcome,  'Haeremai ! 
Haeremai ! ' " 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  249  : 

"  As  I  ascended  the  steep  hill  with 
my  train,  scarcely  any  greeting  was 
addressed  to  me,  no  shouts  of  haeremai, 
so  universal  a  welcome  to  the  stranger, 
were  to  be  heard." 

1863.  F.  E.  Maning  (The  Pakeka- 
Maori],  '  Old  New  Zealand,'  p.  14  : 

"  The  boat  nears  the  shore,  and  now 
arises  from  a  hundred  voices  the  call 
of  welcome,  '  Haere  mai !  haere  mai ! 
hoe  mai  ! '  Mats,  hands,  and  certain 
ragged  petticoats  all  waving  in  the  air 
in  sign  of  welcome.  Then  a  pause. 
Then,  as  the  boat  came  nearer,  another 
burst  of  haere  mai !  But  unaccustomed 
as  I  was  then  to  the  Maori  salute,  I 
disliked  the  sound.  There  was  a 
wailing,  melancholy  cadence  that  did 


not  strike  me  as  being  the  appropriate 
note  of  welcome." 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  '  New  Zealand,' 
(English  edition)  p.  438  : 

"  Rev.  Mr.  Chapman  received  me 
at  his  garden  gate  with  a  hearty  wel- 
come, the  natives  shouted  their  friendly 
'haeremai,'  and  ere  long  we  were  all 
in  comfortable  shelter  beneath  the 
missionary's  roof." 

1883.     F.  S.  Renwick,    'Betrayed,'  p. 
34: 
"  Haire  mai  ho  !  'tis  the  welcome  song 

Rings  far  on  the  summer  air." 

Hair-trigger,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
name  for  any  plant  of  genus 
Stylidium.  Called  also  Trigger- 
plant ',  and  Jack  in  a  Box  (q.v.). 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  ii.  p.  71. 

"  The  Stylidium,  or  as  we  named  it, 
the  '  Hair-trigger,'  is  common  all  over 
the  colony." 

Haka,  n.  Maori  word  for  a 
dance. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  198  : 

"A  haka  was  now  performed  by 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  and 
women.  They  seated  themselves  in 
ranks  in  one  of  the  courtyards  of  the 
pa,  stripped  to  the  waist.  An  old 
chieftainess,  who  moved  along  the 
ranks  with  regular  steps,  brandishing 
an  ornamental  spear  in  time  to  her 
movements,  now  recited  the  first  verse 
of  a  song,  in  a  monotonous,  dirge-like 
measure.  This  was  joined  in  by  the 
others,  who  also  kept  time  by  quivering 
their  hands  and  arms,  nodding  their 
heads  and  bending  their  bodies  in 
accordance  with  each  emphasis  and 
pause." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes,' 
c.  xvi.  p.  409  (3rd  ed.  1855) : 

"  I    witnessed  a  national  spectacle 


190 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[HAK-HAN 


which  was  new  to  me — a  sort  of  in- 
cantation performed  by  women  alone 
—the  haka,  I  think  it  is  called." 

1872.  A.  Domett,   '  Ranolf/  XV.  c.  vi. 
p.  242 : 

"  The  Mka-dances,  where  she  shone 
supreme." 

1873.  'Appendix  to  Journal  of  House 
of  Representatives/  G.  I,  B.,  p.  8: 

"  Thursday  was  passed  by  them  [the 
natives]  in  feasting  and  hakas." 

1883.  F.  S.  Renwick,  '  Betrayed,'  p.  34  : 
"A  rushing  throng  in  the  furious 
haka  share." 

1896.  'Otago  Witness,'  Jan.  23,  p.  50, 
col.  5  : 

"  He  also  received  a  visit  from  three 
or  four  hostile  natives,  who,  with 
blood-curdling  yells,  duly  performed 
the  indispensable  haka." 

Hakea,  «.  the  scientific  name 
given,  in  honour  of  Baron  Hake 
of  Hanover,  to  "  a  large  Austra- 
lian genus  of  plants  belonging 
to  the  follicular  section  of  the 
Proteacecz,  tribe  Grevillecz,  and  dis- 
tinguished from  Grevillea  by  its 
axillary  inflorescence  and  sama- 
roid  seeds.  The  species,  nearly 
100  in  number  [Maiden's  index 
to  '  Useful  Native  Plants '  gives 
sixteen],  are  all  evergreen  shrubs, 
or  small  trees,  with  alternate  cori- 
aceous, variously  lobed,  often 
spiny  leaves.  They  are  orna- 
mental in  cultivation,  and  several 
have  acquired  special  names — 
H.  ulicina.  Native  Furze ;  H.  lau- 
rina,  Cushion-flower  ;  H.  adcularis 
(Lissosperma))  Native  Pear ;  H. 
fiexilis,  Twine-bush. "  ( *  Century. ') 

1877.  F.  v.  Muller,  'Botanic  Teach- 
ings/p.  50: 

"Proteacecz  are  more  extensively 
still  represented  in  Victoria  by  the 
well  known  genera  Grevillea  and  Ha- 
kea, the  former  dedicated  to  the  Right 
Hon.  C.  F.  Greville,  of  Paddington, 
the  latter  genus  named  in  honour  of 
Baron  Hake,  of  Hanover,  both  having 
been  alike  patrons  of  horticulture  at 
the  end  of  the  last  century." 


1897.  'The  Australasian/  Jan.  30,  p. 
226,  col.  3  : 

"  Recently,  according  to  *  Nature,' 
Mr.  G.  M.  Thomson,  an  eminent  au- 
thority on  New  Zealand  botany,  has 
shown  that  one  of  the  genera,  namely 
Hakea,  though  absent  at  present  from 
the  islands  [of  New  Zealand],  formerly 
existed  there.  Plant  remains  were 
found  at  St.  Bathans,  in  a  bed  of  clay, 
which  have  been  identified  by  him  as 
Hakea.  The  question  of  the  identi- 
fication of  fossil  plants  is  always  a 
difficult  one,  but  as  Mr.  Thomson 
announces  that  he  has  obtained  fruit 
capsules  and  leaves  there  can  be  but 
little  doubt  as  to  the  correctness  of  his 
determinations.  Hitherto  the  genus 
has  been  regarded  as  Australian  only, 
and  about  100  species  are  known,  of 
which  no  less  than  65  are  West  Aus- 
tralian. It  would  seem  then  that  the 
Hakeas  had  obtained  a  footing  in 
Eastern  Australia  before  the  connec- 
tion with  New  Zealand  had  disap- 
peared, and  that  probably  the  genus  is 
a  far  older  one  than  had  been  antici- 
pated. Why,  after  finding  its  way  to 
New  Zealand,  it  should  have  died  out 
there  is  a  question  to  which  no  answer 
can  as  yet  be  supplied." 

Hand-fish,  n.  a  Tasmanian  fish, 
Brachionichthys  hirsutus,  Lac^p. , 
family  Pediculati.  The  name  is 
used  in  the  northern  hemisphere 
for  a  different  fish,  which  is  also 
called  there  the  Frog-fish  and 
Toad-fish.  The  name  arises  from 
a  fancied  resemblance  of  the  pro- 
file of  the  fish  to  a  human  hand. 
It  is  also  called  Frog-fish  and 
Tortoise-shell  fish.  Mrs.  Meredith 
calls  it  Tortoise-shell  Fish  from 
its  colour,  when  figuring  it  in 
'  Tasmanian  Friends  and  Foes ' 
under  its  former  scientific  name 
of  Cheironectes  politus.  The  sur- 
face of  its  skin  is  hirsute  with 
minute  spines,  and  the  lobe  at  the 
end  of  the  detached  filament  of 
the  dorsal  fin — called  the  fintacle 
— hangs  loose.  The  scientific 
names  of  the  genus  are  derived 
from  Grk.  /fya^tW,  "the  arm," 


HAN-HAP] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


191 


and  x€4>>  "the  hand."  The  arm- 
like  pectoral  fins  are  used  for 
holding  on  to  stones  or  seaweed. 

1850.  '  Papers  and  Proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
Jan.  9,  vol.  i.  p.  268 : 

"A  little  spotted  fish  belonging  to 
the  genus  Chironectes  .  .  .  Mr.  Champ 
writes  thus  respecting  the  frog  fish  : — 
'  It  was  found  in  the  sea  at  Port  Arthur 
by  a  person  who  was  with  me,  and 
when  caught  had  all  the  appearance 
of  having  four  legs,  from  the  position 
and  shape  of  the  fins  ;  the  two  longest 
of  which,  from  the  sort  of  elbow  in 
them,  and  the  division  into  (rays)  what 
resemble  fingers,  seem  to  form  a  con- 
necting link  between  fins  and  legs  or 
arms.' " 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  249  : 

"  It  has  fins  like  feet ;  one  small 
pair  where  pectoral  fins  usually  are, 
and  a  larger  pair,  with  absolute  elbows 
to  them,  and  apparently  shoulder- 
blades  too,  only  those  do  not  belong 
to  the  fore  pair  of  feet !  A  very  anti- 
podean arrangement  truly !  The 
markings  on  the  body  and  on  the 
delicate  pellucid  fins  are  like  tortoise- 
shell." 

Hand,  Old,  n.  one  who  has  been 
a  convict. 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  141  : 

"  The  men  who  have  been  convicts 
are  termed  'old  hands' ;  they  are  mostly 
rude,  rough  men,  with  no  moral  prin- 
ciple or  religious  feeling,  and  who 
have  little  sympathy  for  humanity." 

1865.  J.  O.  Tucker,  '  Australian  Story,' 
c.  i.  p.  85  : 

"  Reformed  convicts,  or,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  their  proverbial  cant,  'old 
hands.'" 

1865.  F.  H.  Nixon,  'Peter  Perfume,' 
p.  102  : 

"'Boshman'  in  the  old-hand  ver- 
nacular signifies  a  fiddler."  ["Bosh 
in  gypsy  means  music  and  also  violin." 
— Barrlre  and  Leland.] 

1885.  J.  Rae,  '  Chirps  by  an  Australian 
Sparrow,'  p.  99  : 

"  The  old  hands  were  quite  tidy  too 
With  hats  of  cabbage-tree." 


Hang  up,  v.  to  tie  up  a  horse. 

1860.  W.  Kelly,  '  Life  in  Victoria,'  p. 
49  [Footnote] : 

"  In  Melbourne  there  are  posts  sunk 
in  the  ground  almost  opposite  every 
door.  .  .  .  Fastening  your  horse  to 
one  of  these  posts  is  called  '  hanging 
him  up.' " 

1885.  II.  Finch  -  Hatton,  'Advance 
Australia,'  p.  32  : 

"  We  got  off,  hung  our  horses  up  to 
a  tree." 

1890.  E.  W.  Hornung,  '  Bride  from  the 
Bush,'  p.  296  : 

"  The  mail-boy  is  waiting  impatiently 
in  the  verandah,  with  his  horse  *  hung 
up ;  to  one  of  the  posts." 

Hapalote,  n.  Anglicized  form  of 
Hapalotis  (Grk.  cbraAo's,  soft,  and 
ous,  cms,  ear),  a  peculiar  Australian 
genus  of  rodents  of  the  mouse 
family.  They  are  called  Jumping 
Mice,  and  have  soft  ears,  and  en- 
larged hind  limbs  like  the  jerboa, 
but  are  not  marsupial  like  the 
kangaroo.  There  are  many 
species. 

Hapu,  n.  Maori  word  for  sub- 
tribe  ;  sometimes  even,  family. 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  '  New  Zealand, 
the  Britain  of  the  South,'  vol.  i.  p.  162  : 

"The  70,000  semi-civilised  natives 
now  in  New  Zealand  are  divided  into 
some  dozen  chief  tribes,  and  into 
numerous  sub-tribes  and  '  harpu.' " 

1873.  '  Appendix  to  Journals  of  House 
of  Representatives,'  vol.  iii.  G.  7,  p.  87  : 

"Were  not  all  your  hapu  present 
when  the  money  was  paid  ?  My  hapu, 
through  whom  the  land  was  claimed, 
were  present :  we  filled  the  room." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  171  : 

"An  important  structure  that  en- 
gaged the  united  labours  of  the  hapu." 

1887.  J.  White,  'Ancient  History  of 
the  Maori,'  vol.  i.  p.  290  : 

"Each  of  which  is  subdivided  again 
into  Hapu,  or  smaller  communities." 

1891.  Rev.  J.  Stacks,  '  Report  of  Aus- 
tralasian Association  for  the  Advancement 
of  Science,'  vol.  iii.  sect.  G.  p.  378: 

"On  arriving  in  New  Zealand,  or 
Ao-tea-roa,  the  crews  of  the  colonizing 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[HAP-HAR 


fleet  dispersed  themselves  over  the 
length  and  breadth  of  these  islands,  and 
formed  independent  tribes  or  nations, 
each  of  which  was  divided  into  hapus, 
and  the  hapus  into  families." 

Hapuku,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
fish,  Oligorus  gigas,  Giinth.,  called 
later  Polyprion  prognathus  (see  quo- 
tation, 1895),  pronounced  hapu- 
ka, frequently  corrupted  into 
habuka,  the  Groper  (q.v.).  It  is 
variously  called  a  Cod,  a  Perch, 
and  a  Sea-Perch.  See  quotations. 

1845  (about).  '  New  Plymouth's  National 
Song,  Hursthouse's  'New  Zealand,'  p. 
217: 

"  Lowing  herds  on  every  side, 
Hapuka  in  every  tide." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  'Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  411: 

"Hapuku,  or  whapuku,  commonly 
called  the  cod,  but  a  much  richer  fish 
in  flavour :  externally  it  more  resembles 
the  salmon,  and  is  known  in  New  Hol- 
land as  the  dew  or  jew-fish.  It 
attains  a  large  size  and  is  considered 
the  best  fish  of  New  Zealand." 

1862.  Anon.,  'From  the  Black  Rocks 
on  Friday,'  'All  the  Year  Round,'  May 
17,  1862,  No.  160  : 

"A  kind  of  codfish  called  by  the 
natives  whapuku  or  hahpuka." 

1878.  P.  Thomson,  '  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  XI.  art.  Hi.  p. 
383: 

"  The  hapuka,  or  groper,  was  in 
pretty  regular  supply." 

1880.  Glinther,  '  Study  of  Fishes,'  p. 
392: 

"The  second  (Oligorus  gigas)  is 
found  in  the  sea,  on  the  coast  of  New 
Zealand,  and  called  by  the  Maoris  and 
colonists  'Hapuku'  .  .  .  Dr.  Hector, 
who  has  had  opportunities  of  examin- 
ing it  in  a  fresh  state,  has  pointed  out 
anatomical  differences  from  the  Murray 
Cod." 

1880.  W.  Colenso,  '  Transactions  of  the 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  XIII.  art.  ii. 
p.  46: 

"  A  feast  of  good  things  prepared — 
eels,  and  hapuku  (codfish),  and  taro." 

1884.  W.  D.  Hay,  in  the  'Field,'  May 
10,  p.  637,  col.  i  : 
"The   pakirikiri    (Percis  colias)   is 


the  fish  to  which  settlers  in  the  north 
of  New  Zealand  generally  give  the 
name  of  whapuka." 

1895.  'Oxford  English  Dictionary '  (s.v. 
Cod): 

"  In  New  Zealand,  a  serranoid  fish 
Polyprion  prognathus,  called  by  the 
Maories  hapuku." 

Hardhead,  n.  the  English 
sportsman's  name  for  the  ruddy 
duck  (Erismatura  rubidd).  Applied 
by  sportsmen  in  Australia  to  the 
White-eyed  Duck,  Nyroca  aus- 
tralis,  Gould.  See  Duck. 

Hardwood,  n.  The  name  is  ap- 
plied to  many  Australian  timbers 
something' like  teak,  but  especially 
to  Backhousia  bancroftii,  F.  v.  M. 
and  Bailey,  N.O.  Myrtacece.  In 
Tasmania,  it  means  any  gum- 
timber  (Eucalyptus).  It  is  in 
constant  and  universal  use  for 
building  and  fencing  in  Australia. 

1888.  Candish,  'Whispering  Voices,' p. 
108: 

"  Sitting  on  a  block  of  hardwood 
.  .  .  is  the  gray-haired  forest  feller." 

1890.  Rolf       Boldrewood,        '  Miner's 
Right,'  c.  iii.  p.  24  : 

"It  was  a  hammer-like  piece  of  hard- 
wood above  a  plate  of  tin." 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,    '  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  93  : 

"A  hardwood  slab-door  weighs  a 
goodish  deal,  as  any  one  may  find  out 
that  has  to  hump  it  a  hundred  yards." 

Hardyhead,  n.  name  given  in 
Sydney  to  the  fish  Atherinapinguis, 
Lacep. ,  family  Atherinidce. 

Hare-Kangaroo,  n.  a  small 
Kangaroo,  resembling  the  British 
hare.  Called  also  Hare- Wallaby. 
The  scientific  name  is  Lagorchestes 
(q.v.). 

1871.  G.  Krefft,  'Mammals  of  Aus- 
tralia': 

"The  Hare-kangaroos,  so  called 
from  their  resemblance  to  that  well 
known  rodent,  are  the  fleetest  of  the 
whole  tribe,  and  though  they  do  not 
exceed  a  common  hare  in  bulk,  they 


HAR-HAT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


193 


can  make  clear  jumps  of  eight  and  ten 
feet  high." 

Hare- Wallaby,  n.  See  Hare- 
Kangaroo  >  Wallaby,  and  Lagor? 
chestes. 

Harlequin-Pigeon,  n.  formerly 
referred  to  the  genus  Peristera, 
but  now  to  the  genus  Phaps.  It 
is  commonly  called  in  the  interior 
the  "flock  "  pigeon. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  296  : 

"  Large  flocks  of  Peristera  histri- 
onica  (the  harlequin  -  pigeon)  were 
lying  on  the  patches  of  burnt  grass  on 
the  plains." 

Harmonic  Thrush, n.  See  Port- 
Jackson  Thrush. 

Harpagornis,  n.  a  scientific 
name  for  a  partly  fossilised,  huge 
raptorial  bird  of  New  Zealand. 
From  Greek  ap7ra£,  robbing,  and 
opvis,  a  bird. 

1878.  A.  Newton,  '  Encyclopaedia  Bri- 
tannica,'  vol.  iii.  p.  731  : 

"  There  is  a  harpagornis;  a  bird  of 
prey  of  stature  sufficient  to  have  made 
the  largest  dinornis  its  quarry." 

Harrier,  n.  English  bird-name 
(that  which  harries),  assigned  in 
New  Zealand  to  Circus  gouldii, 
Bonap.  (also  called  Swamp-hawk], 
and  in  Australia  to  C.  assimilis, 
Jard.  and  Selb.,  or  C.approximans, 
Bonap.,  called  Spotted  Harrier. 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  206  : 

"  Circus  Gouldi,  Bonap.,  New  Zea- 
land harrier,  or  Gould's  harrier." 

Hat,  Black,  n.  slang  for  a  new 
immigrant. 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Longleat  of 
Kooralbyn,'  c.  xxviii.  p.  277  : 

"  Lord !  if  I  were  Mr.  Dyson  Mad- 
dox,  I'd  never  let  it  be  said  that  a 
black  hat  had  cut  me  out  sweet- 
heartin'." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  iii.  p.  21  : 

"  A  '  black  hat '  in  Australian  par- 
lance means  a  new  arrival." 


Hat,  Old.     See  Old-hat. 

Hatter,  (i)  A  solitary  miner — 
miner  who  works  without  a  mate 
partner  :  sc.  one  who  has  every- 
thing under  his  own  hat. 

1869.  Brough  Smyth,  '  Goldfields  of 
Victoria,'  p.  613  ('Glossary  of  Mining 
Terms ') : 

"  One  who  works  alone.  He  differs 
from  the  fossicker  who  rifles  old  work- 
ings, or  spends  his  time  in  trying 
abandoned  washdirt.  The  hatter  leads 
an  independent  life,  and  nearly  always 
holds  a  claim  under  the  bye-laws." 

1884.  R-  L.  A.  Davies,  '  Poems  and 
Literary  Remains,'  p.  267  : 

"  Oh,  a  regular  rum  old  stick  ;  .  .  . 
he  mostly  works  a  '  hatter.'  He  has 
worked  with  mates  at  times,  and  leaves 
them  when  the  claim  is  done,  and 
comes  up  a  'hatter'  again.  He's  a 
regular  old  miser." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,    'The  Miner's 
Right,'  p.  37 : 

"  Instead  of  having  to  take  to  fos- 
sicking like  so  many  '  hatters ' — solitary 
miners." 

(2)  By  extension  to  other  pro- 
fessions. 

1893.  '  The  Herald '  (Melbourne),  Aug. 
28,  p.  i.  col.  7  : 

"  He  had  been  a  burglar  of  the  kind 
known  among  the  criminal  classes  as 
'  a  hatter.'  That  is  to  say,  he  burgled 
'on  his  own  hook,'  never  in  a  gang. 
He  had  never,  he  told  me,  burgled 
with  a  companion." 

Hatteria,  n.  scientific  name  for 
a  genus  of  reptiles  containing  a 
Lizard  peculiar  to  New  Zealand, 
the  only  living  representative  of 
the  order  Rhynchoeephalina*  See 
Tuatara. 

Hatting,  quasi  pres.  partic., 
solitary  mining.  See  Hatter. 

1891.  '  The  Age,'  Nov.  25,  p.  6,  col.  7  : 
"Two   old   miners   have   been  .  .  . 

hatting    for    gold    amongst    the    old 
alluvial  gullies." 

Hat-tree,  n.  name  given  to  a 
species  of  Sterculia,  the  Bottle- 
trees  (q.v.). 


I94 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[HAU-HEA 


Hau-hau,  n.  a  Maori  super- 
stition. This  superstition  arose 
in  Taranaki  in  1864,  through  the 
crazy  fancies  of  the  chief  Te  Ua, 
who  communed  with  angels  and 
interpreted  the  Bible.  The  mean- 
ing of  the  word  is  obscure,  but 
it  probably  referred  to  the  wind 
which  wafted  the  angels  to  the 
worshippers  whilst  dancing  round 
an  erect  pole.  Pai  Marire  was 
another  name  for  the  superstition, 
and  signifies  "good  and  peace- 
ful." (See  Gudgeon's  'War  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  23  sq.  ;  also 
Colenso's  pamphlet  on  '  Kereopa,' 
p.  4.) 

Hawk,  n.  This  common  Eng- 
lish bird-name  is  applied  in  Aus- 
tralia to  many  species — • 

Brown-Hawk — 

Hieracidea  orientalis^  Schl. 
Crested-H.- 

Baza  subcristata,  Gould. 
Eagle-H.- 

Another  name  for  Wedge-tailed 
Eagle.    (See  Eagle  and  Eagle- 
hawk.  ) 
Fish-H.— 

Another  name  for  Osprey.    (See 

Fish-hawk.} 
Gos-H.— 

Astur  approximate,  V.  and  H. 
Grey  Gos-H.— 

A.  cinereus,  Vieill. 
Lesser  Gos-H. — 

A.  cruentus,  Gould. 
Lesser  White  Gos-H. — 

A.  leucosomus,  Sharpe. 
Red  Gos-H. — 

A.  radiatus,  Lath. 
Sparrow-H. — 

Acdpiter  cirrhocephahis,  Vieill. 
Striped  Brown-H. — 

Hieracidea  berigora,    V.   and  H. 

[See  Berigora.} 
Swamp-H.  [See  Harrier  J\ 
White  Gos-H.— 

Astur  nopce-hollandicB)  Gm. 


See  also  Nankeen-Hawk,  and 
Night-Hawk. 

In  New  Zealand,  the  varieties 
appear  in  the  quotation,  1889. 

1888.  W.    L.    Buller,   '  Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  206  : 

[A  complete  description.] 

1889.  Prof,  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  117  : 

"Of  the  three  species  recognized, 
two,  the  quail-hawk  (Harpa  Novcz 
ZealandicB]  and  the  bush-hawk  (H. 
ferox)  [or  sparrow-hawk],  belong  to  a 
genus  peculiar  to  New  Zealand."  [The 
third  is  the  New  Zealand  harrier, 
Circus  Gouldi^  also  found  in  Australia.] 
Hazel,  n.  name  applied  in 
Victoria  to  the  tree  Pomaderris 
apetala,  Labill.,  N.O.  Rhamnacece. 

1889.  J.    H.    Maiden,    '  Useful  Native 
Plants/  p.  590  : 

"  Called  '  hazel '  in  Victoria.  A  tall 
shrub,  or  small  tree.  The  wood  is 
excellent,  of  a  beautiful  satiny  texture, 
and  adapted  for  carvers'  and  turners' 
work.  [Grows  in]  all  the  colonies  ex- 
cept Western  Australia  and  Queens- 
land." 

Head,  n.  the  rammer  for  crush- 
ing quartz  in  gold-mining. 

1890.  '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  7 : 
"Forty    additional    heads    will    be 

shortly  added  to  the  crushing  power, 
bringing  the  battery  up  to  sixty  heads." 

Head-Station,  n.  the  principal 
buildings,  including  the  owner's 
or  manager's  house,  the  hut, 
store,  etc.,  of  a  sheep  or  cattle 
run, 

1885.   Mrs.  Campbell  Praed  [Title] : 

"  The  Head  Station." 

Heart-Pea,  n.  i.q.  Balloon-Vine 
(q.v.). 

Heartsease,  «.  i.q.  Brooklime, 
(q.v.). 

Heartseed,  n.  i.q.  Balloon- Vim 
(q.v.). 

Heartwood.  n.     See  Ironwood. 

Heath,  n.  In  Tasmania,  where 
the  Epacris  is  of  very  beautiful 


HED-HER] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


195 


colour,  this  name  is  popularly 
used  for  Epacris  impressa,  Labill., 
N.O.  Epacridea.  See  Epacris. 

Hedgehog  -  Fruit,  ;/.  popular 
name  applied  to  the  fruit  of 
Echinocarpus  australis,  Benth., 
N.O.  Tiliacece.  The  tree  is  also 
called  Maiden's  Blush  (q.v.). 

Hedge-Laurel,  n.  a  name  given 
to  the  tree  Mapau  (q.v.),  an  ever- 
green shrub  of  New  Zealand,  of 
the  genus  Pittosporum  (q.v.).  It 
has  dark  glossy  foliage  and  hand- 
some flowers,  and  is  planted  and 
cultivated  in  the  form  of  tall 
garden  hedges.  See  also  Laurel. 

Hei-tiki,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
neck  ornament  made  of  green- 
stone (q.v.). 

1835.  W.  Yate,  '  Account  of  New  Zea- 
land,' p.  151  : 

"  The  latter  idea  [that  they  are  re- 
presentatives of  gods]  was  conceived 
from  the  hei-tiki  being  taken  off  the 
neck,  laid  down  .  .  .  and  then  wept 
and  sung  over." 

1889.  Dr.  Hocken,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  81  : 

"  Hei  means  ornament  for  the  neck. 
Tiki  was  the  creator  of  man,  and  these 
are  the  representations  of  him.  By  a 
sort  of  license,  they  are  occasionally 
taken  to  represent  some  renowned 
ancestor  of  the  possessor  ;  but  wooden 
Tikis,  some  of  immense  size,  usually 
represented  the  ancestors,  and  were 
supposed  to  be  visited  by  their  spirits. 
These  might  be  erected  in  various 
parts  of  a  pa,  or  to  mark  boundaries, 
etc.  The  Maories  cling  to  them  as 
sacred  heirlooms  of  past  generations, 
and  with  some  superstitious  rever- 
ence." 

Helmet-Orchis,  n.  This  Eng- 
lish name  is  applied  in  Australia 
to  the  orchid  Pterostylis  cucullata, 
R.  Br. 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  ii.  p.  168  : 

"  I  also  found  three  varieties  of  a 
singular  green  orchis,  of  a  helmet- 


shape,  growing  singly,  on  rather  tall 
slender  footstalks." 

Hemp,  Queensland,  n.  name 
given  to  the  common  tropical  weed 
Sida  rhombifolia,  Linn.,  N.O.  Mal- 
vacecz.  Called  also  Paddy  Lucerne, 
and  in  other  colonies  Native 
Lucerne,  and  Jelly  Leaf.  It  is  not 
endemic  in  Australia. 

Hemp-bush,  n.  the  plant  Plagi- 
anthus  pulchellus,  A.  Gray,  N.O. 
Malvaceae  t  native  of  Australia  and 
New  Zealand.  Though  not  true 
hemp  (cannabh],  it  yields  a  fibre 
commercially  resembling  it. 

He-Oak,  n.  See  Oak  and  She- 
Oak. 

Heron,  n.  common  English 
bird-name.  The  species  present 
in  Australia  are — 

Ashy  Reef  H.— 

Demiegretta  asha,  Sykes. 
Great-billed  H.— 

Ardea  sumatrana,  RafH. 
Grey  H.- 

A.  cinerea,  Linn. 
Night  H.- 

Nycticorax  caledonicus,  Lath 
Reef  H.- 

Demiegretta  sacra,  Gmel. 
White-fronted  H.— 

'Ardea  nova-hollandice,  Lath. 
White-necked  H.— 

A.  pacifica,  Lath. 

The  Cranes  and  the  Herons 
are  often  popularly  confused. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  p.  n  : 

"  There  did  I  shoot  .  .  a  blue  crane 
— the  Australian  heron." 

Herring,  ;/.  Various  species  of 
Clupeidce,  to  which  the  European 
Herring  belongs,  are  known  by 
this  name  in  Australasia,  and  the 
word  is  also  applied  to  an  entirely 
different  fish,  Prototroctes  inarana, 
Giinth.,  the  Yarra  Herring,  Fresh- 
water Herring,  Grayling  (q.v.), 


[96 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[HER-HIC 


or  Cucumber- Mullet,  found  in  the 
rivers  of  Victoria  or  Tasmania. 
The  Clupeidce  are  Clupea  sagax 
(called  also  Maray,  q.v.,  and  Pil- 
chard}, C.  sundaica,  C.  hypselosoma, 
Bleek.,  C.  nova-hollandia,  Cuv. 
and  Val.,  C.  vittata,  Castln. 
(called  the  Smelt,  q.v.),  and 
others.  In  Western  Australia 
Chatoessus  erebi,  Richards.,  is 
called  the  Perth  Herring.  See 
also  Picton  Herring,  Aua,  and 
Sardine. 

Herring-cale,  n.  name  given  in 
New  South  Wales  to  the  fish 
Olistherops  brunneus,  Macl.,  family 
Labrida,  or  Wrasses. 

Hickory,  n.  The  name  Hickory 
is  originally  American,  and  is 
derived  from  the  North-American 
Indian ;  its  earliest  form  was 
Pohickery.  The  tree  belongs  to 
the  genus  Carya.  The  wood 
is  excellent  for  gig-shafts, 
carriage-poles,  fishing-rods,  etc. 
The  name  is  applied  in  Australia 
to  various  trees  whose  wood  is 
suitable  for  similar  purposes.  In 
Tasmania,  the  name  Hickory  is 
given  to  Eriostemon  squameus, 
Labill.,  N.O.  Rutacecz.  Native 
Hickory,  or  Hickory-Acacia,  is 
Acacia  leprosa,  Sieb.,  N.O.  Le*u- 
minosa,  and  in  the  southern  part 
of  New  South  Wales,  Acacia 
melanoxylon.  (Maiden,  '  Useful 
Native  Plants,'  p.  358.) 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  v.  p.  35  : 

"The  beautiful  umbrageous  black- 
wood,  or  native  hickory,  one  of  the 
handsomest  trees  in  Australia." 

Hickory-Eucalypt,  n.  one  of 
the  names  for  the  tree  Eucalyptus 
punctata,  DeC.,  N.O.  Myrtacea. 
Called  also  Leather-jacket  (q.v.). 

Hickory- Wattle,  n.  a  Queens- 
land name  for  Acacia  aulacocarpa, 
Cunn.,  N.O.  Leguminosa ;  called 
Hickory  about  Brisbane. 


Hielaman,  n.  a  word  of  Syd- 
ney and  neighbourhood.  The 
initial  h,  now  frequently  used  by 
the  natives,  is  not  found  in  the 
earliest  forms.  The  termination 
man  is  also  English.  Elimang 
(Hunter),  e-lee-mong  (Collins), 
hllaman  (Ridley).  A  narrow- 
shield  of  an  aboriginal,  made  of 
bark  or  wood.  Notice  Mr. 
Grant's  remarkable  plural  (1881 
quotation). 

1798.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  p.  612: 

"  E-lee-mong — shield  made  of  bark." 

1834.  L-  E-  Threlkeld,  'Australian 
Grammar,'  p.  5 : 

"As  an  initial,  h  occurs  in  only  a 
few  words,  such  as  hilaman,  a  '  shield.' " 

Ibid.  p.  10: 

"  As  a  barbarism,  '  hillimung — a 
shield.' " 

[A  barbarism  means  with  Mr. 
Threlkeld  little  more  than  "  not 
belonging  to  the  Hunter  district."] 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  '  Three  Expeditions 
into  the  Interior  of  Eastern  Australia,'  vol. 
ii.  p.  349 : 

"  There  is  much  originality  in  the 
shield  or  hieleman  of  these  people. 
It  is  merely  a  piece  of  wood,  of  little 
thickness,  and  two  feet  eight  inches 
long,  tapering  to  each  end,  cut  to  an 
edge  outwards,  and  having  a  handle 
or  hole  in  the  middle,  behind  the 
thickest  part." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes' 
(edition  1855),  p.  102 : 

"  The  hieleman  or  shield  is  a  piece 
of  wood,  about  two  and  a  half  feet  long, 
tapering  to  the  ends,  with  a  bevelled 
face  not  more  than  four  inches  wide  at 
the  broadest  part,  behind  which  the 
left  hand  passing  through  a  hole  is 
perfectly  guarded." 

1865.  S.  Bennett,  'Australian  Dis- 
covery,' p.  251: 

"  Hieleman,  a  shield.  Saxon,  heilan ; 
English,  helm  or  helmet  (a  little  shield 
for  the  head)." 

[This  is  a  remarkable  contribu- 
tion to  philological  lore.  In  no 
dictionary  is  the  Saxon  "  heilan  " 
to  be  found,  and  a  misprint  may 


HIE-HOL] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


197 


charitably  be  suspected.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  the  h  is  an  English 
Cockney  addition  to  the  aboriginal 
word.  It  would  need  an  ingeni- 
ous fancy  to  connect  "  e-lee- 
mong"  with  "helm."] 

1873.  J.  B.  Stephens,  'Black  Gin,  etc.,' 
p.  26: 

"  No  faint  far  hearing  of  the  waddies 

banging 
Of    club   and  heelaman   together 

clanging, 

War  shouts  and  universal  boom- 
eranging." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  66: 

"  Nullah-  nullahs,  paddy -melon 
sticks,  boomerangs,  tomahawks,  and 
heelimen  or  shields  lay  about  in  every 
direction." 

Hielaman-tree,  n.  another 
name  for  the  Bats-wing  Coral 
(q.v.),  ErythrinavespertiliOy  Benth., 
N.O.  Leguminosce. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  426 : 

"  '  Heilaman  [sic]  tree.'"  The  wood 
is  soft,  and  used  by  the  aborigines  for 
making  their  '  heilamans  '  or  shields." 

Hinau,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
New  Zealand  tree,  Elczocarpus 
dentatus,  Vahl.,  N.O.  Tiliacece. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  317: 

"  Another  export  was  much  talked 
of.  This  was  the  bark  of  the  hinau, 
a  large  forest  tree  which  abounds  all 
over  the  country  near  Cook's  Strait. 
The  natives  extract  from  this  bark  the 
black  dye  for  their  mats." 

1873.  'Catalogue  of  Vienna  Exhibition': 

"  Hinau — a  white  wood  used  for 
turner's  work." 

Ibid. : 

"  The  natives  produce  the  black  dye 
for  their  flax-work,  for  which  purpose 
the  bark  is  first  bruised  and  boiled  for 
a  short  time.  When  cold  the  flax  is 
put  into  the  mixture  ...  it  is  then 
steeped  thoroughly  for  two  days  in  red 
swamp  mud,  rich  in  peroxide  of  iron." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  '  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  130: 

"  Hinau,  a  small  tree  about  fifty  feet 


high  and  eighteen  inches  thick  in  stem, 
with  brown  bark  which  yields  a  per- 
manent blue-black  dye,  used  for  tan- 
ning .  .  .  used  by  Maoris  for  colouring 
mats  and  baskets.  Wood  a  yellowish 
brown  colour  and  close-grained  ;  very 
durable  for  fencing  and  piles." 

Hoki,  n.  a  New  Zealand  fish, 
Coryph&noicUs  novce-zelandice.  Cory- 
phcenoides  belongs  to  the  family 
Macruridcz,  which  are  deep-sea 
Gadoids.  See  Tasmanian  Whip- 
tail. 

Holly,  Native,  n.-  name  given 
in  Australia  to  the  tree  Lomatia 
ilicifolia,  R.Br.,  N.O.  Proteacece, 
and  in  Tasmania  to  Coprosma 
htrtella,  Labill.,  N.O.  Rubiacece  ; 
called  also  Coffee  Plant. 

Holly,  Smooth,  n.  name  given 
to  the  tree  Hedycarya  angustifolia, 
A.  Cunn.,  N.O.  Monimiacea  ; 
called  also  Native  Mulberry. 

Hollyhock-tree,  n.  name  given 
to  Hibiscus  splendens,  Eraser, 
N.O.  Malvacetz. 

Holy  City,  n.  a  nickname  for 
Adelaide.  See  Farinaceous  City. 

1875.  R.  and  F.  Hill,  '  What  we  Saw 
in  Australia,'  p.  264  : 

"...  including  so  many  churches 
that  we  are  at  a  loss  to  understand 
why  Adelaide  should,  in  virtue  of  her 
supposed  superabundance,  be  nick- 
named by  her  neighbours  the  Holy 
City." 

Holy-cross  Toad,  n.  See 
Catholic  Frog. 

Holy-Dollar,  n.  punning  name 
for  a  dollar  out  of  which  a  Dump 
(q.v.)  had  been  punched. 

1822.  '  Hobart  Town  Gazette,'  Aug. 
10  [Proclamation  by  Sir  Thomas  Bris- 
bane, Governor-in-Chief  of  New  South 
Wales  and  its  dependencies,  then  including 
Van  Diemen's  Land]  : 

"  Whereas  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord 
1813,  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  send 
a  Quantity  of  Spanish  Dollars  to  the 
Colony.  .  .  .  And  whereas  His  Excel- 
lency, the  then  Governor,  thought 


i98 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[HON 


proper  to  direct,  that  every  such  Dollar, 
with  a  small  circular  Piece  of  Silver, 
struck  out  of  its  Centre,  should  be 
current  within  this  Territory,  and  every 
part  thereof,  for  the  Sum  of  Five 
Shillings." 

[These  were  called  holy  (holey) 
dollars,  or  ring  dollars,  though 
the  name  does  not  occur  in  the 
above  quotation.] 

1857.  D.  Bunce,  '  Australasiatic  Re- 
miniscences,'  p.  59  : 

"  We  were  more  particularly  struck 
with  the  character  and  various  kinds 
of  currency  [in  Tasmania  in  1833]. 
Our  first  change  for  a  pound  consisted 
of  two  dumps,  two  holy  dollars,  one 
Spanish  dollar,  one  French  coin,  one 
half-crown,  one  shilling,  and  one  six- 
pence." 

Honey-Ant,  n.  name  given  to 
various  species  of  Ants,  in  which 
the  body  of  certain  individuals 
becomes  enormously  distended 
by  sweet  food  with  which  they 
are  fed  by  the  worker  ants,  for 
whom  this  store  of  '  honey ' 
serves  as  a  food  supply.  When 
the  side  of  the  distended  abdomen 
is  tapped,  the  ant  passes  the 
1  honey '  out  of  its  mouth,  and 
it  is  then  eaten.  Three  species 
are  known  in  Australia,  Campo- 
notus  inflatuS)  Lubbock  ;  C.  cowlei, 
Froggatt;  and  C.  midas,  Froggatt. 
The  aboriginal  name  of  the  first 
is  *  Yarumpa.' 

1896.  W.  W.  Froggatt,  '  Home  Expe- 
dition in  Central  Australia,'  pt.  ii.  p.  386  : 

"  Our  Australian  honey  ants  belong 
to  the  genus  Camponotus,  members 
of  which  are  found  in  all  parts  of  the 
world,  and  are  known  as  '  sugar-ants,3 
from  their  fondness  for  all  kinds  of 
sweets." 

Honey-bird,  n.  See  next  word. 

Honey-eater,  n.  an  Australian 
bird,  with  a  tongue  specially 
adapted  for  being  formed  into  a 
tube  for  the  absorption  of  honey 
from  flowers.  The  name  is  ap- 
plied to  the  following  species — 


Banded  Honey-eater  — 

Myzomela  pectoralis,  Gould. 
Black  H.— 

M.  nigra,  Gould. 
Black-chinned  H.  — 

Melithreptus  gularis,  Gould. 
Black-headed  H.— 

M.  melanocephalus,  Gould. 
Blue-faced  H.— 

Entomyza  cyanotis.  Swain.     [See 


Bridled  H.— 

Ptilotis  frenata,  Ramsay. 
Broadbent  H.— 

Stigmatops  alboauricularis,   Ram- 

say. 
Brown  H.  — 

S.  ocularis,  Gould. 
Brown-backed  H.  — 

Glydphila  modes  ta,  Gray. 
Brown-headed  H.  — 

Melithreptus  brevirostns. 
Cockerill  H.— 

Ptilotis  cockerelli,  Gould. 
Crescent  H.  — 

Meliornis  australasiana,  Shaw. 
Dusky  H.— 

Myzomela  obscura,  Gould. 
Fasciated  H.  — 

Ptilotis  fasciogula  ris,  Gould. 
Fuscous  H.— 

P.fusca,  Gould. 
Gay  H.— 

Melithreptus  vinitinatus,  Gould. 
Golden-backed  H.— 

M.  IcBtior,  Gould. 
Helmeted  H.— 

Ptilotis  cassidix,  Jard. 
Least  H.— 

Stigmatops  subocularis,  Gould. 
Long-billed  H.— 

Meliornis  longirostris,  Gould. 
Moustached  H.— 

M.  mystacalis,  Gould. 
New  Holland  H.— 

M.  novcR-hollandice,  Lath. 
Painted  H.— 

En  tomophila  picta  ,  Gould. 
Pied  H.— 

Certhionvx  leucomelas,  Cuv. 


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AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


199 


Red-headed  Honey-eater — 

Myzomela  erythrocephala,  Gould. 
Red-throated  H.— 

Entomophila  rufigularis,  Gould. 
Rufous-breasted  H. — 

£.  albigularis,  Gould. 
Sanguineous  H. — 

Myzomela    sanguineolenta.    Lath. 

[See  Blood-bird^ 
Singing1  H. — 

Ptilotis  vittata,  Cuv. 
Spiny-cheeked  H. — 

Acanthoch&ra  rufigularis,  Gould. 
Streak-naped  H. — 

Ptilotis  filigera,  Gould. 
Striped  H.— 

Plectorhyncha  lanceolata,  Gould. 
Strong-billed  H.— 

Melithreptus  validirostris,  Gould. 

[See  also  Cherry-picker :] 
Tawny-crowned  H. — 

Glyciphila  fulvifrons,  L  e wi  n . 
Varied  H.— 

Ptilotis  versicolor,  Gould. 
Warty-faced  H.— 

Meliphaga  phrygta,  Lath.  (Called 
also     the    Mock    Regent-bird, 
q.v.) 
Wattle-cheeked  H.— 

Ptilotis  cratitia,  Gould. 
White-breasted  H.— 

Glyciphila  fasdata,  Gould. 
White-cheeked  H.— 

Meliornis  sericea,  Gould. 
White-eared  H.— 

Ptilotis  leucotis,  Lath. 
White-fronted  H.— 

Glyciphila  albifrons,  Gould. 
White-gaped  H. — 

Stomiopora  unicolor,  Gould. 
White-naped  H.— 

Melithreptus     lunulatus,     Shaw. 

[See  also  Golden-Eye.\ 
White-plumed  H. — 

Ptilotis  penicillata ,  Gould. 
White-quilled  H.— 

Entomyza  albipennis,  Gould. 
White-throated  H.— 

Melithreptus  albogularis,  Gould. 


Yellow  H.— 

Ptilotis flavescens,  Gould. 
Yellow-eared  H. — 

P.  lewini.  Swains. 
Yellow-faced  H.— 

P.  chrysops,  Lath. 
Yellow-fronted  H.— 

P.  plumula,  Gould. 
Yellow-plumed  H. — 

P.  ornata,  Gould. 
Yellow-spotted  H.— 

P.  graciliS)  Gould. 
Yellow-streaked  H.— 

P.  madeayana,  Ramsay. 
Yellow-throated  H. — 

P.flavicollisi  Vieill. 
Yellow-tinted  H.— 

P.  flava,  Gould. 
Yellow-tufted  H.— 

P.  auricomis.  Lath. 

Gould  enumerated  the  species, 
nearly  fifty  years  ago,  in  his 
'Birds  of  Australia'  (vol.  iv.), 
as  follows  : — 

Plate 

Meliphaga  Novce-Hollandicz,  Vig. 
and  *  Horsf.,      New      Holland 
Honey-eater       ...         ...         -..23 

M.  longirostris,  Gould,  Long-billed 

H 24 

M.  sericea,  Gould,  White-cheeked 

H 25 

M.  viystacalis,  Gould,  Moustached 

H.  26 

M.  Australasiana,  Vig.  and  Horsf., 

Tasmanian  H 27 

Glyciphila  fulvifronS)  Swains.,  Ful- 
vous-fronted H —         ...         ...  28 

G.  albifrons,  Gould,  White-fronted 

H 29 

G.fastiata,  Gould,  Fasciated  H —  30 
G.  ocularis,  Gould,  Brown  H.  ...  31 
Ptilotis  chrysotis,  Yellow-eared  H.  32 
P.  sonorus,  Gould,  Singing  H.  ...  33 
P.  versicolor,  Gould,  Varied  H.  ...  34 
P.flavigula,  Gould,  Yellow-throat- 
ed H 35 

P.  leucotis,  White-eared  H.  ...36 
P.  auricomis,  Yellow-tufted  H.  ...  37 
P.  cratitius,  Gould,  Wattle-cheeked 

H 38 

P.  ornatus,  Gould,  Graceful  Ptilotis  39 
P.plumulitS)  Gould,  Plumed  P.  ...  40 


200 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[RON 


Plate 

Ptilotis  flavescens,  Gould,  Yellow- 
tinted  H.  41 

P.flava,  Gould,  Yellow  H.  ...  42 

P.    penicillatus,     Gould,     White- 
plumed  H.          ...         ...         ...  43 

P.fusciiS)  Gould,  Fuscous  H.       ...  44 

P.  chrysops.  Yellow-faced  H.        ...  45 

P.  unicolor,  Gould,  Uniform  H.  ...  46 

Plectorhyncha    lanceolata,    Gould, 
Lanceolate  H.    ...         ...         -..47 

Zanthomyza      Phrygia,     Swains., 
Warty-faced  H.  48 

Melicophila  picata,  Gould,  Pied  H.  49 

Entomophila  picta,  Gould,  Painted 
H.  50 

E.     albogularis,     Gould,     White- 
throated  H.        ...         51 

E.  rufogularis.  Gould,  Red-throated 
H 52 

Acanthogenys  mfogularis,  Gould, 
Spiny-cheeked  H 53 

Anthochcera  inauris,  Wattled  H.       54 

A.  Carunculata,  Wattled  H.        ...  55 
[Buller,  '  Birds  of  New  Zealand,' 
vol.  i.  p.  1 06.] 

Myzomela  scmguinolenta.  Sanguin- 
eous H.  63 

M.    erythrocephala,    Gould,    Red- 
headed H.          64 

M.pectoraliS)  Gould,  Banded  H.      65 

M.  nigra,  Gould,  Black  H.  ...  66 

M.  obscura,  Gould,  Obscure  H.   ...  67 

Entomyza  cyanotis,  Swains.,  Blue- 
faced  Entomyza        68 

E.     albipennis,      Gould,      White- 
pinioned  H.       ...         ...         ...  69 

Melithrcptus  validirostris,  Gould, 
Strong-billed  H.  70 

M.  pularis,  Gould,  Black-throated 
H 71 

M.  lunulatus,  Lunulated  H.         ...  72 

M.  brevirostris,  Gould, 

M.  chloropsis,  Gould,  Swan  River 
H 73 

M.     albogtilaris,     Gould,     White- 
throated  H.  (as  well  as  pi.  51)      74 

M.  melanocephalus,  Gould,  Black- 
headed  H.          75 

Myzanthagarrula,  Vig.  and  Horsf., 
Garrulous  H.     ...         ...         ...  76 

M.  obscura,  Gould,  Sombre  H.     ...  77 

M.  lutea,  Gould,  Luteous  H.        ...  78 
In    the    Supplement    of    1869, 

Gould  adds—  Plate 

Ptilotis  cassidix,  Jard.,  Helrneted 
H 39 


Plate 

P.fasciogulariS)  Gould,  Fasciated 

H 40 

P.  notata.)  Gould,  Yellow-spotted  H.  41 
P.filigera,  Gould,  Streaked  H.    ...  42 
P.  Cockerelli,  Gould,  Cockerell's  H.  43 
Tropidorhynchus  buceroides,   H  el- 
meted  H.  44 

[Note. — The  Brush  Wattle- 
birds,  Friar-birds,  Spine-bills, 
and  the  Yellow-throated  Minah, 
are  known  as  Honey-eaters,  and 
the  whole  series  are  sometimes 
called  Honey-birds.] 

1897.  A.  J.  Campbell  (in  '  The  Austral- 
asian,' Jan.  23),  p.  180,  col.  I  : 

"  The  honey-eaters  or  meliphagous 
birds  are  a  peculiar  and  striking  feature 
in  Australian  ornithology.  As  Gould 
points  out,  they  are  to  the  fauna  what 
the  eucalypts,  banksias,  and  melaleu- 
cas  are  to  the  flora  of  Australia.  They 
are  closely  adapted  to  feeding  on  these 
trees.  That  great  author  asks  : — 'What 
can  be  more  plain  than  that  the  brush- 
like  tongue  is  especially  formed  for 
gathering  the  honey  from  the  flower- 
cups  of  the  eucalypti,  or  that  their 
diminutive  stomachs  are  especially 
formed  for  this  kind  of  food,  and  the 
peculiar  insects  which  constitute  a 
portion  of  it  ? '  " 

Honey-Bucalypt,  n.  See  Box- 
tree.  Yellow. 

Honey-flower,  n.  Lambertia  for- 
mosci)  Smith,  N.  O.  Proteacea. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  iv.  p.  101  : 

"  They  .  .  .  returned  .  .  .  dreadfully 
exhausted,  having  existed  chiefly  by 
sucking  the  wild  honey-flower  and 
shrubs." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  37  : 

"'Honey-flower'  or  'honeysuckle,' 
a  plant  as  well  known  to  small  boys 
about  Sydney  as  to  birds  and  insects^ 
It  obtains  its  vernacular  name  on  ac- 
count of  the  large  quantity  of  a  clear 
honey-like  liquid  the  flowers  contain. 
After  sucking  some  quantity  the  liquid 
generally  produces  nausea  and  head- 
ache." 

Honey-plant,  n.  name  given  in> 


HON-HOO] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


2or 


Tasmania  to  Richea  scoparia, 
Hook.,  N.O.  Epacridece.  See 
Efacris. 

Honeysuckle,  n.  name  given 
to  the  Banksias  (q.v.)  ;  also  called 
Bottle-brush  (q.v.).  The  species 
are — 

Coast  Honeysuckle — 

Banksia  integrifolia,  Linn. 
Common  H. — 

B.  marginata,  Cav. 
Heath  H.— 

B.  serrata,)  Linn. 
New  Zealand  H. — 

Knightia  excelsa,  R.  Br. 
Silvery  H. — 

Grevillea  striata,  R.  Br. 
Tasmanian  H. — 

Banksia  margirata,  Cav. 

1834.  R°SS,  'Van  Diemen's  Land  An- 
nual,' p.  125  : 

"Some  scattered  honeysuckles,  as 
they  are  called,  but  which,  being 
specimens  of  a  ligneous  evergreen 
shrub  (Banksia  Anstralis),  my  Eng- 
lish reader  will  please  not  to  assimilate 
in  his  mind's  eye  in  any  respect  with 
the  woodbine." 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix/  p.  84  : 

"  The  honeysuckle  (Banksia  integri- 
folia)  will  greatly  disappoint  those  who, 
from  its  name,  expect  to  see  anything 
similar  to  the  sweet-scented  climbers 
of  English  hedges  and  gardens — this 
being  a  tree  attaining  to  thirty  or 
forty  feet  in  height,  with  spiral  yellow 
flowers.  The  blossoms  at  the  proper 
seasons  yield  a  great  quantity  of  honey, 
which  on  a  dewy  morning  may  be 
observed  dropping  from  the  flowers." 

1848.  Letter  by  Mrs.  Perry,  given  in 
Goodman's  '  Church  in  Victoria  during 
Episcopate  of  Bishop  Perry,'  p.  83  : 

"  In  the  course  of  our  journey  to- 
day we  passed  through  a  thin  wood 
of  honeysuckle  trees,  for,  I  should 
think,  about  three  miles.  They  take 
their  name  from  the  quantity  of  honey 
contained  in  the  yellow  cone-shaped 
flo\ver,  which  is  much  prized  and 
sucked  by  the  natives — the  aborigines, 
I  mean." 


1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  i.  p.  164 : 

"  The  honeysuckle-tree  (Banksia 
latifolia]  is  so  unreasonably  named  .  .  . 
so  very  unlike  any  sort  or  species  of 
the  sweet  old  flower  whose  name  it  so 
unfittingly  bears.  .  .  .  The  blossoms 
form  cones,  which  when  in  full  bloom, 
are  much  the  size  and  shape  of  a  large 
English  teazel,  and  are  of  a  greenish 
yellow.  .  .  .  The  honeysuckle  trees 
grow  to  about  thirty  feet  in  height." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  10  : 

" Banksia,  spp.,  N.O.  Proteacea. 
The  name  '  honeysuckle '  was  applied 
to  this  genus  by  the  early  settlers,  from 
the  fact  that  the  flowers,  when  in  full 
bloom,  contain,  in  a  greater  or  lesser 
quantity,  a  sweet,  honey-like  liquid, 
which  is  secreted  in  considerable  quan- 
tities, especially  after  a  dewy  night, 
and  is  eagerly  sucked  out  by  the  abor- 
igines." 

1892.  A.  Sutherland,  '  Elementary  Geo- 
graphy of  British  Colonies,'  p.  271  : 

"  It  [banksia]  is  called  the  '  honey- 
suckle3  by  the  people  of  Australia, 
though  it  has  no  resemblance  to  an 
English  honeysuckle.  Many  of  the 
banksias  grow  into  stately  trees." 

Honeywood,  n.  name  given  in 
Tasmania  to  the  tree  Bedfordia 
salidna,  DeC.,  N.O.  Composite; 
also  there  called  Dogwood  (q.v.). 

Hoop-Pine,  n.  another  name  for 
the  tree  Araucaria  cunninghamii 
or  Moreton-Bay  Pine.  See  Pine. 

Hoot,  n.  slang  term  for  com- 
pensation, payment,  money ; 
characteristic  corruption  of  Maori 
Utu  (q.v.). 

1896.  'Truth'  (Sydney),  Jan.  12  : 
"  There  are  several  specimens  of  bush 
slang  transplanted  from  the  Maori 
language.  '  Hoot '  is  a  very  frequent 
synonym  for  money  or  wage.  I  have 
heard  a  shearer  at  the  Pastoralist 
Union  office  in  Sydney  when  he  sought 
to  ascertain  the  scale  of  remuneration, 
enquire  of  the  gilt-edged  clerk  behind 
the  barrier,  '  What's  the  hoot,  mate  ?  ' 
The  Maori  equivalent  for  money  is 
utu,  pronounced  by  the  Ngapuhi  and 


202 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[HOP-HOR 


other  northern  tribes  with  the  last 
syllable  clipped,  and  the  word  is  very 
largely  used  by  the  kauri-gum  diggers 
and  station  hands  in  the  North  Island. 
The  original  meaning  of  utu  in  Maori 
is  '  revenge.'  When  the  missionaries 
first  settled  in  New  Zealand,  they  found 
that  the  savage  inhabitants  had  no 
conception  of  any  recompense  except 
the  grim  recompense  of  blood.  Under 
Christianizing  influences  the  natives 
were  induced  to  forego  the  blood- 
revenge  for  injuries,  on  receiving  a 
solatium  in  goods  or  land,  and  so  utu 
•came  to  have  the  double  meaning  of 
revenge  and  recompense,  and  eventu- 
ally became  recognized  as  the  Maori 
word  for  money/"' 

Hop-bush,  n.  "the  name  for  all 
species  of  Dodoncza  "  (Maiden,  p. 
417),  N.O.  SapindacecB. 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey,  '  Queensland  Flora,' 
Synopsis,  p.  82  : 

"  The  capsules  of  many  Dodonceas 
are  used  for  hops,  and  thus  the  shrubs 
are  known  as  hop-bushes  in  Queens- 
land." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  621  : 

"'Hop-bush,'  called  'switch-sorrel' 
in  Jamaica,  and  according  to  Dr.  Ben- 
nett, 'apiri'  in  Tahiti.  Found  in  all 
the  colonies." 

Hopping-fish,  or  Climbing- 
fish,  n.  a  fish  of  the  north  of  New 
South  Wales  and  of  Queensland, 
Periophthalmus  australis,  Castln., 
family  Gobiidce.  Called  also  Skip- 
per. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  27  : 

"  On  the  confines  of  the  northern 
boundaries  of  New  South  Wales  may 
be  seen  a  very  remarkable  Goby  called 
the  '  Hopping-fish.'  The  pectoral  fins 
are  developed  into  regular  legs,  with 
which  the  fish  hops  or  leaps  along  the 
mud  flats  .  .  .  The  eyes  are  on  the 
top  of  the  head,  and  very  prominent, 
and  moreover  they  can  be  thrust  very 
far  out  of  their  sockets,  and  moved 
independently  of  one  another,  thus  the 
fish  can  see  long  distances  around, 
and  overtake  the  small  crabs  in  spite 
of  the  long  stalks  to  their  optics.  It 


is  a  tropical  form,  yet  it  is  said  to  be 
found  on  the  mud-flats  of  the  Rich- 
mond River." 

Hops,  Native,  or  Wild,  n.  In 
Australia,  the  fruit  of  the  Hop-bush 
(see  above),  Dodonaa  spp.  In 
Tasmania,  Daviesia  latifolia, 
R.  Br.,  N.O.  Leguminosce,  and 
called  also  there  Bitter-Leaf. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  23  : 

"  *  Native  hops,'  on  account  of  the 
capsules  bearing  some  resemblance  to 
hops,  both  in  appearance  and  taste. 
In  the  early  days  of  settlement  trie 
fruits  of  these  trees  were  extensively 
used,  yeast  and  beer  of  excellent  quality 
being  prepared  from  them.  They  are 
stUl  so  used  to  a  small  extent.  D. 
attenuata,  A.  Cunn.,  for  instance,  was 
largely  used  in  the  Western  District. 
In  times  of  drought  cattle  and  sheep 
eat  them." 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  'Man  from 
Snowy  River,'  p.  7  : 

"  The  wild-hop  scrub  grew  thickly,  an,d 

the  hidden  ground  was  full 
Of  wombat-holes,  and  any  slip  was 
death." 

Horizontal,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
shrub,  Anodopetalum  biglandulosum, 
Cunn.,  N.O.  Saxifrages.  Hori- 
zontal Scrub,  peculiar  to  the 
island,  occurs  in  the  western 
forests  ;  it  derives  its  name  from 
the  direction  of  the  growth  of  its 
lower  stems,  and  constitutes  a 
tedious  obstacle  to  the  progress 
of  the  traveller. 

1888.  R.  M.  Johnston,  'Geology  of 
Tasmania '  [Introd.  p.  vi] : 

"  The  Horizontal  is  a  tall  shrub  or 
tree.  ...  Its  peculiar  habit — to  which 
it  owes  its  name  and  fame — is  for  the 
main  stem  to  assume  a  horizontal  and 
drooping  position  after  attaining  a  con- 
siderable height,  from  which  ascend 
secondary  branches  which  in  turn  as- 
sume the  same  horizontal  habit.  From 
these  spring  tertiary  branchlets,  all  of 
which  interlock,  and  form  ...  an  al- 
most impenetrable  mass  of  vegetation." 


HOR-HOT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


203 


1891.   '  The  Australasian,'  April  4  : 
"  That  stuff  as  they  calls  horizontal, 
a  mess  of  branches  and  root." 

Hornerah,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  a  throwing-stick  ;  a  dialectic 
variation  of  Woomera  (q.v.).  A 
nonce-use. 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  '  Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  20: 

"I  observed,  too,  that  they  used  a 
stick,  shaped  thus  *•*—,  called  the 
hornerah  (which  assists  them  in  throw- 
ing the  spear)." 

Horn-Bay,  n.  a  New  Zealand 
and  Australian  Ray,  the  fish  Rhino- 
batus  banksit,  Mull  and  Heule.  In 
this  genus  of  Rays  the  cranial 
cartilage  is  produced  into  a  long 
rostral  process  (Giinther):  hence 
the  name. 

Horopito,  n.  Maori  name  for 
the  New  Zealand  shrub,  Drimys 
axillaris,  Forst. ,  N.  O.  Magnoliacece  ; 
called  also  Pepper-tree  (q.v.). 

1847.  G.  F.  Angas,  'Savage  Life  and 
Scenes  in  Australia  and  New  Zealand,'  vol. 
ii.  p.  17  : 

"  A  delicious  fragrance,  like  that  of 
hyacinth  and  jessamine  mingled,  filled 
the  warm  still  air  with  its  perfume.  It 
arose  from  the  petals  of  a  straggling 
shrub,  with  bright  green  shining  leaves 
resembling  those  of  the  nutmeg-tree  ; 
and  a  profusion  of  rich  and  delicate 
blossoms,  looking  like  waxwork,  and 
hanging  in  clusters  of  trumpet-shaped 
bells  :  I  observed  every  shade  of  colour 
amongst  them,  from  pinkish  white  to 
the  deepest  crimson,  and  the  edges  of 
the  petals  were  irregularly  jagged  all 
round.  The  natives  call  this  plant 
horopito." 

Ibid.  p.  75  : 

"  The  fuchsia  and  the  horopito  were 
also  abundant." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  129  : 

"Horopito,  pepper -tree,  winter's 
bark.  A  small  slender  evergreen  tree, 
very  handsome.  Whole  plant  aro- 
matic and  stimulant  ;  used  by  the 
Maoris  for  various  diseases.  Wood 
very  ornamental  in  cabinet-work." 


1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  I  : 

"The  Horopito,  or  pepper-tree  of 
the  settlers,  is  an  ornamental  shrub  or 
small  tree  occurring  in  woods,  on  the 
margin  of  which  it  is  sometimes  found 
in  great  abundance." 

Horse-Mackerel,  n.  The  name 
is  applied  in  Sydney  to  the  fish 
Auxis  ramsayi,  Castln.,  family 
Scombrida.  In  New  Zealand  it  is 
Caranx  (or  Trachurus]  trachurus, 
Cuv.  and  Val.,  which  is  the 
same  fish  as  the  Horse-Mackerel 
of  England.  This  is  called 
Yellow-tail  on  the  Australian 
coasts.  See  Trevally. 

Horseradish-tree,^,  name  given 
to  Codonocarpus  cotim/olius,  F.  v. 
M.,  N.O.  Phytolacea. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  164  : 

"'Quinine-tree,'  'medicine-tree'  of 
the  interior.  Called  also  '  horse-radish 
tree  '  owing  to  the  taste  of  the  leaves. 
The  bark  contains  a  peculiar  bitter, 
and  no  doubt  possesses  medicinal  pro- 
perties. The 'taste  is,  however,  quite 
distinct  from  quinine.'' 

Horseshoe-Pern,  n.  name  given 
in  New  Zealand  to  the  fern  Ma- 
rattia  fraxinia,  Sm.,  called  in 
Australia  the  Potato-Fern.  See 
under  Fern. 

Hot  Wind,  n.  an  Australian 
meteorological  phenomenon.  See 
quotations,  especially  1879,  A,  R. 
Wallace.  The  phrase  is  of  course 
used  elsewhere,  but  its  Australian 
use  is  peculiar.  The  hot  wind 
blows  from  the  North.  Mr.  H.  C. 
Russell,  the  Government  Astro- 
nomer of  New  South  Wales, 
writes — "  The  hot  wind  of  Austra- 
lia is  a  circulation  of  wind  about 
the  anticyclone  in  the  rear  of 
which,  as  it  moves  to  the  east, 
there  is  a  strong  force  of  wind 
from  north  to  north-west,  which 
blowing  over  the  heated  plains 
of  the  interior  gathers  up  its 


204 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[HOT-HOU 


excessive  temperature  and  carries 
it  to  the  southern  colonies.  They 
seldom  last  more  than  two  or  three 
days  in  Sydney,  and  the  great  heat 
by  which  they  are  remembered 
never  lasts  more  than  a  few  hours 
of  one  day,  and  is  always  a  sign 
of  the  end,  which  is  an  inrush  of 
southerly  wind,  the  circulation 
forming  the  front  of  the  new  in- 
coming anticyclone." 

1833.  C.Sturt,  'Southern  Australia,' vol. 
II.  c.  iii.  p.  66  : 

"This  was  the  only  occasion  upon 
which  we  felt  the  hot  winds  in  the 
interior." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in 
Australia,'  vol.  II.  c.  vi.  p.  243  : 

"  These  squalls  generally  succeed 
the  hot  winds  that  prevail  at  this  sea- 
son in  South  Australia,  coming  from 
the  interior."  Footnote — "  During  the 
hot  winds  we  observed  the  thermo- 
meter, in  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  to 
be  135°." 

1846.   Ibid.  c.  xii.  p.  403  : 

"  A  hot  wind  set  in  ;  ...  at  one 
time  the  thermometer  fet  the  public 
offices  [Adelaide]  was  158°." 

1849.  C.  Sturt,  '  Expedition  into  Cen- 
tral Australia,'  vol.  ii.  p.  90: 

"I  sought  shelter  behind  a  large 
gum  tree,  but  the  blasts  of  heat  were 
so  terrific  that  I  wondered  the  very 
grass  did  not  take  fire.  .  .  .  Every- 
thing, both  animate  and  inanimate, 
gave  way  before  it  :  the  horses  stood 
with  their  backs  to  the  wind,  and  their 
noses  to  the  ground,  without  the  mus- 
cular strength  to  raise  their  heads  ; 
the  birds  were  mute,  and  the  leaves  of 
the  trees,  under  which  we  were  sitting, 
fell  like  a  snow  shower  around  us.  At 
noon  I  took  a  thermometer,  graduated 
to  127°,  out  of  my  box,  and  observed 
that  the  mercury  was  up  to  125°. 
Thinking  that  it  had  been  unduly  in- 
fluenced, I  put  it  in  the  fork  of  a  tree 
close  to  me,  sheltered  alike  from  the 
wind  and  the  sun.  In  this  position  I 
went  to  examine  it  about  an  hour  after- 
wards, when  I  found  that  the  mercury 
had  risen  to  the  top  of  the  instrument, 
and  that  its  further  expansion  had 
burst  the  bulb.  ...  We  had  reached 


our  destination,  however,  before  the 
worst  of  the  hot  wind  set  in." 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip 
in  1849,'  p.  25  : 

"The  immediate  cause  of  the  hot 
winds  has  given  rise  to  much  specula- 
tion. .  .  .  The  favourite  theory  is  that 
they  are  generated  in  the  sandy  plains 
of  the  interior,  which  becoming  power- 
fully heated,  pour  their  glowing  breath 
upon  the  fertile  regions  of  the  south." 

1871.  Dingo,  'Australian  Rhymes, 'p.  7: 
"  A  hot  wind  swift  envelopes  me 
In  dust  from  foot  to  head." 

1879.  A.  R.  Wallace,  'Australasia/ 
(1893)  vol.  i.  P-  39: 

"They  are  evidently  produced  by 
the  sinking  down  to  the  surface  of  that 
north-westerly  current  of  heated  air 
which  ...  is  always  passing  overhead. 
The  exact  causes  which  bring  it  down 
cannot  be  determined,  though  it  evi- 
dently depends  on  the  comparative 
pressure  of  the  atmosphere  on  the 
coast  and  in  the  interior.  Where  from 
any  causes  the  north-west  wind  be- 
comes more  extensive  and  more  power- 
ful, or  the  sea  breezes  diminish,  the 
former  will  displace  the  latter  and 
produce  a  hot  wind  till  an  equilibrium 
is  restored.  It  is  the  same  wind  passing 
constantly  overhead  which  prevents 
the  condensation  of  vapour,  and  is  the 
cause  of  the  almost  uninterrupted 
sunny  skies  of  the  Australian  summer." 

1879.  Rev-  J-  H.  Zillmann,  '  Australian 
Life,'  p.  40 : 

"  Scientific  men,  however,  tell  us  that 
those  hot  winds  are  just  what  make 
Australia  so  healthy  a  climate — that 
they  act  as  scavengers,  and  without 
them  the  death-rate  of  the  colonies 
would  be  alarmingly  great.'' 

Hot-windy,  adj.    See  above. 

1871.  Dingo,  'Australian  Rhymes,'  p. 
18: 

"  A  spell  that  still  makes  me  forget 
The  dust  and  the  hot-windy  weather." 

Houhere,  or  Hohere,  n.  Maori 
name  for  a  New  Zealand  tree, 
Hoheria  populnea^  A.  Cunn.,  N.O. 
Malvaceae;  called  also  Lacebark 
(q.v.)  and  Ribbonwood  (q.v.). 


HOU-HUM] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


205 


1883.  J.  Hector, '  Handbook  of  New  Zea- 
land,' p.  130  : 

"  Houhere,  ribbonwood  of  Dunedin. 
[The  name  is  now  more  general.]  An 
ornamental  shrub-tree  ten  to  thirty 
feet  high.  Bark  fibrous  and  used  for 
cordage,  and  affords  a  demulcent  drink. 
Wood  splits  freely  for  shingles,  but  is 
not  durable.  .  .  .  Bark  used  for  making 
a  tapa  cloth  by  the  Maoris  in  olden 
times." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  87  : 

"  In  one  or  other  of  its  varied  forms 
the  '  houhere  '  is  found  in  nearly  every 
district  in  N.Z.  It  is  everywhere 
admired  for  its  handsome  foliage,  and 
the  beauty  of  its  pure  white  flowers, 
which  are  produced  in  vast  profusion 
during  the  early  winter  months.  .  .  . 
The  bark  is  capable  of  division  into  a 
number  of  layers.  ...  By  settlers  all 
forms  are  termed  '  ribbonwood,'  or  less 
frequently  *  lace-bark ' — names  which 
are  applied  to  other  plants  ;  they  are 
also  termed  'thousand-jacket.'" 

1895.  'Longman's  Geography  Reader 
for  New  Zealand,'  p.  231  : 

"The  houhere  is  a  small  tree  with 
beautiful  white  flowers,  and  the  bark 
splits  up  into  thin  layers  which  look 
like  delicate  lace  ;  hence  the  plant  is 
called  lace-bark  or  ribbon-wood  by  the 
colonists." 

Houi,  n.  Maori  name  for  New 
Zealand  tree,  Ribbonwood  (q.v.), 
N.O.  Malvacecz,  kindred  to 
Hoheria,  Plagianthus  Betulinus, 
sometimes  called  Howi.  In  Maori, 
the  verb  houwere  means  to  tie,  to 
bind  :  the  outer  bark  was  used  for 
tying. 

Hound  n.  (sometimes  Smooth 
Hound),  the  Old  World  name  for 
all  the  sharks  of  the  genus 
Mustelus  ("the  Hell-hound  of 
the  Deep  ") ;  applied  specially  in 
New  South  Wales  and  New 
Zealand  to  the  species  Mustelus 
antarcticus,  Gunth.,  also  called 
Gummy  (q.v.). 

Hovea,  n.  scientific  name  for  a 
genus  of  shrubs.  "After  Anthony 


Pantaleon  Hove,  a  Polish  botan- 
ist. A  small  genus  of  highly 
ornamental  leguminous  shrubs, 
from  Australia,  having  blue  or 
purple  flowers  in  axillary  clusters, 
or  very  short  racemes,  alternate 
simple  leaves,  and  short  turgid 
pods."  ('Century.') 

Huia,  n.  Maori  name  for  a  New 
Zealand  bird,  like  a  starling, 
Heteralocha  actitirostris,  Gould,  of 
limited  occurrence,  chiefly  found 
in  North  Island ;  having  beak 
straight  and  short  in  the  male, 
long  and  curved  in  female.  The 
tail  feathers  are  highly  prized  for 
ornament  by  the  Maoris. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,"  vol.  i.  p.  91  : 

"  The  huia  is  a  black  bird  about  as 
large  as  a  thrush,  with  long  thin  legs 
and  a  slender  semi-circular  beak, 
which  he  uses  in  seeking  in  holes  of 
trees  for  the  insects  on  which  he  feeds. 
In  the  tail  are  four  long  black  feathers 
tipt  with  white.  These  feathers  are 
much  valued  by  the  natives  as  orna- 
ments for  the  hair  on  great  occasions. 
.  .  .  The  natives  attracted  the  birds 
by  imitating  the  peculiar  whistle,  from 
which  it  takes  the  name  of  huia." 

1883.   F.  S.  Renwick,  'Betrayed,'  p.  36  : 

"  One  snow-tipped  hui  feather  graced 
his  hair." 

1888.   W.    L.    Buller,    'Birds    of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  7  : 
[A  full  description.] 

Hump,  to,  v.  to  shoulder, 
carry  on  the  back ;  especially,  to 
hump  the  swag,  or  bluey,  or  drum. 
See  Swag,  Bluey,  Drum. 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  226  : 

"  He  '  humped  his  swag,'  in  digger's 
phrase,  that  is,  shouldered  his  pack 
and  disappeared  in  the  woods." 

1857.  'Geelong  Advertiser,'  quoted  in 
'Argus,'  Oct.  23,  p.  5,  col.  3  : 

"  The  despised  old  chum  bought  his 
swag,  'humped  it,'  grumbled  of 
course." 


206 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[HUM-HUO 


1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  93  : 

"A  hardwood  slab-door  weighs  a 
goodish  deal,  as  any  one  may  find  out 
that  has  to  hump  it  a  hundred  yards." 

1893.  Haddon  Chambers,  '  Thumbnail 
Sketches  of  Australian  Life,'  p.  224: 

"  I  '  humped  my  swag  ' — i.e.  tied 
my  worldly  possessions,  consisting  of 
a  blanket,  a  pannikin,  and  an  odd  pair 
of  boots,  upon  my  back — and  '  footed 
it '  for  the  capital." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  134  : 

"But    Bill    preferred    to    hump    his 

drum 
A-paddin'  of  the  hoof." 

Hump,  n.  a  long  walk  with  a 
swag  on  one's  back. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  3,  p.  46  : 

"We  get  a  fair  share  of  exercise 
without  a  twenty-mile  hump  on  Sun- 
days." 

Humpy,  n.  ( i )  a  native  hut.  The 
aboriginal  word  is  Oompi ;  the 
initial  h  is  a  Cockney  addition, 
and  the  word  has  been  given  an 
English  look,  the  appearance  of 
the  huts  suggesting  the  English 
word  hump.  [The  forms  himbing 
and  yamba  occur  along  the  East 
coast  of  Australia.  Probably  it 
is  kindred  with  koombar,  bark,  in 
Kabi  dialect,  Mary  River,  Queens- 
land.] The  old  convict  settlement 
in  Moreton  Bay,  now  broken  up, 
was  called  Humpy  Bong  (see 
Bung),  sc.  Oompi  Bong,  a  dead 
or  deserted  settlement.  The 
aboriginal  names  for  hut  may  be 
thus  tabulated  : 


Gunyah    ) 
Goondie  I 


..  New  South  Wales. 


Humpy  (Oompi)...  Queensland. 
Mia-mia       Victoria  and  West- 
ern Australia. 

Wurley  (Oorla)  ...  South  Australia. 
Whare New  Zealand. 

1846.  C.   P.   Hodgson,    '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  228  : 

"  A  '  gunyia '  or  '  umpee.' " 


1873.  J.  Brunton  Stephens,  'Black  Gin/ 
p.  16  : 

"  Lo,  by  the  '  humpy '  door,  a  smock- 
less  Venus." 

(2)  Applied  to  a  settler's  house, 
very  small  and  primitive. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  133  : 

"  To  dwell  in  the  familiar  old  bark 
'humpy,'  so  full  of  happy  memories. 
The  roof  was  covered  with  sheets  of 
bark  held  down  by  large  wooden  riders 
pegged  in  the  form  of  a  square  to  one 
another." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,'  p. 
57: 

"A  lonely  hut  .  .  .  and  a  kitchen 
— a  smaller  humpey — at  the  back." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Squatter's 
Dream,'  p.  247  : 

"  He's  in  bed  in  the  humpy." 

1893.  Gilbert  Parker,  'Pierre  and  his 
People,'  p.  135  : 

"  Shon  McGann  was  lying  on  a  pile 
of  buffalo  robes  in  a  mountain  hut, — an 
Australian  would  call  it  a  humpey." 

Hungry  Quartz,  n.  a  miner's 
term  for  unpromising  Quartz 
(q.v.). 

Huon-Pine,  n.  a  large  Tas- 
manian  evergreen  tree,  Dacry- 
dium  franklinii,  Hook,  N.  O. 
Coniferce.  The  timber  is  prized 
in  cabinet-work,  being  repellent 
to  insects,  durable,  and  fairly 
easy  to  work  ;  certain  pieces  are 
beautifully  marked,  and  resemble 
bird's-eye  maple.  The  Huon  is  a 
river  in  the  south  of  Tasmania, 
called  after  a  French  officer.  See 
Pine. 

1800.  J.  J.  Labillardiere,  '  Voyage  a  la 
Recherche  de  la  Perouse,'  torn,  i.,  Introd. 
p.  xi  : 

"  Ces  deux  flutes  regurent  des  noms 
analogues  au  but  de  Fentreprise.  Celle 
que  montoit  le  general,  Dentrecasteaux, 
fut  nommee  la  Recherche,  et  1'autre, 
commandee  par  le  major  de  vaisseau, 
Huon  Kermadec,  regut  le  nom  de 
PEsperance.  .  .  .  Bruny  Dentrecast- 
eaux [fut  le]  commandant  de  1'ex- 
pedition,  [et}  Lahillardiere  [fut  le]. 
naturaliste." 


HUT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


207 


[Of  these  gentlemen  of  France 
and  their  voyage  the  names  Bruni 
Island,  D'Entrecasteaux  Channel, 
Recherche  Bay,  Port  Esperance, 
Kermandie  [sic]  River,  Huon  Is- 
land, Huon  River,  perpetuate  the 
memory  in  Southern  Tasmania, 
and  the  Kermadec  Islands  in  the 
Southern  Ocean.] 

1820.  C.  Jeffreys,  R.  N. ,  '  Geographical 
and  Descriptive  Delineations  of  the  Island 
of  Van  Diemen's  Land,'  p.  28  : 

"  On  the  banks  of  these  newly  dis- 
covered rivers,  and  the  harbour,  grows 
the  Huon  Pine  (so  called  from  the 
river  of  that  name,  where  it  was  first 
found)." 

1829.  'The  Tasmanian  Almanack,' p. 
87: 

"1816.  Huon  pine  and  coal  dis- 
covered at  Port  Davey  and  Macquarie 
Harbour." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  'Van  Diemen's  Land/ 
vol.  ii.  p.  23  : 

"  Huon-pine  is  by  far  the  most 
beautiful  wood  found  in  the  island." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes/ 
(edition  1855)  p.  515  » 

"  Knots  of  the  beautiful  Huon  pine, 
finer  than  bird's-eye  maple  for  orna- 
mental furniture." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods, 
'  History  of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration 
of  Australia/  vol.  i.  p.  71  : 

"  The  river  was  named  the  Huon, 
and  has  since  become  celebrated  for 
the  production  which  yields  the  pretty 
cabinet-wood  known  as  Huon  pine." 

1890.  Lyth,  'Golden  South/  c.  xii.  p. 
102  : 

"The  huon-pine  is  of  immense 
height  and  girth." 

Hut,  n.  the  cottage  of  a  shep- 
herd or  a  miner.  The  word  is 
English  but  is  especially  common 
in  Australia,  and  does  not  there 
connote  squalor  or  meanness. 
The  "  Men's  Hut"  on  a  station 
is  the  building  occupied  by  the 
male  employees. 

1844.  ' P°rt  Phillip  Patriot/  July  1 1,  pt. 
i,  c.  3: 

"At  the  head   station  are  a  three- 


roomed  hut,  large  kitchen,  wool-shed,, 
etc." 

1862.  G.  T.  Lloyd,  'Thirty -three  Years 
in  Tasmania/  p.  21  : 

"  If  a  slab  or  log  hut  was  required 
to  be  erected  ...  a  cart-load  of  wool 
was  pitchforked  from  the  wasting  heap, 
wherewith  to  caulk  the  crevices  of  the 
rough-hewn  timber  walls." 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories/  c.  vi.  p.  42  : 

"  '  The  hut,'  a  substantial  and  com- 
modious structure,  arose  in  all  its 
grandeur." 

1890.  Id.    'Miner's    Right/   c.    vi.    p. 
62: 

"Entering  such  a  hut,  as  it  is 
uniformly,  but  in  no  sense  of  con- 
tempt, termed — a  hut  being  simply 
lower  in  the  scale  than  a  cottage — you 
will  find  there  nothing  to  shock  the 
eye  or  displease  the  taste." 

1891.  W.  Tilley,  '  Wild  West  of  Tas- 
mania/ p.  29 : 

"  Bark  and  weatherboard  huts  al- 
ternating with  imposing  hotels  and 
stores." 

Hut-keep,  v.  to  act  as  hut- 
keeper. 

1865.  S.  Sidney,  'Three  Colonies  of 
Australia/  p.  380  : 

"  At  this,  as  well  as  at  every  other 
station  I  have  called  at,  a  woman  '  hut- 
keeps/  while  the  husband  is  minding 
the  sheep," 

1890.  'Melbourne  Argus,'  June  I4th, 
p.  4,  coL  2 : 

"  '  Did  you  go  hut-keeping  then  ? ' 
'  Wrong  again.  Did  I  go  hut-keeping  ? 
Did  you  ever  know  a  hut-keeper  cook 
for  sixty  shearers  ?'" 

Hut-keeper,  n.  Explained  in 
quotations. 

1802.  D,  Collins,  'Account  of  New 
South  Wales/  vol.  ii..  p.  285  : 

"  Old  men,  unfit  for  anything  but 
to  be  hut-keepers  who  were  to  remain 
at  home  to  prevent  robbery,  while  the 
other  inhabitants  of  the  hut  were  at 
labour." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia/ vol.  II.  c.  iii.  p.  458  : 

"  My  object  was  to  obtain  a  few  of 
these  heads,  which  the  hut-keeper 
.  .  .  instantly  gave." 


208 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[HYA-HYP 


1853.  G.  Butler  Earp,  '  What  we  Did 
in  Australia,'  p.  17  : 

"The  lowest  industrial  occupation 
in  Australia,  viz.  a  hut-keeper  in  the 
bush  ...  a  station  from  which  many 
of  the  wealthiest  flockmasters  in  Aus- 
tralia have  risen." 

1883.  E.  M.  Curr,  'Recollections  of 
Squatting  in  Victoria'  (1841-1851),  p.  21  : 

"A  bush  hut-keeper,  who  baked 
our  damper,  fried  our  chops." 

Hyacinth,  Native,  n.  a  Tas- 
.manian  flower,  Thelymitra  longi- 
folia,  R.  and  G.  Forst.,  N.O. 
Orchidece. 

Hyaena,  n.  See  Thylarine,  and 
Tasmanian  Tiger. 


Hypsiprymnodon,  n.  the  scien- 
tific name  of  the  genus  of  the 
Australian  animal  called  Musk 
Kangaroo.  (Grk.  {u/a7rpu//,i/os,  with 
a  high  stern.)  A  very  small, 
rat-like,  arboreal  kangaroo,  about 
ten  inches  long.  The  strong 
musky  odour  from  which  it  takes 
its  vernacular  name  is  perceptible 
in  both  sexes. 

1874.  R-  Lydekker,'  Marsupialia,'  p.  73  : 
"The  third  and  last  subfamily 
(Hypsiprymnodontidae)  of  the  Macro- 
podidas  is  represented  solely  by  the 
remarkable  creature  known,  from  its 
strong  scent,  as  the  Musk-kangaroo." 


IBI-INA] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


209 


Ibis,  n.  There  are  twenty-four 
species  of  this  bird  distributed 
over  all  the  warmer  parts  of  the 
globe.  Those  present  in  Austral- 
asia are — 

Glossy  (Black,  or  Bay)  Ibis 

Ibis  falcinellus,  Linn. 
Straw-necked  I. — 

Geronticus  spinnicollis,  Jameson. 
White  I.— 

Threskiornis  strictipennis ,  Gould. 

Of  these  the  last  two  are  con- 
fined to  Australia,  the  first  is 
cosmopolitan. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition/ p.  155  : 

"  All  they  had  for  supper  and  break- 
fast were  a  straw-coloured  ibis,  a  duck 
and  a  crow." 

Ibid.  p.  300 : 

"  Crows  were  feasting  on  the  remains 
of  a  black  Ibis." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  vi. : 

"  Geronticus  spinicollis,  straw-necked 
ibis  (pi.  45).  This  beautiful  ibis  has 
never  yet  been  discovered  out  of  Aus- 
tralia, over  the  whole  of  which  immense 
country  it  is  probably  distributed." 

"  Threskiornis  strictipennis,  white 
ibis  "  (pi.  46). 

"  Ibis  falcinelhts,  Linn.,  glossy  ibis  " 
(pi.  47). 

1892.  'The  Australasian,'  April  9,  p. 
707,  col.  4  : 

"When  the  hoarse-voiced  jackass 
mocked  us,  and  the  white-winged 
ibis  flew 

Past  lagoons  and  through  the  rushes, 
far  away  into  the  blue." 

Ice-Plant,  n.  Tasmanian  name 
for  Tetragonia  implexicoma,  Hook., 
N.O.  Ficoidecz,  B.  Fl.  Various 


species  of  Tetragonia  are  culti- 
vated as  Spinach  (q.v.). 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  63  : 

"Called  'ice-plant'  in  Tasmania. 
Baron  Mueller  suggests  that  this  plant 
be  cultivated  for  spinach.  [Found  in] 
all  the  colonies  except  Queensland." 

Identity,  Old,  n.  phrase  denot- 
ing a  person  well  known  in  a  place. 
A  term  invented  in  Dunedin,  New 
Zealand,  in  1862,  in  a  popular 
topical  song,  by  Mr.  R.  Thatcher, 
an  improvisator.  In  the  song  the 
11  Old  Identity,"  the  former  resid- 
ent of  Dunedin,  was  distinguished 
from  the  "  New  Iniquity,"  as  the 
people  were  termed  who  came 
from  Australia. 

1879.  w-  J-  Barry,  '  Up  and  Down,'  p. 
197: 

"  The  old  identities  were  beginning 
to  be  alive  to  the  situation." 

1894.   '  Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Oct. : 

"  It  is  permissible  to  wonder  about 
the  origin  of  the  phrase  '  an  old  iden- 
tity.' Surely  no  man,  however  old, 
can  be  an  identity  ?  An  entity  he  is, 
or  a  nonentity ;  an  individual,  a  centen- 
arian, or  an  oldest  inhabitant ;  but 
identity  is  a  condition  of  sameness,  of 
being  identical  with  something.  One 
can  establish  one's  identity  with  that 
of  some  one  who  is  being  sought  or 
sued,  but  once  established  it  escapes 
us." 

Inaka,  n.  a  fish.     See  Inanga. 

Inanga  or  Inaka,  n.  (the  ng  as 
in  the  word  singer,  not  as  in 
finger) ,  a  New  Zealand  fish,  Gal- 
axias  attennatus,  or  Retropinna 
richardsoni.  It  is  often  called 
the  Whitebait  and  Minnow,  and 
in  Tasmania  the  larger  variety 

p 


210 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[iNC-IND 


is  called  Jolly-tail.  The  change 
from  Inanga  to  Inaka  is  a  dia- 
lectal Maori  variation,  answering 
exactly  to  the  change  from  North 
Island  Kainga  to  South  Island 
Kaik  (q.v.). 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  100  : 

"  This  fish  is  called  hinanga  [sic.], 
and  resembles  Blackwall  white-bait  in 
size  and  flavour.  Its  colour  is  a 
pinkish  white,  spotted  with  black." 

1896.  'The  Australasian/  Aug.  28,  p. 
407,  col.  3  : 

"About  the  same  size  as  this  fish 
[the  cockabully]  is  the  'inaka'  much 
used  for  bait.  Indeed,  it  is  called  the 
New  Zealand  whitebait.  A  friend 
from  Victoria  having  used  this  bait,  I 
asked  him  to  spell  the  name  of  the 
fish,  and  he  wanted  to  make  it  like 
the  patriarch  who  '  walked  with  God ' 
— Enoch-a.  The  more  correct  shape 
of  the  Maori  word  is  inanga  ;  but  in 
the  South  Island  *k'  often  takes  the 
place  of  that  distinctive  Maori  letter 
'  ng,'  as  '  kainga '  becomes  kaik  ;  ngaio, 
kaio." 

Inchman,  n.  a  Tasmanian  name 
for  the  Bull-dog  Ant  (q.v.),  from 
its  length,  which  is  sometimes 
nearly  an  inch. 

Indians,  pi.  n.  early  and  now 
obsolete  name  for  the  Aboriginals 
in  Australia  and  even  for  the 
Maoris. 

1769.  J.  Banks,  'Journal,'  Oct.  21  (Sir 
J.  D.  Hooker  edition),  p.  191  : 

"We  applied  to  our  friends  the 
Indians  for  a  passage  in  one  of  their 
canoes." 

[These  were  Maoris.] 

1770.  Ibid.  April  28  : 

"  During  this  time,  a  few  of  the 
Indians  who  had  not  followed  the  boat 
remained  on  the  rock  opposite  the 
ship,  threatening  and  menacing  with 
their  pikes  and  swords." 

[These  were  Australian  Aboriginals.] 

1825.  Barron  Field,  'Geographical 
Memoirs  of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  437  : 

"  Some  of  the  Indians  have  also 
seriously  applied  to  be  allowed  convict- 
labourers,  as  the  settlers  are,  although 


they  have  not  patience  to  remain  in 
the  huts  which  our  Government  has 
built  for  them,  till  the  maize  and  cab- 
bage that  have  been  planted  to  their 
hands  are  fit  to  gather." 

1830.  '  The  Friend  of  Australia,'  p.  244  : 
"It  is  the  observation  of  some 
writers,  that  the  system  pursued  in 
Australia  for  educating  the  children  of 
the  Indians  is  not  attended  with 
success.  The  black  children  will  never 
do  any  good  there,  until  some  other 
plan  is  commenced  .  .  ." 

Indigo,  Native,  n.  All  the 
species  of  Swainsonia,  N.O.  Le- 

guminosce,  are  called  "  Native 
Indigos."  See  Indigo-plant.  In 
Tasmania,  the  Native  Indigo  is 
Indigofera  australis,  Willd.,  N.O. 
Leguminosce.  The  plants  are  also 
called  Indigo-plant  and  Darling-pea 
(q.v.).  Swainsonia  belongs  to  the 
same  N.O.  as  Indigofera  tinctoria, 
which  furnishes  the  Indigo  of 
commerce. 

1826.  J.  Atkinson,  'Agriculture  and 
Grazing  in  New  South  Wales,'  p.  24  : 

"  Indigo  brushes  are  not  very  com- 
mon ;  the  timber  in  these  is  generally 
white  or  blackbutted  gum ;  the  ground 
beneath  is  covered  with  the  native 
indigo,  a  very  beautiful  plant,  with  a 
light  purple  flower." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  140 : 

"  The  '  darling-pea'  or  '  indigo-plant ' 
is  a  dreaded  plant  from  the  great 
amount  of  loss  it  has  inflicted  on  stock- 
owners.  Its  effect  on  sheep  is  well 
known  ;  they  separate  from  the  flock, 
wander  about  listlessly,  and  are  known 
to  the  shepherds  as  'pea-eaters,'  or 
'indigo-eaters.'  When  once  a  sheep 
takes  to  eating  this  plant  it  seldom  or 
never  fattens,  and  may  be  said  to  be 
lost  to  its  owner.  The  late  Mr.  Charles 
Thorn,  of  Queensland,  placed  a  lamb 
which  had  become  an  'indigo-eater' 
in  a  small  paddock,  where  it  refused 
to  eat  grass.  It,  however,  ate  the 
indigo  plant  greedily,  and  followed 
Mr.  Thorn  all  over  the  paddock  for 
some  indigo  he  held  in  his  hand." 


IND-IRO] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


211 


Indented  Servants,  n.  same  as 
Assigned  (<\.\ .)  Servants. 

1810.  '  History  of  New  South  Wales ' 
(1818),  p.  352: 

"  Public  Notice.  Secretary's  Office, 
Sydney,  July  21,  1810.  A  ship  being 
daily  expected  to  arrive  here  from 
England  with  female  convicts,  whom 
it  is  His  Excellency  the  Governor's 
intention  to  distribute  among  the 
settlers,  as  indented  servants.  ..." 

Ink-plant,  n.  another  name  for 
the  "toot,"  a  New  Zealand  shrub, 
Coriaria  thymifolia,  N.O.  Coria- 
riece.  Called  Ink-plant  on  account 
of  its  juice,  which  soon  turns  to 
black.  There  is  also  an  European 
Ink-plant,  Coriaria  myrtifolia,  so 
that  this  is  only  a  different  species. 

Ironbark,  «.  Early  settlers 
gave  this  name  to  several  large 
Eucalypts,  from  the  hardness  of 
their  bark,  especially  to  E.  leu- 
coxylon^  F.  v.  M.,  and  E.  resinifera^ 
Smith.  In  Queensland  it  is  ap- 
plied to  E.  siderophloia,  Benth. 
See  also  Leguminous  Ironbark^  and 
Lemon-scented  Ironbark. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  *  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  viii.  p.  263  : 

"  A  species  of  gum-tree,  the  bark  of 
which  on  the  trunk  is  that  of  the  iron- 
bark  of  Port  Jackson." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  183  : 

"  It  was  made  out  of  a  piece  of  bark 
from  a  tree  called  ironbark  (nearly  as 
hard  when  dry  as  an  English  elm- 
board)." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  <  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  ii.  p.  45  : 

"  But  this  gradually  changed  to  an 
ironbark  (Eucalyptus  resinifera)  and 
cypress-pine  forest." 

1875.  T-  Laslett,  'Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  199  : 

"  The  ironbark-tree  (Eucalyptus 
resinifera)  is  ...  widely  spread  over 
a  large  part  of  Australia.  ...  A  lofty 
forest  tree  of  moderate  circumference. 
.  .  .  It  is  believed  to  have  been  named 
as  above  by  some  of  the  earliest  Aus- 


tralian settlers  on  account  of  the  ex- 
treme hardness  of  its  bark ;  but  it 
might  with  equal  reason  have  been 
called  ironwood.  The  wood  is  of  a 
deep  red  colour,  very  hard,  heavy, 
strong,  extremely  rigid,  and  rather 
difficult  to  work  .  .  .  used  extensively 
in  shipbuilding  and  engineering  works 
in  Australia  ;  and  in  this  country  (Eng- 
land) it  is  employed  in  the  mercantile 
navy  for  beams,  keelsons,  and  .  .  . 
below  the  line  of  flotation." 

1883.  G.  W.  Rusden,  '  History  of  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  77  : 

"The  ironbark  (Eucalyptus  sidero- 
xylon}  became  from  its  durability  a 
synonym  for  toughness." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,'  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xxvii.  p.  248 : 

"  The  corrugated  stems  of  the  great 
ironbark  trees  stood  black  and  col- 
umnar." 

1893.  'The  Age,'  May  11,  p.  7,  col.  3, 
(advt.): 

"Monday,  I5th  May. — Supply  in 
one  or  more  contracts  of  not  less  than 
20  beams  of  400  ironbark  or  box  beams 
for  cattle  pits,  delivered  at  any  station. 
Particulars  at  the  office  of  the  Engineer 
for  Existing  Lines." 

With  qualifications.  Silver- 
leaved — 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  65  : 

"  The  silver-leaved  ironbark  (Euca- 
lyptus pulverulentus}  was  here  coming 
into  blossom." 

Narrow-leaved — 
1847.  Ibid.  p.  154 : 

"  The  narrow-leaved  ironbark  [grew] 
on  a  lighter  sandy  soil." 

Iron  hand,  a  term  of  Victorian 
politics.  It  was  a  new  Standing 
Order  introducing  what  has  since 
been  called  the  Closure,  and  was 
first  moved  in  the  Victorian 
Legislative  Assembly  on  Jan.  27, 
1876. 

1876.  '  Victorian  Hansard,'  Jan.  20,  vol. 
xxiii.  p.  2002  : 

"  They  [the  Government]  have  dealt 
with  the  Opposition  with  a  velvet 
glove  ;  but  the  iron  hand  is  beneath, 
and  they  shall  feel  it." 


212 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[IRO-IVY 


1884.  G-  W.  Rusden,  « History  of  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  iii.  p.  406  : 

"  The  cloture,  or  the  '  iron  hand,'  as 
McCulloch's  resolution  was  called,  was 
adopted  in  Victoria,  for  one  session." 

Ironheart,  n.  a  New  Zealand 
tree,  Metrosideros  tomentosa,  N.O. 
Myrtacea  ;  native  name,  Pohutu- 
kawa. 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  311  : 

"  It  was  the  *  downy  ironheart ' 

That  from  the  cliffs  o'erhanging 

grew, 

And  o'er  the  alcove,  every  part, 
Such  beauteous  leaves  and  blos- 
soms threw." 

'•'•Note. — This  most  lovely  tree  is 
common  about  the  northern  coasts 
and  cliffs  of  the  North  Island  and  the 
banks  of  Lake  Tarawera." 

Ironwood,  n.  The  name  is 
used  of  many  hard-wooded  trees 
in  various  parts  of  the  world. 
The  Australian  varieties  are — 

Ironwood  (Queensland) — 

Acacia     excelsa,     Benth.,    N.O. 

Leguminosa  ; 
Melaleuca     genistifolia^      Smith, 

N.O.  Myrtacea. 

Ironwood  (North  Queensland) — 
Myrtus  gonodada,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O. 

Myrtacece. 
Ironwood    (North     New     South 

Wales)  — 
Olea    paniculata^     R.Br.,    N.O. 

Jasminece. 
Ironwood  (Tasmania) — 

Notelcea  ligustrina.  Vent.,  N.O. 

Jasminca. 
Scrub  Ironwood — 

Myrtus     hillii,      Benth.,     N.O. 

Myrtacecz. 

For  Ironwood  of  New  Zealand, 
see  Puriri. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  xii.  p.  479  : 

"A  club  of  iron-wood,  which  the 
cannibals  had  left  in  the  boat." 

1823.  W.  B.  Cramp,  'Narrative  of  a 
Voyage  to  India,'  p.  17  : 


"...  they  have  a  short  club  made 
of  iron  wood,  called  a  waday,  and  a 
scimeter  made  of  the  same  wood." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  579  : 

' '  Ironwood '  and  '  Heartwood '  of 
Tasmania  ;  '  Spurious  Olive,'  *  White 
Plum  '  of  Gippsland.  An  exceedingly 
hard,  close-grained  wood,  used  for 
mallets,  sheaves  of  blocks,  turnery, 
etc.  The  heartwood  yields  a  very 
peculiar  figure  ;  it  is  a  very  fair  sub- 
stitute for  lignum-vitas." 

Irriakura,  n.  an  aboriginal 
name  for  the  tubers  of  Cyperus 
rotundus.  Linn.,  N.O.  Cyperacece^ 
adopted  by  white  men  in  Central 
Australia. 

1896.  E.  C.  Stirling,  'Home  Expe- 
dition in  Central  Australia,'  Anthropology, 
p.  60  : 

"  Cyperus  rotundus.  In  almost 
every  camp  we  saw  large  quantities  of 
the  tunicated  tubes  of  this  plant,  which 
are  generally  called  'Erriakura'  or 
*  Irriakura'  by  the  Arunta  natives.  .  . 
Even  raw  they  are  pleasant  to  the 
taste,  having  an  agreeable  nutty 
flavour,  which  is  much  improved  by 
the  slight  roasting." 

Ivory-wood,  n.  an  Australian 
timber,  Siphonodon  austrate,Benth., 
N.O.  Celastrina. 

Ivy,  n.  a  child's  name  for  the 
ivy-leaf  geraniums,  especially  the 
double  pink-flowered  one  called 
Madame  Kruse.  In  Australia  the 
warm  climate  makes  these  all 
evergreens,  and  they  are  trained 
over  fences  and  walls,  sometimes 
to  the  height  of  twenty  or  thirty 
feet,  supplanting  the  English  ivy 
in  this  use,  and  covered  with 
masses  of  flowers. 

Ivy,  Native,  an  Australian 
plant,  Muehlenbeckia  adpressa, 
Meissn.,  N.O.  Polygonacece  ;  called 
also  Macquarie  Harbour  Vine,  or 
Grape.  The  name  is  widely  applied 
also  to  the  acclimatised  Cape  Ivy, 
or  German  Ivy  (Senecio  scandens}. 


IVY] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


213 


1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  46  : 

"  '  Native  Ivy,3  Macquarie  Harbour 
Vine  or  Grape  of  Tasmania.  The 
currant-like  fruits  are  sub-acid,  and 
were,  and  perhaps  still  are,  used  for 
tarts,  puddings,  and  preserves ;  the 
leaves  taste  like  sorrel." 

Ivy,  Wild,  n.  an  Australian 
creeper,  Platylobium  triangular e> 
R.Br.,  N.O.  Leguminosa. 


Ivy-tree,  ».  New  Zealand  tree, 
genus  Panax,  N.O.  Araliaccz  ; 
Maori  name,  Horoeka.  It  is  also 
called  Lancewood  (q.v.). 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  127  : 

"  Horoeka,  ivy-tree.  An  ornamental, 
slender,  and  sparingly-branched  tree. 
Wood  close-grained  and  tough." 


214 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[JAB-JAC 


Jabiru,  n.  The  word  comes 
from  Brazil,  and  was  first  given 
there  to  the  large  stork  Mycteria 
(Xenorhynchus]  Americana.  The 
Australian  species  is  M.  australis, 
Lath.  It  has  the  back  and  neck 
dark  grey,  changing  on  the  neck 
to  scarlet.  There  is  a  black-necked 
stork  in  Australia  (Xenorhynchus 
asiaticus\  which  is  also  called  the 
Jabiru. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  194  : 

"We  saw  a  Tabiroo  [sic]  (Mycte- 
ria)» 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  '  Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  195  : 

"  In  October,  1858,  I  succeeded  in 
purchasing  a  fine  living  specimen  of 
the  New  Holland  Jabiru,  or  Gigantic 
Crane  of  the  colonists  (Mycteria 
Australis)? 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals,' 

P-  323  : 

"  The  splendid  Australian  jabiru 
(Mycteria  Australts),  and  I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  shoot  on  the  wing  a 
specimen  of  this  beautiful  variety  of 
the  stork  family." 

Jacana,  n.  a  Brazilian  word  for 
a  bird  of  the  genus  Parra  (q.v.). 
The  Australian  species  is  the 
Comb-crested  Jacana,  Parra  gal- 
linacea^  Temm.  It  is  also  called 
the  Lotus-bird  (q.v.). 

Jack  in  a  Box,  i.q.  Hair- 
trigger  (q.v,). 

1854.  '  The  Home  Companion,'  p.  554  : 

"  When  previously  mentioning  the 
elegant  Stylidium  graminifolium 
(grass-leaved  Jack-in-a-box),  which 
may  be  easily  known  by  its  numerous 
grassy-like  radical  leaves,  and  pretty 
pink  flowers,  on  a  long  naked  stem, 
we  omitted  to  mention  a  peculiarity 


in  it,  which  is  said  to  afford  much 
amusement  to  the  aborigines,  who  are, 
generally  speaking,  fond  of,  and  have 
a  name  for,  many  of  the  plants  com- 
mon in  their  own  territories.  The 
stigma  lies  at  the  apex  of  a  long 
column,  surrounded  and  concealed  by 
the  anthers.  This  column  is  exceed- 
ingly irritable,  and  hangs  down  on  one 
side  of  the  flower,  until  it  is  touched, 
when  it  suddenly  springs  up  and  shifts 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  blossom  or 
calyx." 

1859.  D.  Bunce,  '  Australasiatic  Remin- 
iscences,' p.  26  : 

"  Stylidium  (native  Jack  in  a  box). 
This  genus  is  remarkable  for  the  sin- 
gular elasticity  of  the  column  stylis, 
which  support  the  anthers,  and  which 
being  irritable,  will  spring  up  if  pricked 
with  a  pin,  or  other  little  substance, 
below  the  joint,  before  the  pollen,  a 
small  powder,  is  shed,  throwing  itself 
suddenly  over,  like  a  reflex  arm,  to  the 
opposite  side  of  the  flower.  Hence 
the  colonial  designation  of  Jack  in  a 
box." 

Jack  the  Painter,  n.  very  strong 
bush-tea,  so  called  from  the  mark 
it  leaves  round  the  drinker's 
mouth. 

1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes,' 
p.  163  : 

"  Another  notorious  ration  tea  of  the 
bush  is  called  Jack  the  Painter—a 
very  green  tea  indeed,  its  viridity  evi- 
dently produced  by  a  discreet  use  of 
the  copper  drying-pans  in  its  manu- 
facture." 

1878.   *  The  Australian,'  vol.  i.  p.  418  : 

"  The  billy  wins,  and  '  Jack  the 
Painter'  tea 

Steams  on  the  hob,  from  aught  like 
fragrance  free." 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  '  Victoria  in  1880,' 
p.  113  : 

"  Special  huts  had  to  be  provided  for 


JAC] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


215 


them  [the  sundowners],  where  they 
enjoyed  eleemosynary  rations  of 
mutton,  damper,  and  'Jack  the 
Painter.' " 

Jackaroo,  n.  a  name  for  a 
Colonial  Experience  (q.v.),  a  young 
man  fresh  from  England,  learning 
squatting ;  called  in  New  Zealand 
a  Cadet  (q.v.).  Compare  the 
American  "tenderfoot."  A  verse 
definition  runs  : 

"To  do  all  sorts  and  kinds  of  jobs, 
Help  all  the  men  Jacks,  Bills  or  Bobs, 

As  well  as  he  is  able. 
To  be  neither  boss,  overseer,  nor  man, 
But  a  little  of  all  as  well  as  he  can, 

And  eat  at  the  master's  table." 

The  word  is  generally  supposed 
to  be  a  corruption  (in  imitation 
of  the  word  Kangaroo)  of  the 
words  "Johnny  Raw."  Mr.  Mes- 
ton,  in  the  *  Sydney  Bulletin,' 
April  1 8,  1896,  says  it  comes  from 
theold  Brisbaneblacks,  who  called 
the  pied  crow  shrike  (Strepera 
graculind)  "tchaceroo,"  a  gabbling 
and  garrulous  bird.  They  called 
the  German  missionaries  of  1838 
"jackeroo,"  a  gabbler,  because 
they  were  always  talking.  After- 
wards they  applied  it  to  all  white 
men. 

1880.  W.  Senior,   'Travel  and  Trout,' 
p.  19: 

"Jackaroos — the  name  given  to 
young  gentlemen  newly  arrived  from 
home  to  gather  colonial  experiences." 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant    '  Bush     Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  53  : 

"The  young  jackaroo  woke  early  next 
morning."  [Footnote] :  "  The  name  by 
which  young  men  who  go  to  the  Aus- 
tralian colonies  to  pick  up  colonial 
experience  are  designated." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  'Advance 
Australia,'  p.  85  : 

"  Of  course  before  starting  on  their 
own  account  to  work  a  station  they  go 
into  the  bush  to  gain  colonial  expe- 
rience, during  which  process  they  are 
known  in  the  colony  as  '  jackaroos.' " 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Sydney- 
side  Saxon,'  p.  74  : 


"  We  went  most  of  the  way  by  rail 
and  coach,  and  then  a  jackaroo  met  us 
with  a  fine  pair  of  horses  in  a  wag- 
gonette. I  expected  to  see  a  first 
cousin  to  a  kangaroo,  when  the  coach- 
driver  told  us,  instead  of  a  young  gen- 
tleman learning  squatting." 

1894.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald '  (date 
lost)  : 

" '  Jack-a-roo '  is  of  the  same  class  of 
slang  ;  but  the  unlucky  fellow — often 
gentle  and  soft-handed — who  does  the 
oddwork  of  a  sheep  or  cattle  station,  if 
he  finds  time  and  heart  for  letters  to 
any  who  love  him,  probably  writes  his 
rue  with  a  difference." 

Jackaroo,  v.  to  lead  the  life  of 
a  Jackaroo. 

1890.  Tasma,  '  In  her  Earliest  Youth,' 
p.  152  : 

"  I've  seen  such  a  lot  of  those  new 
chums,  one  way  and  another.  They 
knock  down  all  their  money  at  the 
first  go-off,  and  then  there's  nothing 
for  them  to  do  but  to  go  and  jackaroo 
up  in  Queensland." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  xix.  p.  239  : 

"A  year  or  two  more  Jackerooing 
would  only  mean  the  consumption  of 
so  many  more  figs  of  negro-head,  in 
my  case." 

Jackass-fish,  n.  another  Sydney 
name  for  the  Morwong  (q.v.). 

Jackass,  Laughing,  n.  (i)The 
popular  name  of  an  Australian  bird, 
Dacelo  gigas,  Bodd,  the  Great 
Brown  Kingfisher  of  Australia; 
see  Dacelo.  To  an  Australian 
who  has  heard  the  ludicrous 
note  of  the  bird  and  seen  its 
comical,  half-stupid  appearance, 
the  origin  of  the  name  seems 
obvious.  It  utters  a  prolonged 
rollicking  laugh,  often  preceded 
by  an  introductory  stave  re- 
sembling the  opening  passage  of 
a  donkey's  bray. 

But  the  name  has  been  errone- 
ously derived  from  the  French 
jacasse,  as  to  which  Littre  gives 

terme    popidaire.      Femme^    fille 


216 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[JAC 


qui  park    beaucoup."      He    adds, 
that    the    word    jacasse    appears 
to    come    from   jacquot,    a   name 
popularly  given   to   parrots    and 
magpies,  our  "  Poll."     The  verb 
jacasser  means  to  chatter,  said  of 
a    magpie.      The  quotation  from 
Collins  (1798)   seems  to    dispose 
of  this  suggested  French  origin, 
by  proving  the  early  use  of  the 
name    Laughing  Jackass.      As    a 
matter  of  fact,  the  French  name 
had  already  in  1776  been  assigned 
to    the   bird,   viz.    Grand  Martin- 
pecheur  de  la  Nouvelle  Guinee.     [See 
Pierre  Sonnerat,  '  Voyage  a  la  Nou- 
velle Guin'ee '  ( Paris ,  1 776) ,  p .  171.] 
The    only   possibility    of    French 
origin  would  be  from  the  sailors 
of  La  Pe"rouse.     But  La  Perouse 
arrived  in  Botany  Bay  on  January 
26,     1788,     and     found     Captain 
Phillip's  ships  leaving  for  Sydney 
Cove.     The  intercourse  between 
them  was  very  slight.    The  French 
formed  a  most  unfavourable  idea 
of  the  country,  and  sailed  away  on 
March    10.     If  from   their   short 
intercourse,  the   English  had  ac- 
cepted  the   word  Jackass,   would 
not  mention  of  the  fact  have  been 
made     by    Governor     Phillip,    or 
Surgeon  White,  who  mention  the 
bird  but  by  a  different  name  (see 
quotations     1789,    1790),    or     by 
Captain  Watkin  Tench,  or  Judge- 
Advocate  Collins,  who  both  men- 
tion the  incident  of  the    French 
ships  ? 

The  epithet  "  laughing  "  is  now 
often  omitted;  the  bird  is  gene- 
rally called  only  a  Jackass,  and 
this  is  becoming  contracted  into 
the  simple  abbreviation  of  Jack. 
A  common  popular  name  for  it 
is  the  Settlers' -Clock.  (See  quota- 
tions— 1827,  Cunningham  ;  1846, 
Haydon  ;  and  1847,  Leichhardt.) 
The  aboriginal  name  of  the  bird 
is  Kookaburra  (q.v.),  and  by  this 


name  it  is  generally  called  in 
Sydney  ;  another  spelling  is  Gogo- 
bera. 

There  is  another  bird  called  a 
Laughing  Jackass  in  New  Zealand 
which  is  not  a  Kingfisher,  but  an 
Owl,  Sceloglaux  albifacies,  Kaup. 
(Maori  name,  Whekau).  The  New 
Zealand  bird  is  rare,  the  Aus- 
tralian bird  very  common.  The 
so-called  Demvent  Jackass  of  Tas- 
mania is  a  Shrike  ( Cracticus  rinereus, 
Gould),  and  is  more  properly  called 
the  Grey  Butcher-bird.  See  Butcher- 
bird. 

1789.  Governor   Phillip,    '  Voyage,'   p. 
287: 

Description  given  with  picture, 
but  under  name  "Great  Brown 
Kingsfisher"  \sic\. 

Ibid.  p.  156: 

Similar  bird,  with  description  and 
picture,  under  name  "  Sacred  King's 
Fisher." 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  137  : 

"We  not  long  after  discovered 
the  Great  Brown  King's  Fisher,  of 
which  a  plate  is  annexed.  This  bird 
has  been  described  by  Mr.  Latham  in 
his  '  General  Synopsis  of  Birds,'  vol.  ii. 
p.  603." 

Ibid.  p.  193  : 

"We  this  day  shot  the  Sacred 
King's-Fisher  (see  plate  annexed)." 

1798.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  p.  615, 
(Vocabulary)  : 

"  Gi-gan-ne-gine.  Bird  named  by 
us  the  Laughing  Jackass.  Go-con-de 
— inland  name  for  it." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  *  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales, '  vol.  i.  p.  232  : 

"The  loud  and  discordant  noise  of 
the  laughing  jackass  (or  settler's-clock, 
as  he  is  called),  as  he  takes  up  his 
roost  on  the  withered  bough  of  one  of 
our  tallest  trees,  acquaints  us  that  the 
sun  has  just  dipped  behind  the  hills." 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Transac- 
tions of  Linnasan  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  204  : 

"The  settlers  call  this  bird  the  Laugh- 
ing Jackass.  I  have  also  heard  it  called 
the  Hawkesbury-Clock  (clocks  being 


JAC] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


217 


at  the  period  of  my  residence  scarce 
articles  in  the  colony,  there  not  being 
one  perhaps  in  the  whole  Hawkes- 
bury  settlement),  for  it  is  among  the 
first  of  the  feathered  tribes  which 
announce  the  approach  of  day." 

1846.  G.    H.   Haydon,   '  Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  71  : 

"  The  laughing  jackass,  or  settler's- 
clock  is  an  uncouth  looking  creature 
of  an  ashen  brown  colour  .  .  .  This 
bird  is  the  first  to  indicate  by  its  note 
the  approach  of  day,  and  thus  it  has 
received  its  other  name,  the  settler's- 
clock." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  234  : 

"  I  usually  rise  when  I  hear  the 
merry  laugh  of  the  laughing-jackass 
(Dacelo  gigantea),  which,  from  its 
regularity,  has  not  been  unaptly  named 
the  settlers'-clock." 

1848.  J.    Gould,    'Birds   of  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  pi.  1 8  : 

"Dacelo  Gigantea,  Leach,  Great 
Brown  King  Fisher;  Laughing  Jackass 
of  the  Colonists." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  58  : 

"  You  are  startled  by  a  loud,  sudden 
cackling,  like  flocks  of  geese,  followed 
by  an  obstreperous  hoo !  hoo !  ha !  ha ! 
of  the  laughing  jackass  (Dacelo  gigan- 
tea) a  species  of  jay." 

[Hewitt's  comparison  with  the 
jay  is  evidently  due  to  the  azure 
iridescent  markings  on  the  upper 
part  of  the  wings,  in  colour  like 
the  blue  feathers  on  the  jay.] 

1862.  F.  J.  Jobson,  '  Australia,'  c.  vi.  p. 
H5: 

"  The  odd  medley  of  cackling,  bray, 
and  chuckle  notes  from  the  '  Laughing 
Jackass.'" 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  'My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  18  : 

"  At  daylight  came  a  hideous  chorus 
of  fiendish  laughter,  as  if  the  infernal 
regions  had  been  broken  loose— this 
was  the  song  of  another  feathered 
innocent,  the  laughing  jackass — not 
half  a  bad  sort  of  fellow  when  you 
come  to  know  him,  for  he  kills  snakes, 
and  is  an  infallible  sign  of  the  vicinity 
of  fresh- water." 


1880.  T.  W.  Nutt,  '  Palace  of  Industry,' 
P-  I5- 

"Where  clock-bird  laughed  and 
sweet  wild  flowers  throve."  [Footnote]  : 
"  The  familiar  laughing  jackass." 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  'Victoria in  1880,' 
P-  13: 

"  Dense  forests,  where  the  prolonged 
cacchinations  of  that  cynic  of  the 
woods,  as  A.  P.  Martin  calls  the  laugh- 
ing jackass,  seemed  to  mock  us  for 
our  pains." 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,     'Bush    Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  37: 

"  The  harsh-voiced,  big-headed, 
laughing  jackass." 

1881.  D.  Blair,  'Cyclopaedia  of  Aus- 
tralasia,' p.  202  : 

"  The  name  it  vulgarly  bears  is  a 
corruption  of  the  French  word  Jacasser, 
'to  chatter,'  and  the  correct  form  is 
the  '  Laughing  Jacasse.5 " 

[No.     See  above.] 

1885.  '  Australasian  Printers'  Keepsake,' 
p.  76: 

"  Magpies  chatter,  and  the  jackass 
Laughs  Good-morrow  like  a  Bac- 
chus." 

1889.  Rev.  J.  H.  Zillmann,  'Australian 
Life,'  [telling  an  old  story]  p.  155  : 

"  The  Archbishop  inquired  the  name 
of  a  curious  bird  which  had  attracted 
his  attention.  'Your  grace,  we  call 
that  the  laughing  jackass  in  this 
country,  but  I  don't  know  the  botanical 
[sic]  name  of  the  bird." 

1890.  C.    Lumholtz,    '  Among  Canni- 
bals,' p.  27  : 

"  Few  of  the  birds  of  Australia  have 
pleased  me  as  much  as  this  curious 
laughing  jackass,  though  it  is  both 
clumsy  and  unattractive  in  colour. 
Far  from  deserving  its  name  jackass, 
it  is  on  the  contrary  very  wise  and  also 
very  courageous.  It  boldly  attacks 
venomous  snakes  and  large  lizards, 
and  is  consequently  the  friend  of  the 
colonist." 

1890.  Tasma,  'In  her  Earliest  Youth/ 
p.  265  : 

'  'There's  a  jackass — a  real  laughing 
jackass  on  that  dead  branch.  They 
have  such  a  queer  note  ;  like  this,  you 
know — '  and  upon  her  companion's 
startled  ears  there  rang  forth,  all  of  a 
sudden,  the  most  curious,  inimitable, 


218 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[j  AC-JAR 


guttural,  diabolical  tremolo  it  had  ever 
befallen  them  to  hear." 

1890.  'Victorian  Statutes — Game  Act, 
Third  Schedule' : 

"  [Close  season.]  Great  Kingfisher  or 
Laughing  Jackass.  The  whole  year. 
All  Kingfishers  other  than  the  Laugh- 
ing Jackass.  From  the  ist  day  of 
August  to  the  2oth  day  of  December 
next  following  in  each  year." 

(2)  The  next  quotations  refer 
to  the  New  Zealand  bird. 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  'Out  in  the  Open/ 
p.  122: 

"Athene  Albifacies,  wekau  of  the 
Maoris,  is  known  by  some  up-country 
settlers  as  the  big  owl  or  laughing 
jackass" 

"The  cry  of  the  laughing  jackass 
.  .  .  Why  it  should  share  with  one  of 
our  petrels  and  the  great  Dacelo  of 
Australia  the  trivial  name  of  laughing 
jackass,  we  know  not  ;  if  its  cry  re- 
sembles laughter  at  all,  it  is  the  un- 
controllable outburst,  the  convulsive 
shout  of  insanity  ;  we  have  never  been 
able  to  trace  the  faintest  approach  to 
mirthful  sound  in  the  unearthly  yells 
of  this  once  mysterious  night-bird." 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  198  : 

"  Sceloglaux  albifacies,  Kaup., 
Laughing  Owl ;  Laughing  Jackass  of 
the  Colonists." 

[The  following  quotation  refers 
to  the  Demuent  Jackass.] 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  no  : 

"  You  have  heard  of  .  .  the  laugh- 
ing jackass.  We,  too,  have  a  *  jackass,3 
a  smaller  bird,  and  not  in  any  way 
remarkable,  except  for  its  merry  gab- 
bling sort  of  song,  which  when  several 
pipe  up  together,  always  gives  one  the 
idea  of  a  party  of  very  talkative  people 
all  chattering  against  time,  and  all  at 
once." 

Jack-bird,  n.  a  bird  of  the 
South  Island  of  New  Zealand, 
Creadion  cinereus,  Buller.  See  also 
Saddle-back  and  Creadion. 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  23  : 

"It  has  become  the  habit  to  speak 
of  this  bird  as  the  Brown  Saddle-back  ; 


but  this  is  a  misnomer,  inasmuch  as 
the  absence  of  the  '  saddle '  is  its  dis- 
tinguishing feature.  I  have  accord- 
ingly adopted  the  name  of  Jack-bird, 
by  which  it  is  known  among  the 
settlers  in  the  South  Island.  Why 
it  should  be  so  called  I  cannot  say, 
unless  this  is  an  adaptation  of  the 
native  name  Tteke,  the  same  word 
being  the  equivalent,  in  the  Maori 
vernacular,  of  our  Jack." 

Jack  Shay,  or  Jackshea,  n. 
a  tin  quart-pot. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  209  : 

"  Hobbles  and  Jack  Shays  hang 
from  the  saddle  dees."  [Footnote] :  "A 
tin  quart-pot,  used  for  boiling  water 
for  tea,  and  contrived  so  as  to  hold 
within  it  a  tin  pint-pot." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  June  14,  p.  4, 
col.  i  : 

"  Some  of  his  clothes,  with  his 
saddle,  serve  for  a  pillow  ;  his  ration 
bags  are  beside  his  head,  and  his 
jackshea  (quart-pot)  stands  by  the 
fire." 

Jacky  Winter,  n.  the  ver- 
nacular name  in  New  South 
Wales  of  the  Brown  Flycatcher, 
Micrceca  fascinans ,  a  common  little 
bird  about  Sydney.  The  name 
has  been  ascribed  to  the  fact  that 
it  is  a  resident  species,  very  com- 
mon, and  that  it  sings  all  through 
the  winter,  when  nearly  every 
other  species  is  silent.  See  Fly- 
catcher. 

Jade,  n.     See  Greenstone. 

Jarrah,  n.  Anglicised  form  of 
Jerryhl,  the  native  name  of  a 
certain  species  of  Eucalyptus, 
which  grows  in  the  south  of 
Western  Australia,  east  and 
south-east  of  Perth.  In  Sir 
George  Grey's  Glossary  (1840), 
Djar-rail ;  Mr.  G.  F.  Moore's 
(1884),  Djarryl.  (Eucalyptus  mar- 
ginata,  Donn.)  The  name  Bastard- 
Jarrah  is  given  to  E.  botryoides, 
Smith,  which  bears  many  other 
names.  It  is  the  Blue-Gum  of 


JAS-JEM] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


219 


New  South  Wales  coast-districts, 
the  Bastard-Mahogany  of  Gipps- 
land  and  New  South  Wales,  and 
also  Swamp  Mahogany  in  Victoria 
and  New  South  Wales,  and  occa- 
sionally Woolly-Butt. 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  102: 

"  It  may  be  that  after  all  the  hopes 
of  the  West- Australian  Micawbers  will 
be  realised  in  jarrah-wood." 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  'Timber  and  Timber 
Trees/  p.  189: 

"The  Jarrah  or  Mahogany-tree  is 
also  found  in  Western  Australia.  The 
wood  is  red  in  colour,  hard,  heavy, 
close  in  texture,  slightly  wavy  in  the 

frain,  and  with  occasionally  enough 
gure  to  give  it  value  for  ornamental 
purposes ;  it  works  up  quite  smoothly 
and  takes  a  good  polish." 

1883.  G.  W.  Rusden,  '  History  of  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  77 : 

"The  jarrah  of  Western  Australia 
(Eucalyptus  marginata)  has  a  peculiar 
reputation  for  its  power  to  defy  decay 
when  submerged  and  exposed  to  the 
attacks  of  the  dreaded  teredo,  and  has 
been  largely  exported  to  India." 

1888.  R.  Kipling,  '  Plain  Tales  from  the 
Hills,'  p.  163  : 

"...  the  awful  butchery  .  .  of  the 
Maribyrnong  Plate.  The  walls  were 
colonial  ramparts — logs  of  jarrah 
spiked  into  masonry — with  wings  as 
strong  as  Church  buttresses.'3 

[Jarrah  is  not  a  Victorian,  but  a 
West-Australian  timber,  and  imported 
logs  are  not  used  by  the  V.R.G., 
but  white  or  red  gum.  For  making 
"jumps,"  no  logs  are  "spiked  into 
masonry,"  and  the  Maribyrnong  Plate 
is  not  a  "jump-race."] 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  415  : 

"Mr.  W.  H.  Knight,  twenty  years 
ago,  gave  evidence  as  to  the  value  of 
the  jarrah.  ...  It  is  found  that  piles 
driven  down  in  the  Swan  River  were, 
after  being  exposed  to  the  action  of 
wind,  water,  and  weather  for  forty 
years,  as  sound  and  firm  as  when  put 
into  the  water.  ...  It  completely 
resists  the  attacks  of  the  white  ants, 
where  stringy-bark,  blue-gum,  white- 
gum,  and  black-wood  are  eaten 


through,  or  rendered  useless,  in  from 
six  to  twelve  years." 

1896.  'The  Times'  (weekly  edition), 
Dec.  4,  p.  822,  col.  i  : 

"  The  jarrah,  Eucalyptus  marginata, 
stands  pre-eminent  as  the  leading 
timber  tree  of  the  Western  Australian 
forests.  For  constructive  work  neces- 
sitating contact  with  soil  and  water 
jarrahwood  has  no  native  equal.  A 
jarrah  forest  is  dull,  sombre,  and  un- 
interesting to  the  eye.  In  first-class 
forests  the  trees  attain  a  height  of  from 
90  ft.  to  1 20  ft,  with  good  stems  3ft.  to 
5ft.  in  diameter.  The  tree  is  practi- 
cally confined  to  the  south-western 
division  of  the  colony,  where  the  heavi- 
est rains  of  the  season  fall.  As  a  rule, 
jarrah  is  found  either  intermixed  with 
the  karri  tree  or  in  close  proximity 
to  it." 

Jasmine,  Native,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian plant,  Ritinocarpus  pini- 
folius,  Desf.,  N.O.  Euphorbiacece. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants/  p.  286 : 

"  Native  Jasmine.  This  plant  yields 
abundance  of  seeds,  like  small  castor- 
oil  seeds.  They  yield  an  oil." 

Jelly-leaf,  n.  i.q.  Queensland 
Hemp  (q.v.). 

Jelly-plant,  a  sea-weed,  Eu- 
cheuma  speciosum,  J.  Agardh,  N.O. 
Alga. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  28 : 

"Jelly-plant  of  Western  Australia. 
This  is  a  remarkable  sea-weed  of  a  very 
gelatinous  character  [used  by]  the 
people  of  Western  Australia  for  making 
jelly,  blanc- mange,  etc.  Size  and 
cement  can  also  be  made  from  it.  It 
is  cast  ashore  from  deep  water." 

Jemmy  Donnelly,  n.  a  ridi- 
culous name  given  to  three  trees, 
Euroschinus  falcatus.  Hook,  N.O. 
Anacardiacece  ;  My r sine  variability 
R.Br.,  N.O.  Myrsinacece  ;  and 
Eucalyptus  resinifera,  Sm.,  N.O. 
Myrtacecz.  They  are  large  timber 
trees,  highly  valued  in  Queens- 
land. 


220 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[JER-JIM 


Jerrawicke,  n.  obsolete  name 
for  Colonial  beer. 

x?57'  J-  Askew,  *  A  Voyage  to  Aus- 
tralia and  New  Zealand,'  p.  272  : 

"  There  were  always  a  number  of 
natives  roaming  about.  There  might 
be  about  150  in  all,  of  the  Newcastle 
tribe.  They  were  more  wretched  and 
filthy,  and  impossible,  uglier  than  those 
of  Adelaide.  .  .  .  All  the  earnings  of 
the  tribe  were  spent  in  tobacco  and  jer- 
rawicke  (colonist-made  ale)." 

1857.  Ibid.  p.  273  : 

"  A  more  hideous  looking  spectacle 
can  hardly  be  imagined  than  that  pre- 
sented by  these  savages  around  the 
blazing  fire,  carousing  among  jerra- 
wicke  and  the  offal  of  slaughtered 
animals.' " 

Jew-fish,  n.  a  name  applied  in 
New  South  Wales  to  two  or 
more  different  species,  Sriana 
antarctica,  Castln.,  and  Glaucosoma 
hebraicum,  Richards.  Sci&na  an- 
tarctica, Castln.,  is  the  King-fish 
of  the  Melbourne  market.  Scicena 
is  called  Dew-fish  in  Brisbane. 
It  belongs  to  the  family  Scicenidce. 
The  Australian  species  is  distinct 
from  S.  aquila,  the  European 
"Maigre"  or  "  Meagre,"  but 
closely  resembles  it.  Glaucosoma 
belongs  to  the  Percidcz.  The 
Silver  Jew-fish  of  New  South 
Wales  is  thought  to  be  the  same 
as  the  Teraglin  (q.v.),  Otolithus 
atelodus,  Giinth.,  also  of  the 
family  Scicenidce.  Tenison  Woods 
(in  '  Fish  and  Fisheries  of 
New  South  Wales,'  1882,  p.  34) 
says  the  Jew-fish  of  New  South 
Wales  is  sometimes  Glaucosoma 
scapulare,  Ramsay ;  and  Glauco- 
soma hebraicum,  Richards.,  is  the 
Jew-fish  of  Western  Australia  (a 
marine  fish).  Fishes  on  the 
American  coasts,  different  from 
these,  are  there  called  Jew-fishes. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  40  : 

"The  water-holes  abounded  with 
jew-fish  and  eels." 


Jew-Lizard,  n.  a  large  Aus- 
tralian lizard,  Amphibolurus  bar- 
batus,  Cuv. ;  called  also  Bearded 
Lizard. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  89 : 

"  A  small  Chlamydophorus  (Jew- 
lizard  of  the  Hunter)  was  also  seen." 

[The  Hunter  is  a  river  of  New  South 
Wales.] 

1890.  F.  McCoy,  'Prodromus  of  the 
Natural  History  of  Victoria,'  Decade  xiii. 
pi.  121  : 

"This  is  commonly  called  the  Jew 
Lizard  by  colonists,  and  is  easily  dis- 
tinguished by  the  beard-like  growth 
of  long  slender  spires  round  the  throat 
.  .  .  when  irritated,  it  inflates  the 
body  to  a  considerably  increased  size, 
and  hisses  like  a  snake  exciting  alarm  ; 
but  rarely  biting." 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  July  22,  p.  4, 
col.  5  : 

"  The  great  Jew-lizards  that  lay  and 
laughed  horribly  to  themselves  in  the 
pungent  dust  on  the  untrodden  floors." 

Jil-crow-a-berry,  n.  the  Angli- 
cised pronunciation  and  spelling 
of  the  aboriginal  name  for  the 
indigenous  Rat-tail  Grass,  Sporo- 
bolus  indicus,  R.Br. 

Jimmy,  n.  obsolete  name  for 
an  immigrant,  a  word  which  was 
jocularly  changed  into  Jimmy 
Grant.  The  word  *  immigrant ' 
is  as  familiar  in  Australia  as 
'  emigrant '  in  England. 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  '  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
p.  211 : 

"  '  What  are  these  men  that  we  are 
going  to  see  ? '  '  Why  one,'  said  Lee, 
is  a  young  Jimmy — I  beg  your  pardon, 
sir,  an  emigrant,  the  other  two  are  old 
prisoners.' " 

1867.    «  Cassell's  Magazine,'  p.  440  : 

"  '  I  never  wanted  to  leave  England,' 
I  have  heard  an  old  Vandemonian 
observe  boastfully.  '  I  wasn't  like  one 
of  these  '  Jemmy  Grants'  (cant  term 
for  '  emigrants ') ;  I  could  always  earn 
a  good  living  ;  it  was  the  Government 
as  took  and  sent  me  out." 

[The  writers  probably  used  the  word 
immigrant,  which,  not  being  familiar 


JIM-JIR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


221 


to  the  English  compositor,  was  mis- 
printed emigrant.  The  "old  Vande- 
monian"  must  certainly  have  said 
immigrant^ 

Jimmy  Low,  n.  one  of  the  many 
names  of  a  Timber-tree,  Euca- 
lyptus resinifera.  Smith,  N.O. 
Myrtacece. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  208: 

"  The  '  Red,'  or  '  Forest  Mahogany,' 
of  the  neighbourhood  of  Sydney. 
These  are  bad  names,  as  the  wood 
bears  no  real  resemblance  to  the  true 
mahogany.  Because  the  product  of 
this  tree  first  brought  Australian  kino 
into  medical  notice,  it  is  often  in  old 
books  called  '  Botany  Bay  Gum-tree.' 
Other  names  for  it  are  Red  gum, 
Grey  gum,  Hickory,  and  it  perpetuates 
the  memory  of  an  individually  being 
called  '  Jimmy  Low.' " 

Jingle,  n.  a  two  -  wheeled 
vehicle,  like  an  Irish  car,  once 
common  in  Melbourne,  still  used 
in  Brisbane  and  some  other 
towns  :  so  called  from  the  rattle 
made  by  it  when  in  motion.  The 
word  is  not  Australian,  as  is 
generally  supposed  ;  the  *  Cen- 
tury '  gives  "a  covered  two- 
wheeled  car  used  in  the  south  of 
Ireland." 

1862.  Clara  Aspinall,    '  Three  Years  in 
Melbourne,'  p.  122  : 

"  An  omnibus  may  be  chartered  at 
much  less  cost  (gentlemen  who  have 
lived  in  India  will  persist  in  calling 
this  vehicle  a  jingle,  which  perhaps 
sounds  better) ;  it  is  a  kind  of  dos-a- 
dos  conveyance,  holding  three  in  front 
and  three  behind  :  it  has  a  water- 
proof top  to  it  supported  by  four  iron 
rods,  and  oilskin  curtains  to  draw  all 
round  as  a  protection  from  the  rain 
and  dust." 

1863.  B.  A.  Heywood,  'Vacation  Tour 
at  the  Antipodes,'  p.  44 : 

"  During  my  stay  in  Melbourne  I 
took  a  jingle,  or  car,  and  drove  to  St. 
Kilda." 

1865.  Lady  Barker,  writing  from  Mel- 
bourne, '  Station  Life  in  New  Zealand,' 
p.  12: 


"  A  vehicle  which  was  quite  new  to 
me — a  sort  of  light  car  with  a  canopy 
and  curtains,  holding  four,  two  on 
each  seat,  dos-a-dos,  and  called  a 
jingle — of  American  parentage,  I  fancy. 
One  drive  in  this  carriage  was  quite 
enough,  however.5; 

1869.  Marcus  Clarke,  '  Peripatetic  Philo- 
sopher,' p.  14  : 

"  Some  folks  prefer  to  travel 
Over  stones  and  rocks  and  gravel ; 
And  smile  at  dust  and  jolting  fit  to 

dislocate  each  bone. 
To  see  Jem  driving  in  a  jingle, 
It  would  make  your  senses  tingle, 
For  you  couldn't  put  a  sixpence  'twixt 
the  wheel  and  the  kerb-stone." 

1887.  CasselPs  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  i.  p.  64 : 

"  In  former  days  the  Melbourne  cab 
was  a  kind  of  Irish  car,  popularly 
known  as  a  jingle.  .  .  .  The  jingle 
has  been  ousted  by  the  one-horse 
waggonette." 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed, '  Longleat  of  Kooral- 
byn,'  c.  iv.  p.  30: 

"The  Premier  hailed  a  passing 
jingle." 

[This  was  in  Brisbane.] 

Jinkers,  n.  a  contrivance 
much  used  in  the  bush  for  moving 
heavy  logs  and  trunks  of  trees. 
It  consists  of  two  pairs  of  wheels, 
with  their  axle-trees  joined  by  a 
long  beam,  under  which  the  trunks 
are  suspended  by  chains.  Its 
structure  is  varied  in  town  for 
moving  wooden  houses.  Called 
in  England  a  "  whim." 

1894.  '  The  Argus,'  July  7,  p.  8,  col.  4 : 
"  A  rather  novel  spectacle  was  to  be 
seen  to-day  on  the  Ballan  road  in  the 
shape  of  a  five-roomed  cottage  on 
jinkers.  .  .  .  Mr.  Scottney,  carrier  of 
Fitzroy,  on  whose  jinkers  the  removal 
is  being  made  .  .  ." 

Jirrand,  adj.  an  aboriginal  word 
in  the  dialect  of  Botany  Bay,  signi- 
fying "afraid."  Ridley,  in  his 
vocabulary,  spells  it  jerron,  and 
there  are  other  spellings. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  59 : 

"  The  native  word  jirrand  (afraid) 


222 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[JO-JOE 


fyas  become  in  some  measure  an 
adopted  child,  and  may  probably 
puzzle  our  future  Johnsons  with  its 
unde  derivatztr." 

1889.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  316  : 

"  When  I  saw  the  mob  there  was  I 
didn't  see  so  much  to  be  jerran  about, 
as  it  was  fifty  to  one  in  favour  of  any 
one  that  was  wanted." 

Jo-Jo,  n.  name  used  by  Mel- 
bourne larrikins  for  a  man  with 
a  good  deal  of  hair  on  his  face. 
So  called  from  a  hairy-faced 
Russian  "dog-man"  exhibited  in 
Melbourne  about  1880,  who  was 
advertised  by  that  name. 

Job's  Tears.  The  seeds  of 
Coix  lachryma,  which  are  used  for 
necklace-making  by  the  native 
tribes  on  the  Cape  York  penin- 
sula, are  there  called  Job's  tears. 

Joe,  Joe-Joe,  Joey,  interjection, 
then  a  verb,  now  obsolete.  Ex- 
plained in  quotations. 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,3 vol.  i.  p.  400: 

"  The  well-known  cry  of '  Joe !  Joe ! ' 
— a  cry  which  means  one  of  the  myr- 
midons of  Charley  Joe,  as  they 
familiarly  style  Mr.  [Charles  Joseph] 
La  Trobe, — a  cry  which  on  all  the 
diggings  resounds  on  all  sides  on  the 
appearance  of  any  of  the  hated 
officials." 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  '  Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  135  : 

"  The  cry  of  '  Joey '  would  rise  every- 
where against  them."  [Footnote]:  "To 
'Joey'  or  'Joe3  a  person  on  the  dig- 
gings, or  anywhere  else  in  Australia,  is 
to  grossly  insult  and  ridicule  him." 

1863.  B.  A.  Hey  wood,  '  Vacation  Tour 
at  the  Antipodes,'  p.  165  : 

"  In  the  early  days  of  the  Australian 
diggings  'Joe'  was  the  warning  word 
shouted  out  when  the  police  or  gold 
commissioners  were  seen  approaching, 
but  is  now  the  chaff  for  new  chums." 

1865.  F.  H.  Nixon,  '  Peter  Perfume,'  p. 
58: 

"  And  Joe  joed  them  out,  Tom  toed 
them  out." 


1891.  '  The  Argus,'  Dec.  5,  p.  13,  col.  4  : 
" '  The  diggers,'  he  says,  '  were  up 
in  arms  against  the  Government 
officials,  and  whenever  a  policeman 
or  any  other  Government  servant  was 
seen  they  raised  the  cry  of  "Joe-Joe."' 
The  term  was  familiar  to  every  man  in 
the  fifties.  In  the  earliest  days  of  the 
diggings  proclamations  were  issued  on 
diverse  subjects,  but  mostly  in  the 
direction  of  curtailing  the  privileges  of 
the  miners.  These  were  signed,  'C. 
Joseph  La  Trobe,'  and  became  known 
by  the  irreverent — not  to  say  flippant 
— description  of  'Joes.'  By  an  easy 
transition,  the  corruption  of  the  second 
name  of  the  Governor  was  applied  to 
his  officers,  between  whom  and  the 
spirited  diggers  no  love  was  lost,  and 
accordingly  the  appearance  of  a  police- 
man on  a  lead  was  signalled  to  every 
tent  and  hole  by  the  cry  of  'Joe-Joe.' " 
Joey,  n.  (i)  A  young  kangaroo. 
1839.  w-  H.  Leigh,  'Reconnoitring 
Voyages  in  South  Australia '  pp.  93-4 : 

"  Here  [in  Kangaroo  Island]  is  also 
the  wallaba.    .   .    The  young  of  the 
animal  is  called  by  the  islanders  a  joe." 
1861.  T.  McCombie, '  Australian  Sketch- 
es,' p.  172 : 

"The  young  kangaroos  are  termed 
joeys.  The  female  carries  the  latter 
in  her  pouch,  but  when  hard  pressed 
by  dogs,  and  likely  to  be  sacrificed, 
she  throws  them  down,  which  usually 
distracts  the  attention  of  the  pack  and 
affords  the  mother  sufficient  time  to 
escape." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs/ 
p.  10: 

"  Sometimes  when  the  flying  doe 
throws  her  'joey  '  from  her  pouch  the. 
dogs  turn  upon  the  little  one." 

1896.  F.  G.  Aflalo,  '  Natural  History  of 
Australia,'  p.  29 : 

"At  length  the  actual  fact  of  the 
Kangaroo's  birth,  which  is  much  as 
that  of  other  mammals,  was  carefully 
observed  at  the  London  Zoo,  and  the 
budding  fiction  joined  the  myths  that 
were.  It  was  there  proved  that  the 
little  'joey'  is  brought  into  the  world 
in  the  usual  way,  and  forthwith  con- 
veyed to  the  comfortable  receptacle 
and  affixed  to  the  teat  by  the  dam, 
which  held  the  lifeless-looking  little 
thing  tenderly  in  her  cloven  lips." 


JOH] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


225 


(2)  Also  slang  used  for  a  baby 
or  little  child,  or  even  a   young 
animal,  such  as  a  little  guinea-pig. 
Compare  "  kid." 

(3)  A  hewer  of  wood  and  drawer 
of  water. 

1845.  J.  A.  Moore,  '  Tasmanian  Rhym- 
ings,'  p.  15  : 
"  He  was  a  'joey,3  which,  in  truth, 

Means  nothing  more  than  that  the 
youth 

Who  claims  a  kangaroo  descent 

Is  by  that  nomenclature  meant." 

1888.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Robbery  un- 
der Arms,'  p.  198 : 

"  I'm  not  going  to  be  wood-and- 
water  joey,  I  can  tell  ye." 

John  Dory,  or  Dorey,  n.  a  fish. 
This  name  is  applied  in  New 
South  Wales  and  Tasmania  to 
Cyttus  (Zeus)  australis,  Richards., 
family  Cyttida,  which  is  nearly 
the  same  as  Zeus  faber,  the  "  John 
Dory "  of  Europe.  Others  call 
C.  australis  the  Bastard  Dorey 
(q.v.),  and  it  is  also  called  the 
Boar-fish  (q.v.)  and  Dollar-fish 
(q.v.). 

1880.   Giinther,    'Study  of  Fishes,'   p. 

451  : 

'"John  Dorys '  are  found  in  the 
Mediterranean,  on  the  eastern  tem- 
perate shores  of  the  Atlantic,  on  the 
coasts  of  Japan  and  Australia.  Six 
species  are  known,  all  of  which  are 
highly  esteemed  for  the  table.  The 
English  name  given  to  one  of  the 
European  species  (Zeus  Faber]  seems 
to  be  partly  a  corruption  of  the  Gascon 
'Jau,'  which  signifies  cock,  'Dory' 
being  derived  from  the  French  Doree, 
so  that  the  entire  name  means  Gilt-cock. 
Indeed,  in  some  other  localities  of 
southern  Europe  it  bears  the  name  of 
Gallo.  The  same  species  occurs  also 
on  the  coasts  of  South  Australia  and 
New  Zealand." 

Johnny-cake,  n.  The  name  is 
of  American  origin,  originally 
given  by  the  negroes  to  a  cake 
made  of  Indian  corn  (maize).  In 
Australia  it  is  a  cake  baked  on 


the  ashes  or  cooked  in  a  frying- 
pan.  (See  quotations.)  The  name 
is  used  in  the  United  States  for  a 
slightly  different  cake,  viz.  made 
with  Indian  meal  and  toasted 
before  a  fire. 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Over  the  Straits,' 
P-  154: 

"  The  dough-cakes  fried  in  fat,  called 
'  Johnny-cakes.' " 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  20 : 

"  Johnny-cakes,  though  they  are 
smaller  and  very  thin,  and  made  in  a 
similar  way  [sc.  to  dampers  :  see 
Damper\ ;  when  eaten  hot  they  are 
excellent,  but  if  allowed  to  get  cold 
they  become  leathery." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  'Advance  of 
Australia,'  p.  3  : 

"Johnny-cakes  are  made  with  no- 
thing but  flour,  but  there  is  a  great  art 
in  mixing  them.  If  it  is  done  pro- 
perly they  are  about  the  lightest  and 
nicest  sort  of  bread  that  can  be  made  ; 
but  the  efforts  of  an  amateur  generally 
result  in  a  wet  heavy  pulp  that  sticks 
round  one's  teeth  like  bird-lime." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  Aug.  16,  p.  13, 
col.  i  : 

"  Here  I,  a  new  chum,  could,  with 
flour  and  water  and  a  pinch  of  baking- 
powder,  make  a  sweet  and  wholesome 
johnny  cake." 

1892.  Mrs.  Russell,  'Too  Easily  Jealous,' 
p.  273  : 

"  Bread  was  not,  and  existed  only  in 
the  shape  of  johnny-cakes — flat  scones 
of  flour  and  water,  baked  in  the  hot 
ashes." 

1894.  «  The  Argus,'  March  10,  p.  4,  col. 
6  : 

"It  is  also  useful  to  make  your 
damper  or  '  Johnny-cake,'  which  serves 
you  in  place  of  yeast  bread.  A  Johnny- 
cake  is  made  thus  : — Put  a  couple  of 
handfuls  of  flour  into  your  dish,  with  a 
good  pinch  of  salt  and  baking  soda. 
Add  water  till  it  works  to  a  stiff  paste. 
Divide  it  into  three  parts  and  flatten 
out  into  cakes  about  half  an  inch  thick. 
Dust  a  little  flour  into  your  frying-pan 
and  put  the  cake  in.  Cook  it  slowly 
over  the  fire,  taking  care  it  does  not 
burn,  and  tossing  it  over  again  and 
again.  When  nearly  done  stand  it 


224 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[JOL-JUM 


against  a  stick  in  front  of  the  fire,  and 
let  it  finish  baking  while  you  cook  the 
other  two.  These,  with  a  piece  of 
wallaby  and  a  billy  of  tea,  are  a  sweet 
meal  enough  after  a  hard  day's  work." 

Jolly-tail,  n.  a  Tasmanian  name 
for  the  larger  variety  of  the  fish 
Galaxias  attenuatus,  Jenyns,  and 
other  species  of  Galaxias  called 
Inanga  (q.v.)  in  New  Zealand. 
Galaxias  weedoni  is  called  the 
Mersey  Jolly-tail,  and  Galaxias 
atkinsoni)  the  Pieman  Jolly-tail. 
Pieman  and  Mersey  are  two  Tas- 
manian rivers.  See  Mountain- 
Trout. 

July,  «.  a  winter  month  in 
Australia.  See  Christmas. 

1888.  Mrs.  M'Cann,  '  Poetical  Works,' 
P-  235  : 

"  Scarce  has  July  with  frigid  visage 
flown." 

Jumbuck,  n.  aboriginal  pigeon- 
English  for  sheep.  Often  used 
in  the  bush.  The  origin  of  this 
word  was  long  unknown.  It  is 
thus  explained  by  Mr.  Meston,  in 
the  '  Sydney  Bulletin,'  April  18, 
1896:  "The  word  'jumbuck'for 
sheep  appears  originally  asjimba, 
jombock,  dombock,  and  dumbog.  In 
each  case  it  meant  the  white  mist 
preceding  a  shower,  to  which  a 
flock  of  sheep  bore  a  strong  re- 
semblance. It  seemed  the  only 
thing  the  aboriginal  mind  could 
compare  it  to." 

1845.  C.  Griffith,  'Present  State  and 
Prospects  of  the  Port  Phillip  District  of 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  162  : 

"  The  following  is  a  specimen  of  such 
eloquence  :  '  You  pilmillally  jumbuck 
plenty  sulky  me,  plenty  boom,  borack 
gammon,'  which  being  interpreted 
means,  '  If  you  shoot  my  sheep  I 
shall  be  very  angry,  and  will  shoot  you 
and  no  mistake.5 " 

1855.  W.  Ridley,  'Transactions  of  Philo- 
logical Society,'  p.  77  : 

"When  they  adopt  English  words 
ending  in  mutes,  the  blacks  drop  the 


mute  or  add  a  vowel  :  thus,  jimbugg^ 
a  slang  name  for  sheep,  they  sound 
jimbii"  [It  was  not  English  slang  but 
an  aboriginal  word.] 

1893.   '  The  Argus,'  April  8,  p.  4,  col.  I  : 

"  Mister  Charlie,  jumbuck  go  along 
of  grass,  blood  all  there,  big  dog  catch 
him  there,  big  jumbuck,  m'me  word, 
neck  torn." 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  June  6,  p. 
1085,  col.  i  : 

"  Jumbuck  (a  sheep)  has  been  in  use 
from  the  earliest  days,  but  its  origin  is 
not  known." 

Jump,  to,  v.  to  take  possession 
of  a  claim  (mining)  on  land,  on  the 
ground  that  a  former  possessor 
has  abandoned  it,  or  has  not  ful- 
filled the  conditions  of  the  grant. 
The  word  is  also  used  in  the 
United  States,  but  it  is  very  com- 
mon in  Australia.  Instead  of 
"you  have  taken  my  seat,"  you 
have  jumped  it.  So  even  with  a 
pew.  A  man  in  England,  to 
whom  was  said,  "you  have 
jumped  my  pew,"  would  look 
astonished,  as  did  that  other  who 
was  informed,  "  Excuse  me,  sir, 
but  you  are  occupewing  my  py." 

1861.  T.  McCombie,'  Australian  Sketch- 
es,' p.  31  : 

".  .  .  on  condition  that  he  occupies 
it  within  twenty-four  hours  :  should  this 
rule  not  be  observed,  the  right  of  the 
original  holder  is  lost,  and  it  may  be 
occupied  (or  '  jumped '  as  it  is  termed) 
by  any  other  person  as  a  deserted 
claim." 

1861.  '  Victorian  Hansard,'  vol.  vii.  p. 
942  (May  21) : 

"  Mr.  Wood :  Some  of  the  evils 
spoken  of  seemed  indeed  only  to  exist 
in  the  imagination  of  the  hon.  and 
learned  gentleman,  as,  for  instance, 
that  of 'jumping,'  for  which  a  remedy 
was  already  given  by  the  77th  section 
of  the  present  Act. 

"  Mr.  Ireland :  Yes  ;  after  the  claim 
is  'jumped.'" 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  The  Miner's 
Right,'  p.  37 : 

"If  such  work  were  not  commenced 
within  three  days,  any  other  miners 


JUM-JUN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


225 


might  summarily  take  possession  of  or 
jump  the  claim." 

Ibid.  p.  52  : 

"  Let  us  have  the  melancholy  satis- 
faction of  seeing  Gus's  pegs,  and  noting 
whether  they  are  all  en  regie.  If  not, 
we'll  'jump  'him." 

Ibid.  p.  76  : 

"  In  default  of  such  advertisement, 
for  the  general  benefit,  they  were  liable, 
according  to  custom  and  practice,  to 
have  their  claim  'jumped,5  or  taken 
forcible  possession  of  by  any  party  of 
miners  who  could  prove  that  they  were 
concealing  the  golden  reality." 

1875.  '  Melbourne  Spectator,'  August 
21,  p.  189,  col.  3  : 

"Jumping  selections  ...  is  said  to 
be  very  common  now  in  the  Winmera 
district." 

Jumpable,  adj.  open  to  another 
to  take.  Seey#;;*/. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  xvi.  p.  114: 

"  The  heifer  station  was  what  would 
be  called  in  mining  parlance  '  an  aban- 
doned claim  '  and  possibly  '  jumpable.'  " 


Jumper,  n. 
claim. 


one  who  jumps  a 


1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xii.  p.  127  : 

k'Come  along,  my  noble  jumper, 
you've  served  your  injunction." 

Jumping-mouse,  n.  See  Hapa- 
lote. 

June,  n.  a  winter  month  in 
Australia.  See  Christmas. 

1886.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  132: 
"  Twenty  white-haired  Junes  have 
left  us 

Grey  with  frost  and  bleak  with  gale." 

Jungle-hen,  n.  name  given 
to  a  mound-building  bird,  Mega- 
podius  tumulus,  Gould.  See  also 
Megapode.  The  Indian  Jungle- 
fowl  is  a  different  bird. 

1890.  Carl  Lumholtz,  'Among  Can- 
nibals,' p.  97  : 

"  But  what  especially  gives  life  and 
character  to  these  woods  are  the 
jungle-hens  (mound-builders).  .  .  The 
bird  is  of  a  brownish  hue,  with  yellow 
legs  and  immensely  large  feet ;  hence 
its  name  Megapodius." 

Juniper,  Native,  n.  i.q.  Native 
Currant  (q.v.). 


226 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[KAH-KAI 


Kahawai,  n.  Maori  name  for 
the  fish  Arripis  salar,  Richards. ; 
called  in  Australia  and  New  Zea- 
land Salmon  (q.v.). 

Kahikatea,  n.  Maori  name  for 
a  New  Zealand  tree,  Podocarpus 
dacrydioides,  A.  Rich.,  N.O.  Coni- 
fers. Also  called  White-Pine.  See 
Pine.  The  settlers'  pronunciation 
is  often  Kackatea.  There  is  a 
Maori  word  Kahika,  meaning 
ancient. 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor.  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
P-  439  •'  . 

"  White-pine,  Podocarpus  dacry- 
dioides  --  Kahikatea,  kahika,  koroi. 
This  tree  is  generally  called  the  white- 
pine,  from  the  colour  of  its  wood. 
The  kahikatea  may  be  considered  as 
nearly  the  loftiest  tree  in  the  New 
Zealand  forest ;  it  often  attains  a  height 
of  little  less  than  two  hundred  feet, 
and  in  that  respect  rivals  the  noble 
kauri,  but  the  general  appearance  is 
not  very  pleasing." 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  'Timber  and  Trees/ 
p.  304 : 

"The  kahikatea  or  kakaterra-tree 
(Dacrydium  excelsum  or  taxifoliuui). 
This  majestic  and  noble-looking  tree 
belongs  to  the  natural  order  of  Taxacece, 
more  commonly  known  by  the  name 
of  Joint  Firs.  Height  150  to  180  feet, 
rising  sixty  feet  and  upward  without  a 
branch." 

1876.  W.  Blair,  '  Transactions  of  New 
Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  ix.  art.  10,  p.  160 : 

"This  timber  is  known  in  all  the 
provinces,  except  Otago,  by  the  native 
name  of  'kahikatea.'  I  think  we 
should  adopt  it  also,  not  only  on  ac- 
count of  being  more  euphonious,  but 
for  the  reason  that  so  many  timbers 
in  other  parts  of  the  world  are  called 
white-pine." 

1873.  '  Appendix  to  Journal  of  House  of 
Representatives,'  vol.  iii.  G.  7,  p.  II  : 


"  On  the  purchased  land  stands,  or 
lately  stood,  a  small  kahikatea  bush. 
.  .  .  The  wood  appears  to  have  been 
of  no  great  money  value,  but  the  natives 
living  in  Tareha's  pa  depended  upon 
it  for  their  supply  of  fire -wood." 

1883.  T.  Heetor,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,  p.  124  : 

[It  is  Sir  James  Hector  who  assigns 
the  tree  to  Conifera,  not  Taxacece^ 

1888.  Cassell's  'Picturesque  Austral- 
asia,' vol.  iii.  p.  210  : 

"  The  \Vhite  Pine  or  kahikatea  is  a 
very  beautiful  tree,  and  droops  its  dark 
feathery  foliage  in  a  way  which  recalls 
the  graceful  branches  of  the  English 
elm-tree." 

Kahikatoa,  n.  Maori  name  for 
New  Zealand  shrub,  but  no  longer 
used  by  the  settlers. 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  126 : 

"  Kahikatoa,  tea-tree  of  Cook. 
Leptospermum  scoparium,  Forst,  N.  O. 
Myrtacea." 

Kahikomako,  n.  Maori  name 
[shortened  into  kaikomako\  for 
a  New  Zealand  timber,  Pen- 
nantia  corymbosa,  N.O.  Oladnece  ; 
called  also  Ribbomvood  (q.v.). 

1883.  T.  Hector,  '  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  130  : 

"  Kahikomako,  a  small,  very  grace- 
ful tree,  with  white  sweet-smelling 
flowers  ;  height  twenty  to  thirty  feet. 
Wood  used  by  the  Maoris  for  kindling 
fires  by  friction." 

Kai,  n.  Maori  word  for  food ; 
used  also  in  the  South  Sea  islands. 
Kai-kai  is  an  English  adaptation 
for  feasting. 

1807.  J.  Savage,  'Some  Account  of 
New  Zealand,'  Vocab.  p.  75  : 

"  Kiki  .  .  .  food."  [The  /  has  the 
English  not  the  Italian  sound.] 

1820,  'Grammar    and    Vocabulary    of 


KAI-KAK] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


227 


Language  of  New  Zealand '  (Church 
Missionary  Society),  p.  157  : 

"Kai,  s.  victuals,  support,  etc.;  a. 
eatable." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  29  : 

"  He  explained  to  us  that  every  one 
would  cry  very  much,  and  then  there 
would  be  very  much  kai-kai  or  feasting." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 

P-  95  : 

"  Kai,  the  general  word  for  food,  is 
not  used  at  Rotorua,  because  it  was 
the  name  of  a  great  chief,  and  the  word 
tami  has  been  substituted  for  it." 

1895.  Louis  Becke  and  J.  D.  Fitzgerald, 
'  The  Maori  in  Politics,'  '  Review  of 
Reviews,'  June  20,  p.  621  : 

"We  saw  some  thirty  men  and 
women  coming  towards  us,  singing  in 
chorus  and  keeping  step  to  the  music. 
In  their  hands  they  carried  small 
baskets  woven  of  raupo  reeds,  con- 
taining kai,  or  food.  This  was  the 
'  kai '  dance." 

Kainga,  and  Kaika,  n.  now 
generally  kaik,  and  pronounced 
kike,  a  Maori  settlement,  village. 
Kainga  is  used  in  the  North,  and 
is  the  original  form ;  Kaika  is  the 
South  Island  use.  It  is  the  village 
for  dwelling ;  the/0  is  for  fighting 
in. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand  '  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  157  : 

"  Kainga.  A  place  of  residence,  a 
home,"  etc. 

1873.  Lt. -Colonel  St.  John,  < Pakeha 
Rambles  through  Maori  Lands/  p.  164 
[Heading  of  Chapter  x.]  : 

"  How  we  live  in  our  kainga." 

1896.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Jan.  23,  p.  50, 
col.  5  : 

"  A  cosy-looking  kainga  located  on 
the  bank  of  a  picturesque  bend  of  the 
river." 

Ibid.  p.  52,  col.  I  : 

"We  steamed  on  slowly  towards 
Tawhitinui,  a  small  kainga  or  kaik,  as 
it  is  called  in  the  South  island." 

1884.   '  Maoriland,'  p.  84  : 

"  The  drive  may  be  continued  from 
Portobello  to  the  Maori  kaik." 

Kaio,  n.  popular  corruption  in 


the  South  Island  of  New  Zealand 
of  Ngaio  (q.v.). 

Kaitaka,  n.  Maori  word  for 
the  best  kind  of  native  mat. 

1835.  W.  Yate,  'Account  of  New 
Zealand/  p.  157 : 

"Requiring  from  three  to  four 
months'  close  sitting  to  complete  one 
of  their  kaitakas — the  finest  sort  of 
mat  which  they  make.  This  garment 
has  a  very  silky  appearance." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  244  : 

"  Pukaro  ended  by  flinging  over  my 
shoulders  a  very  handsome  kaitaka 
mat,  which  he  had  been  wearing  while 
he  spoke." 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell,  '  Poenamo/  p. 
205: 

"  Highly  prized  and  beautiful  kaitaka 
mats." 

Kaiwhiria,  n.  Maori  name  for 
New  Zealand  tree,  Hedycarya 
dentata,  Forst.,  N.O.  Monimiacea. 
Porokaiwhiri  is  the  fuller  name 
of  the  tree. 

1883.  Hector,  '  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  129  : 

"  Kaiwhiria,  a  small  evergreen  tree, 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  high  ;  the  wood 
is  finely  marked  and  suitable  for 
veneering." 

Kaka,  n.  the  Maori  name  for 
a  parrot.  The  word  is  imitative 
of  a  parrot's  cry.  It  is  now 
always  used  to  denote  the  Brown 
Parrot  of  New  Zealand,  Nestor 
meridionals,  Gmel. 

1835.  w-  Yate,  'Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  54  : 

"  Kaka — a  bird  of  the  parrot  kind  ; 
much  larger  than  any  other  New 
Zealand  parrot." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  259  : 

"  The  kaka,  a  large  russet  parrot,  of 
excellent  flavour,  and  very  abundant 
in  many  places." 

1851.  Mrs.  Wilson,  '  New  Zealand,'  p. 
40: 

"  The  bright  red  feathers  from  under 
the  wing  of  the  kaka  or  large  parrot." 

1854.  w-  Colder,  '  Pigeons'  Parliament/ 
[Notes]  p.  79 : 


228 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[KAK-KAM 


"  The  kaka  is  a  kind  of  parrot  of  a 
reddish  grey  colour,  and  is  easily 
tamed  when  taken  young." 

1866.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand/  p.  93  : 

"  The  hoarse  croak  of  the  ka-ka,  as 
it  alighted  almost  at  our  feet,  and  pre- 
pared, quite  careless  of  our  vicinity,  to 
tear  up  the  loose  soil  at  the  root  of  a 
tall  tree,  in  search  of  grubs." 

1869.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
(Supplement) : 

"Nestor  hypopolius,  ka-ka  parrot." 

1884.  T-  Bracken,  '  Lays  of  Maori,'  p. 
38: 

"  I  heard  mocking  kakas  wail  and  cry 
above  thy  corse." 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  150  : 

"  Nestor  meridional  is,  kaka  parrot." 

Ibid.  p.  158 : 

"  Sprightly  in  its  actions,  eminently 
social,  and  more  noisy  than  any  other 
inhabitant  of  the  woods,  the  kaka  holds 
a  prominent  place  among  our  native 
birds." 

Kaka-bill,  ;/.  a  New  Zealand 
plant,  the  Clianthus  (q.v.),  so 
called  from  the  supposed  resem- 
blance of  the  flower  to  the  bill 
of  the  Kaka  (q.v.).  Called  also 
Parrot-bill,  Glory-Pea,  and  Kowhai 
(q.v.). 

1842.  W.  R.  Wade,  'Journey  in  New 
Zealand,'  [Hobart  Town]  p.  196  : 

"  Kowai  ngutukaka  [parrot-bill  ko- 
wai] ;  the  most  elegant  flowering 
shrub  of  the  country." 

1892.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Nov.  24,  'Native 
Trees ': 

"A  plantation  of  a  shrub  which  is 
in  great  demand  in  England  and  on 
the  Continent,  and  is  greatly  neglected 
here — the  Clianthus puniceus^  or  scarlet 
glory  pea  of  New  Zealand,  locally 
known  as  kaka  beak." 

Kakapo,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
Night-parrot,  Stringops  habroptilus, 
Gray.  Called  also  Owl-parrot. 
See  Kaka.  The  syllable  po  is 
Maori  for  night.  Compare  Katipo 
(q.v.). 

1869.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia ' 
(Supplement)  : 


"  Strigops  habroptilus,  G.  R.  Gray, 
Kakapo,  native  name." 

1888.  W.    L.    Buller,    'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  149  : 

"  Stringops,  owl-parrot  —  ground- 
parrot  of  the  colonists." 

1889.  Prof.  Parker,  <  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  117  : 

"Although  possessing  large  wings, 
it  is  flightless,  its  breast-muscles  being 
so  small  as  to  be  practically  useless. 
Its  habits  are  nocturnal,  and  it  has  a 
ring  of  feathers  arranged  round  the 
eye,  giving  it  a  curious  resemblance 
to  an  owl,  whence  the  name  owl-parrot 
is  often  applied  to  it." 

1893.  A.    R.     Wallace,     'Australasia,' 
vol.   i.  p.  445  : 

"Another  remarkable  bird  is  the 
owl  parrot  (Stringops  habroptilus)  of  a 
greenish  colour,  and  with  a  circle  of 
feathers  round  the  eye  as  in  the  owl. 
It  is  nocturnal  in  its  habits,  lives  in 
holes  in  the  ground  under  tree-roots  or 
rocks." 

1896.    '  Otago  Witness,'  June  II,  p.  53  : 
"  The  Kakapo  is  one  of  our  most 
unique  birds." 

Kakariki,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
green  Parrakeet.  There  are  two 
species,  Platycercus  novce  zelandice, 
Sparrm.,  and  P.  auriceps,  Kuril. 
See  Parrakeet.  The  word  kaka- 
riki  means  literally  little  parrot, 
kaka  (q.v.)  and  iki  (little),  the  r  is 
intrusive.  It  is  applied  also  to  a 
green  lizard.  In  Maori  it  be- 
comes later  an  adjective,  meaning 
(  green.' 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  IkaaMaui,' 
p.  404  : 

"The  Kakariki  .  .  .  (platycercus 
novae  zeal.yis  a  pretty  light  green  parrot 
with  a  band  of  red  or  yellow  over  the 
upper  beak  and  under  the  throat.  This 
elegant  little  bird  is  about  the  size  of 
a  small  thrush." 

1894.  '  Transactions  of  the  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  vol.  xxvii.  p.  95  [Note] : 

"  The  name  Kakarika  (indicative  of 
colour)  is  applied  alike  to  the  green 
lizard  and  to  the  green  Parrakeet  of 
our  woods.'' 

Kamin,    n.    aboriginal    word, 


KAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


229 


explained  in  quotation.  It  is 
probably  local. 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  89  : 

"  If  he  [the  Australian  black]  has 
to  climb  a  high  tree,  he  first  goes 
into  the  scrub  to  fetch  a  piece  of  the 
Australian  calamus  (Calamus  austra- 
lis\  which  he  partly  bites,  partly  breaks 
off;  he  first  bites  on  one  side  and 
breaks  it  down,  then  on  the  other 
side  and  breaks  it  upwards — one,  two, 
three,  and  this  tough  whip  is  severed. 
At  one  end  of  it  he  makes  a  knot,  the 
other  he  leaves  it  as  it  is.  This  imple- 
ment, which  is  usually  from  sixteen  to 
eighteen  feet  long,  is  called  a  kamin." 

Kanae,  n.  (trisyll.)  Maori  name 
for  a  fish  of  New  Zealand,  the 
Silver-Mullet,  Mugil  perusii  or 
argenteus. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand'  (C.M.S.),  p. 
158: 

"  Kanae,  s.    The  mullet  fish." 

1888.  Order  in  Council,  New  Zealand, 
Jan.  10,  '  Regulations  under  the  Fisheries 
Conservation  Act ' : 

"  The  months  of  December,  January, 
and  February  in  each  year  are  here 
prescribed  a  close  season  for  the  fish 
of  the  species  of  the  mugil  known  as 
mullet  or  kanae." 

Kanaka,  «.  and  adj.  a  labourer 
from  the  South  Sea  Islands,  work- 
ing in  Queensland  sugar-planta- 
tions. The  word  is  Hawaiian 
(Sandwich  Islands).  The  kindred 
words  are  given  in  the  following 
extract  from 

Fornander's  Polynesian  Race'  (1885), 
vol.  iii.  p.  154  : 

"  Kanaka,  s.  Hawaiian,  man,  human, 
mankind,  a  common  man  in  distinction 
from  chiefs.  Samoan,  New  Zealand 
[sc.  Maori],  Tongan,  tangata^  man. 
Tahitian,  taata,  man." 

In  the  original  word  the  accent 
is  on  the  first  syllable,  which 
accent  Mr.  Rudyard  Kipling  pre- 
serves (see  quotation,  1893), 
though  he  has  changed  the  word 
in  his  reprint  of  the  poem  in 


'  The  Seven  Seas '  ;  but  the  usual 
pronunciation  in  Australia  is  to 
accent  the  second  syllable. 

1794.  J.  J.  Jarves,  'History  of  Ha- 
waiian Islands,'  printed  at  Honolulu 
(1872),  p.  82: 

"[On  2 ist  Feb.  1794.]  A  salute  was 
then  fired,  and  the  natives  shouted, 
'  Kanaka  no  Beritane ' — we  are  men 
of  Britain." 

1852.  A.  Miller,  '  Narrative  of  United 
States  Exploring  Expedition,'  c.  ii.  p.  142  : 

"On  Monday  (Nov.  16,  1840)  our 
gentlemen  formed  themselves  into  two 
parties,  and  started  on  horseback  for 
their  journey.  One  party  consisted  of 
Messrs.  Reade,  Rich,  and  Wall,  with 
eight  kanakas  and  two  guides." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  c.  viii.  p.  133  : 

"  Queensland  at  present  is  supplying 
itself  with  labour  from  the  South  Sea 
Islands,  and  the  men  employed  are 
called  Polynesians,  or  canakers,  or 
islanders." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia/ p.  162  : 

"The  word  'kanaka'  is  really  a 
Maori  word,  signifying  a  man,  but  in 
Australia  it  has  come  to  be  applied 
exclusively  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
South  Sea  Islands." 

1885.   R.  M.  Praed,'Head  Station,'  p.  9  : 

"  The  kanaka  reverences  women 
and  adores  children.  He  is  loyal  in 
heart,  affectionate  of  disposition,  and 
domestic  in  his  habits." 

1888.  H.  S.  Cooper,  'The  Islands  of 
the  Pacific,'  p.  5  : 

"  The  kanakas,  who  at  present 
populate  Hawaii,  are,  as  a  rule,  well 
made  and  intelligent.  That  there  is  a 
cross  of  the  Malay  and  Indian  blood 
in  them  few  can  doubt." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  64  : 

"  Natives  of  the  South  Sea  Islands, 
who  in  Australia  are  called  kanakas 
— a  capable  and  intelligent  race,  es- 
pecially to  this  kind  of  work  [on 
plantations],  for  they  are  strong,  and 
endure  the  tropical  heat  far  better 
than  the  whites." 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  *  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  298  : 

"Thus,    it    is    maintained  'by    the 


230 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KAN 


planters,  the  kanaka,  necessary  as 
he  is  to  the  conditions  of  North 
Queensland,  opens  up  avenues  of 
skilled  labour  for  the  European,  and 
makes  population  and  commerce  pos- 
sible where  otherwise  there  would  be 
complete  stagnation." 

1892.  '  The  Times,'  Dec.  28  : 

"  The  principal  open-air  labour  of 
the  sugar  plantations  is  furnished  by 
kanakas,  who  are  the  native  inhabit- 
ants of  certain  groups  of  South  Sea 
Islands  not  at  present  under  the 
protection  of  any  European  flag." 

1893.  R.  L.  Stevenson,  '  Island  Night's 
Entertainments,'  p.  41  : 

"  What  we  want  is  a  man-of-war — 
a  German,  if  we  could — they  know 
how  to  manage  kanakas." 

1893.  Rudyard  Kipling,  'Banjo  Song' : 

"  We've    shouted    on    seven-ounce 

nuggets, 
We've  starved  on  a  kanaka's  pay." 

1893.  C.  H.  Pearson,  'National  Life 
and  Character,'  p.  32  : 

"  In  Australasia  .  .  .  the  Maori,  the 
Kanaka,  and  the  Papuan  are  dying 
out.  We  cannot  close  our  eyes  to  the 
fact  that  certain  weak  races — even 
when,  like  the  kanaka,  they  possess 
some  very  high  qualities — seem  to 
wither  away  at  mere  contact  with  the 
European.  .  .  .  The  kanakas  (among 
whom  we  may  include  the  Maories)." 

Kangaroo,  n.  (i)  an  aboriginal 
word.  See  Marsupial. 

(a)  The  Origin  of  the  Name. 

The  name  was  first  obtained 
in  1770,  while  H.M.S.  Endeavour 
lay  beached  at  the  Endeavour 
River,  where  Cooktown,  Queens- 
land, now  is.  The  name  first 
appears  in  print  in  1773,  in 
the  book  brought  out  by  the 
relatives  of  Mr.  Parkinson,  who 
was  draughtsman  to  Banks  the 
naturalist,  and  who  had  died  on 
the  voyage.  The  object  of  this 
book  was  to  anticipate  the  official 
account  of  Cook's  Voyage  by 
Hawkesworth,  which  appeared 
later  in  the  same  year.  It  is  now 
known  that  Hawkesworth's  book 


was  like  a  rope  twisted  of  four 
strands,  viz.  Cook's  Journal,  the 
diaries  of  the  two  naturalists, 
Banks  and  Solander,  and  quartum 
quid,  the  Johnsonian  pomposity 
of  Dr.  Hawkesworth.  Cook's 
Journal  was  published  in  1893, 
edited  by  Captain  Wharton, 
hydrographer  to  the  Admiralty  ; 
Banks's  Journal,  in  1896,  edited 
by  Sir  J.  D.  Hooker.  Solander's 
Journal  has  never  been  printed. 

When  Englishmen  next  came 
to  Australia  in  1788,  it  was  found 
that  the  word  Kangaroo  was  not 
known  to  the  natives  round  Port 
Jackson,  distant  1500  miles  to  the 
South  of  Cooktown.  In  fact,  it 
was  thought  by  them  to  be  an 
English  word.  (See  quotation, 
Tench,  1789.)  It  is  a  question 
whether  the  word  has  belonged 
to  any  aboriginal  vocabulary 
since.  "  Capt.  Philip  P.  King,  the 
explorer,  who  visited  that  locality 
[sc.  Endeavour  River]  forty-nine 
years  after  Cook,  relates  in  his 
'  Narrative  of  the  Survey  of  the 
Intertropical  and  Western  Coasts 
of  Australia,'  that  he  found  the 
word  kangaroo  unknown  to  the 
tribe  he  met  there,  though  in 
other  particulars  the  vocabulary 
he  compiled  agrees  very  well 
with  Captain  Cook's."  (Curr's 
*  Australian  Race,'  vol.  i.  p.  27.) 
In  the  fourth  volume  of  Curr's 
book  a  conspectus  is  given  of 
the  words  used  in  different  parts 
of  Australia  for  various  objects. 
In  the  list  of  names  for  this 
animal  there  are  a  few  that  are 
not  far  from  Kangaroo,  but  some 
inquirers  suspect  the  accuracy  of 
the  list,  or  fancy  that  the  natives 
obtained  the  words  sounding  like 
Kangaroo  from  English.  It  may 
be  assumed  that  the  word  is 
not  now  in  use  as  an  aboriginal 
word.  Has  it,  then,  disappeared  ? 


KAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


231 


or  was  it  an  original  mistake  on 
the  part  of  Banks  or  Cook  ? 

The  theory  of  a  mistake  has 
obtained  widely.  It  has  figured 
in  print,  and  finds  a  place  in 
at  least  one  dictionary.  Several 
correspondents  have  written  that 
the  word  Kangaroo  meant  "  I 
don't  understand,"  and  that 
Banks  mistook  this  for  a  name. 
This  is  quite  possible,  but  at 
least  some  proof  is  needed,  as 
for  instance  the  actual  words  in 
the  aboriginal  language  that 
could  be  twisted  into  this  mean- 
ing. To  find  these  words,  and  to 
hear  their  true  sound,  would  test 
how  near  the  explanation  hits  the 
mark.  Banks  was  a  very  careful 
observer,  and  he  specially  notes 
the  precautions  he  took  to  avoid 
any  mistake  in  accepting  native 
words.  Moreover,  according  to 
Surgeon  Anderson,  the  aborigines 
of  Van  Diemen's  Land. described 
the  animal  by  the  name  of  Kanga- 
roo. (See  quotation,  1787.) 

On  the  other  hand,  it  must  be 
remembered  that  it  is  an  ascer- 
tained fact  that  the  aborigines 
taboo  a  word  on  the  death  of 
any  one  bearing  that  word  as  a 
proper  name.  (See  quotation 
under  Nobbier,  1880.)  If,  there- 
fore, after  Cook's  visit,  some  man 
called  Kangaroo  died,  the  whole 
tribe  would  expunge  Kangaroo 
from  its  vocabulary.  There  is, 
however,  some  evidence  that  the 
word  was  much  later  in  use  in 
Western  Australia.  (See  quota- 
tion, 1835.) 

It  is  now  asserted  that  the 
word  is  in  use  again  at  the 
very  part  of  Queensland  where 
the  Endeavour  was  beached. 
Lumholtz,  in  his  *  Amongst  Can- 
nibals '  (p.  311),  gives  it  in  his 
aboriginal  vocabulary.  Mr.  De 
Vis,  of  the  Brisbane  Museum,  in 


his  paper  before  the  Geographical 
Society  at  Brisbane  (1894),  says 
that  "in  point  of  fact  the  word 
'  kangaroo  '  is  the  normal  equiva- 
lent for  kangaroo  at  the  En- 
deavour River  ;  and  not  only  so, 
it  is  almost  the  type-form  of  a 
group  of  variations  in  use  over 
a  large  part  of  Australia."  It  is 
curiously  hard  to  procure  satis- 
factory evidence  as  to  the  fact. 
Mr.  De  Vis  says  that  his  first 
statement  was  "  made  on  the 
authority  of  a  private  corre- 
spondent ;  "  but  another  corre- 
spondent writes  from  Cooktown, 
that  the  blacks  there  have  taken 
Kangaroo  from  English.  Inquiries 
inserted  in  each  of  the  Cooktown 
newspapers  have  produced  no 
result.  Mr.  De  Vis'  second 
argument  as  to  the  type-form 
seems  much  stronger.  A  spoken 
language,  unwritten,  unprinted, 
must  inevitably  change,  and 
change  rapidly.  A  word  cur- 
rent in  1770  would  change 
rather  than  disappear,  and  the  root 
consonants  would  remain.  The 
letters  ng  together,  followed  by 
r,  occur  in  the  proportion  of  one  in 
thirteen,  of  the  names  for  the 
animal  tabulated  by  Curr. 

It  is  a  difficult  matter  on  which 
to  speak  decidedly,  but  probably 
no  great  mistake  was  made,  and 
the  word  received  was  a  genuine 
name  of  the  animal. 

See  further  the  quotations, 
1896. 

(b)  The  Plural  of  the  Word. 

There  seems  to  be  considerable 
doubt  as  to  the  plural  of  the 
word,  whether  it  should  take  s 
like  most  English  words,  or 
remain  unchanged  like  sheep, 
deer.  In  two  consecutive  pages 
of  one  book  the  two  plurals  are 
used.  The  general  use  is  the 
plural  in  s.  See  1793  Hunter, 


232 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KAN 


1845  Balfour,  and  1880  Senior ; 
sportsmen  frequently  use  the 
form  Kangaroo. 

[Since  1888  a  kangaroo  has 
been  the  design  on  the  one-shilling 
postage  stamp  of  New  South 
Wales.] 

1815.  *  History  of  New  South  Wales,' 
(1818)  pp.  460-461  : 

"  Throughout  the  general  course  of 
the  journey,  kangaroos,  emus,  ducks, 
etc.  were  seen  in  numbers."  "  Mr. 
Evans  saw  the  kangaroo  in  immense 
flocks." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  49 : 

"  The  kangaroos  are  too  subtle  and 
shy  for  us  to  get  near." 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  125  : 

"  In  the  afternoon  we  saw  some 
kangaroos  and  wallaby,  but  did  not 
succeed  in  killing  any." 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  iii.  p.  23  : 

"Though  kangaroo  were  plentiful, 
they  were  not  overwhelming  in  num- 
ber." 

(c)  Kangaroo  in  French. 

1777.  Buffon,  '  Supplement  a  1'Histoire 
Naturelle,' torn.  iv.  'Table  des  Matieres': 

"  Kanguros,  espece  de  grosse  Ger- 
boise  qui  se  trouve  dans  les  terres 
australes  de  la  Nouvelle  Hollande." 

1800.  J.  J.  Labillardiere,  '  Voyage  a  la 
recherche  de  La  Perouse,' torn.  i.  p.  134: 
[Under  date  April  24,  1792.] 

"Un  de  nos  chasseurs  trouva  un 
jeune  kangourou  sur  les  bords  de  la 
mer." 

1880.  H.  de  Charency,  '  Recherches  sur 
les  Dialectes  Tasmaniens,'  p.  21  : 

"  Kangourou.  Ce  mot  semble  d'ori- 
gine  non  Australienne,  comme  on  1'a 
soutenu,  mais  bien  Tasmanienne." 

1882.  Littre,  '  Dictionnaire  de  la  Langue 
Frangaise'  (s.v.)  : 

"  Kanguroo  ou  kangurou.  On  dcrit 
aussi  kangarou  et  kangourou." 

1882.  A.  Daudet,    'Jack,'  p.  131  : 
"  II  regardait  les  kanguroos  dresse's 
sur  leurs   pattes,   si   longues   qu'elles 
ont  l'agilit£  et  Man  d'une  paire  d'ailes." 

1890.  Oscar  Comettant  [Title]  : 
.     "  Au  Pays  des  Kangourous." 


(d)  Kangaroo  in  German — Kan- 
gum  h  : 

1892.  R.  v.  Lendenfeld,  '  Australische 
Reise,5  p.  46  : 

"Die  Kanguruh  hoben  in  dern 
Augenblick,  als  sie  das  Geheul  horten, 
die  Kopfe  hoch  und  witterten,  blickten 
und  loosten  in  alle  Richtungen." 

Notice  that  both  in  French 
and  German  the  u  sound  of  the 
middle  syllable  is  preserved  and 
not  changed  as  in  English  to  a. 

(e)  The  species. 

The  name  Kangaroo  is  applied 
to  the  following  larger  species  of 
the  genus  Macropus,  the  remaining 
species  being  called  Wallabies — 

Antilopine  Kangaroo — 

Macropus  antilopinus,  Gould. 
Great  Grey  K.,  or  Forester — 

M.  giganteus,  Zimm. 
Great  Red  K.— 

M.  rufus,  Desm. 
Isabelline  K. — 

M.  isabellimis,  Gould. 
Owen's  K.— 

M.  magnus,  Owen. 
Wallaroo,  or  Euro — 

M.  robustus,  Gould. 

The  name  Kangaroo  is  also  ap- 
plied to  certain  other  species  of 
Marsupials  belonging  to  the 
genus  Macropus,  but  with  a  qualify- 
ing adjective,  such  as  Dorca-,  Tree-, 
Rat-,  Musk-,  etc. ;  and  it  is  applied 
to  species  of  the  genera  Dorcopsis, 
Dendrolagus,  Bettongia,  and  Hypsi- 
prymnodon.  The  Brush-Kangaroo 
(q.v.)  is  another  name  for  the 
Wallaby  (q.v.),  and  the  Rat-Kan- 
garoo is  the  stricter  scientific 
appellation  of  Kangaroo-Rat  (q.v.). 
The  Banded-Kangaroo  is  a  Banded- 
Wallaby  (see  Lagostrophus}.  See 
also  Dorca-Kangaroo,  Tree-Kan- 
garoo, Musk- Kangaroo,  Dorcopsis, 
Dendrolagus,  Bettongia,  Hypsiprym- 
nodon,  Rock- Wallaby,  Paddy-melon  > 
Forester,  Old  Man,  Joey, 


KAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


233 


(/)  The  Use  of  the  Word. 

1770.  '  Capt.  Cook's  Journal '  (edition 
Wharton,  1893),  p.  244  : 

"May  i st.  An  animal  which  must 
feed  upon  grass,  and  which,  we  judge, 
could  not  be  less  than  a  deer." 

[p.  280]  :  "  June  23rd.  One  of  the 
men  saw  an  animal  something  less 
than  a  greyhound  ;  it  was  of  a  mouse 
colour,  very  slender  made,  and  swift  of 
foot." 

[p.  294]:  August  4th.  "The  animals 
which  I  have  before  mentioned,  called 
by  the  Natives  Kangooroo  or  Kan- 
guru."  [At  Endeavour  River,  Queens- 
land.] 

1770.  Joseph  Banks,  '  Journal '  (edition 
Hooker,  1896),  p.  287  : 

"July  14. — Our  second  Lieutenant 
had  the  good  fortune  to  kill  the  animal 
that  had  so  long  been  the  subject  of 
our  speculations.  To  compare  it  to 
any  European  animal  would  be  im- 
possible, as  it  has  not  the  least  re- 
semblance to  any  one  that  I  have  seen. 
Its  forelegs  are  extremely  short,  and  of 
no  use  to  it  in  walking  ;  its  hind  again 
as  disproportionally  long  ;  with  these 
it  hops  seven  or  eight  feet  at  a  time,  in 
the  same  manner  as  the  jerboa,  to 
which  animal  indeed  it  bears  much  re- 
semblance, except  in  size,  this  being  in 
weight  381bs.,  and  the  jerboa  no  larger 
than  a  common  rat." 

Ibid.  p.  301  : 

"August  26. — Quadrupeds  we  saw 
but  few,  and  were  able  to  catch  but  few 
of  those  we  did  see.  The  largest  was 
called  by  the  natives  kangooroo /  it  is 
different  from  any  European,  and, 
indeed,  any  animal  I  have  heard  or 
read  of,  except  the  jerboa  of  Egypt, 
which  is  not  larger  than  a  rat,  while 
this  is  as  large  as  a  middling  lamb. 
The  largest  we  shot  weighed  84lbs. 
It  may,  however,  be  easily  known  from 
all  other  animals  by  the  singular  pro- 
perty of  running,  or  rather  hopping, 
upon  only  its  hinder  legs,  carrying  its 
fore-feet  close  to  its  breast.  In  this 
manner  it  hops  so  fast  that  in  the  rocky 
bad  ground  where  it  is  commonly 
found,  it  easily  beat  my  greyhound, 
who  though  he  was  fairly  started  at 
several,  killed  only  one,  and  that  quite 
a  young  one." 


I773-  Sydney  Parkinson,  '  Journal  of  a 
Voyage,'  p.  149 : 

"  Kangooroo,  the  leaping  quadru- 
ped." [A  description  given  at  p.  145.] 

I773-  J-  Hawkesworth,  '  Voyages,'  vol. 
iii.  p.  577  : 

"July  14,  1770.  Mr.  Gore,  who 
went  out  this  day  with  his  gun,  had 
the  good  fortune  to  kill  one  of  the 
animals  which  had  been  so  much  the 
subject  of  our  speculation.  An  idea  of 
it  will  best  be  conceived  by  the  cut, 
plate  xx.,  without  which  the  most  ac- 
curate verbal  description  would  answer 
very  little  purpose,  as  it  has  not  simili- 
tude enough  to  any  animal  already 
known  to  admit  of  illustration  by  refer- 
ence. In  form  it  is  most  like  the  gerbua, 
which  it  also  resembles  in  its  motion, 
as  has  been  observed  already,  for  it 
greatly  differs  in  size,  the  gerbua  not 
being  larger  than  a  common  rat,  and 
this  animal,  when  full  grown,  being  as 
big  as  a  sheep  :  this  individual  was  a. 
young  one,  much  under  its  full  growth, 
weighing  only  thirty-eight  pounds. 
The  head,  neck,  and  shoulders  are 
very  small  in  proportion  to  the  other 
parts  of  the  body  ;  the  tail  is  nearly  as 
long  as  the  body,  thick  near  the  rump, 
and  tapering  towards  the  end :  the 
fore-legs  of  this  individual  were  only 
eight  inches  long,  and  the  hind-legs 
two-and-twenty :  its  progress  is  by 
successive  leaps  or  hops,  of  a  great 
length,  in  an  erect  posture  ;  the  fore- 
legs are  kept  bent  close  to  the  breast, 
and  seemed  to  be  of  use  only  for 
digging  :  the  skin  is  covered  with  a 


short 


of  a  dark  mouse  or    grey 


colour,  excepting  the  head  and  ears, 
which  bear  a  slight  resemblance  to 
those  of  a  hare.  In  form  it  is  most 
like  the  gerbua.  This  animal  is  called 
by  the  natives  'kanguroo.'"  [This 
account,  it  will  be  seen,  is  based  on 
the  notes  of  Banks.] 

1774.  Oliver  Goldsmith,  '  Animated 
Nature,'  Book  VII.  c.  xvi.,  'The  Ger- 
bua,' [in  four- vol.  ed.,  vol.  iii.  p.  30]  : 

"  But  of  all  animals  of  this  kind, 
that  which  was  first  discovered  and 
described  by  Mr.  Banks  is  the  most 
extraordinary.  He  calls  it  the  kan- 
guroo ;  and  though  from  its  general 
outline  and  the  most  striking  peculi- 
arities of  its  figure  it  greatly  resembles 


234 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KAN 


the  gerbua,  yet  it  entirely  differs,  if 
we  consider  its  size,  or  those  minute 
distinctions  which  direct  the  makers  of 
systems  in  assorting  the  general  ranks 
of  nature.  The  largest  of  the  gerbua 
kind  which  are  to  be  found  in  the 
ancient  continent  do  not  exceed  the 
size  of  a  rabbit.  The  kanguroo  of 
New  Holland,  where  it  is  only  to  be 
found,  is  often  known  to  weigh  above 
sixty  pounds,  and  must  consequently 
be  as  large  as  a  sheep.  Although  the 
skin  of  that  which  was  stuffed  and 
brought  home  by  Mr.  Banks  was  not 
much  above  the  size  of  a  hare,  yet  it 
was  greatly  superior  to  any  of  the 
gerbua  kind  that  have  been  hitherto 
known,  and  very  different  in  many 
particulars.  The  snout  of  the  gerbua, 
as  has  been  said,  is  short  and  round, 
that  of  the  discovered  animal  long  and 
slender  ;  the  teeth  also  entirely  differ, 
for  as  the  gerbua  has  but  two 
cutting  teeth  in  each  jaw,  making 
four  in  all,  this  animal,  besides 
its  cutting  teeth,  has  four  canial 
teeth  also ;  but  what  makes  a 
more  striking  peculiarity,  is  the  form- 
:ation  of  its  lower  jaw,  which,  as  the 
ingenious  discoverer  supposes,  is 
divided  into  two  parts  which  open  and 
shut  like  a  pair  of  scissors,  and  cut 
grass,  probably  this  animal's  principal 
food.  The  head,  neck,  and  shoulders 
are  very  small  in  proportion  to  the 
other  parts  of  the  body ;  the  tail  is 
nearly  as  long  as  the  body  ;  thick  near 
the  rump  and  tapering  towards  the 
head  and  ears,  which  bear  a  slight 
resemblance  to  those  of  the  hare.  We 
are  not  told,  however,  from  the  form- 
ation of  its  stomach  to  what  class  of 
quadrupeds  it  belongs  :  from  its  eating 
grass,  which  it  has  been  seen  to  do, 
one  would  be  apt  to  rank  it  among  the 
ruminating  animals  ;  but  from  the 
canial  teeth  which  it  is  found  to  have, 
we  may  on  the  other  hand  suppose  it 
to  bear  some  relation  to  the  carni- 
vorous. Upon  the  whole,  however,  it 
can  be  classed  with  none  more  properly 
than  with  the  animals  of  the  gerbua 
kind,  as  its  hind-legs  are  so  much 
longer  than  the  fore  ;  it  moves  also 
precisely  in  the  same  manner,  taking 
great  bounds  of  ten  or  twelve  feet  at 
a  time,  and  thus  sometimes  escaping 


the  fleetest  greyhound,  with  which  Mr. 
Banks  pursued  it.  One  of  them  that 
was  killed  proved  to  be  good  food  ; 
but  a  second,  which  weighed  eighty- 
four  pounds,  and  was  not  yet  come  to 
its  full  growth,  was  found  to  be  much 
inferior." 

1787.  Surgeon  Anderson,  quoted  by  W. 
Eden,  in  '  History  of  New  Holland '  (second 
edition),  p.  71  : 

"  However,  we  must  have  a  far  more 
intimate  acquaintance  with  the  langu- 
ages spoken  here  [Van  Uiemen's  Land] 
and  in  the  more  northern  parts  of  New 
Holland,  before  we  can  pronounce  that 
they  are  totally  different ;  nay,  we  have 
good  grounds  for  the  opposite  opinion  ; 
for  we  found  that  the  animal  called 
kangaroo  at  Endeavour  River  was 
known  under  the  same  name  here." 

1781.  T.  Pennant,  'History  of  Quad- 
rupeds,' vol.  i.  p.  306  : 

No.  184.  [A  Scientific  Description  of 
the  Kangaroo.] 

1789.  Governor  Phillip,  '  Voyage '  : 

[p.  106]  :  "The  kanguroo." 
p.  1 68]:  "Skeleton  of  the  head  of 
the  kanguroo." 

[At  each  of  these  places  there 
is  a  description  and  a  picture. 
Under  each  picture  the  name  is 
spelt  "  Kangooroo."  At  p.  289 
there  is  a  further  note  on  the 
kanguroo.  In  the  text  at  p.  149 
the  spelling  "  Kangooroo  "  is 
adopted.] 

Ibid.  p.  104  : 

"  The  kanguroo,  though  it  resembles 
the  jerboa  in  the  peculiarity  of  using 
only  the  hinder  legs  in  progression, 
does  not  belong  to  that  genus." 

Ibid,  p.  168  : 

"Since  stating  the  dimensions  of 
the  kanguroo,  in  page  106,  Lord 
Sydney  has  received  from  Governor 
Phillip  a  male  of  a  much  larger  size. 
.  .  .  Lieutenant  Shortland  describes 
them  as  feeding  in  herds  of  about 
thirty  or  forty,  and  assures  us  that  one 
is  always  observed  to  be  apparently 
upon  the  watch  at  a  distance  from 
the  rest." 

1789.  Watkin  Tench, .'  Account  of  the 
Settlement  of  Port  Jackson,'  p.  171  : 

"  Kangaroo  was  a  name  unknown  to 


KAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


235 


them  [the  aborigines  of  Port  Jackson] 
for  any  animal,  until  we  introduced  it. 
When  I  showed  Colbee  [an  aboriginal] 
the  cows  brought  out  in  the  Gorgon  he 
asked  me  if  they  were  kangaroos." 

1793.  Governor  Hunter,  *  Voyage,'  p. 
66  : 

"The  animal  described  in  the 
voyage  of  the  Endeavour,  called  the 
kangaroo  (but  by  the  natives  pata- 
gorang),  we  found  in  great  numbers." 

Ibid.  p.  568  : 

"  I  had  a  kanguroo  on  board, 
which  I  had  directions  to  carry  to 
Lord  Grenville,  as  a  present  for  his 
Majesty. — Nov.  26, 1791."  [There  is  no 
statement  whether  the  animal  reached 
England.] 

Ibid.  p.  402  : 

"  In  rowing  up  this  branch,  we  saw 
a  flock  of  about  thirty  kangaroos  or 
paderong,  but  they  were  only  visible 
during  their  leaps,  as  the  very  long 
grass  hid  them  from  our  view." 

1809.  G.  Shaw,  'Zoological  Lectures,' 
vol.  i.  p.  94  : 

"  The  genus  Macropus  or  kan- 
garoo .  .  .  one  of  the  most  elegant  as 
well  as  curious  animals  discovered  in 
modern  times."  [Under  the  picture 
and  in  list  of  contents  :  Kanguroo.] 

1814.  M.  Flinders,  'Voyage  to  Terra 
Australis,'  Introd.  p.  Ixiii : 

"  An  animal  found  upon  one  of  the 
islands  is  described  [by  Dampier, 
*  Voyage  to  New  Holland,'  vol.  iii.  p. 
123]  as  'a  sort  of  raccoon,  different 
from  that  of  the  West  Indies,  chiefly 
as  to  the  legs  ;  for  these  have  very 
short  fore  legs  ;  but  go  jumping  upon 
them5  [not  upon  the  short  fore,  but 
the  long  hind  legs,  it  is  to  be  pre- 
sumed] '  as  the  others  do  ;  and  like 
them  are  very  good  meat.'  This 
appears  to  have  been  the  small  kan- 
garoo, since  found  upon  the  islands 
which  form  the  road ;  and  if  so,  this 
description  is  probably  the  first  ever 
made  of  that  singular  animal "  [though 
without  the  name]. 

1820.  W.  C.  Wentworth,  '  Description 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  57  : 

"  Coursing  the  kangaroo  and  emu 
forms  the  principal  amusement  of  the 
sporting  part  of  the  colonists,  (p.  68)  : 
The  colonists  generally  pursue  this 
animal  [kangaroo]  at  full  speed  on 


horseback,  and  frequently  manage, 
notwithstanding  its  extraordinary  swift- 
ness, to  be  up  at  the  death." 

1833.  Charles  Lamb,  '  Essays  of  Elia ' 
[edition  1895],  p.  151,  'Distant  Cor- 
respondents '  : 

"The  kangaroos — your  Aborigines 
— do  they  keep  their  primitive  sim- 
plicity un-Europe-tainted,  with  those 
little  short  fore  puds,  looking  like  a 
lesson  framed  by  nature  to  the  pick- 
pocket !  Marry,  for  diving  into  fobs 
they  are  rather  lamely  provided  a 
priori;  but  if  the  hue  and  cry  were 
once  up,  they  would  show  as  fair  a 
pair  of  hind-shifters  as  the  expertest 
loco  motor  in  the  colony." 

1833.  C.  Sturt, '  Southern  Australia,'  vol. 
I.  c.  iii.  p.  106  : 

"  Those  that  were  noticed  were 
made  of  the  red  kangaroo-skin." 

1834.  L-     E-     Threlkeld,     'Australian 
Grammar  of  the  Language  spoken  by  the 
Aborigines,  at  Hunter's  River,'  p.  87  : 

"  K6ng-go-rong,  The  Emu,  from  the 
noise  it  makes,  and  likely  the  origin  of 
the  barbarism,  kangaroo,  used  by  the 
English,  as  the  name  of  an  animal, 
called  Mo-a-ne." 

1835.  T.    B-    Wilson,  'Narrative   of    a 
Voyage  round  the  World,  etc.'  p.  212  : 

"They  [natives  of  the  Darling 
Range,  W.A.]  distinctly  pronounced 
( kangaroo '  without  having  heard  any 
of  us  utter  that  sound  :  they  also  called 
it  waroo,  but  whether  they  distin- 
guished '  kangaroo '  (so  called  by  us, 
and  also  by  them)  from  the  smaller 
kind,  named  '  wallabtj  and  by  them 
'  waroo]  we  could  not  form  any  just 
conclusion." 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales, 'p.  23: 

"  Kangaroos  are  of  six  different 
species,  viz.  the  forester,  the  flyer,  the 
wallaby,  the  wallaroo,  the  kangaroo- 
rat,  and  the  kangaroo-mouse."  [This 
is  of  course  merely  a  popular  classifi- 
cation.] 

1845.  J.  A.  Moore,  '  Tasmanian  Rhym- 
ings,'  p.  15  : 

"A  kangaroo,  like  all  his  race, 
Of  agile  form  and  placid  face." 

1861.  W.  M.  Thackeray,  '  Roundabout 
Papers,'  p.  83  : 

"  The  fox  has  brought  his  brush,  and 
the  cock  has  brought  his  comb,  and 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KAN 


the  elephant  has  brought  his  trunk 
and  the  kangaroo  has  brought  his  bag, 
and  the  condor  his  old  white  wig  and 
black  satin  hood." 

1880.  W.   Senior,   'Travel  and  Trout,' 
p.  8: 

"  To  return  to  the  marsupials.  I 
have  been  assured  that  the  kangaroos 
come  first  and  eat  off  the  grass  ;  that 
the  wallabies,  following,  grub  up  the 
roots." 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,    'Bush     Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  114  : 

"  Sometimes  a  kangaroo  would  come 
down  with  measured  thud,  thud,  and 
drink,  and  then  return  without  noticing 
the  human  beings." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  118: 

"  According  to  the  traditions  of  the 
bush — not  always  reliable — the  name 
of  kangaroo  was  given  under  a  mis- 
conception. An  aborigine  being  asked 
by  one  of  the  early  discoverers  the 
name  of  the  animal,  replied,  '  Kan- 
garoo '  ('  I  don't  know '),  and  in  this 
confession  of  ignorance  or  misappre- 
hension the  name  originated.  It  seems 
absurd  to  suppose  that  any  black 
hunter  was  really  ignorant  of  the  name 
of  an  animal  which  once  represented 
the  national  wealth  of  Australians  as 
the  merino  does  to-day." 

[The  tradition  is  not  quite  so  ridicu- 
lous, if  the  answer  meant — "I  don't 
know  what  you  mean, — I  don't  under- 
stand you."  See  above.] 

1891.  '  Guide  to  Zoological  Gardens, 
Melbourne ' : 

"  In  this  enclosure  is  a  wooden 
model  of  a  kangaroo  of  ancient  times. 
This  is  copied  from  a  restoration  by 
Professor  McCoy,  who  was  enabled  to 
represent  it  from  fossil  remains  which 
have  been  unearthed  at  various  places 
in  Australia." 

1896.  E.  Meston,  'Sydney  Bulletin,' 
April  18  : 

"  The  origin  of  the  word  '  kangaroo ' 
was  published  by  me  six  years  ago. 
Captain  Cook  got  it  from  the  Endeavor 
River  blacks,  who  pronounce  it  to-day 
exactly  as  it  is  spelled  in  the  great 
navigator's  journal,  but  they  use  it 
now  only  for  the  big  toe.  Either  the 
blacks  in  Cook's  time  called  the  kan- 
garoo 'big  toe'  for  a  nick-name,  as 


the  American  Indians  speak  of  the 
'  big  horn,'  or  the  man  who  asked  the 
name  of  the  animal  was  holding  it  by 
the  hind  foot,  and  got  the  name  of  the 
long  toe,  the  black  believing  that 
was  the  part  to  which  the  question 
referred." 

1896.  Rev.  J.  Mathew,  Private  Letter, 
Aug.  31  : 

"  Most  names  of  animals  in  the 
Australian  dialects  refer  to  their  ap- 
pearance, and  the  usual  synthesis  is 
noun  +  adjective  ;  the  word  may  be 
worn  down  at  either  end,  and  the 
meaning  lost  to  the  native  mind. 

"  A  number  of  the  distinct  names 
for  kangaroo  show  a  relation  to  words 
meaning  respectively  nose,  leg,  big, 
long,  either  with  noun  and  adjective  in 
combination  or  one  or  other  omitted. 

"  The  word  kangaroo  is  probably 
analysable  into  ka  or  kang,  nose  (or 
head},  and  goora,  long,  both  words  or 
local  equivalents  being  widely  current." 

(2)  Wild  young  cattle  (a  special 
use) — 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  290  : 

"A  stockyard  under  six  feet  high 
will  be  leaped  by  some  of  these  kan- 
garoos (as  we  term  them)  with  the  most 
perfect  ease,  and  it  requires  to  be  as 
stout  as  it  is  high  to  resist  their  rushes 
against  it." 

(3)  Used   playfully,    and    as    a 
nickname  for  persons  and  things 
Australian.     An  Australian  boy  at 
an    English    school  is  frequently 
called  "  Kangaroo."    It  is  a  Stock 
Exchange  nickname  for  shares  in 
Western  Australian   gold-mining 
companies. 

1896.  'Nineteenth  Century  '  (Nov.),  p. 
711  : 

"  To  the  80,000,000  Westralian  min- 
ing shares  now  in  existence  the  Stock 
Exchange  has  long  since  conceded  a 
special  'market';  and  it  has  even  con- 
ferred upon  these  stocks  a  nickname — 
the  surest  indication  of  importance  and 
popularity.  And  that  '  Kangaroos,'  as 
they  were  fondly  called,  could  boast 
of  importance  and  popularity  nobody 
would  dare  to  gainsay." 


KAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


237 


(4)  A  kind  of  chair,  apparently 
from  the  shape. 

1834.  Miss  Edgeworth,  '  Helen/  c.  xvi. 
('Century'): 

"  It  was  neither  a  lounger  nor  a 
dormeuse,  nor  a  Cooper,  nor  a  Nelson, 
nor  a  Kangaroo  :  a  chair  without  a 
name  would  never  do  ;  in  all  things 
fashionable  a  name  is  more  than  half. 
Such  a  happy  name  as  Kangaroo  Lady 
Cecilia  despaired  of  finding." 

Kangarooade,  n.  a  Kangaroo 
hunt;  nonce  word.  See  quotation. 

1863.  M.  K.  Beveridge,  'Gatherings 
among  the  Gum  Trees,'  p.  86  : 

"  The  Kangarooade — in  three  Spirts." 
[Title  of  a  poem.] 

Kangaroo-Apple,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian and  Tasmanian  fruit,  Sola- 
tium aviculare,  Forst. ,  N.  O.  Sola- 
nacece.  The  name  is  also  applied 
to  S.  vescum,  called  the  Gunyang 
(q.v.).  In  New  Zealand,  the  fruit 
is  called  Poroporo  (q.v.). 

1834.  Ross,  'Van  Diemen's  Land  An- 
nual,' p.  133  : 

'  Solanum  laciniatum,  the  kangaroo- 
apple,  resembling  the  apple  of  a  potato ; 
when  so  ripe  as  to  split,  it  has  a  mealy 
sub-acid  taste." 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  85  : 

"  The  kangaroo-apple  (Solanum  la- 
dniatum)  is  a  fine  shrub  found  in  many 
parts  of  the  country,  bearing  a  pretty 
blue  flower  and  a  fruit  rather  unpleas- 
ant to  the  taste,  although  frequently 
eaten  by  the  natives,  and  also  by 
Europeans." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
p.  132  : 

"  The  kangaroo-apple  comes  from  a 
bush  or  small  tree  bearing  blue  blos- 
soms, which  are  succeeded  by  apples 
like  those  of  the  potato.  They  have  a 
sweetish  flavour,  and  when  ripe  may 
be  boiled  and  eaten,  but  are  not  greatly 
prized." 

1857.  F.  R.  Nixon  (Bishop),  '  Cruise  of 
Beacon,'  p.  28  : 

"  Of  berries  and  fruits  of  which  they 
partook,  the  principal  were  those  of 
Solanum  laciniatum,  or  kangaroo- 
apple,  when  dead  ripe." 


1877.  F.  v.  Muller,  'Botanic Teachings,' 
p.  105  : 

"  Solanum  aviculare,  on  which  our 
colonists  have  very  inappropriately 
bestowed  the  name  Kangaroo-apple, 
while  in  literal  scientific  translation  it 
ought  to  be  called  Bird's  Nightshade, 
because  Captain  Cook's  companions 
observed  in  New  Zealand  that  birds 
were  feeding  on  the  berries  of  this 
bush." 

Kangaroo-Dog,  n.  a  large  dog, 
lurcher,  deerhound,  or  greyhound, 
used  for  hunting  the  Kangaroo. 

1806.  '  History  of  New  South  Wales  ' 
(1818),  p.  265  : 

"  Shortly  before  the  Estramina  left 
the  River  Derwent,  two  men  unfortun- 
ately perished  by  a  whale-boat  upset- 
ting, in  which  they  were  transporting 
four  valuable  kangaroo-dogs  to  the 
opposite  side,  none  of  which  ever 
reached  the  shore." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  141  : 

"  The  kind  of  dog  used  for  coursing 
the  kangaroo  is  generally  a  cross  be- 
tween the  greyhound  and  the  mastiff 
or  sheep-dog  ;  but  in  a  climate  like 
New  South  Wales  they  have,  to  use 
the  common  phrase,  too  much  lumber 
about  them.  The  true  bred  greyhound 
is  the  most  useful  dog :  he  has  more 
wind  ;  he  ascends  the  hills  with  more 
ease  ;  and  will  run  double  the  number 
of  courses  in  a  day.  He  has  more 
bottom  in  running,  and  if  he  has  less 
ferocity  when  he  comes  up  with  an 
'  old  man,'  so  much  the  better,  as  he 
exposes  himself  the  less,  and  lives  to 
afford  sport  another  day." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 

c.  ii.  p.  31  : 

"  They  .  .  .  are  sometimes   caught 

by  the  kangaroo-dogs." 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,' p.  126: 
"A  fine  kangaroo-dog  was  pointed 

out  to  us,  so  fond  of  kangarooing  that 

it  goes  out  alone,  kills  the  game,  and 

then  fetches  its  master  to  the   dead 

animals." 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  '  Cooksland,'  p.  422 : 
"With  the  gun  over  his  shoulder, 

and  the  kangaroo-dog  in  a  leash  by 

his  side." 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[KAN 


1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  '  Port  Phillip 
in  1849,'  c.  iii.  p.  35  : 

"  On  every  station,  also,  a  large  kind 
of  greyhound,  a  cross  of  the  Scotch 
greyhound  and  English  bulldog,  called 
the  kangaroo-dog,  which  runs  by  sight, 
is  kept  for  the  purpose  of  their  destruc- 
tion." 

1888.  Cassell's '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  91  : 

"  Kangaroo-dogs  are  a  special  breed, 
a  kind  of  strong  greyhound." 

1893.   '  The  Argus,'  April  8,  p.  4,  col.  I  : 

"  That  big,  powerful,  black  kangaroo- 
dog  Marmarah  was  well  worth  looking 
at,  with  his  broad,  deep  chest,  intelli- 
gent, determined  eyes,  sinews  of  a 
gymnast,  and  ribs  like  Damascus  steel. 
On  his  black  skin  he  bore  marks  of 
many  honourable  fights  ;  the  near  side 
showed  a  long,  whitish  line  where  the 
big  emu  he  had  run  down,  tackled 
single-handed,  and  finally  killed,  had 
laid  him  open.  His  chest  and  legs 
showed  numerous  grey  scars,  each 
with  a  history  of  its  own  of  which  he 
might  well  be  proud." 

Kangaroo-Ply,  n.  a  small  Aus- 
tralian fly,  Cabarus.  See  quota- 
tions. 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  'Southern  Australia,' vol. 
I.  c.  ii.  p.  71  : 

"Our  camp  was  infested  by  the 
kangaroo-fly,  which  settled  upon  us  in 
thousands." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  « His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  313  [Note] : 

"  Rather  smaller  than  the  house-fly, 
it  acts  with  such  celerity  that  it  has  no 
sooner  settled  on  the  face  or  hands 
than  it  inflicts  instantaneously  a  pain- 
ful wound,  which  often  bleeds  subse- 
quently. It  is  called  by  the  colonists 
the  kangaroo-fly  ;  and  though  not  very 
common,  the  author  can  testify  that  it 
is  one  of  the  most  annoying  pests  of 
Australia." 

Kangaroo-Grass,  n.  a  name 
given  to  several  species  of  grasses 
of  the  genera  Anthistiria  and  An- 
dropogon,  chiefly  from  their  height, 
but  also  because,  when  they  are 
young  and  green  in  spring,  the 
Kangaroo  feeds  on  them.  Andro- 


is  more  like  a  rush  or 
sedge,  and  is  sometimes  so  high 
as  to  completely  conceal  horses. 
See  Grass. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  209 : 

"  Of  native  grasses  we  possess  the 
oat-grass,  rye-grass,  florin,  kangaroo- 
grass,  and  timothy, — blady  grass  grow- 
ing in  wet,  flooded,  alluvial  spots,  and 
wire-grass  upon  cold,  wet,  washed 
clays." 

1838.  '  Report  of  Van  Diemen's  Land 
Company,'  in  J.  Bischoff's  'Van  Diemen's 
Land'  (1832),  c.  v.  p.  119  : 

"  The  grasses  were  principally  timo- 
thy, foxtail,  and  single  kangaroo." 

1845.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Tropical  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  88  : 

"A  new  species  of  Anthistiria  oc- 
curred here,  perfectly  distinct  from  the 
kangaroo  grass  of  the  colony." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix/ 
p.  131  : 

"  The  most  conspicuous  of  the  native 
Gramtneee  that  so  widely  cover  the 
surface  of  Australia  Felix." 

1862.  G.  T.  Lloyd,  '  Thirty-three  Years 
in  Tasmania  and  Victoria,'  p.  36  : 

"Where  are  the  genial  morning 
dews  of  former  days  that  used  to  glisten 
upon  and  bespangle  the  vernal-leaved 
kangaroo  grass  ?  " 

1862.  G.  T.  Lloyd,  '  Thirty-three  Years 
in  Tasmania,'  p.  393  : 

"  Between  the  Lake  River  and 
Launceston  ...  I  was  most  agreeably 
surprised  in  beholding  the  novel  sight 
of  a  spacious  enclosure  of  waving  kan- 
garoo grass,  high  and  thick-standing 
as  a  good  crop  of  oats,  and  evidently 
preserved  for  seed." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  8: 

"  Not  even  a  withered  wisp  of  kan- 
garoo-grass." (p.  193):  "The  long 
brown  kangaroo-grass." 

1891.  '  The  Argus,'  Dec.  19,  p.  4,  col.  2  : 

"  Had  they  but  pulled  a  tuft  of  the 
kangaroo-grass  beneath  their  feet, 
they  would  have  found  gold  at  its 
roots." 

Kangaroo-hop,  n.  a  peculiar 
affected  gait.  See  quotation. 

1875.  '  Spectator '  (Melbourne),  May  22, 
p.  27,  col.  2  : 


KAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


239' 


"  The  young  lady  that  affects  water- 
falls, the  Grecian-bend,  or  the  kan- 
garoo hop." 

Kangaroo-Hound,  n.  i.q.  Kan- 
garoo-Dog (q .  v . ) . 

1865.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  28  : 

"A  large  dog,  a  kangaroo-hound 
(not  unlike  a  lurcher  in  appearance)." 

Kangarooing,  vb.  n.  hunting  the 
kangaroo. 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  p.  257  : 

"In  chasing  kangaroos,  or,  as  it  is 
technically  termed,  '  kangarooing,' 
large  powerful  dogs  are  used  ..." 

1870.  E.  B.  Kennedy,  '  Four  Years  in 
Queensland,' p.  194: 

"  You  may  be  out  Kangarooing  ;  the 
dogs  take  after  one  [a  kangaroo],  and 
it  promises  to  be  a  good  course." 

1888.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  15  : 

"  We  were  sick  of  kangarooing,  like 
the  dogs  themselves,  that  as  they  grew 
old  would  run  a  little  way  and  then 
pull  up  if  a  mob  came  jump,  jump, 
past  them." 

Kangaroo  -  Mouse,  n.  more 
strictly  called  the  Pouched-Mouse 
(q.v.). 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  256  : 

"It  is  a  long  chain  from  the  big 
forester,  down  through  the  different 
varieties  of  wallaby  to  the  kangaroo- 
rat,  and  finally,  to  the  tiny  interesting 
little  creature  known  on  the  plains  as 
the  '  kangaroo-mouse ' ;  but  all  have 
the  same  characteristics." 

Kangaroo-net,  n.  net  made  by 
the  natives  to  catch  the  kangaroo. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt, '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  45  : 

"  I  found  .  .  .  four  fine  kangaroo- 
nets,  made  of  the  bark  of  sterculia." 

Kangaroo-Rat,  or  Bat-Kan- 
garoo, n.  the  name  applied  to 
species  of  Marsupials  belonging 
to  the  following  genera,  viz. — 
(i)  PotorouS)  (2)  Caloprymnus,  (3) 
Bettongia^  (4)  ^Epyprymnus. 


(1)  The  first   genus    (Potorousy 
q.v.)  includes  animals  about  the 
size  of  a  large  rat  ;  according  to 
Gould,  although  they  stand  much 
on  their  hind-legs  they  run  in  a 
totally  different  way  to  the  kan- 
garoo, using  fore  and  hind-legs  in 
a   kind   of  gallop  and  never  at- 
tempting to  kick  with  the  hind- 
feet.      The  aboriginal  name  was 
Potoroo.     The  species  are  three  — 
the    Broad-faced    Kangaroo-Rat, 
Potorousplatyops,  Gould  ;  Gilbert's, 
P.  gilberti,  Gould  ;    Common,  P. 
tridactylus,  Kerr.     They  are  con- 
fined to  Australia  and  Tasmania, 
and  one  Tasmanian  variety  of  the 
last    species  is    bigger   than    the 
mainland  form.     There  is  also  a 
dwarf  Tasmanian  variety  of  the 
same  species. 

(2)  A  second  genus  (Caloprym- 
nus,  q.v.)  includes  the  Plain  Kan- 
garoo-Rat ;  it  has  only  one  species, 

C.  campestriS)  Gould,  confined  to 
South  Australia.  The  epithet 
plain  refers  to  its  inhabiting  plains. 

(3)  A    third    genus    (Bettongia^ 
q.v.)     includes     the     Prehensile- 
tailed    Rat-Kangaroos    and    has 
four  species,   distributed  in  Aus- 
tralia and  Tasmania  — 

Brush-tailed  Kangaroo-Rat  — 

Bettongia  penicillata^  Gray. 
Gaimard's  K.-R.— 

B.  gaimardi,  Desm. 
Lesueur's  K.-R.  — 

B.  lesueuri,  Quoy  and  Gaim. 
Tasmanian  K.-R.  — 

B.  cuniculus,  Ogilby. 


(4)  A  fourth  g 
q.v.)  includes  the  Rufous  Kan- 
garoo-Rat. It  has  one  species,  &. 
rufescens,  Grey.  It  is  the  largest 
of  the  Kangaroo-Rats  and  is  dis- 
tinguished by  its  ruddy  colour, 
black-backed  ears,  and  hairy 
nose. 

[Mr.  Lydekker  proposes  to  call 


240 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KAN 


the  animal  the  Rat-Kangaroo  (see 
•quotation,  1894),  but  the  name 
Kangaroo-Rat  is  now  so  well- 
established  that  it  does  not  seem 
possible  to  supersede  it  by  the, 
perhaps,  more  correct  name  of 
Rat-Kangaroo.  The  introduction 
of  the  word  Kangaroo  prevents 
any  possibility  of  confusion  be- 
tween this  animal  and  the  true 
rodent,  and  it  would  seem  to  be 
a  matter  of  indifference  as  to 
which  word  precedes  or  follows 
the  other.] 

1788.  Governor  Phillip  (Despatch,  May 
15),  in  '  Historical  Records  of  New  South 
Wales,'  vol.  I.  pt.  ii.  p.  135  : 

"  Many  trees  were  seen  with  holes 
that  had  been  enlarged  by  the. natives 
to  get  at  the  animal,  either  the  squirrel, 
kangaroo  rat,  or  opossum,  for  the 
going  in  of  which  perhaps  they  wait 
under  their  temporary  huts,  and  as  the 
enlarging  these  holes  could  only  be 
done  with  the  shell  they  used  to  sepa- 
rate the  oysters  from  the  rocks,  must 
require  great  patience." 

1793.  Governor  Hunter,  'Voyage,'  p. 
61  : 

"As  most  of  the  large  trees  are 
hollow  by  being  rotten  in  the  heart, 
the  opossum,  kangaroo-rat,  squirrel, 
and  various  other  animals  which  in- 
habit the  woods,  when  they  are  pur- 
sued, commonly  run  into  the  hollow 
of  a  tree." 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  'History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  xi.  p.  430  : 

"  The  poto  roo,  or  kangaroo-rat. .  .  . 
This  curious  animal  which  is  indeed  a 
miniature  of  the  Kangaroo." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff, '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
c.  ii.  p.  28 : 

"The  kangaroo-rat  is  a  small  in- 
offensive animal  and  perfectly  distinct 
from  the  ordinary  species  of  rat." 

1836.  C.  Darwin,  '  Naturalist's  Voyage,' 
c.  xix.  p.  321  : 

"The  greyhounds  pursued  akangaroo- 
rat  into  a  hollow  tree,  out  of  which  we 
dragged  it ;  it  is  an  animal  as  large 
as  a  rabbit,  but  with  the  figure  of  a 
kangaroo." 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip 
in  1849,'  p.  37  : 


"  The  kangaroo-rat  is  twice  the  size 
of  a  large  English  water-rat,  and  of 
the  same  colour,  measuring  nearly  two 
feet  in  length." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes' 
(edition  1853),  p.  157  : 

"  Two  or  three  of  the  smallest  kind, 
called  the  kangaroo-rat — about  the 
size  of  a  hare,  and  affording  pretty 
good  coursing." 

1860.  Fison  and  Howitt,  '  Kamilaroi  and 
Kurnai,'  p.  195  : 

"  One  of  the  skin  aprons  .  .  .  made 
from  the  skin  of  a  kangaroo-rat." 

1879.  c-  W.  Schiirmann,  '  Native 
Tribes  of  Australia— Port  Lincoln  Tribe,' 
p.  214: 

"The  natives  use  this  weapon  [the 
Waddy\  principally  for  throwing  at 
kangaroo-rats  or  other  small  animals." 

1890.  A.  H.  S.  Lucas,  'Handbook 
of  the  Australasian  Association  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science,'  Melbourne,  p.  63  : 

"The  Victorian  Kangaroo  rat  is 
Bettongia  cuniculus" 

1894.  R-  Lydekker,'  Marsupialia,'  p.  63  : 

"  The  rat-kangaroos,  often  incorrectly 
spoken  of  as  kangaroo-rats." 

Kangaroo-skin,  ;/.  either  the 
leather  for  the  tanned  hide,  or  the 
complete  fur  for  rugs  and  wraps. 

1806.  '  History  of  New  South  Wales ' 
(1818),  p.  258: 

"The  fitness  of  the  kangaroo-skin 
for  upper  leathers  will  no  doubt  obtain 
preference  over  most  of  the  imported 
leather,  as  it  is  in  general  lighter  and 
equally  durable." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  106 :' 

"  I  used  always  to  strip  and  preserve 
the  pelt,  for  it  makes  good  and  pretty 
door-mats,  and  is  most  useful  for 
pouches,  leggings,  light-whips,  or  any 
purpose  where  you  require  something 
strong  and  yet  neater  than  green  hide. 
I  have  seen  saddles  covered  with  it, 
and  kangaroo-skin  boots  are  very  last- 
ing and  good." 

Kangaroo-tail  Soup,  ;/.  soup 
made  from  the  kangaroo-tail. 

1820.  W.  C.  Wentworth,  'Description 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  58  : 

"  The  tail  of  the  forest  kangaroo  in 
particular  makes  a  soup  which,  both 


KAN-KAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


241 


in  richness  and  flavour,  is  far  superior 
to  any  ox-tail  soup  ever  tasted." 

1865.  Lady  Barker,  writing  from  Mel- 
bourne, '  Station  Life  in  New  Zealand,' 
p.  14: 

"The  soups  comprised  kangaroo- 
tail — a  clear  soup  not  unlike  ox-tail, 
but  with  a  flavour  of  game." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xxxv.  p.  312: 

"  Kangaroo-tail  and  ox-tail  soup 
disputed  pre-eminence." 

Kangaroo-Thorn,  n.  an  indi- 
genous hedge-plant,  Acacia  ar- 
mata,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Leguminosce  ; 
called  also  Kangaroo  Acacia. 

Kapai,  adj.  Maori  word  for 
good,  used  by  the  English  in  the 
North  Island  of  New  Zealand  : 
e.g.  "  That  is  a  kapai  pipe."  "  I 
have  a  kapai  gun." 

1896.  '  New  Zealand  Herald,'  Feb.  14 
(Leading  Article) : 

"The  Maori  word  which  passed 
most  familiarly  into  the  speech  of 
Europeans  was  '  kapai,' '  this  is  good.' " 

Kapu,  n.  Maori  word  for  a 
stone  adze.  The  Maori  word 
means  the  hollow  of  the  hand. 
The  adze  is  so  called  from  its 
curved  shape.  (Williams,  '  Maori 
Diet.') 

1889.  '  Catalogue  of  New  Zealand  Ex- 
hibition,' p.  140: 

"  Kapu,  or  adze." 

Karaka,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
tree,  Corynoeqrpus  Icevigata,  Forst. 
N.O.  Anacardiacece  ;  also  called 
Cow-tree  (q.v.),  forty  feet  high, 
with  orange-coloured  berries,  two 
to  three  inches  long. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  « Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  226  : 

"  Two  or  three  canoes  were  hauled 
up  under  some  karaka  trees,  which 
formed  a  pleasant  grove  in  a  sort  of 
recess  from  the  beach." 

Ibid.  vol.  i.  p.  233 : 

"The  karaka-tree  much  resembles 
the  laurel  in  its  growth  and  foliage. 
It  bears  bright  orange-coloured  berries 
about  the  size  and  shape  of  damsons, 
growing  in  bunches.  The  fruit  is 


sickly  and  dry  ;  but  the  kernel  forms 
an  important  article  of  native  food." 

1859.  A.  S.  Thomson,  'Story  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  157 : 

"  The  karaka  fruit  is  about  the  size 
of  an  acorn.  The  pulp  is  eaten  raw  ; 
the  kernel  is  cooked  in  the  oven  for 
ten  days,  and  then  steeped  for  several 
weeks  in  a  running  stream  before  it 
is  fit  for  use.  Karaka  berries  for 
winter  use  are  dried  in  the  sun.  The 
kernel  is  poisonous  uncooked." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  «  Ranolf,'  p.  108  : 

"  The  thick  kardkas'  varnished 
green." 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell,  '  Poenamo,'  p. 
102  : 

"The  karaka  with  its  brilliantly- 
polished  green  leaves  and  golden 
yellow  fruit." 

1883.  F.  S.  Renwick,  '  Betrayed,'  p.  35  : 

"  Bring  the  heavy  karaka  leaf, 
Gather  flowers  of  richest  hue." 

1892.  'Otago  Witness,'  Nov.  10. 
(Native  Trees)  : 

"  Corynocarpus  Icevigata  (generally 
known  by  the  name  of  karaka).  The 
fruit  is  poisonous,  and  many  deaths  of 
children  occur  through  eating  it.  Mr. 
Anderson,  a  surgeon  who  accompanied 
Captain  Cook,  mentions  this  tree  and 
its  fruit,  and  says  the  sailors  ate  it, 
but  does  not  say  anything  about  it 
being  poisonous.  The  poison  is  in  the 
hard  inner  part,  and  it  may  be  that 
they  only  ate  the  outer  pulp." 

Karamu,  n.  Maori  name  for 
several  species  of  the  New  Zealand 
trees  of  the  genus  Coprosma,  N.  O. 
Rubiacea.  Some  of  the  species 
are  called  Tree-karamu,  and  others 
Bush-karamu ;  to  the  latter  (C. 
lucida,  Kirk)  the  name  Coffee-plant, 
or  Coffee-bush,  is  also  applied. 

1874.  J.  White,  '  Te  Rou,  or  the  Maori 
at  Home,'  p.  221  : 

"Then  they  tied  a  few  Karamu 
branches  in  front  of  them  and  went 
towards  the  settlement." 

1876.  J.  C.  Crawford,  '  Transactions  of 
the  New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  IX.  art. 
Ixxx.  p.  545  : 

"  I  have  seen  it  stated  that  coffee  of 
fine  flavour  has  been  produced  from 
the  karamu,  coprosma  lucida" 


242 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KAR-KAT 


1883.  J.  Hector,  '  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  132: 

"  Karamu.  An  ornamental  shrub- 
tree  ;  wood  close-grained  and  yellow  ; 
might  be  used  for  turnery." 

1887.  T.  F.  Cheeseman,  'Transactions 
of  the  New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  XX. 
art.  xxii.  p.  143  : 

"The  first  plant  of  interest  noted 
was  a  new  species  of  coprosma,  with 
the  habit  of  the  common  karamu." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  'Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  275: 

" '  Karamu '  is  applied  by  the  Maoris 
to  several  species  of  Coprosma,  amongst 
which,  I  believe,  this  \C.  arbored\  is 
included,  but  it  is  commonly  termed 
'  tree-karamu '  by  bushmen  and  settlers 
in  the  North." 

1891.  T.  H.  Potts,  'Out  in  the  Open,' 
'New  Zealand  Country  Journal,'  vol.  xv. 
p.  105  : 

"  Of  these  fruits  that  of  the  karamu, 
(Coprosma  lucida),  seemed  to  be 
amongst  the  first  to  be  selected." 

Kareau  or  Kareao,  n.  Maori 
name  for  Supplejack  (q.v.). 

Karmai,  n.  used  by  settlers  in 
South  Island  of  New  Zealand  for 
Towhai  (q.v.),  a  New  Zealand 
tree,  Weinmannia  racemosa,  Forst. 
N.O.  Saxifrages.  Kamahi  is  the 
Maori,  and  Karmai,  or  Kamai, 
the  corruption. 

1876.  W.  N.  Blair,  '  Transactions  of  the 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  ix.  p.  148  : 

"As  will  be  seen  by  the  tables  of 
names,  kamai  is  called  black  birch  in 
the  Catlin  River  District  and  South- 
land, which  name  is  given  on  account 
of  a  supposed  resemblance  to  the 
'  birches,'  or  more  correctly  '  beeches,' 
a  number  of  which  occur  in  that  lo- 
cality. I  cannot  understand  how  such 
an  idea  could  have  originated,  for 
except  in  the  case  of  the  bark  of  one 
there  is  not  the  slightest  resemblance 
between  the  birches  and  kamai.  What- 
ever be  the  reason,  the  misapplication 
of  names  is  complete,  for  the  birches 
are  still  commonly  called  kamai  in 
Southland." 

Karoro,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
Black-backed  Gull,  Larus  domini- 
canus,  Licht. 


1888.  W.    L.    Buller,    'Birds   of   New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  47  : 

[Description.] 

Karri  or  Kari,  n.  aboriginal 
name  (Western  Australia)  for 
Eucalyptus  diversicolor.  F.  v.  M. 

1870.  W.  H.  Knight,  'Western  Aus- 
tralia: Its  History,  Progress,  Condition, 
etc.,'  p.  38: 

The  Karri  (eucalyptus  colossea)  is 
another  wood  very  similar  in  many 
respects  to  the  tuart,  and  grows  to  an 
enormous  size." 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  '  Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  196 : 

"  The  kari-tree  is  found  in  Western 
Australia,  and  is  said  to  be  very 
abundant  ...  of  straight  growth  and 
can  be  obtained  of  extraordinary  size 
and  length.  .  .  .  The  wood  is  red  in 
colour,  hard,  heavy,  strong,  tough,  and 
slightly  wavy  or  curled  in  the  grain." 

1889.  J.    H.    Maiden,    'Useful   Native 
Plants,'  p.  444 : 

"Commonly  known  as  'karri,'  but 
in  its  native  habitat  as  blue-gum.  .  .  . 
The  durability  of  this  timber  for 
lengthened  periods  under  ground  yet 
remains  to  be  proved." 

1896.  'The  Inquirer  and  Commercial 
News,'  [Perth]  July  3,  p.  4,  col.  5  : 

"Mr.  J.  Ednie  Brown,  conservator 
of  forests  .  .  .  expresses  astonishment 
at  the  vastness  of  the  karri  forests  there 
.  .  .  they  will  be  in  a  position  to  export 
one  thousand  loads  of  karri  timber  for 
street-blocking  purposes  every  week." 

1896.  '  The  Times '  (Weekly  Edition), 
Dec.  4,  p.  822,  col.  I  : 

"  Karri,  Eucalyptus  diversicolor,  is 
the  giant  tree  of  Western  Australia. 
An  average  tree  has  a  height  of  about 
2ooft,  and  a  diameter  of  4ft.  at  3ft.  or 
4ft.  above  the  ground.  The  tree  is  a 
rapid  grower,  and  becomes  marketable 
in  30  or  40  years,  against  50  years  for 
jarrah.  Karri  timber  is  being  largely 
exported  for  London  street-paving,  as 
its  surface  is  not  easily  rendered 
slippery." 

Katipo,  n.  a  small  venomous 
spider  of  New  Zealand  and  Aus- 
tralia. The  name  is  Maori.  The 
scientific  name  is  Latrodectus  scelio, 
Thorel.  In  New  Zealand,  it  is 


KAU] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


243 


generally  found  on  the  beach 
under  old  driftwood  ;  but  in  Aus- 
tralia it  is  found  widely  scattered 
over  the  Continent,  and  always 
frequents  dark  sheltered  spots. 
The  derivation  may  be  from  Ka- 
kati,  verb,  to  sting,  and  po,  night. 
Compare  Kakapo.  It  is  a  dark- 
coloured  spider,  with  a  bright  red 
or  yellowish  stripe. 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  440: 

"A  small  black  spider  with  a  red 
stripe  on  its  back,  which  they  [the 
natives  of  New  Zealand]  call  katipo  or 
katepo." 

1870.  Sir  W.  Buller,  before  Wellington 
Philosophical  Society,  quoted  in  '  The 
Katipo,'  Jan.  I,  1892,  p.  2  : 

"  I  have  satisfied  myself  that  in 
common  with  many  other  venomous 
creatures  it  (the  katipo)  only  asserts  its 
dreaded  power  as  a  means  of  defence, 
or  when  greatly  irritated,  for  I  have 
observed  that  on  being  touched  with 
the  finger  it  instantly  folds  its  legs, 
rolls  over  on  its  back,  and  simulates 
death,  remaining  perfectly  motionless 
till  further  molested,  when  it  attempts 
to  escape,  only  using  its  fangs  as  the 
dernier  ressort" 

1890.  C.     Lumholtz,     '  Among    Canni- 
bals,' p.  39 : 

"  Another  spider  (Lathrodectus 
scelid),  which  is  very  common  here 
and  everywhere  in  Queensland,  is  very 
dangerous  even  to  men.  It  is  a  small 
black  animal,  of  the  size  of  our  house- 
spider,  with  a  brilliant  scarlet  mark  on 
its  back." 

1891.  C.   Frost,    'Victorian  Naturalist,' 
p.  140: 

"I  also  determined,  should  oppor- 
tunity occur,  to  make  some  further 
experiments  with  the  black  and  red 
spider  Latrodectus  scelio  ...  I  found 
suspended  in  the  web  of  one  of  this 
species  a  small  lizard  .  .  .  which 
doubtless  had  been  killed  by  its  bite." 

1892.  Jan.  i,  'The  Katipo,' a  Journal  of 
Events  in  connection  with  the  New  Zealand 
Post  Office  and  Telegraph  Services.     On 
p.  2  of  the  first  number  the  Editor  says  : 

"  If  hard  words  could  break  bones, 
the  present  lot  of  the  proprietors  of 
'The  Katipo'  would  be  a  sorry  one. 


From  certain  quarters  invectives  of 
the  most  virulent  type  have  been 
hurled  upon  them  in  connection  with 
the  title  now  bestowed  upon  the  publi- 
cation— the  main  objections  expressed 
cover  contentions  that  the  journal's 
prototype  is  a  'repulsive,'  'vindictive,' 
and  'death-dealing  reptile,'  'inimical 
to  man,'  etc.  ;  and  so  on,  ad  infinitum" 

[The  pictorial  heading  of  each 
number  is  a  katipo's  web,  sugges- 
tive of  the  reticulation  of  telegraph 
wires,  concerning  which  page  3 
of  the  first  number  says:  "The 
Katipo  spider  and  web  extends  its 
threads  as  a  groundwork  for  unity 
of  the  services."] 

1895.  H.  R.  Hogg,  '  Home  Expedition 
in  Central  Australia,'  Zoology,  p.  322 : 

"This  spider,  popularly  known  as 
the  red  streaked  spider,  is  found  all 
over  Victoria  and  New  South  Wales, 
and  is  recorded  from  Rockhampton 
and  Bowen  on  the  Queensland  Coast, 
and  from  the  North  Island  of  New 
Zealand,  where  it  is  known  by  the 
Maoris  as  the  Katipo." 

Kauri,  or  Cowry,  or  Kauri- 
Pine,  n.  Maori  name  for  the  tree 
Agathis  australiS)  Sal.  (formerly 
Dammara  A.),  N.O.  Conifera. 
Variously  spelt,  and  earlier  often 
called  Coivdie.  In  '  Lee's  New 
Zealand  Vocabulary,'  1820,  the 
spelling  Kaudi  appears.  Although 
this  tree  is  usually  called  by  the 
generic  name  of  Dammara  (see 
quotation,  1832),  it  is  properly 
referred  to  the  genus  Agathis^  an 
earlier  name  already  given  to  it 
by  Salisbury.  There  is  a  Queens- 
land Kauri  (Dammara  robusta,  F. 
v.  M.).  See  Pine. 

1823.  R.  A.  Cruise,  'Ten  Months  in 
New  Zealand,'  p,  145  : 

"  The  banks  of  the  river  were  found 
to  abound  with  cowry ;  and  .  .  .  the 
carpenter  was  of  opinion  that  there 
could  be  no  great  difficulty  in  loading 
the  ship.  The  timber  purveyor  of  the 
Coromandel  having  given  cowry  a 
decided  preference  to  kaikaterre,  .  .  . 


244 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KAU-KAV 


it  was  determined  to  abandon  all  fur- 
ther operations." 

1835.  w-  Yate,  '  True  Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  37  : 

"  As  a  shrub,  and  during  its  youthful 
days,  the  kauri  is  not  very  graceful  : 
.  .  .  but  when  it  comes  to  years  of 
maturity,  it  stands  unrivalled  for 
majesty  and  beauty." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes' 
(edition  1855),  p.  285  : 

"The  kauri  (Dammera  [sic]  Austra- 
lis]  is  coniferous,  resinous,  and  has  an 
elongated  box-like  leaf." 
"  1860.    G.     Bennett,    '  Gatherings    of   a 
Naturalist,'  p.  349  : 

"When  Captain  Cook  visited  New 
Zealand  (nearly  a  century  after  the  dis- 
covery of  the  Dammara  of  Amboyna), 
he  saw,  upon  the  east  coast  of  the 
Northern  Island,  a  tree,  called  by  the 
natives  Kowrie  ;  it  was  found  to  be  a 
second  species  of  Dammara,  and  was 
named  D.  Australis" 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  140  : 

"The  Kauri-pine  is  justly  styled  the 
Queen  of  the  New  Zealand  forest.  .  .  . 
the  celebrated  and  beautiful  Kauri." 

1874.  w-  M-  B->  'Narrative  of  Edward 
Crewe,'  p.  169  : 

"  The  kauri  is  the  only  cone-bearing 
pine  in  New  Zealand.  The  wood  is  of 
a  yellow  colour,  wonderfully  free  from 
knots,  and  harder  than  the  red-pine  of 
the  Baltic.  Beautifully  mottled  logs 
are  sometimes  met  with,  and  are  fre- 
quently made  up  into  furniture." 

1875.  T.   Laslett,  '  Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  295  : 

"  The  Kaurie  or  Cowdie-Pine  (Dam- 
mara Australis)  is  a  native  of  and  is 
found  only  in  New  Zealand.  ...  A 
tall  and  very  handsome  tree  with  a 
slightly  tapering  stem.  .  .  .  For  masts, 
yards,  etc.,  is  unrivalled  in  excellence, 
as  it  not  only  possesses  the  requisite 
dimensions,  lightness,  elasticity,  and 
strength,  but  is  much  more  durable 
than  any  other  Pine."  [The  whole  of 
chap.  37  is  devoted  to  this  tree.] 

1883.  F.  S.  Renwick,  '  Betrayed,'  p.  47  : 
"As  some  tall  kauri  soars  in  lonely 
pride, 

So  proudly  Hira  stood." 

1886.  J.  A.  Froude,  '  Oceana,'  p.  318  : 

"  Only  the  majestic  Kauri  tolerated 


no  approaches  to  his  dignity.     Under 
his  branches  all  was  bare  and  brown." 

1889.  T.   Kirk,    'Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  143  : 

"  The  Native  name  '  Kauri '  is  the 
only  common  name  in  general  use. 
When  the  timber  was  first  introduced 
into  Britain  it  was  termed  '  cowrie '  or 
'  kowdie-pine J ;  but  the  name  speedily 
fell  into  disuse,  although  it  still  appears 
as  the  common  name  in  some  horticul- 
tural works." 

1890.  Brett,    'Early    History   of   New 
Zealand,'  p.  115  : 

"  <  The  Hunter'  and  *  Fancy'  loaded 
spars  for  Bengal  at  the  Thames  in 
1798." ..."  These  two  Indian  vessels  in 
the  Thames  were  probably  the  earliest 
European  ships  that  loaded  with  New 
Zealand  Timber,  and  probably  mark 
the  commencement  of  the  export  Kauri 
trade." 

Kauri-gum,  n.  the  resin  which 
exudes  from  the  Kauri  (<\.v.\  used 
in  making  varnish. 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  140: 

"  In  the  year  1859  the  amount  of 
timber  exportation  from  the  Province 
of  Auckland  was  ,£34,376 ;  that  of 
kauri-gum  exported  £20,776." 

1874.  G.    Walch,    '  Head   over   Heels,' 

P-  *5  : 

"  He  paid  his  passage  with  kauri- 
gum." 

1893.  '  Murray's  Handbook  to  New 
Zealand,'  p.  62 : 

"The  industry  which  will  most  in- 
terest the  tourist  is  the  Kauri-gum  .  . 
The  resin  or  gum  which  they  [the 
Kauri-trees]  contained  fell  into  the 
ground  as  the  trees  died,  and  (not 
being  soluble  in  water)  has  remained 
there  ever  since.  Men  go  about  with 
spears  which  they  drive  into  the 
ground,  and  if  they  find  small  pieces 
of  gum  sticking  to  the  end  of  the  spear, 
they  commence  digging,  and  are  often 
rewarded  by  coming  on  large  lumps 
of  gum." 

Kava,«.  ThewordisTonganfor 
— (i)  An  ornamental  shrub,  Piper 
methysticum,  Miq. ;  also  Macropiper 
latifolium,  Miq.  See  Kawa-kawa. 
(2)  A  narcotic  and  stimulant  bever- 


KAW-KEA] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


245 


age,  prepared  from  the  root  of  this 
plant,  which  used  to  be  chewed 
by  the  natives  of  Fiji,  who  ejected 
the  saliva  into  a  Kava  bowl,  added 
water  and  awaited  fermentation. 
The  final  stage  of  the  manufacture 
was  accompanied  by  a  religious 
ceremonial  of  chanting.  The 
manufacture  is  now  conducted  in 
a  cleaner  way.  Kava  produces 
an  intoxication,  specially  affecting 
the  legs. 

1858.  Rev.  T.  Williams,  'Fiji  and  the 
Fijians,'  vol.  i.  p.  141  : 

"  Like  the  inhabitants  of  the  groups 
eastward,  the  Fijians  drink  an  infusion 
of  the  Piper  methysticum,  generally 
called  Ava  or  Kava — its  name  in  the 
Tongan  and  other  languages.  Some 
old  men  assert  that  the  true  Fijian 
mode  of  preparing  the  root  is  by  grat- 
ing, as  is  still  the  practice  in  two  or 
three  places  ;  but  in  this  degenerate 
age  the  Tongan  custom  of  chewing  is 
almost  universal,  the  operation  nearly 
always  being  performed  by  young  men. 
More  form  attends  the  use  of  this  nar- 
cotic on  Somosomo  than  elsewhere. 
Early  in  the  morning  the  king's  herald 
stands  in  front  of  the  royal  abode,  and 
shouts  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  '  Ya- 
gona.f  Hereupon  all  within  hearing 
respond  in  a  sort  of  scream,  *  Mama  I ' 
— '  Chew  it ! '  At  this  signal  the  chiefs, 
priests,  and  leading  men  gather  round 
the  well-known  bowl,  and  talk  over 
public  affairs,  or  state  the  work  assign- 
ed for  the  day,  while  their  favourite 
draught  is  being  prepared.  When 
the  young  men  have  finished  the 
chewing,  each  deposits  his  portion  in 
the  form  of  a  round  dry  ball  in  the 
bowl,  the  inside  of  which  thus  becomes 
studded  over  with  a  large  number  of 
these  separate  little  masses.  The  man 
who  has  to  make  the  grog  takes  the 
bowl  by  the  edge  and  tilts  it  towards 
the  king,  or,  in  his  absence,  to  the 
chief  appointed  to  preside.  A  herald 
calls  the  king's  attention  to  the  slant- 
ing bowl,  saying,  *  Sir,  with  respects,  the 
yagona  is  collected.'  If  the  king  thinks 
it  enough,  he  replies,  in  a  low  tone, 
* Loba* — 'Wring  it' — an  order  which 
the  herald  communicates  to  the  man 


at  the  bowl  in  a  louder  voice.  The 
water  is  then  called  for  and  gradually 
poured  in,  a  little  at  first,  and  then 
more,  until  the  bowl  is  full  or  the  master 
of  the  ceremonies  says,  '  Stop  ! '  the 
operator  in  the  meantime  gathering  up 
and  compressing  the  chewed  root." 

1888.  H.  S.  Cooper,  'The  Islands  of 
the  Pacific,'  p.  IO2  : 

"  Kava  is  the  name  given  to  a  liquor 
produced  by  chewing  the  root  of  a 
shrub  called  angona,  and  the  cere- 
monious part  of  the  preparation  con- 
sists in  chewing  the  root." 

Kawa-kawa,  n.  Maori  name 
for  an  ornamental  shrub  of  New 
Zealand,  Macropiper  excelsum.  In 
Maori,  Kawa  ="  unpleasant  to 
the  taste,  bitter,  sour."  (Williams.) 
The  missionaries  used  to  make 
small  beer  out  of  the  Kawa-kawa. 

1850.  Major  Greenwood,  '  Journey  from 
Taupo  to  Auckland,'  p.  30  : 

"The  good  missionary  .  .  .  thrust 
upon  us  ...  some  bottles  of  a  most 
refreshing  light  beverage  made  from 
the  leaves  of  the  kawa-kawa  tree,  which 
in  taste  much  resembled  ginger-beer." 

1877.  Anon. ,  '  Colonial  Experiences,  or 
Incidents  of  Thirty-four  Years  in  New 
Zealand,'  p.  104 : 

"  Our  tea  was  made  from  the  dried 
leaves  of  a  native  shrub,  of  a  very 
spicy  flavour,  and  known  as  the  kawa- 
kawa,  too  pungent  if  used  fresh  and 
green." 

1896.    '  Otago  Witness/  June  4,  p.  49 : 

"The  tints  of  kaiva,  of  birch  and 
broadleaf,  of  rimu  and  matai  are 
blended  together  into  one  dark  indi- 
visible green." 

Kawau,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
Shag,  Phalacrocorax  nova  -  hoi- 
landicz,  Steph. 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  '  Birds  of  New  Zea- 
land,' vol.  ii.  p.  145  : 

[Description  given.] 

Kea,  n.  a  parrot  of  New  Zea- 
land, Nestor  notabilis,  Gould.  For 
its  habits  see  quotations. 

1862.  J.  Von  Haast,  'Exploration  of 
Head  Waters  of  Waitaki,  1862,'— in  '  Geo- 
logy of  Westland'  (published  1879),  p.  36  : 

"  What  gave  still  greater  interest  to 


246 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KEL 


the  spot  was  the  presence  of  a  number 
of  large  green  alpine  parrots  (Nestor 
notabilis\  the  kea  of  the  natives,  which 
visited  continually  the  small  grove  of 
beech-trees  near  our  camp." 

1880.   '  Zoologist '  for  February,  p.  57  : 

"  On  the  4th  of  November  last  the 
distinguished  surgeon,  Mr.  John  Wood, 
F.R.S.,  exhibited  before  the  Pathologi- 
cal Society  of  London  the  colon  of  a 
sheep,  in  which  the  operation  known 
as  Colotomy  had  been  performed  by  a 
Parrot  .  .  .  the  species  known  as  the 
'Kea'  by  the  Maoris,  the  'Mountain 
Parrot'  of  the  colonists,  Nestor  nota- 
bilis  of  Gould.  Only  five  species  .  .  . 
are  known,  one  of  which  (Nestor  pro- 
ductus]  has  lately  become  extinct ; 
they  only  occur  in  New  Zealand  and 
Norfolk  Island.  They  were  formerly 
classed  among  the  Trichoglossince  or 
brush-tongued  parrots  .  .  .  more 
nearly  allied  to  true  Psittaci  ...  Its 
ordinary  food  consists  of  berries  and 
insects  ;  but  since  its  Alpine  haunts 
have  been  reached  by  the  tide  of 
civilization,  it  has  acquired  a  taste  for 
raw  flesh,  to  obtain  which  it  even 
attacks  living  animals." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  176: 

"  We  have  the  hoary-headed  nestors, 
amongst  which  are  found  the  noisy 
honey-loving  kaka,  the  hardy  kea, 
that  famous  sheep-killer  and  flesh- 
eater,  the  dread  of  many  an  Alpine 
sheep  farmer." 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  <  Birds  of  New  Zea- 
land,' vol.  i.  p.  166  : 

"  Nestor  notabilis,  Gould,  Kea-parrot, 
Mountain-parrot  of  the  Colonists." 

1888.  '  Antipodean  Notes,'  p.  74  : 

"  The  Kea  picks  the  fat  which  sur- 
rounds the  kidneys.  .  .  Various  theo- 
ries have  been  started  to  explain  how 
this  parrot  has  become  carnivorous." 
[Two  pages  are  devoted  to  the  ques- 
tion.] 

1889.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iv.  p.  19  : 

"  The  kea-parrot.  .  .  .  The  kea  is 
pretty  to  look  at,  having  rich  red  and 
green  plumage,  but  it  is  a  cruel  bird. 
It  is  said  that  it  will  fasten  on  the  back 
of  a  living  sheep  and  peck  its  way 
down  to  the  kidney-fat,  for  which  this 
parrot  has  a  special  fancy.  No 


tourist  need  feel   compunction  about 
shooting  a  kea." 

1893.  A.  R.  Wallace,  'Australasia,'  vol. 
i.  p.  445  : 

"  Another  very  interesting  group  of 
birds  are  the  large  dull  colonial  parrots 
of  the  genus  Nestor,  called  kea  or  kaka 
by  the  natives  from  their  peculiar 
cries.  Their  natural  food  is  berries 
.  .  .  but  of  late  years  the  kea  (Nestor 
notabilis\  a  mountain  species  found 
only  in  the  South  Island,  has  developed 
a  curious  liking  for  meat,  and  now 
attacks  living  sheep,  settling  on  their 
backs  and  tearing  away  the  skin  and 
flesh  to  get  at  the  kidney  fat." 

1895.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Dec.  26,  p.  3, 
col.  i  : 

"  There  is  in  the  Alpine  regions  of 
the  South  Island  a  plant  popularly 
called  the '  vegetable  sheep,' botanically 
named  Raoulia.  From  the  distance 
of  even  a  few  yards  it  looks  like  a 
sheep.  It  grows  in  great  masses,  and 
consists  of  a  woolly  vegetation.  A 
large  specimen  of  this  singular  plant 
was  exhibited  in  the  Colonial  and 
Indian  Exhibition.  It  is  said  that  the 
kea  was  in  the  habit  of  tearing  it  up 
to  get  at  the  grubs  which  harbour 
within  the  mass,  and  that  mistaking 
dead  sheep  for  vegetable  sheep  it 
learned  the  taste  of  mutton.  A  more 
enterprising  generation  preferred  its 
mutton  rather  fresher." 

Kelp-fish,  n.  In  New  Zealand, 
also  called  Butter-fish  (q.v.),  Cori- 
dodax  pullus,  Forst.  In  Tasmania, 
Odax  baleatusi  Cuv.  and  Val.; 
called  also  Ground  Mullet  by  the 
fishermen.  In  Victoria,  Chironemus 
marmoratuS)  Giinth.  Coridodax 
and  Odax  belong  to  the  family 
Labrida  or  Wrasses,  which  com- 
prises the  Rock-  Whitings  ;  Chiron- 
emus  to  the  family  Cirrhitida. 
The  name  is  also  given  in  New 
Zealand  to  another  fish,  the 
Spotty  (q.v.).  These  fishes  are 
all  different  from  the  Californian 
food-fishes  of  the  same  name. 

1841.  J.  Richardson,  '  Description  of 
Australian  Fishes,'  p.  148  : 

"  This  fish  is  known  at  Port  Arthur 


KEN-KIL] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


247 


by  the  appellation  of  *  Kelp-fish,'  I 
suppose  from  its  frequenting  the 
thickets  of  the  larger  fuci." 

Kennedya,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  a  genus  of  perennial 
leguminous  herbs  of  the  bean 
family — named,  in  1804,  after  Mr. 
Kennedy,  a  gardener  at  Hammer- 
smith, near  London.  There  are 
seventeen  species,  all  natives  of 
Australia  and  Tasmania,  many  of 
them  cultivated  for  the  sake  of 
their  showy  flowers  and  berries. 
Others  lie  near  the  ground  like  a 
vetch;  K.  prostrata  is  called  the 
Coral  Pea  (q.v.),  or  Bleeding  Heart, 
or  Native  Scarlet  Runner,  or  Run- 
ning Postman.  Another  species  is 
called  Australian  Sarsaparilla.  See 
Sa  rsapa  rilla. 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  The  Head  Station,' 
p.  294  : 

"  Taking  off  his  felt  hat,  he  twisted 
round  it  a  withe  of  crimson  Kennedia, 
then  put  it  on  again." 

Kestrel,  n.  the  common 
English  name  for  a  falcon.  Ac- 
cording to  Gould  the  Australian 
species  is  identical  with  Cerchneis 
tinnunculus,  a  European  species, 
but  Vigors  and  Horsfield  differ- 
entiate it  as  Tinnunculus  cenchroides. 

1893.  '  The  Argus,'  March  25,  p.  4,  col.  5  : 

"  The  kestrel's  nest  we  always  found 
in  the  fluted  gums  that  overhung  the 
creek,  the  red  eggs  resting  on  the  red 
mould  of  the  decaying  trunk  being 
almost  invisible." 

Kia  ora,  inter/'.  Maori  phrase 
used  by  English  Jin  the  North 
Island  of  New  Zealand,  and  mean- 
ing "  Health  to  you  !  "  A  private 
letter  (1896)  says— "  You  will  hear 
any  day  at  a  Melbourne  bar  the 
first  man  say  Keora  ta-u,  while  the 
other  says  Keora  tatu,  so  replacing 
"  Here's  to  you!"  These  ex- 
pressions are  corruptions  of  the 
Maori,  Kia  ora  taua,  "  Health  to 
us  too ! "  and  Kia  ora  tatou, 
4 'Health  to  all  of  us  !  " 


Kie-kie,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
climbing  plant,  Freydnetia  banksii, 
N.  O.  Pandanacece  ;  frequently  pro- 
nounced ghi-ghi  in  the  North 
Island  of  New  Zealand,  and  gay- 
gie  in  the  South  Island. 

1854.  W.  Colder, «  Pigeons'  Parliament,' 
p.  77: 

"  The  trees  were  .  .  .  covered  with 
a  kind  of  parasite  plant,  called  a  kee- 
kee,  having  a  thick  cabbage-like  stock." 

1872.    A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf '  (Notes),  p. 

505: 

"Kie-kie  (parasite)  ...  A  lofty 
climber  ;  the  bracts  and  young  spikes 
make  a  very  sweet  preserve." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  20  : 

"  The  unused  food  ...  of  our  little 
camp,  together  with  the  empty  kie-kie 
baskets." 

[sc.  baskets  made  of  kie-kie  leaves.] 

Kiley,  n.  aboriginal  word  in 
Western  Australia  for  a  flat 
weapon,  curved  for  throwing, 
made  plane  on  one  side  and 
slightly  convex  on  the  other. 
A  kind  of  boomerang. 

1839.  Nathaniel  Ogle,  'The  Colony  of 
Western  Australia/  p.  57  : 

"  In  every  part  of  this  great  continent 
they  have  the  koilee,  or  boomerang  . . ." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discovei'ies  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  I.  c.  iv.  p.  72  : 

"  One  of  them  had  a  kiley  or  bom- 
erang." 

1872.  Mrs.  E.  Millett,  'An  Australian 
Parsonage  ;  or,  The  Settler  and  the  Savage 
in  Western  Australia/  p.  222  : 

"The  flat  curved  wooden  weapon, 
called  a  kylie,  which  the  natives  have 
invented  for  the  purpose  of  killing 
several  birds  out  of  a  flock  at  one 
throw,  looks  not  unlike  a  bird  itself 
as  it  whizzes  (or  walks  as  natives  say) 
through  the  air  in  its  circular  and  as- 
cending flight .  .  ." 

1885.  Lady  Barker,  'Letters  to  Guy,' 
p.  177  : 

"More  wonderful  and  interesting, 
however,  is  it  to  see  them  throw  the 
kylie  (what  is  called  the  boomerang 
in  other  parts  of  Australia),  a  curiously 
curved  and  flat  stick,  about  a  foot 
long  and  two  or  three  inches  wide  .  .  . 


248 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[KIN 


There  are  heavier  'ground  kylies,' 
which  skim  along  the  ground,  describ- 
ing marvellous  turns  and  twists,  and 
they  would  certainly  break  the  leg  of 
any  bird  or  beast  they  hit ;  but  their 
gyrations  are  nothing  compared  to 
those  of  a  good  air-kylie  in  skilful 
hands." 

Kinaki,  n.  a  Maori  word  for 
food  eaten  with  another  kind  to 
give  it  a  relish.  Compare  Grk. 
o\l/ov. 

1820.  *  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand '  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  164  : 

"  Kinaki.  Victuals,  added  for  va- 
riety's sake." 

1873.  '  Appendix  to  Journal  of  House  of 
Representatives,'  vol.  iii.  G.  i,  p.  5  : 

"  If  it  be  a  Maori  who  is  taken  by 
me,  he  will  also  be  made  into  a  kinaki 
for  my  cabbage." 

1878.  R.  C.  Barstow,  <  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  XI.  art.  iv. 
p.  71  :  ' 

"  Fifty  years  ago  it  would  have  been 
a  poor  hapu  that  could  not  afford  a 
slave  or  two  as  a  kinaki,  or  relish,  on 
such  an  occasion." 

King-fish,  n.  In  New  Zealand 
a  sea-fish,  Seriola  lalandii  (Maori, 
Hakn\  sometimes  called  the 
Yellow-tail ;  in  Victoria,  Sciczna 
antarctica^  Castln.  Called  Jew-fish 
(q.v.)  in  New  South  Wales.  Teni- 
son  Woods  says  the  King- 
fish  of  Port  Jackson  must  not  be 
confounded  with  the  King-fish 
of  Victoria  or  the  King-fish  of 
Tasmania  (Thy  r sites  micropus, 
McCoy).  The  Port  Jackson 
King-fish  belongs  to  a  genus 
called  "  Yellow-tails  "  in  Europe. 
This  is  Seriola  lalandii^  Cuv.  and 
Val.  Seriola  belongs  to  the  family 
Carangidce,  or-  Horse-Mackerels. 
Thyrsites  belongs  to  the  family 
Trichiurida.  The  "Barracouta" 
of  Australasia  is  another  species  of 
Thyrsites,  and  the  "Frost-fish" 
belongs  to  the  same  family.  The 
JZingfish  of  America  is  a  different 


fish  ;  the  name  is  also  applied  to 
other  fishes  in  Europe. 

1876.  P.  Thomson, '  Transactions  of  New 
Zealand  Institute, 'vol.  XL  art.  Iii.  p.  381  : 

"The  king-fish,  Seriola  Lalandii^ 
put  in  no  appearance  this  year." 

1883.  '  Royal  Commission  on  Fisheries 
of  Tasmania,'  p.  n  : 

"  Thyrsites  Lalandii,  the  king-fish 
of  Tasmania  :  migratory.  Appear  in 
immense  numbers  at  certain  seasons 
(December  to  June)  in  pursuit  of  the 
horse-mackerel.  Caught  with  a 
swivelled  barbless  hook  at  night. 
Voracious  in  the  extreme — individuals 
frequently  attacking  each  other,  and 
also  the  allied  species,  the  barracouta." 

Kingfisher,  n.  common  English 
bird-name.  Gould  mentions  thir- 
teen species  in  Australia.  The 
Australian  species  are — 

Blue  Kingfisher — 

Halcyon  azurea,  Lath. 
Fawn-breasted  K. — 

Dacelo  ceruina,  Gould. 
Forest  K.— 

Halcyon  macleayi,  Jard.  and  Selb. 
Laughing  Jackass  (q.v.) — 

Dacelo  gigas,  Bodd. 
Leach's  K.— 

D.  leachii,  Vig.  and  Hers. 
Little  K.— 

Halcyon  pusilla^  Temm, 
Mangrove  K. — 

H.  sordidus,  Gould. 
Purple  K.— 

H.  pulchra,  Gould. 
Red-backed  K.— 

H.  pyrropygius,  Gould. 
Sacred  K. — 

H.  sanctus,  Vig.  and  Hors. 
White-tailed  K.— 

Tanysiptera  sylvia,  Gould. 
Yellow-billed  K.— 

Symaflavirostris,  Gould. 

There  is  a  Kingfisher  in  New 
Zealand  (Halcyon  vagans,  Less.) 
considered  identical  by  many  with 
H.  sanctus  of  Australia,  but  con- 
cluded by  Buller  to  be  a  distinct 
species. 


KIN-KIT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


249 


1888.    W.    L.    Buller,    'Birds   of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  121  : 
[A  full  description.] 

King  of  the  Herrings,  n.  an- 
other name  for  the  Elephant-fish 
(q.v.). 

1890.  A.  H.  S.  Lucas,  'Handbook  of 
the  Australasian  Association '  (Melbourne), 
p.  72: 

"The  King  of  the  Herrings,  Callo- 
rhynchus  antarcticus,  is  fairly  common 
with  us." 

King-Parrot.     See  Parrot. 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods, 
'  History  of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration 
of  Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  317  : 

"This  creek  [King  Parrot  Creek] 
was  named  after  a  beautiful  parrot 
which  was  then  seen  for  the  first  time. 
It  is  a  bird  of  magnificent  plumage, 
with  crimson  feathers  on  the  body,  and 
blue  wings,  both  of  gorgeous  hue,  and 
no  other  colour  except  a  little  black. 
The  name,  King  Parrot,  is  variously 
applied  to  several  birds  in  different 
parts  of  Australia  ;  the  one  described 
is  common." 

King  William  Pine,  n.  a  Tas- 
manian  tree.  See  Cedar. 

Kino,  n.  a  drug;  the  dried  juice, 
of  astringent  character,  obtained 
from  incisions  in  the  bark  of 
various  trees.  In  Australia  it  is 
got  from  certain  Eucalypts,  e.g. 
E.  resinifera,  Smith,  and  E.  co- 
rymbosa.  Smith.  "It  is  used  in 
England  under  the  name  of  Red- 
gum  in  astringent  lozenges  for 
sore  throat."  ('Century.')  See 
Red  Gum.  The  drug  is  Australian, 
but  the  word,  according  to  Littr£, 
is  " Mot  des  Indes  orientates" 

Kipper,  n.  a  youth  who  has 
been  initiated,  i.e.  been  through 
the  Bora  (q.v.).  It  is  a  Queens- 
land word.  In  Kabi,  Queens- 
land, the  form  is  klvar :  on  the 
Brisbane  River,  it  is  kippa,  where- 
as in  the  Kamilaroi  of  New  South 
Wales  the  word  is  kubura. 


1853.  H.  Berkeley  Jones,  '  Adventures 
in  Australia  in  1852  and  1853,'  p.  126  : 

"  Around  us  sat  '  Kippers,'  i.  e. 
'hobbledehoy  blacks.'" 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Australian  Life,'  p. 
24: 

"The  young  men  receive  the  rank 
of  warriors,  and  are  henceforth  called 
kippers." 

Kit,  n.  a  flexible  Maori  basket ; 
not  the  English  kit  used  by 
soldiers,  but  the  Maori  word 
kete,  a  basket. 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  <  Te  Ika  a  Maui,* 
p.  199: 

"Kete  (Maori),  pa-kete  (Anglo- 
Maori),  basket,  kit  (Eng.)." 

1856.  E.    B.    Fitton,    'New    Zealand/ 
p.  68  : 

"  The  natives  generally  bring  their 
produce  to  market  in  neatly  made 
baskets,  plaited  from  flax  and  known 
by  the  name  of  *  Maori  kits.' ". 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  '  New  Zealand,  the 
Britain  of  the  South,'  vol.  i.  p.  180: 

"The  kit  is  a  large  plaited  green- 
flax  basket." 

1877.  An  Old  Colonist,  'Colonial  Ex- 
periences,' p.  31  : 

"  Potatoes  were  procurable  from  the 
Maoris  in  flax  kits,  at  from  one  to  five 
shillings  the  kit." 

1884.  Lady  Martin,  'Our  Maoris,'  p. 
44 '. 

"They  might  have  said,  as  an  old 
Maori  woman  long  afterwards  said  to 
me,  '  Mother,  my  heart  is  like  an  old 
kete  (i.e.  a  coarsely  woven  basket).  The 
words  go  in,  but  they  fall  through.' " 

Kite,  n.  common  English  bird- 
name.  The  species  in  Australia 
are — 

Allied  Kite— 

Milvus  affim's,  Gould. 
Black-shouldered  K. — 

Elanus  axillaris.  Lath. 
Letter-winged  K. — 

E.  scriptus,  Gould. 
Square-tailed  K. — 

Lophoictinia  isura^  Gould. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  321 : 

"  We  had  to  guard  it  by  turns,  whip- 


250 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KIW-KNO 


in  hand,  from  a  host  of  square-tailed 
kites  (Mill/us  isiztrus}" 

1895.  G.  A.  Keartland,  'Home  Expe- 
dition in  Central  Australia,'  Zoology,  p. 

55: 

"  At  any  stockyard  or  station  passed 
Kites  were  seen  ...  at  Henbury  one 
female  bird  was  bold  enough  to  come 
right  into  camp  and  pick  up  the  flesh 
thrown  to  it  from  birds  I  was  skin- 
ning." 

Kiwi,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
wingless  struthious  bird  of  New 
Zealand,  the  Apteryx  (q.v.),  so 
called  from  the  note  of  the  bird. 
The  species  are — 

Large  Grey  Kiwi  (Roa  roa,  gener- 
ally shortened  to  Roa,  q.v.) — 

Apteryx  haastii.  Potts. 
Little  Grey  K. — 

A.  oweni,  Gould. 
North  Island  K.— 

A.  bulleri)  Sharpe. 
South  Island  K.  (Tokoeka)— 

A.  australis,  Shaw  and  Nodder. 

See  Duller,  '  Birds  of  New 
Zealand'  (1888),  vol.  ii.  p.  308. 

1835.  W.  Yate,  'Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  58: 

"Kiwi — the  most  remarkable  and 
curious  bird  in  New  Zealand." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' vol. 
vi.  pi.  2  : 

"Apteryx  Australis,  Shaw,  Kiwi 
kiwi." 

[Australis  here  equals  Southern, 
not  Australian.] 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  181: 

"  The  Kiwi,  however,  is  only  the  last 
and  rather  insignificant  representative 
of  the  family  of  wingless  birds  that 
inhabited  New  Zealand  in  bygone 
ages." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  'Ranolf,'  p.  232: 

"'Twas  nothing  but  that  wing-less, 

tail-less  bird, 
The  kiwi? 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  'Out  in  the  Open,' 
P-  35^ 

"The  fact  that  one  collector  alone 
had  killed  and  disposed  of  above  2000 
specimens  of  the  harmless  kiwi." 


1889.  Professor  Parker,  'Catalogue  of 
New  Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  116  : 

"  The  Kiwi,  although  flightless,  has 
a  small  but  well-formed  wing,  provided 
with  wing  quills." 

Knockabout,  adj.  a  species  of 
labourer  employed  on  a  station  ; 
applied  to  a  man  of  all  work  on  a 
station.  Like  Rouseabout  (q.v.). 

1876.  W.  Harcus,  '  Southern  Australia/ 
P-  275  : 

"  Knockabout  hands,  17^.  to  20^.  per 
week." 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,    'Bush    Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  80  : 

"They  were  composed  chiefly  of 
what  is  called  in  the  bush  'knock- 
about men' — that  is,  men  who  are 
willing  to  undertake  any  work,  some- 
times shepherding,  sometimes  making 
yards  or  driving." 

1884.  Rolf    Boldrewood,     'Melbourne 
Memories,'  xvi.  p.  118: 

"  I  watched  his  development  through 
various  stages  of  colonial  experience 
— into  dairyman,  knockabout  man, 
bullock-driver,  and  finally  stock-rider." 

Knock-down,  v.  generally  of 
a  cheque.  To  spend  riotously, 
usually  in  drink. 

1869.  Marcus  Clarke,  '  Peripatetic  Phi- 
losopher '  (reprint),  p.  80  : 

"  Last  night !  went  knocking  round 
with  Swizzleford  and  Rattlebrain. 
C'sino,  and  V'ri'tes.  Such  a  lark ! 
Stole  two  Red  Boots  and  a  Brass  Hat. 
Knocked  down  thirteen  notes,  and 
went  to  bed  as  tight  as  a  fly  !  " 

1871.  J.J.Simpson,  '  Recitations, 'p.  9: 
"  Hundreds    of   diggers    daily    then 
were  walking  Melbourne  town, 
With  their  pockets  fill'd  with  gold, 
which  they  very  soon   knock'd 
down." 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,  '  Old  Colonials,'  p.  6 : 
"Cashed1  by  the  nearest  publican, 

who  of  course  never  handed  over  a 
cent.  A  man  was  compelled  to  stay 
there  and  knock  his  cheque  down 
'  like  a  man.' " 

1885.  H.     Finch- Hatton,     'Advance 
Australia,'  p.  222  : 

"A  system  known  as  'knocking 
down  one's  cheque'  prevails  all  over 
the  unsettled  parts  of  Australia.  That 


KOA-KON] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


is  to  say,  a  man  with  a  cheque,  or  a 
sum  of  money  in  his  possession,  hands 
it  over  to  the  publican,  and  calls  for 
drinks  for  himself  and  his  friends, 
until  the  publican  tells  him  he  has 
drunk  out  his  cheque." 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Longleat  of  Kooral- 
byn,'  c.  xviii.  p.  182  : 

"  The  illiterate  shearer  who  knocks 
down  his  cheque  in  a  spree." 

Koala,  Coola,  or  Kool-la,  n. 
aboriginal  name  for  Native  Bear 
(q.v.) ;  genus,  Phascolarctus(oL.v.']. 
A  variant  of  an  aboriginal  word 
meaning  a  big  animal.  In  parts 
of  South  Australia  koola  means 
a  kangaroo. 

1813.  'History  of  New  South  Wales' 
(1818),  p.  432: 

"  The  koolah  or  sloth  is  likewise  an 
animal  of  the  opossum  species,  with  a 
false  belly.  This  creature  is  from  a 
foot  and  a  half  to  two  feet  in  length, 
and  takes  refuge  in  a  tree,  where  he 
discovers  his  haunt  by  devouring  all 
the  leaves  before  he  quits  it." 

1849.  J.  Gould,  'Proceedings  of  the 
Zoological  Society  of  London,'  November  : 

"The  light-coloured  mark  on  the 
rump,  somewhat  resembling  that  on 
the  same  part  of  the  Koala  .  .  .  the 
fur  is  remarkable  for  its  extreme 
density  and  for  its  resemblance  to  that 
of  the  Koala." 

Kohekohe,  n.  Maori  name  for 
a  New  Zealand  tree,  sometimes 
called  Cedar,  Dysoxyhim  spectabile, 
Hook  (N.  O.  Meliacea}. 

1883.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  127  : 

"Kohekohe.  A  large  forest  tree, 
forty  to  fifty  feet  high.  Its  leaves  are 
bitter,  and  used  to  make  a  stomachic 
infusion :  wood  tough,  but  splits 
freely." 

Kohua,  n.  Maori  word,  for  (i)  a 
Maori  oven  ;  (2)  a  boiler.  There 
is  a  Maori  verb  Kohti,  to  cook  or 
steam  in  a  native  oven  (from  a 
noun  Kohu,  steam,  mist),  and  an 
adj.  Kohu,  concave.  The  word 
is  used  by  the  English  in  New 


Zealand,   and  is  said    to    be    the 
origin  of  Goashore  (q.v.). 

Kokako,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
Blue -wattled  Crow.  See  under 
Crow  and  Wattle-bird. 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  'Out  in  the  Open,' 
P-  194  : 

"The  Orange  -  wattled  Crow,  or 
wattled  bird,  kokako  of  the  Maoris, 
Glaucopis  cinerea,  Gml.,  still  seems  to 
be  an  almost  unknown  bird  as  to  its 
nesting  habits  .  .  .  The  kokako  loving 
a  moist  temperature  will  probably  soon 
forsake  its  ancient  places  of  resort." 

Kokopu,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
New  Zealand  fish ;  any  species 
of  Galaxias,  especially  G.  fasda- 
tus ;  corrupted  into  Cock-a-bully 
(q.v.).  See  Mountain  Trout. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand '  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  106  : 

"  Kokopu.    Name  of  a  certain  fish." 

1886.  R.  A.  Sherrin,  '  Fishes  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  138  : 

"  '  Kokopu,'  Dr.  Hector  says,  *  is 
the  general  Maori  name  for  several 
very  common  fishes  in  the  New  Zea- 
land streams  and  lakes,  belonging  to 
the  family  of  GalaxiidcE?  " 

Kokowai,  n.  Maori  name  for  Red 
Ochre,  an  oxide  of  iron  deposited 
in  certain  rivers,  used  by  the 
Maoris  for  painting.  It  was 
usually  mixed  with  shark  oil,  but 
for  very  fine  work  with  oil  from 
the  berries  of  the  titoki  (q.v.). 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  124  : 

"His  head,  with  the  hair  neatly 
arranged  and  copiously  ornamented 
with  feathers,  reclined  against  a  carved 
post,  which  was  painted  with  kokowai, 
or  red  ochre." 

1878.  R.  C.  Barstow,  '  Transactions 
of  New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  XI.  art.  iv. 

P-  75  : 

"  Kokowai  isakind  of  pigment,  burnt, 
dried,  and  mixed  with  shark-liver  oil." 

Konini,  n.  Maori  name  for  (i) 
the  fruit  of  the  New  Zealand 
fuchsia,  Fuchsia  excorticate  ^  Linn. 


252 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KOO-KOR 


(2)  A  settlers'  name  for  the  tree 
itself.  See  Kotukutuku. 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  114: 

"The  berries  of  the  konini  .  .  . 
ripening  early  furnish  some  part  of  its 
(bell-bird's)  food  supply."  (p.  146): 
"Rather  late  in  August,  when  the 
brown-skinned  konini  begins  to  deck 
its  bare  sprays  with  pendulous  flowers." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New- 
Zealand,'  p.  53 : 

"  Mr.  Colenso  informs  me  that  it 
\Ftichsia  excorticatd\  is  the  Kohutu- 
hutu  and  the  Kotukutuku  of  the 
Maoris,  the  fruit  being  known  as 
Konini,  especially  in  the  South  Island 
and  the  southern  part  of  the  North 
Island.  The  settlers  sometimes  term 
it  Kotukutuku  or  Konini,  but  more 
generally  fuchsia." 

Kooberry,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  the  Bidyan  Ruffe  (q.v.). 

Kookaburra,  n.  (also  Gogobera 
and  Goburra),  the  aboriginal 
name  for  the  bird  called  the 
Laughing-Jackass  (q.v.).  The  first 
spelling  is  that  under  which  the 
aboriginal  name  now  survives  in 
English,  and  is  the  name  by  which 
the  bird  is  generally  called  in 
Sydney. 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  123  : 
"  And  wild  goburras  laughed  aloud 
Their  merry  morning  songs." 

1870.  F.  S.  Wilson,  '  Australian  Songs/ 
p.  167: 

"  The  rude  rough  rhymes  of  the  wild 
goburra's  song." 

1886.  E.  M.  Curr,  'Australian  Race,' 
p.  29: 

"  The  notes  of  this  bird  are  chiefly 
composed  of  the  sounds  ka  and  kooy 
and  from  them  it  takes  its  name  in 
most  of  the  languages  .  .  .  It  is  notice- 
able in  some  localities  that  burra  is 
the  common  equivalent  of  people  or 
tribe,  and  that  the  Pegulloburra  .  .  . 
the  Owanburra,  and  many  other  tribes, 
called  the  laughing  -  jackass  —  kako- 
oburra,  kakaburra,  kakoburra,  and  so 
on  ;  literally  the  Kakoo-people."  [Mr. 
Curr's  etymology  is  not  generally 
accepted.] 


1890.   '  The  Argus,'  Oct.  25,  p.  4,  col  5  : 
"You  might  hear  the  last  hoot  of 
the  kookaburra  then." 

1893.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug. 
26,  p.  5,  col.  4 : 

"But  what  board  will  intervene  to 
protect  the  disappearing  marsupials, 
and  native  flora,  the  lyre-bird,  the 
kookaburra,  and  other  types  which  are 
rapidly  disappearing  despite  the  laws 
which  have  been  framed  in  some  in- 
stances for  their  protection  ? '' 

1894.  E-    P-    Ramsay,     'Catalogue    of 
Australian  Birds  in  the  Australian  Museum 
at  Sydney, 'p.  2,  s.v.  Dacelo : 

"  Gogobera.  aborigines  of  New  South 
Wales." 

Koradji,  or  Coradgee,  n.  ab- 
original name  for  a  wise  man, 
sorcerer,  or  doctor.  In  the  south- 
east of  New  South  Wales,  it  means 
one  of  the  tribal  wizards,  usually 
called  "blackfellow-doctors." 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  14  : 

"  The  coradgees,  who  are  their  wise 
men,  have,  they  suppose,  the  power  of 
healing  and  foretelling.  Each  tribe 
possesses  one  of  these  learned  pundits, 
and  if  their  wisdom  were  in  proportion 
to  their  age,  they  would  indeed  be 
Solons." 

1865.  S.  Bennett,  'Australian  Dis- 
covery,' p.  250 : 

"  Kiradjee,  a  doctor  ;  Grk.  xctpovpyog. 
Persian,  khoajih.  English,  surgeon. 
Old  English  (obsolete),  chirurgeon." 

[Curious  and  impossible  etymology.] 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  287  : 

"One  who  seemed  a  coradge,  or 
priest,  went  through  a  strange  cere- 
mony of  singing,  and  touching  his  eye- 
brows, nose,  and  breast,  crossing  him- 
self, and  pointing  to  the  sky  like  an 
old  Druid." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life/ 
p.  23: 

"  The  korradgees,  or  medicine  men, 
are  the  chief  repositories  (of  the  secrets 
of  their  religion)." 

1892.  J.  Fraser,  'Aborigines  of  New- 
South  Wales,'  p.  63  : 

"  For  some  diseases,  the  karaji,  or 
native  doctor  when  he  is  called  in, 


KOR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


253 


makes  passes  with  his  hand  over  the 
sick  man,  much  in  the  same  way  as  a 
mesmerist  will  do  ...  Our  Australian 
karaji  is  highly  esteemed,  but  not 
paid." 

Korari,  n.  often  pronounced 
Koraddy  and  Koladdy,  and  spelt 
variously  ;  the  Maori  word  for 
the  flowering  stem  of  Pkormium 
tenax,  J.  and  G.  Forst.  (q.v.), 
generally  used  for  making  a 
mokihi  (q.v.).  There  is  a  Maori 
noun,  kora,  a  small  fragment ;  and 
a  verb  korari,  to  pluck  a  twig,  or 
tear  it  off. 

1879.   '  Old  Identity '  [Title] : 

"  The  Old  Identities  of  the  Province 
of  Otago."  [p.  53]  :  "A  kolladie  (the 
flower  stalk  of  the  flax,  about  seven 
feet  long)  carried  by  each,  as  a  balanc- 
ing pole  or  staff." 

1893.  Daniel  Frobisher,  '  Sketches  of 
Gossipton,'  p.  75 : 

"  But  now  the  faithful  brute  is  gone  ; 
Through  bush  and  fern  and  flax 
koladdy, 

Where  oft  he  bunny  pounced  upon, 
No    more  will    follow    me,   poor 
Paddy." 

Korero,  n.  Maori  for  a  confer- 
ence, a  conversation.  The  verb 
means  "to  tell,  to  say,  to  ad- 
dress, to  speak,  to  talk."  ('Wil- 
liams' Maori  Dictionary,' 4th.  ed.) 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand'  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  168  : 

"  Korero,  s.  a  speaking ;  v.  n. 
speaking." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  c.  i.  p.  78  : 

"There  were  about  sixty  men  as- 
sembled, and  they  proceeded  to  hold 
a  '  korero,'  or  talk  on  the  all-important 
subject." 

Ibid.  p.  8 1  : 

"  With  the  exception  of  an  occasional 
exclamation  of '  korero,  korero,'  'speak, 
speak,'  which  was  used  like  our 
'  hear,  hear,'  in  either  an  encouraging 
or  an  ironical  sense,  or  an  earnest  but 
low  expression  of  approval  or  dissent, 
no  interruption  of  the  orators  ever  took 
place." 


1863.  T.  Moser,  '  Mahoe  Leaves,'  p.  30  : 

"As  he  had  to  pass  several  pahs  on 
the  road,  at  all  of  which  there  would 
be  'koreros.'"  (p.  31):  "  Had  been 
joined  by  a  score  or  more  of  their  ac- 
quaintances, and  what  between  'ko- 
reros' and  'ko-mitis,'  had  not  made 
any  further  progress  on  their  journey." 

1896.  'Otago  Witness,' Jan.  23,  p.  42, 
col.  3  : 

"All  this  after  a  very  excited  'ko- 
rero' on  the  empty  dray,  with  the 
surging  and  exciting  crowd  around." 

Korimako,  n.  Maori  name  for 
the  Bell-Bird  (q.v.). 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  402  : 

"  The  korimako,  or  kokorimako 
(Anthornis  melanura).  This  bird  is 
the  sweetest  songster  of  New  Zealand, 
but  is  not  distinguished  by  its  plumage, 
which  is  a  yellowish  olive  with  a 
dark  bluish  shade  on  each  side  of  the 
head." 

Ibid.  p.  75  : 

"  In  the  first  oven  [at  the  Maori 
child's  naming  feast]  a  korimako  was 
cooked  ;  this  is  the  sweetest  singing 
bird  of  New  Zealand  ;  it  was  eaten 
that  the  child  might  have  a  sweet 
voice  and  be  an  admired  orator." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  'Ranolf,'p.  202: 

"  The  korimako,  sweetest  bird 
Of  all  that  are  in  forest  heard." 

1888.  W.  W.  Smith,  'Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  XXI.  art. 
xxi.  p.  213  : 

"Anthornis  melanura,  korimako  or 
bell-bird.  In  fine  weather  the  bush 
along  the  south  shores  of  Lake  Brun- 
ner  re-echoes  with  the  rich  notes  of 
the  tui  and  korimako,  although  both 
species  have  disappeared  from  former 
haunts  east  of  the  Alps." 

Koromiko,  n.  a  white  flower- 
ing arborescent  Veronica  of  New 
Zealand,  Veronica  salicifolia,  Forst., 
N.O.  Scrophularinecz. 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
P-  454 : 

"  Koromiko,  a  very  ornamental 
plant,  but  disappearing  before  the 
horse.  It  bears  a  tapering- shaped 
flower  of  a  purplish  white." 


254 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[KOR-KOW 


1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf/  p.  2  : 

"Just  a  ditch, 
With  flowering  koromiko  rich." 

1884.  T-  Bracken,  '  Lays  of  Maori,'  p. 
21  : 

"  The  early  breeze 
That  played  among    the  koromiko's 

leaves." 

1889.  Vincent  Pyke,  'Wild  Will 
Enderby,'  p.  16  : 

"  Fostered  by  the  cool  waters  of  a 
mountain  rivulet,  the  koromiko  grows 
by  the  side  of  the  poisonous  tutu 
bushes." 

Korora,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
Slue  Penguin,  Spheniscus  minor, 
Gmel.  See  Penguin. 

Korrumburra,  n.  aboriginal 
name  for  the  common  blow-fly, 
which  in  Australia  is  a  yellow- 
bottle,  not  a  blue-bottle. 

1896.   'The   Melburnian,'  Aug.   28,   p. 

"  Odd  '  Korrumburras '  dodge 
quickly  about  with  cheerful  hum. 
Where  they  go,  these  busy  buzzy  flies, 
when  the  cold  calls  them  away  for 
their  winter  vac.  is  a  mystery.  Can 
they  hibernate  ?  for  they  show  them- 
selves again  at  the  first  glint  of  the 
spring  sun." 

Kotuku,  n.  Maori. name  for  the 
White  Crane  of  the  Colonists, 
which  is  really  a  White  Heron 
(Ardea  egretta).  See  Crane. 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  124  : 

[A  full  description.] 

Kotukutuku,  n.  Maori  name 
for  the  New  Zealand  tree,  Fuchsia 
excorticata,  Linn.,  N.O.  Onagrariece; 
written  also  Kohutuhutu.  This 
name  is  not  much  used,  but 
is  corrupted  into  Tookytook  (q.v.). 
See  Konini  and  Fuchsia. 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  127  : 

"  Kotukutuku.  The  fruit  is  called 
konini.  A  small  and  ornamental  tree, 
ten  to  thirty  feet  high  ...  a  dur- 
able timber.  .  .  .  The  wood  might 
be  used  as  dye-stuff.  ...  Its  fruit  is 


pleasant  and  forms  principal  food  of 
the  wood-pigeon." 

Kowhai,  n.  Maori  name  given 
to  (i)  Locust-tree,  Yellow  Kowhai 
(Sophora  tetraptera,  Aiton,  N.  O.  Le- 
guminosce}.  (2)  Parrot-bill,  Scarlet 
Kowhai  (Clianthus  puniceus,  N.O* 
Leguminosa),  or  Kaka-bill  (q.v.). 
Variously  spelt  Kowai  and  Kohai, 
and  corrupted  into  Goat  (q.v.)  by 
the  settlers. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  58  : 

"  The  kohai  too,  a  species  of  mimo- 
sa covered  with  bright  yellow  blossoms, 
abounds  in  such  situations  where  the 
stunted  growth  is  an  almost  unvarying 
sign  of  constant  inundation." 

[Mr.  Wakefield  was  mistaken. 
The  Kohai  is  not  a  mimosa.] 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  261 : 

"  'Tis  the  Kowhai,  that  spendthrift  so- 
golden  : 

Bat  its  kinsman  to  Nature  beholden, 
For  raiment  its  beauty  to  fold  in, 
Deep-dyed  as  of  trogon  or  lory, 
How    with    parrot-bill    fringes    'tis 

burning, 
One  blood-red  mound  of  glory  !  " 

1873.  '  New  Zealand  Parliamentary  De- 
bates,' No.  1 6,  p.  863  : 

"  Kowai  timber,  thoroughly  seasoned, 
used  for  fencing  posts,  would  stand  for 
twelve  or  fourteen  years  ;  while  posts 
cut  out  of  the  same  bush  and  used 
green  would  not  last  half  the  time." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open/ 
p.  146: 

"  The  head  of  the  straight-stemmed 
kowhai  is  already  crowned  with  racemes 
of  golden  blossoms." 

1883.  J.  Hector,    'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  131  : 

"  Kowhai — a  small  or  middling-sized 
tree.  .  .  .  Wood  red,  valuable  for  fenc- 
ing, being  highly  durable  .  .  .  used  for 
piles  in  bridges,  wharves,  etc." 

1884.  T.    Bracken,    'Lays    of    Maori/ 
p.  21  : 

"  The  dazzling   points   of   morning's 

lances 

Waked  the   red  kowhai's    drops 
from  sleep." 


KUK-KUR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


255 


Kuku,  or  Kukupa,  n.  Maori 
name  for  the  New  Zealand  Fruit- 
pigeon  (q.v.),  Carpophaga  nova- 
zelandi(Z)  Gmel.  Called  also 
Kereru.  The  name  is  the  bird's 
note. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand '  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  170  : 

"  Kuku,  s.  the  cry  of  a  pigeon." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor, '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  406  : 

"  Family  Cohimbidce — kereru,  kuku- 
pa  (kuku,  Carpophaga  Novce  Zealan- 
dice),  the  wood-pigeon.  This  is  a  very 
fine  large  bird,  the  size  of  a  duck  ;  the 
upper  part  of  the  breast  green  and 
gold,  the  lower  a  pure  white,  legs  and 
bill  red.  It  is  a  heavy  flying  bird, 
and  very  stupid,  which  makes  it  an 
easy  prey  to  its  enemies.  The  natives 
preserve  large  quantities  in  calabashes, 
taking  out  the  bones  ;  these  are  called 
kuku." 

Ibid.  p.  183  : 

"  The  pigeon  bears  two  names — the 
kuku  and  kukupa,  which  are  common 
to  the  isles." 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell,    '  Poenamo,'   p. 

"5: 

"  The  kukupa  .  .  .  was  just  the  bird 
created  expressly  for  the  true  cockney 
sportsman — the  one  after  his  heart 
...  for  if  not  brought  down  by  the 
first  shot,  why  he  only  shakes  his 
feathers  and  calmly  waits  to  be  shot  at 
again  !  " 

1883.  F.  S.  Renwick,  '  Betrayed,'  p.  45  : 
"  The  kuku,  plaintive,  wakes  to  mourn 
her  mate." 

Kumara,  or  Kumera,  n.  (pro- 
nounced Koomera),  a  Maori  word 
for  an  edible  root,  the  yam  or 
sweet  potato,  Ipom&a  batatas, 
N.O.  Convolvulacecs.  There  are 
numerous  varieties.  It  should  be 
added  that  it  is  doubtful  whether 
it  grows  wild  in  New  Zealand. 

1773.  Sydney  Parkinson,  'Journal  of  a 
Voyage  to  the  South  Seas '  (see  extract  in 
*  Transactions  of  New  Zealand  Institute,' 
'  Manibus  Parkinsonibus  Sacrum,'  W.  Col- 
enso,  vol.  x.  art.  ix.  p.  124) : 

"  Several  canoes  came  alongside  of 
the  ship,  of  whom  we  got  some  fish, 


kumeras  or  sweet  potatoes,  and  several 
other  things." 

1828.  '  Henry  William  Diarys '  (in  Life 
by  Carleton),  p.  69  : 

"  Kumara  had  been  planted  over  the 
whole  plain." 

1830.  Ibid.  p.  79  : 

"  We  passed  over  the  hill,  and  found 
the  assailants  feasting  on  the  kumara, 
or  sweet  potato,  which  they  just  pulled 
up  from  the  garden  at  which  they  had 
landed." 

1851.  Mrs.  Wilson,  '  New  Zealand,'  p.. 
49: 

"He  saw  some  fine  peaches  and 
kumaras  or  sweet  potatoes." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  ' Our  Antipodes,' 
c.  xi.  p.  273  (3rd  edition,  1855)  : 

"  The  kumara  or  sweet  potato  is  a 
most  useful  root." 

1863.  F.  E.  Maning  (Pakeha  Maori), 
'  Old  New  Zealand,'  p.  51  : 

"  Behind  the  pigs  was  placed  by  the 
active  exertion  of  two  or  three  hundred 
people,  a  heap  of  potatoes  and  kumera, 
in  quantity  about  ten  tons,  so  there 
was  no  lack  of  the  raw  material  for  a 
feast." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  430  :' 

"  Now  the  autumn's  fruits 
Karaka,  —  taro,  —  kumera,  —  berries, 

roots — 
Had  all  been  harvested   with   merry 

lays 
And  rites  of  solemn  gladness." 

1884.  T.  Bracken,  'Lays  of  Maori/ 
p.  18: 

"  Some  more  dainty  toothsome  dish 
Than  the  kumera  and  fish." 

Kumquat,  Native,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian tree,  Atalantia  glauca, 
Hook.,  N.O.  Rutacecz,  i.q.  Desert 
Lemon  (q.v.). 

Kurdaitcha,  Coordaitcha,  or 
Goditcha,  n.  a  native  term  applied 
by  white  men  to  a  particular 
kind  of  shoe  worn  by  the  abori- 
gines of  certain  parts  of  Central 
Australia,  and  made  of  emu 
feathers  matted  together.  The 
two  ends  are  of  the  same  shape, 
so  that  the  direction  in  which  the 
wearer  has  travelled  cannot  be 


256 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[KUR 


detected.  The  wearer  is  sup- 
posed to  be  intent  upon  murder, 
and  the  blacks  really  apply  the 
name  to  the  wearer  himself.  The 
name  seems  to  have  been  trans- 
ferred by  white  men  to  the  shoes, 
the  native  name  for  which  is  in- 
terlina,  or  urtathurta. 

1886.  E.  M.  Curr,  'Australian  Race,' 
vol.  i.  p.  148  : 

"  It  was  discovered  in  1882  .  .  .  that 
the  Blacks  .  .  .  wear  a  sort  of  shoe 
when  they  attack  their  enemies  by 
stealth  at  night.  Some  of  the  tribes 
call  these  shoes  Kooditcha,  their  name 
for  an  invisible  spirit.  I  have  seen  a 
pair  of  them.  The  soles  were  made 
of  the  feathers  of  the  emu,  stuck  to- 
gether with  a  little  human  blood,  which 
the  maker  is  said  to  take  from  his  arm. 
They  were  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
thick,  soft,  and  of  even  breadth.  The 
uppers  were  nets  made  of  human  hair. 
The  object  of  these  shoes  is  to  prevent 
those  who  wear  them  from  being 
tracked  and  pursued  after  a  night 
attack." 

1896.  P.  M.  Byrne,  '  Proceedings  of 
the  Royal  Society  of  Victoria,'  p.  66  : 

"The  wearing  of  the  Urtathurta 
and  going  Kurdaitcha  luma  appears 
to  have  been  the  medium  for  a  form 
of  vendetta.' 

Kurrajong,  n.  or  Currajong 
(spelt  variously),  the  aboriginal 
name  for  various  Australian  and 
Tasmanian  fibrous  plants ;  see 
quotations,  1825  and  1884.  They 
are  the — 

Black  Kurrajong— 

Sterculia    diver sifolia,    G.    Don., 
and  Sterculia  quadrifida,  R.Br., 
N.  O.  Sterculiacece. 
Brown  K. — 

Commersonia  echinata,  R.  and  G. 
Forst.  ;      also,      Brachychiton 
gregorii  ;  both    belonging    to 
N.O.  Sterculiacece. 
<Green  K.— 

Hibiscus     heterophyllus,      Vent., 
N.O.  Malvacea. 


Tasmanian  K. — 

Plagianthus  sidoides,  Hook. ,  N.  O. 
Malvaceae. 

Others  are  Trema  aspera,  Blume, 
N.O.  Urticece  ;  and  Sterculia  rupes- 
tris,  Benth.,  N.O.  Urticece.  Some 
of  the  varieties  are  also  called 
Bottle  -  treeS)  and,  in  Tasmania, 
Cordage-trees  (q.v.). 

1823.  'Uniacke's  Narrative  of  Oxley's 
Expedition,'  quoted  by  J.  D.  Lang, 
'  Cooksland,'  p.  408  : 

"  The  nets  used  for  fishing  [by  the 
natives]  are  made  by  the  men  from  the 
bark  of  the  kurrajong  {Hibiscus  hete- 
rophyllus),  a  shrub  which  is  very 
common  in  the  swamps." 

1825.  Barren  Field,  Glossary,  in  '  Geo- 
graphical Memoirs  of  New  South  Wales,' 
p.  502  : 

"  Currijong  or  Natives'  cordage  tree 
(Hibiscus  heterophyllus)." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  25  : 

"  The  curragong  is  sometimes  found ; 
its  inner  bark  may  be  manufactured 
into  ropes." 

1846.  C.  P.    Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  149  : 

"The  currajong(5/£ra//ztf)is  used  for 
cordage,  and  makes  strong,  close,  but 
not  very  durable  ropes." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,   'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' vol.  iii.  p.  91  : 

"  Dillis  neatly  worked  of  koorajong 
bark." 

1849.  J.  P.  Townsend,  'Rambles  in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  214  : 

"  In  such  a  valley  in  which  stands 
a  spreading  corrijong  {Sterculia  diver- 
sifolia),  which  has  a  strong  resemblance 
to  the  English  oak,  I  constantly  found 
a  flock  of  sheep." 

1862.  W.  Archer,  'Products  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  41  : 

"  Currajong  {Plagianthus  sidoides ', 
Hook).  The  fibres  of  the  bark  are 
very  strong.  It  is  a  large  shrub,  found 
chiefly  on  the  southern  side  of  the 
Island,  in  various  and  shady  places, 
and  grows  rapidly." 

1878.  Rev.  W.  W.  Spicer,  '  Handbook 
of  the  Plants  of  Tasmania,'  p.  104  : 

"Plagianthus     sidoides^      Hooker. 


KUR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


257 


Currijong,  N.O.  Malvacece.     Peculiar 
to  Tasmania." 

1883.  G.    W.     Rusden,     'History     of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  77  : 

"The  currejong  of  the  forest,  and 
the  casuarina  which  lines  the  rivers, 
stand  with  brighter  green  in  cheering 
contrast  to  the  dulness  of  surrounding 
leaves." 

1884.  w-     R-    Guilfoyle,    '  Australian 
Botany'  (second  edition),  p.  162  : 


"The  aborigines  apply  the  name 
Kurrajong,  or  Currijong,  to  some 
[Pimeleas] ;  but  it  would  appear  that 
this  native  name  is  indiscriminately 
given  to  any  plant  possessing  a  tough 
bark." 

1888.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia.' 
vol.  iii.  p.  138  : 

"  Quaint  currajongs  .  .  .  very  like 
in  form  to  the  stiff  wooden  trees  we 
have  all  played  with  in  childish  days." 


258 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[LAB-LAM 


Laburnum,  Native,  n.  the  Tas- 
manian  Clover-tree  Goodenia  loti- 
folia,  Sal.,  N.O.  Leguminosce. 

Laburnum,  Sea-coast,  n.  also 
called  Golden  Chain,  Sophora  to- 
mentosa,  Linn.,  N.O.  Leguminosce  ; 
a  tall,  hoary  shrub. 

Lace-bark,  Lacey-bark,  or 
Lacewood,  n.  names  for  Ribbon- 
wood  (q.v.).  The  inner  bark  of 
the  tree  is  like  fine  lace. 

1876.  W.  N.  Blair,  'Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  IX.  art.  x.  p. 
175  : 

"  Ribbonwood,  Plagianthus  bctuli- 
nus,  botanical  name,  Hooker  ;  Whau- 
whi,  Maori  name,  according  to  Hector ; 
lace-bark  tree,  settlers'  name,  accord- 
ing to  Buchanan." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  'Out  in  the  Open': 

"The  soft,  bright-foliaged  ribbon- 
wood  (lace-bark,  Plagianthus)  con- 
trasts with  the  dusky  hue  of  the  dark- 
leaved  fagus.'; 

Lace-Lizard,  n.  Hydrosaurus 
(  Varanus)  varius.  See  Goanna. 

1881.  F.  McCoy,  'Prodomus  of  the 
Natural  History  of  Victoria,'  Dec.  4  : 

"  Although  the  present  Lace  Lizard 
is  generally  arboreal,  climbing  the 
forest  trees  with  ease,  and  running 
well  on  the  ground,  it  can  swim  nearly 
as  well  as  a  Crocodile." 

Lagorchestes,  n.  the  scientific 
name  for  a  genus  of  Australian 
marsupial  mammals,  called  the 
Hare-  Wallabies  or  Hare- Kangaroos 
(q.v.).  (Grk.  Aayws,  a  hare,  and 
6pXeo-r»7s,  a  dancer.)  They  live  on 
plains,  and  make  a  "  form  "  in  the 
herbage  like  the  hare,  which  they 
resemble. 

Lagostrophus,  n.  the  scientific 


name  of  the  genus  containing  the 
animal  called  the  Banded-  Wallaby. 
(Grk.  Aaytos,  a  hare,  and  o-rpo'^os,  a 
band  or  zone.)  Its  colour  is  a  grey- 
ish-brown, with  black  and  white 
bands,  its  distinguishing  charac- 
teristic. It  is  sometimes  called 
the  Banded '-  Kangaroo,  and  is 
found  at  Dirk  Hartog's  Island, 
and  on  one  or  two  islands  in 
Shark's  Bay,  and  in  West  Aus- 
tralia. For  its  interesting  habits 
see  R.  Lyddeker's  '  Marsupialia.' 

Lake-Trout,  «.  a  Tasmanian 
fish,  Galaxias  auratus,  family  Gal- 
axidce.  See  Mountain-Trout. 

Lamb  down,  v.  tr.  (i)  To 
knock  down  a  cheque  or  a  sum 
of  money  in  a  spree.  There  is  an 
old  English  verb,  of  Scandinavian 
origin,  and  properly  spelt  lamm, 
which  means  to  thrash,  beat. 

1873.  J.  B.  Stephens,   'Black  Gin,'  p. 
51  •• 
"  It  is  the  Bushman  come  to  town — 

Come  to  spend  his  cheque  in  town, 

Come  to  do  his  lambing  down." 

1890.   'The  Argus,'  June  7,  p.  4,  col.  2  : 
"  The  lambing  down  of  cheques." 
1890.  Ibid.  Aug.  9,  p.  4,  col.  5  : 
"The  old  woman  thought  that  we 

were  on  gold,  and  would  lamb  down 

at  the  finish  in  her  shanty." 

(2)  To  make  a  man  get  rid  of 
his  money  to  you  ;  to  clean  him 
out." 

1873.  Marcus  Clarke,  'Holiday  Peak, 
etc.,'  p.  21  : 

"  The  result  was  always  the  same — 
a  shilling  a  nobbier.  True,  that  Trow- 
bridge's  did  not  '  lamb  down '  so  well 
as  the  Three  Posts,  but  then  the  Three 
Posts  put  fig  tobacco  in  its  brandy 


LAM-LAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


259 


casks,  and  Trowbridge's  did  not  do 
that." 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  'Victoria  in  1880,' 
p.  130: 

"The  operation — combining  equal 
parts  of  hocussing,  overcharging,  and 
direct  robbery — and  facetiously  chris- 
tened by  bush  landlords  'lambing 
down.'" 

1890. V  The  Argus,'  Aug.  16,  p.  4,  col.  7  : 

"  One  used  to  serve  drinks  in  the 
bar,  the  other  kept  the  billiard-table. 
Between  them  they  lambed  down  more 
shearers  and  drovers  than  all  the  rest 
on  the  river." 

Lamprey,  n.  The  Australian 
Lampreys  are  species  of  the 
genera  Mordacia  and  Geotria,  of 
the  same  family  as  the  * '  Lamp- 
reys" of  the  Northern  Hemisphere. 

Lancelot,  n.  The  fishes  of  this 
name  present  in  Australasia  are — 
In  Queensland,  Epigonichthys  cul- 
tellus,  Peters,  family  Amplinga ;  in 
Victoria  and  New  South  Wales, 
species  of  Heteropleuron. 

Lancewood,  n.  There  are 
many  lancewoods  in  various  parts 
of  the  world.  The  name,  in  Aus- 
tralia, is  given  to  Backhousia  myr- 
tifolia,  Hook,  and  Harv.,  N.O. 
Myrtacea;  and  in  New  Zealand,  to 
Panax  crassifolium,  Dec.  and  Plan., 
N.O.  Araliacea,  known  as  Ivy-tree, 
and  by  the  Maori  name  of  Horoeka 
(q.v.). 

Landsborough  Grass,  n.  a 
valuable  Queensland  fodder  grass 
of  a  reddish  colour,  Anthistiria 
membranacea,  Lindl.,  N.O.  Gra- 
minece.  See  Grass. 

Lantern,  Ballarat,  n.  a  local 
term.  See  quotation. 

1875.  Wood  and  Lapham,  '  Waiting  for 
the  Mail,'  p.  21 : 

"I  may  explain  that  a  'Ballarat 
Lantern'  is  formed  by  knocking  off 
the  bottom  of  a  bottle,  and  putting  a 
candle  in  the  neck." 

Lark,  n.  common  English  bird 


lame.       The    Australian    species 
are — 

Brown  Song  Lark — • 
Cindoramphus  cruralis,  Vig.  and 

Hors. 
Bush  L— 

Mirafra  horsfieldii,  Gould. 
Field  L.— 

Calamanthus  campestris,  Gould. 
Ground  L. — 

Anthus  australis,  Vig.  and  Hors. 

(Australian  Pipit), 
A.  nova-zelandce,     Gray     (New 

Zealand  Pipit). 
Lesser  Bush  L. — 

Mirafra  secunda,  Sharpe. 
Little  Field  L.— 

Cathonicola  sagittata,  Lath.;  see 

Magpie-Lark. 
Magpie  L. — 

Grallina  picata,  Lath. 
Rufous  Song  L. — 

Cindoramphus  rufescens,  Vig.  and 

Hors. 
Striated  Field  L.— 

Calamanthus    fuliginosus,     Vig. 

and  Hors. 

See    Ground-Lark,    Sand- Lark, 
Pipit,  and  Magpie-Lark. 

Larrikin,  n.  The  word  has 
various  shades  of  meaning  be- 
tween a  playful  youngster  and  a 
blackguardly  rough.  Little  street- 
boys  are  often  in  a  kindly  way 
called  little  larrikins.  (See  quota- 
tions, 1870  and  1885.)  Archibald 
Forbes  described  the  larrikin  as 
"  a  cross  between  the  Street  Arab 
and  the  Hoodlum,  with  a  dash  of 
the  Rough  thrown  in  to  improve 
the  mixture."  ('  Century.')  The 
most  exalted  position  yet  reached 
in  literature  by  this  word  is  in 
Sir  Richard  Burton's  'Translation 
of  the  Arabian  Nights'  (1886-7), 
vol.  i.  p.  4,  Story  of  the  Larrikin 
and  the  Cook;  vol.  iv.  p.  281, 
Tale  of  First  Larrikin.  The  pre- 
vious translator,  Jonathan  Scott, 


260 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[LAR 


had   rendered   the   Arabic  word, 
Sharper. 

There  are  three  views  as  to  the 
origin  of  the  word,  viz. — 

(1)  That  it  is  a  phonetic  spell- 
ing of  the  broad  Irish  pronuncia- 
tion, with  a  trilled  r  of  the  word 
larking.      The  story  g-oes  that  a 
certain    Sergeant    Dalton,    about 
the  year  1869,  charged  a  youthful 
prisoner  at  the  Melbourne  Police 
Court  with    being   "  a-larrr-akiri1 
about   the   streets."     The    Police 
Magistrate,    Mr.    Sturt,    did    not 
quite  catch  the  word — "A  what, 
Sergeant  ?  " — "  A    larrikin',    your 
Worchup."       The     police     court 
reporter  used  the  word  the  next 
day  in   the   paper,  and   it   stuck. 
(See  quotation,  'Argus,'  1896.) 

This  story  is  believed  by  99 
persons  out  of  100  ;  unfortunately 
it  lacks  confirmation ;  for  the 
record  of  the  incident  cannot  be 
discovered,  after  long  search  in 
files  by  many  people.  Mr.  Skeat's 
warning  must  be  remembered — 
"As  a  rule,  derivations  which 
require  a  story  to  be  told  turn  out 
to  be  false."  *  ~*» 

(2)  That  the  word  is  thieves' 
English,  promoted  like  swag, plant, 
Hft,  etc.,  into  ordinary  Australian 
English.       Warders    testify   that 
for  a  number  of  years  before  the 
word   appeared    in  print,   it   was 
used  among  criminals  in  gaol  as 
two    separate    words,    viz. — leary 
('cute,  fly,   knowing),  and  kinchen 
(youngster),  —  *  leary     kinchen, '  - 
shortened   commonly   into    '  leary 
kin*  and   * leary  kid.'     Australian 
warders  and  constables  are  Irish, 
almost  to  a  man.     Their  pronun- 
ciation   of   *  leary  kin '  would   be 
very    nearly     *  lairy    kin,'    which 
becomes  the  single  word  larrikin. 
(See  quotation,  1871.)     It  is  pos- 
sible that  Sergeant  Dalton  used 


this  expression  and  was  misunder- 
stood by  the  reporter. 

(3)  The  word  has  been  derived 
from  the  French  larron  (a  thief), 
which  is  from  the  Latin  latronem 
(a  robber).  This  became  in  Eng- 
lish larry,  to  which  the  English 
diminutive,  kin,  was  added  ;  al- 
though this  etymology  is  always 
derided  in  Melbourne. 

1870.  'The  Daily  Telegraph'  (Mel- 
bourne), Feb.  7,  p.  2,  col.  3  : 

"  We  shall  perhaps  begin  to  think  of 
it  in  earnest,  when  we  have  insisted 
upon  having  wholesome  and  properly 
baked  bread,  or  a  better  supply  of 
fish,  and  when  we  have  put  down  the 
'  roughs '  and  '  larrikins.' " 

1870.   '  The  Age,'  Feb.  8,  p.  3,  col.  i  : 

"  In  sentencing  a  gang  of '  larrikins ' 
who  had  been  the  terror  of  Little 
Bourke-street  and  its  neighbourhood 
for  several  hours  on  Saturday  night, 
Mr.  Call  remarked.  ..." 

1870.  'The  Herald,'  April  4,  p.  3, 
col.  2  : 

"...  three  larikins  who  had  be- 
haved in  a  very  disorderly  manner  in 
Little  Latrobe-street,  having  broken 
the  door  of  a  house  and  threatened  to 
knock  out  the  eye  of  one  of  the 
inmates." 

1870.  Marcus    Clarke,     'Goody    Two 
Shoes,'  p.  26  : 

"  He's  a  lively  little  larrikin  lad,  and 
his  name  is  Little  Boy  Blue." 

1871.  'The    Argus,'   Sept.    19,    p.    5, 
col.  4 : 

"In  San  Francisco,  the  vagabond 
juveniles  who  steal,  smash  windows, 
and  make  themselves  generally  ob- 
noxious to  the  respectable  inhabitants, 
instead  of  being  termed  '  larrikins,'  as 
in  Victoria,  are  denominated  'hood- 
leums.'  The  name  is  more  musical 
than  the  one  in  vogue  here,  and  pro- 
bably equally  as  descriptive,  as  its 
origin  appears  to  be  just  as  obscure  as 
that  of  the  word  '  larrikin.'  This  word, 
before  it  got  into  print,  was  confined 
to  the  Irish  policemen,  who  generally 
pronounced  it  'lerrikan,'  and  it  has 
been  suggested  that  the  term  is  of 
Hibernian  origin,  and  should  be  spelt 
*  lerrichaun.' " 


LAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


261 


1871.  Sir  George  Stephen,  Q.C.,  '  Lar- 
rikinism,'  a.  Lecture  reported  in  '  Prahran 
Telegraph,'  Sept.  23,  p.  3,  col.  I  : 

"  What  is  Larrikinism  ?  It  is  a 
modern  word  of  which  I  can  only 
guess  the  derivation,  .  .  .  nor  can  I 
find  any  among  the  erudite  professors 
of  slang  who  adorn  our  modern  liter- 
ature who  can  assist  me.  Some  give 
our  police  the  credit  of  coining  it  from 
the  '  larking '  of  our  school  boys,  but  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  the  word  is 
of  Greek  origin — Laros,  a  cormorant — 
though  immediately  derived  from  the 
French '  larron '  which  signifies  a  thief 
or  rogue.  If  I  am  right,  then  larrikin 
is  the  natural  diminutive  form  in  Eng- 
lish phraseology  for  a  small  or  juvenile 
thief.  .  .  .  This  however  is,  I  must 
acknowledge,  too  severe  a  construction 
of  the  term,  even  if  the  derivation  is 
correct ;  for  I  was  myself,  I  frankly 
confess  it,  an  unquestionable  larrikin 
between  60  and  70  years  ago.  .  .  . 
Larrikinism  is  not  thieving,  though  a 
road  that  often  leads  to  it.  .  .  .  Is  it  a 
love  of  mischief  for  mischief's  sake  ? 
This  is  the  theory  of  the  papers,  and  is 
certainly  a  nearer  approach  to  the  true 
solution." 

1871.  '  Figaro,'  in  '  Prahran  Telegraph,' 
Sept.  30,  p.  7,  col.  3  : 

"A  local  contemporary  has  .  .  . 
done  his  '  level  best '  to  help  me  out 
of  my  '  difficulty ;  with  respect  to  the 
word  Larrikin.  He  suggests  that  ler- 
richan  should  read  leprichaim,  a  mis- 
chievous sprite,  according  to  Irish 
tradition.  .  .  .  We  think  we  may  with 
more  safety  and  less  difficulty  trace 
the  word  to  the  stereotype  [sic]  reply 
of  the  police  to  the  magisterial  ques- 
tion— '  What  was  he  doing  when  you 
apprehended  him?'  'Oh!  larriking 
(larking)  about,  yer  Wurtchip.3 " 

1872.  J.  S.  Elkington,   'Tenth  Report 
of  Education,  Victoria,'  dated  Feb.  14: 

"My  inquiries  into  the  origin  and 
habits  of  that  troublesome  parasite 
the  larrikin  (if  I  may  adopt  Constable 
Dalton's  term)  do  not  make  me 
sanguine  that  compulsory  primary  in- 
struction can  do  much  for  him,  unless 
indirectly." 

1875.  '  Spectator'  (Melbourne),  May  15, 
p.  21,  col.  3  : 

"On  Sunday  night  an  unfortunate 


Chinaman  was  so  severely  injured  by 
the  Richmond  larrikins  that  his  life 
was  endangered." 

1875.  David  Blair,  in  'Notes  and 
Queries,'  July  24,  p.  66  : 

"Bedouins,  Street  Arabs,  Juvenile 
Roughs  in  London  ;  Gamins  in  Paris  ; 
Bowery  Boys  in  New  York;  Hood- 
lums in  San  Francisco  ;  Larrikins  in 
Melbourne.  This  last  phrase .  is  an 
Irish  constable's  broad  pronunciation 
of  'larking'  applied  to  the  nightly 
street  performances  of  these  young 
scamps,  here  as  elsewhere,  a  real 
social  pestilence." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  'Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  338  : 

"There  is  not  a  spare  piece  of 
ground  fit  for  a  pitch  anywhere  round 
Melbourne  that  is  not  covered  with 
'  larrikins  '  from  six  years  old  upwards." 

1889.  Rev.  J.  H.  Zillmann,  '  Australian 
Life,'  p.  159  : 

"  It  has  become  the  name  for  that 
class  of  roving  vicious  young  men  who 
prowl  about  public-houses  and  make 
night  hideous  in  some  of  the  low  parts 
of  our  cities.  There  is  now  the  bush 
'  larrikin '  as  well  as  the  town  '  larrikin,' 
and  it  would  be  difficult  sometimes  to 
say  which  is  the  worse.  Bush  'larri- 
kins' have  gone  on  to  be  bush- 
rangers." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  May 26,  p.  6,  col.  7  : 
"  He   was   set   upon   by  a  gang  of 

larrikins,  who  tried  to  rescue  'the 
prisoner." 

1891.  '  Harper's  Magazine,'  July,  p.  215, 
col.  2  : 

"  The  Melbourne  '  larrikin '  has  dif- 
ferentiated himself  from  the  London 
'  rough,'  and  in  due  season  a  term  had 
to  be  developed  to  denote  the  differ- 
entiation." 

1893.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald,' Aug. 
12,  p.  13,  col.  2  : 

"Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  in  a 
recent  novel,  'The  Wrecker,'  makes 
the  unaccountable  mistake  of  con- 
founding the  unemployed  Domain 
loafer  with  the  larrikin.  .  This  only 
shows  that  Mr.  Stevenson  during  his 
brief  visits  to  Sydney  acquired  but  a 
superficial  knowledge  of  the  underlying 
currents  of  our  social  life." 

1896.  J.  St.  V.  Welch,  in  '  Australasian 


262 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[LAR 


Insurance  and  Banking  Record,'  May  19, 
P-  376: 

"  Whence  comes  the  larrikin  ?  that 
pest  of  these  so-called  over-educated 
colonies  ;  the  young  loafer  of  from 
sixteen  to  eight-and-twenty.  Who 
does  not  know  him,  with  his  weedy, 
contracted  figure ;  his  dissipated 
pimply  face ;  his  greasy  forelock 
brushed  flat  and  low  over  his  fore- 
head ;  his  too  small  iacket ;  his  tight- 
cut  trousers  ;  his  high-heeled  boots  ; 
his  arms — with  out-turned  elbows — 
swinging  across  his  stomach  as  he 
hurries  along  to  join  his  'push,'  as 
he  calls  the  pack  in  which  he  hunts 
the  solitary  citizen — a  pack  more  to 
be  dreaded  on  a  dark  night  than  any 
pack  of  wolves — and  his  name  in 
Sydney  is  legion,  and  in  many  cases 
he  is  a  full-fledged  voter. j; 

1896.  W.  H.  Whelan,  in  'The  Argus,' 
Jan.  7,  p.  6,  col.  3 : 

"  Being  clerk  of  the  City  Court,  I 
know  that  the  word  originated  in  the 
very  Irish  and  amusing  way  in  which 
the  then  well-known  Sergeant  Dalton 
pronounced  the  word  larking  in  respect 
to  the  conduct  of '  Tommy  the  Nut,' 
a  rowdy  of  the  period,  and  others  of 
both  sexes  in  Stephen  (now  Exhibition) 
street. 

"  Your  representative  at  the  Court, 
the  witty  and  clever  'Billy'  O'Hea, 
who,  alas  !  died  too  early,  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  appropriate  sound  of 
the  word  to  apply  it  to  rowdyism  in 
general,  and,  next  time  Dalton  repeated 
the  phrase,  changed  the  word  from 
verb  to  noun,  where  it  still  remains, 
anything  to  the  contrary  notwithstand- 
ing. I  speak  of  what  I  do  know,  for 
O'Hea  drew  my  attention  to  the  matter 
at  the  time,  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  a 
reference  to  your  files  would  show  that 
it  was  first  in  the  '  Argus '  the  word 
appeared  in  print." 

("  We  can  fully  confirm  Mr.  Whelan's 
account  of  the  origin  of  the  word 
'larrikin.'"— Ed.  'Argus.') 

[But  see  quotation  from  'Argus,' 
1871.] 

Larrikin,  adj. 

1878.   'The  Australian,'  vol.  i.  p.  522  : 
"Marks    the    young    criminals    as 
heroes   in   the  eyes   not   only   of  the 
ostensible  larrikin  element  . 


Larrikinalian,  adj.  (Not  com- 
mon.) 

1893.  '  Evening  Standard,'  July  5,  p.  4, 
col.  4  (Leading  Article)  : 

"  In  the  larrikinalian  din  which  pre- 
vailed from  start  to  finish  .  .  ." 

Larrikiness,  n.  a  female  larri- 
kin. 

1871.  '  Collingwood  Advertiser  and  Ob- 
server,' June  22,  p.  3,  col.  5 : 

"  Evidence  was  tendered  as  to  the 
manner  of  life  led  by  these  larikinesses 
.  .  .  The  juvenile  larrikin  element 
being  strongly  represented  in  court, 
all  the  boys  were  ordered  out." 

1871.  Sir  George  Stephen,  Q.C.,  '  Lar- 
rikinism,'  a  Lecture  reported  in  *  Prahran 
Telegraph,'  Sept.  23,  p.  3,  col.  I  : 

"  I  know  many  a  larrikiness  to  whose 
voice  I  could  listen  by  the  hour  with 
all  my  heart,  without  the  least  fear  of 
her  stealing  it,  even  if  it  were  worth 
the  trouble." 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  224  : 

"  I  have  not  found  the  larrikin  [in 
Brisbane].  .  .  .  The  slouch-hat,  the 
rakish  jib,  the  drawn  features  are  not 
to  be  seen  ;  nor  does  the  young  larri- 
kiness—  that  hideous  outgrowth  of 
Sydney  and  Melbourne  civilization — 
exist  as  a  class." 

Larrikinism,  n.  the  conduct  of 
larrikins  (q.v.). 

1870.  'The    Australian'    (Richmond, 
Victoria),  Sept.  10,  p.  3,  col.  3  : 

"  A  slight  attempt  at  '  larrikinism ' 
was  manifested.  ..." 

1871.  J.  J.   Simpson,   '  Recitations  and 
Rhymes,'  p.  17  : 

"Melbourne  larrikinism  is  still  very 

bad, 
By  the  papers  each  day  we  are  told." 

1875.  'Spectator'    (Melbourne),     June 
19,  p.  80,  col.  2  : 

"  He  took  as  his  theme  the  '  Dialect 
of  Victoria,'  which  was  coarse  and 
vulgar  to  a  degree.  '  Larrikinism ' 
was  used  as  a  synonym  for  'black- 
guardism.' " 

1876.  A.  P.  Martin,  '  Sweet  Girl-Grad- 
uate,' p.  2O  : 

"There  is  no  doubt  that  its  rising 
generation  afforded  material  for  letters 
in  the  newspapers,  under  the  headings 


LAU-LAW] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


263 


'Larrikinism,'  or,  'What  shall  we  do 
with  our  boys  ? ' " 

1893.   '  The  Argus,'  Feb.  23  : 

"  Outbreaks  of  larrikinism  are  not 
always  harmless  ebullitions  of  animal 
spirits.  Sometimes  they  have  very 
serious  results." 

Laughing    Jackass,    n.      See 

Jackass. 

Launce,  n.  The  Australian 
species  of  this  fish  is  Congrogradus 
subducens,  Richards.,  found  in 
North  -  West  Australia.  The 
Launces  or  Sand-eels  of  the  Nor- 
thern Hemisphere  belong  to  a 
different  group. 

Laurel,  n.  The  English  tree- 
name  is  applied  in  Australia  to 
various  trees,  viz. — 

Alexandrian  Laurel — 

Calophyllum    inophyllum,   Linn., 
N.O.  Guttifera  ;  not  endemic 
in  Australia. 
Diamond-leaf  L. — 

Pittosporum     rhombifolium,      A. 

Cunn.,  N.O.  Pittosporea. 
Dodder  L.— 

Cassytha  filiformis,  Linn.,  N.O. 
Lauracecz  ;  called  also  Devil's 
Guts,    not   endemic    in    Aus- 
tralia. 
Hedge  L.^(q.v.) — 

Pittosporum  eugenioides,  Cunn. 
Moreton  Bay  L. — 

Cryptocarya     australis,     Benth., 
N.O.  ^ Lauracea ;  called   also 
.  Grey  Sassafras. 
Native  L. — 

Pittosporum    undulatum,    Andr., 
N.  O.  Pittosporece  ;  called  also 
Mock  Orange  (q.v.). 
Panax  elegant,    C.    Moore    and 
F.    v.    M.,   N.O.    Araliacece  ; 
which  is  also  called  Light  or 
White  Sycamore. 
White  L.— 

Cryptocarya  glaucescens,  R.  Br., 
N.  O.  Lauracece ;  for  other 
names  see  Beech. 


In  Tasmania,  the  name  Native 
Laurel  is  applied  to  Anopterus 
glandulosus,  Lab.,jJV.  O.  Saxifrages. 
Peculiar  to  Tasmania. 

The  New  Zealand  Laurel  is 
Laurelia  novce-Zelandicz  ;  called  also 
Sassafras. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  292  : 

"  Native  Laurel,  [also  called]  *  Mock 
Orange.'  This  tree  is  well  worth  culti- 
vating on  a  commercial  scale  for  the 
sake  of  the  sweet  perfume  of  its 
flowers." 

Lavender,  Native,  n.  a  Tas- 
manian  tree,  Styphelia  australis, 
R.  Br.,  N.O.  Epacridece. 

Lawyer,  n.  One  of  the  Eng- 
lish provincial  uses  of  this  word 
is  for  a  thorny  stem  of  a  briar  or 
bramble.  In  New  Zealand,  the 
name  is  used  in  this  sense  for 
the  Rubus  australis,  N.  O.  Rosacea, 
or  Wild  Raspberry- Vine  (Maori, 
Tataramoa).  The  words  Bush- 
Lawyer,  Lawyer-  Vine,  and  Lawyer- 
Palm^  are  used  with  the  same 
signification,  and  are  also  applied 
in  some  colonies  to  the  Calamus 
australis,  Mart.  (called  also 
Lawyer-Cane},  and  to  Flagellaria 
indica,  Linn.,  similar  trailing 
plants. 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  ii.  p.  157  : 

"  Calamus  Australis,  a  plant  which 
Kennedy  now  saw  for  the  first  time.  .  . 
It  is  a  strong  climbing  palm.  From 
the  roots  as  many  as  ninety  shoots  will 
spring,  and  they  lengthen  out  as  they 
climb  for  hundreds  of  feet,  never  thicker 
than  a  man's  finger.  The  long  leaves 
are  covered  with  sharp  spines  ;  but 
what  makes  the  plant  the  terror  of  the 
explorers,  is  the  tendrils,  which  grow 
out  alternately  with  the  leaves.  Many 
of  these  are  twenty  feet  long,  and  they 
are  covered  with  strong  spines,  curved 
slightly  downwards." 

1867.  F.   Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 

P-  135  = 

"  Rubus  Australis,  the  thorny  strings 


264 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[LAW-LEA 


of  which  scratch  the  hands  and  face, 
and  which  the  colonists,  therefore,  very 
wittily  call  the  '  bush-lawyer.' " 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  71  : 

"  Torn  by  the  recurved  prickles  of 
the  bush-lawyer." 

1889.  Vincent  Pyke, '  Wild  Will  Ender- 
by,'  p.  16  : 

"  Trailing  '  bush-lawyers,'  interming- 
led with  coarse  bracken,  cling  lovingly 
to  the  rude  stones." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz, '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  103  : 

"  In  the  mountain  scrubs  there  grows 
a  very  luxuriant  kind  of  palm  (Calamus 
Australis],  whose  stem  of  a  finger's 
thickness,  like  the  East  Indian  Rotang- 
palm,  creeps  through  the  woods  for 
hundreds  of  feet,  twining  round  trees 
in  its  path,  and  at  times  forming  so 
dense  a  wattle  that  it  is  impossible  to 
get  through  it.  The  stem  and  leaves 
are  studded  with  the  sharpest  thorns, 
which  continually  cling  to  you  and 
draw  blood,  hence  its  not  very  polite 
name  of  lawyer-palm." 

1891.  A.  J.  North,  '  Records  of  Austra- 
lian Museum,'  vol.  i.  p.  118  : 

"  Who,  in  the  brushes  of  the  Tweed 
River,  found  a  nest  placed  on  a  mass 
of '  lawyer-  vines '  (Calamus  Australis}" 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  <  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  256  : 

"'Look  out,'  said  my  companion, 
4  don't  touch  that  lawyer-vine  ;  it  will 
tear  you  properly,  and  then  not  let  you 
go.'  Too  late  ;  my  fingers  touched  it, 
and  the  vine  had  the  best  of  it.  The 
thorns  upon  the  vine  are  like  barbed 
spears,  and  they  would,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Yankee,  tear  the  hide  off 
a  crocodile." 

1892.  'The  Times,'  [Reprint]  'Letters 
from  Queensland,'  p.  7  : 

"But  no  obstacle  is  worse  for  the 
clearer  to  encounter  than  the  lawyer- 
vines  where  they  are  not  burnt  off. 
These  are  a  form  of  palm  which 
grows  in  feathery  tufts  along  a  pliant 
stalk,  and  fastens  itself  as  a  creeper 
upon  other  trees.  From  beneath  its 
tufts  of  leaves  it  throws  down  trailing 
suckers  of  the  thickness  of  stout  cord, 
armed  with  sets  of  sharp  red  barbs. 
These  suckers  sometimes  throw  them- 
selves from  tree  to  tree  across  a  road 


which  has  not  been  lately  used,  and 
render  it  as  impassable  to  horses  as  so 
many  strains  of  barbed  wire.  When 
they  merely  escape  from  the  under- 
growth of  wild  ginger  and  tree-fern 
and  stinging-bush,  which  fringes  the 
scrub,  and  coil  themselves  in  loose 
loops  upon  the  ground,  they  are  dan- 
gerous enough  as  traps  for  either  man 
or  horse.  In  the  jungle,  where  they 
weave  themselves  in  and  out  of  the 
upright  growths,  they  form  a  web 
which  at  times  defies  every  engine  of 
destruction  but  fire." 

Lawyer-Cane,  Lawyer-Palm, 
and  Lawyer- Vine.  See  Lawyer. 

Lead,  n.  (pronounced  leed),  a 
mining  term.  In  the  Western 
United  States  and  elsewhere,  the 
term  lead  in  mining  is  used  as 
equivalent  for  lode.  In  Australia, 
the  word  lead  is  only  used  in  re- 
ference to  alluvial  mining,  and 
signifies  the  old  river-bed  in  which 
gold  is  found. 

1875.  '  Spectator '  (Melbourne),  June  19, 
p.  75,  col.  2: 

"There  was  every  facility  for  ab- 
stracting the  gold  in  the  rich  lead  of  a 
neighbour." 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  'Kamilaroi 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  272  [Note] : 

"  The  expression  '  deep  lead '  refers 
to  those  ancient  river-courses  which 
are  now  only  disclosed  by  deep-mining 
operations." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  <  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  v.  p.  55  : 

"Taking  the  general  matter  of 
'  leads '  or  dead  rivers,  it  chiefly  ob- 
tained that  if  gold  were  found  on  one 
portion  of  them,  it  extended  to  all  the 
claims  within  a  considerable  distance." 

Lead,  to  strike  the.  See 
above.  Used  figuratively  for  to 

succeed. 

1874.  Garnet  Walch, '  Head  over  Heels,' 
p.  74: 

"We  could  shy  up  our  caps  for  a 

feller, 
As  soon  as  he  struck  the  lead." 

Leadbeater,  n.  applied  to  a 
Cockatoo,  Cacatiia  leadbeateri,  Vig., 


LEA] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


265 


called     Leadbeater's     Cockatoo    by 
Major  Mitchell  (q.v.). 

1890.  Lyth,  '  Golden  South,'  c.  xiv.  p. 
127  : 

"  The  birds  are  very  beautiful— the 
Blue  Mountain  and  Lowrie  parrots 
.  .  .  leadbeater,  and  snow-white 
cockatoos." 

Leaf-insect,  n.     See  Phasmid. 

Lease,  n.  a  piece  of  land  leased 
for  mining  purposes.  In  England, 
the  word  is  used  for  the  docu- 
ment or  legal  right  concerning 
the  land.  In  Australia,  it.  is  used 
for  the  land  itself.  Compare 
Right-of-way. 

1890.   '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  15  : 
"  A  nice  block  of  stone  was  crushed 
from  Johnson's  lease." 

Lease  in  perpetuity,  a  statu- 
tory expression  in  the  most  recent 
lan'd  legislation  of  New  Zealand, 
indicating  a  specific  mode  of 
alienating  Crown  lands.  It  is  a 
lease  for  999  years  at  a  perma- 
nent rental  equal  to  4%  on  the 
capital  value,  which  is  not  subject 
to  revision. 

Leather-head,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Friar-bird  (q.v.),  Philemon 
corniculatus,  Lath.  See  Tropido- 
rhynchus. 

1847.  L.  -Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Ex- 
pedition/ p.  461  : 

"The  Leatherhead  with  its  con- 
stantly changing  call  and  whistling." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in 
Victoria,'  vol.  i.  p.  58  : 

"The  leather-heads  utter  their  settled 
phrase  '  Off  we  go  !  off  we  go  ! '  in  the 
woods,  or  they  come  to  suck  honey 
from  the  Melianthus  major,  which 
stands  up  like  a  huge  artichoke  plant, 
tipped  with  dark  red  plumes  of  flowers." 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  233 : 

"  Among  the  Honey-suckers  is  that 
singular-looking  bird,  the  Leatherhead, 
or  Bald-headed  Yu^n(Tropidorhynchus 
corniculattis) ;  it  is  commonly  seen 
upon  the  topmost  branches  of  lofty 
trees,  calling  '  Poor  Soldier,'  '  Pimlico,' 


'  Four  o'clock,'  and  uttering  screaming 
sounds.  It  feeds  upon  insects,  wild 
fruits,  and  any  sweets  it  can  procure 
from  the  flowers  of  the  Banksia  and 
Gum-trees." 

Leather-Jacket,  n.  (i)  A  name 
applied  popularly  and  somewhat 
confusedly  to  various  trees,  on 
account  of  the  toughness  of  their 
bark — (a)  Eucalyptus  punctata, 
DeC.,  Hickory  Eucalypti  (q.v.)  ; 
(b)  Alphitonia  excelsa,  Reiss.,  or 
Cooperswood  ;  (c)  Ceratopetalum, 
or  Coachwood ;  (d)  Cryptocarya 
meissnerii,  F.  v.  M.;  (e)  Weinmannia 
benthami,  F.  v.  M. 

(2)  A  fish   of  the  family  Sclero- 
dermi,  Monacanthus  ayraudi,  Quoy. 
and  Gaim.,  and  numerous  other 
species  of  Monocanthus.     Leather- 
Jackets  are  wide-spread  in  Aus- 
tralian seas.     The  name  is  given 
elsewhere  to    other   fishes.      See 
File-fish  and  Pig-fish. 

1770.  '  Capt.  Cook's  Journal,'  edition 
Wharton,  1893,  p.  246  : 

"  They  had  caught  a  great  number 
of  small  fish,  which  the  sailors  call 
leather  jackets,  on  account  of  their 
having  a  very  thick  skin  ;  they  are 
known  in  the  West  Indies." 

1773.  '  Hawkesworth's  Voyages,'  vol. 
iii.  p.  503 — '  Cook's  First  Voyage,'  May  4, 
1770  (at  Botany  Bay) : 

"  Small  fish,  which  are  well  known 
in  the  West  Indies,  and  which  our 
sailors  call  Leather  jackets,  because 
their  skin  is  remarkably  thick." 

1789.  W.  Tench,  '  Expedition  to  Botany 
Bay,'  p.  129  : 

"  To  this  may  be  added  bass,  mul- 
lets, skaits,  soles,  leather-jackets,  and 
many  other  species." 

(3)  A  kind  of  pancake. 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  151  : 

"A  plentiful  supply  of  'leather- 
jackets'  (dough  fried  in  a  pan)." 

1853.  Mossman  and  Banister,  'Australia 
Visited  and  Revisited,5  p.  126  : 

"  Our  party,  upon  this  occasion,  in- 
dulged themselves,  in  addition  to  the 
usual  bush  fare,  with  what  are  called 
'  Leather  jackets,'  an  Australian  bush 


266 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[LEA-LEG 


term  for  a  thin  cake  made  of  dough, 
and  put  into  a  pan  to  bake  with  some 
fat  ...  The  Americans  indulge  in  this 
kind  of  bread,  giving  them  the  name 
of '  Puff  ballooners,'  the  only  difference 
being  that  they  place  the  cake  upon 
-the  bare  coals  .  .  ." 

1855.  R.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  117  : 

"The  leather-jacket  is  a  cake  of 
mere  flour  and  water,  raised  with 
tartaric  acid  and  carbonate  of  soda 
instead  of  yeast,  and  baked  in  the 
frying-pan  ;  and  is  equal  to  any  muffin 
you  can  buy  in  the  London  shops." 

Leather-wood,  n.  i.q.  Pinkwood 
(q.v.). 

Leawill,  or  Leeangle  (with 
other  spellings),  n.  aboriginal 
names  for  a  native  weapon,  a 
-wooden  club  bent  at  the  striking 
end.  The  name  is  Victorian, 
especially  of  the  West  ;  probably 
derived  from  lea  or  leang,  or  lean- 
yook,  a  tooth.  The  aboriginal 
forms  are  langeel,  or  leanguel,  and 
led-wil,  or  le-ow-el.  The  curve 
evidently  helped  the  English  ter- 
mination, angle. 

1845.  Charles  Griffith,    'Present   State 
and  Prospects  of  the  Port  Phillip  District 
of  New  South  Wales/  p.  155  : 

'  The  liangle  is,  I  think,  described 
by  Sir  Thomas  Mitchell.  It  is  of  the 
shape  of  a  pickaxe,  with  only  one  pick. 
Its  name  is  derived  from  another 
native  word,  Hang,  signifying  a  tooth. 
It  is  a  very  formidable  weapon,  and 
used  only  in  war." 

1846.  J.    L.   Stokes,     '  Discoveries    in 
Australia,'  vol.  II.  c.  xiii.  p.  479  : 

"A  weapon  used  by  the  natives 
called  a  Liangle,  resembling  a  miner's 
pick." 

1863.  M.  K.  Beveridge,  '  Gatherings 
among  the  Gum-trees/  p.  56  : 

"  Let  us  hand  to  hand  attack  him 
With  our  Leeawells  of  Buloite." 

Ibid.  (In  Glossary)  p.  83  : 

"  Leeawell,  a  kind  of  war  club." 

1867.  G.    Gordon    McCrae,    'Mamba/ 
p.  9: 
"  The  long  liangle's  nascent  form   • 

Fore-spoke  the  distant  battle-storm." 


1886.   R.  Henty,  '  Australiana/  p.  21  : 
"  His  war-club  or  leeangle." 

1889.  P.  Beveridge,  '  Aborigines  of  Vic- 
toria and  Riverina/  p.  67  : 

"Of  those  [waddies]  possessing — 
we  might  almost  say  —  a  national 
character,  the  shapes  of  which  seem 
to  have  come  down  generation  after 
generation,  from  the  remotest  period, 
the  Leawill  is  the  most  deadly-looking 
weapon.  It  is  usually  three  feet  long, 
and  two  and  a  half  inches  thick,  having 
a  pointed  head,  very  similar  both  in 
shape  and  size  to  a  miner's  driving 
pick ;  in  most  cases  the  oak  (Cas- 
uarina)  is  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  this  weapon  ;  it  is  used  in  close 
quarters  only,  and  is  a  most  deadly 
instrument  in  the  hands  of  a  ruthless 
foe,  or  in  a  general  melee  such  as  a 
midnight  onslaught." 

Leeangle,  n.  i.q.  Leawill  (q.v.). 

Leek,  n.  a  small  parrot.     See 

Greenleek. 

Leek,  Native,  n.  a  poisonous 
Australian  plant,  Bulbine  bulbosa^ 
Haw.,  N.O.  Liliacecz.  Called  also 
Native  Onion.  Its  racemes  of 
bright  yellow  flowers  make  the 
paddocks  gay  in  spring. 

1889.  J.   H.    Maiden,    '  Useful   Native 
Plants/  p.  121  : 

"'Native  Onion,'  'Native  Leek. 
Mr.  W.  N.  Hutchinson,  Sheep  In- 
spector, Warrego,  Queensland,  reports 
of  this  plant:  'Its  effects  on  cattle 
.  .  .  are  .  .  .  continually  lying  down, 
rolling,  terribly  scoured,  mucous  dis- 
charge from  the  nose.' " 

Leg,  n.  mining  term.  A  pe- 
culiar ,form  of  quartz-reef,  form- 
ing a  nearly  vertical  prolongation 
of  the  saddle. 

1890.  'The  Argus/  June   i6th,   p.    6, 
col.  i  : 

"  It  may  also  be  observed  that  in 
payable  saddle  formations  a  slide 
intersects  the  reef  above  the  saddle 
coming  from  the  west,  and  turning 
east  with  a  wall  of  the  east  leg,  where 
the  leg  of  reef  is  observed  to  go  down 
deeper,  and  to  carry  a  greater  amount 
of  gold  than  in  ordinary  cases." 


LEG-LER] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


267 


Legitimacy,  n.  See  quotation. 
[Old  and  now  unused  slang.] 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  c  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  16 : 

"  Legitimacy — a  colonial  term  for 
designating  the  cause  of  the  emigra- 
tion of  a  certain  portion  of  our  popu- 
lation ;  i.  e.  having  legal  reasons  for 
making  the  voyage." 

[So  also  at  p.  116,  "  Legitimates."] 

Leguminous  Ironbark,  n.  a 
name  given  by  Leichhardt  to  the 
Queensland  tree  Erythrophl&um 
laboucherii,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Le- 
guminosa.  See  Ironbark. 

Leichhardt,  or  Leichhardt- 
Tree,  n.  an  Australian  timber-tree, 
Morinda  ritrifolia,  Linn.,  N.O. 
Rubiacece.  ;  called  also  Canary- 
wood  and  Indian  Mulberry.  In 
Queensland,  the  name  is  applied 
to  Sarcocephalus  cordatus,  Miq., 
N.  O.  Rubiacea,  a  large  timber-tree 
of  North  Queensland,  much  used 
in  building. 

1874.  M.  K.  Beveridge,  'Lost  Life,' 
p.  40: 

"  Groaning    beneath    the     friendly 

shade 

That    by  a    Leichhardt-tree   was 
made." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  'Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  258  : 

"The  Leichhardt  is  a  very  sym- 
metrical tree,  that  grows  to  a  height 
of  about  sixty  feet,  and  has  leaves 
rather  like  a  big  laurel." 

Leichhardt-Bean,  n.  See  Bean. 

Leichhardt's  Clustered-Fig, 
n.  i.q.  Clustered  Fig.  See  Fig. 

Lemon,  Desert,  n.    See  Desert 
emon. 

Lemon-scented  Gum,  n.    See 

rum. 

Lemon-scented  Ironbark,  n.  a 
lame   given    to  the    Queensland 
tree  Eucalyptus  staigeriana,    F.  v. 
N.O.    MyrtacecE.      See   Iron- 
.      The   foliage    of   this    tree 


yields  a  large  quantity  of  oil, 
equal  in  fragrance  to  that  of 
lemons. 

Lemon-Sole,  n.  In  England, 
the  name  is  applied  to  an  inferior 
species  of  Sole.  In  New  South 
Wales,  it  is  given  to  Plagusia  uni- 
color,  Macl.,  of  the  family  Pleu- 
ronectida  or  Flat-fishes.  In  New 
Zealand,  it  is  another  name  for 
the  New  Zealand  Turbot  (q.v.). 

Lemon,  Wild,  n.  a  timber  tree, 
Canthium  latifolium,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Rubiacece  ;  called  also  Wild 
Orange. 

Lemon- Wood,  n.  one  of  the 
names  given  by  settlers  to  the 
New  Zealand  tree  called  by 
Maoris  Tarata  (q.v.),  or  Mapau 
(q.v.).  It  is  Pittosporum  eugenoides, 
A.  Cunn.,  N.O.  Pittosporece. 

Leopard-Tree,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian tree,  Flindersia  maculosa  (or 
Strezleckiand],  F.  v.  M.,  N.O. 
Meliacece  ;  called  also  Spotted-Tree 
(q.v.),  and  sometimes,  in  Queens- 
land, Prickly  Pine. 

Lerp,  «.  an  aboriginal  word 
belonging  to  the  Mallee  District 
of  Victoria  (see  Mallee].  Some- 
times spelt  leurp,  or  laap.  The 
aboriginal  word  means  *  sweet.' 
It  is  a  kind  of  manna  secreted  by 
an  insect, Psylla  eucalypti,  and  found 
on  the  leaves  of  the  Mallee,  Eu- 
calyptus dumosa.  Attention  was 
first  drawn  to  it  by  Mr.  Thomas 
Dobson  (see  quotations).  A 
chemical  substance  called  Lerpa- 
myllum  is  derived  from  it ;  see 
Watts'  '  Dictionary  of  Chemistry,' 
Second  Supplement,  1875,  s.v. 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 

P-  73: 

"  The  natives  of  the  Wimmera  pre- 
pare a  luscious  drink  from  the  laap,  a 
sweet  exudation  from  the  leaf  of  the 
mallee  (Eucalyptus  dumosa)? 

1850.  T.  Dobson,  '  Papers  and  Proceed- 


268 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[LIF-LIG 


ings  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's 
Land/  vol.  i.  p.  235  : 

"The  white  saccharine  substance 
called  '  lerp/  by  the  Aborigines  in  the 
north-western  parts  of  Australia  Felix, 
and  which  has  attracted  the  attention 
of  chemists,  under  the  impression  that 
it  is  a  new  species  of  manna,  originates 
with  an  insect  of  the  tribe  of  Psyllidce, 
and  order  Hemiptera? 

1850.  Ibid.  p.  292 : 

"  Insects  which,  in  the  larva  state, 
have  the  faculty  of  elaborating  from 
the  juices  of  the  gum-leaves  on  which 
they  live  a  glutinous  and  saccharine 
fluid,  whereof  they  construct  for  them- 
selves little  conical  domiciles." 

1878.  R.  Brough  Smyth,  'The  Abori- 
gines of  Victoria/  vol.  i.  p.  211  : 

"Another  variety  of  manna  is  the 
secretion  of  the  pupa  of  an  insect  of 
the  Psylla  family  and  obtains  the  name 
of  lerp  among  the  aborigines.  At 
certain  seasons  of  the  year  it  is  very 
abundant  on  the  leaves  of  E.  dumosa, 
or  mallee  scrub  .  .  ." 

Lift,  v.  tr.  to  drive  to  market 
from  the  run. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Squatter's 
Dream/  c.  iv.  p.  45 : 

"  I  haven't  lifted  a  finer  mob  this 
season." 

1890.  'The  Argus/  June  14,  p.  4, 
col.  2: 

"We  lifted  7000  sheep." 

Light-horseman,  n.  obsolete 
name  for  a  fish  ;  probably  the  fish 
now  called  a  Sweep  (q.v.). 

1789.  W.  Tench,  '  Expedition  to  Botany 
Bay/  p.  129  : 

"  The  French  once  caught  [in  Botany 
Bay]  near  two  thousand  fish  in  one 
day,  of  a  species  of  grouper,  to  which, 
from  the  form  of  a  bone  in  the  head 
resembling  a  helmet,  we  have  given 
the  name  of  light  horseman." 

1793.  J.  Hunter,  'Voyage/  p.  410 
[Aboriginal  Vocabulary]: 

"Woolamie,  a  fish  called  a  light- 
horseman."  [But  see  WollomaiJ} 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales/  c.  iv.  p.  78  : 

"A  boat  belonging  to  the  Sirius 
caught  near  fifty  large  fish,  which 
were  called  light-horsemen  from  a 


bone  that  grew  out  of  the  head  like  a 
helmet." 

Lightwood,  n.  a  name  given 
to  various  trees.  See  Blackwood. 
It  is  chiefly  applied  to  Acacia 
melanoxylon,  R.Br.,  N.O.  Legumi- 
nosce.  See  quotations,  1843  and 
1889. 

1843.  I.  Backhouse,  '  Narrative  of  a 
Visit  to  the  Australian  Colonies/  p.  48  : 

"  Light  wood — Acacia  Melandxylon 
.  .  .  It  derives  its  name  from  swim- 
ming in  water,  while  the  other  woods 
of  V.  D.  Land,  except  the  pines, 
generally  sink.  In  some  parts  of  the. 
Colony  it  is  called  Blackwood,  on 
account  of  its  dark  colour." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes  ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  515: 

"Some  immense  logs  of  'light 
wood/  a  non  lucendo^  darker  than 
mahogany." 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  '  New  Rush/ p.  17: 
"  Arms  so  brown  and  bare,  to  look  at 
them 

Recalls    to    mind    the    lightwood's 
rugged  stem." 

1866.  H.    Simcox,    '  Rustic    Rambles/ 
P-  54: 
"  The  numerous  lightwood  trees  with 

sombre  shade 

Tend  to  enhance  the  richness  of  the 
glade." 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories/  c.  xv.  p.  1 1 1 : 

"  The  ex-owner  of  Lyne  wished  him- 
self back  among  the  old  lightwood 
trees." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants/  p.  359 : 

"  Called  '  Blackwood '  on  account  of 
the  very  dark  colour  of  the  mature 
wood.  It  is  .sometimes  called  *  Light- 
wood'  (chiefly  in  South  Tasmania, 
while  the  other  name  is  given  in  North 
Tasmania  and  other  places),  but  this 
is  an  inappropriate  name.  It  is  in 
allusion  to  its  weight  as  compared 
with  Eucalyptus  timbers.  It  is  the 
'Black  Sally'  of  Western  New  South 
Wales,  the  'Hickory'  of  the  southern 
portion  of  that  colony,  and  is  some- 
times called  '  Silver  Wattle.'  This  is 
considered  by  some  people  to  be  the 
most  valuable  of  all  Australian  timbers. 


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AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


269 


it  is  hard  and  close-grained;  much 
valued  for  furniture,  picture-frames, 
cabinet-work,  fencing,  bridges,  etc., 
railway,  and  other  carriages,  boat- 
building, for  tool-handles,  gun-stocks, 
naves  of  wheels,  crutches,  parts  of 
organs,  pianofortes  (sound-boards  and 
actions),  etc." 

Light  Yellow- wood,  i.q.  Long- 
Jack  (o^.). 

Lignum  (i),  or  Lignum- Vitse, 
n.  The  name  is  applied  to  several 
trees,  as  Myrtus  acmenioides, 
F.  v.  M.,  called  also  White 
Myrtle;  Acacia  falcata,  Willd., 
N.O.  LeguminoscE,  called  also 
Hickory  and  Sally ;  but  chiefly  to 
Eucalyptus  polyanthema,  Schau., 
N.O.  Myrtacecz. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  505 : 

"  \E.  polyantkema.}  The  « Red  Box ' 
of  South-eastern  Australia.  Called 
also  '  Brown  Box,'  '  Grey  Box,'  and 
*  Bastard  Box.'  *  Poplar-leaved  Gum ' 
is  another  name,  but  it  is  most  com- 
monly known  as  *  Lignum  Vitas '  be- 
cause of  its  tough  and  hard  wood. 
Great  durability  is  attributed  to  this 
wood,  though  the  stems  often  become 
hollow  in  age,  and  thus  timber  of  large 
dimensions  is  not  readily  afforded.  It 
is  much  sought  after  for  cogs,  naves 
and  felloes ;  it  is  also  much  in  demand 
for  slabs  in  Amines,  while  for  fuel  it  is 
unsurpassed.  (Mueller.)  Its  great 
hardness  is  against  its  general  use." 

(2)  A  bushman's  contraction 
for  any  species  of  the  wiry  plants 
called  polygonum. 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  [writing  of  the  Lachlan 
district,  New  South  Wales]  p.  180  : 

"  The  poor  emus  had  got  down  into 
the  creek  amongst  the  lignum  bushes 
for  a  little  shade  ...  I  do  not  know 
what  a  botanist  would  call  them  ;  they 
are  something  like  cane,  but  with 
large  leaves,  which  all  animals  are 
fond  of,  and  they  grow  about  eight 
feet  high  in  the  creeks  and  gullies." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  135  : 

"  By  mulga  scrub  and  lignum  plain." 


Lilac,  n.  name  given  in  Aus- 
tralia to  the  tree  Melia  composita, 
Willd.,  N.O.  Meliacea,  called  Cape 
Lilac.  It  is  not  endemic  in  Aus- 
tralia, and  is  called  "  Persian 
Lilac"  in  India.  In  Tasmania 
the  name  of  Native  Lilac  is  given 
to  Prostanthera  rotundifolia,  R.  Br., 
N.O.  Labiate,  and  by  Mrs.  Mere- 
dith to  Tetrathecd  juncea,  Smith, 
of  the  Linnean  Order,  Octandria. 

1793.  J.  E.  Smith,  '  Specimen  of  Botany 
of  New  Holland,'  p.  5  : 

"  Tetratheca  juncea,  Rushy  Tetra- 
theca  [with  plate]." 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  ii.  p.  69  : 

"A  little  purple  flower,  which  is 
equally  common,  so  vividly  recalls  to 
my  mind,  both  by  its  scent  and  colour, 
an  Old-World  favorite,  that  I  always 
know  it  as  the  native  Lilac  ( Tetratheca 
jtmcea}." 

Lily,  Darling,  n.  a  bulbous 
plant,  Crinum  flaccidum,  Herb., 
N.O.  Amaryllidece  ;  called  also  the 
Murray  Lily.  (See  Lily,  Murray. ) 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  20 : 

"The  'Darling  Lily.'  This  exceed- 
ingly handsome  white-flowered  plant, 
which  grows  back  from  the  Darling, 
has  bulbs  which  yield  a  fair  arrowroot. 
On  one  occasion,  near  the  town  of 
Wilcannia,  a  man  earned  a  handsome 
sum  by  making  this  substance  when 
flour  was  all  but  unattainable." 

Lily,  Flax,  n.  See  Flax-Lily, 
and  Flax,  New  Zealand. 

Lily,  Giant-,  or  Spear-,  n.  a 
fibre  plant,  Doryanthes  excelsa, 
Corr.,  N.O.  Amaryllidecz. 

i860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  339 : 

"  The  Doryanthes  excelsa,  a  gigantic 
Lily  of  Australia,  is  a  magnificent 
plant,  with  a  lofty  flowering  spike. 
The  bunches  or  clusters  of  crimson 
flowers  are  situated  in  the  summit  of 
the  flowering  spike  .  .  .  The  diameter 
of  a  cluster  of  blossoms  is  about  14 
inches  .  .  .  The  flower-buds  are  of  a 
brilliant  crimson,  and  the  anthers  of 


270 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[LIL-LIM 


the  stamens  are,  in  the  recently  ex- 
panded flower,  of  a  dark-green  colour." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  621 : 

"  '  Spear  Lily.'  <  Giant  Lily.'  The 
leaves  are  a  mass  of  fibre,  of  great 
strength,  which  admits  of  preparation 
either  by  boiling  or  maceration,  no 
perceptible  difference  as  to  quality  or 
colour  being  apparent  after  heckling. 
Suitable  for  brush  making,  matting, 
etc." 

Lily,  Gordon,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
plant  and  its  flower,  Blandfordia 
marginata,  Herb.,  N.O.  Liliacca, 
and  other  species  of  Blandfordia 
(q.v.). 

1835.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  72: 

"  Blandfordia  nobilis.  This  splendid 
plant  is  common  on  the  west  coast 
and  on  the  shores  of  the  Mersey.  It 
bears  a  head  of  pendulous  scarlet 
blossoms  tipped  with  yellow,  one  inch 
long,  rising  out  of  a  stalk  of  from  i^ 
to  3  feet  long,  from  between  two  op- 
posite series  of  strapshaped  leaves. 
It  is  named  after  George  [Gordon] 
Marquis  of  Blandford,  son  of  the 
second  Duke  of  Marlborough." 

Lily,  Murray,  n.  i.q.  Darling 
Lily.  See  above. 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller,  *  Botanic  Teachings,' 
p.  119: 

"This  showy  genus  Crinum  furnishes 
also  Victoria  with  a  beautiful  species, 
the  Murray  Lily  (Crinum  flaccidum\ 
not  however  to  be  found  away  from 
the  Murray- River  southward." 

Lilly-Pilly,  n.  name  given  to  a 
large  timber  tree,  Eugenia  smithii, 
Poir.,  N.O.  Myrtacece.  The  bark 
is  rich  in  tanning.  Sometimes 
called  Native  Banana. 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  '  Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  327 : 

"The  Lillipilly-trees,  as  they  are 
named  by  the  colonists,  consist  of 
several  species  of  Acmena,  and  are  all 
of  elegant  growth  and  dense  and 
handsome  foliage." 

1879.  Rev-  J-  E-  Tenison-Woods, 
'  Proceedings  of  the  Linnsean  Society  of 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  134  : 


"  Etigenia  Smithii,  or  Lilli  pilli,  and 
Melodorum  Leichhardtii  are  also  fair 
eating.  The  latter  goes  by  the  name 
of  the  native  banana  though  it  is  very 
different  from  a  banana,  and  in  reality 
allied  to  the  custard  apple." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  ' Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  29 : 

" <  Lilly  Pilly.'  The  fruits  are  eaten 
by  aboriginals,  small  boys,  and  birds. 
They  are  formed  in  profusion,  are 
acidulous  and  wholesome.  They  are 
white  with  a  purplish  tint,  and  up  to 
one  inch  in  diameter." 

Lily,  Rock,  n.  an  orchid,  Den- 
drobium  speciosum.  Smith,  N.O. 
Orchidece.  Although  not  a  Lily, 
it  is  always  so  called,  especially 
in  Sydney,  where  it  is  common. 

1879.  H-  N-  Moseley,  'Notes  by 
Naturalist  on  Challenger,'  p.  270 : 

"A  luxuriant  vegetation,  with  huge 
masses  of  Stagshorn  Fern  (Platyce- 
rium}  and  '  rock-lilies '  (orchids),  and  a 
variety  of  timbers,  whilst  there  are 
Tree-ferns  and  small  palms  in  the 
lateral  shady  gullies." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  22 : 

"'Rock  Lily.3  The  large  pseudo- 
bulbs  have  been  eaten  by  the  abori- 
ginals; they  contain  little  nutritive 
matter." 

Lily,  Water,  n.  There  are 
several  indigenous  native  varieties 
of  the  N.  O.  Nymphceacece — Cabombia 
peltata,  Pursh  ;  Nymphcea  gigantea, 
Hook.  (Blue  Water-lily}. 

Lily,  Yellow,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
name  for  Bulbine  bulbosa,  Haw., 
N.  O.  Liliacece.  See  Leek,  Native. 

Lime,  Native,  n.  an  Australian 
tree,  Citrus  australasica,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Rutacecz  ;  called  also  Finger 
Lime  and  Orange.  But  the  appel- 
lation of  Native  Lime  is  more 
generally  given  to  Citrus  australis, 
Planch.,  N.O.  Rutacea. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  16: 

"' Native  Lime.  Orange.'  The  fruit, 
which  is  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter, 


LIN-LOG] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


271 


and  almost  globular,  yields  an  agree- 
able beverage  from  its  acid  juice." 

Ling,  n.  a  fish.  The  name  is 
given  in  England  to  various  fishes, 
from  their  length.  In  New  Zea- 
land and  Tasmania,  it  is  applied  to 
Genypterus  blacodes,  Forst.  ;  also 
called  Cloudy  Bay  Cod.  Lotella  mar- 
ginata,  Macl.,is  called  Ling,  in  New 
South  Wales,  and  Beardie.  Genyp- 
terus belongs  to  the  Ophidiida*.  and 
Lotella  to  the  next  family,  the 
Gadidce. 

Lobster,  n.  The  name  is  often 
carelessly  used  in  Australia  for 
the  Crayfish  (q.v.). 

Lobster's  -  Claw,  n.  another 
name  for  Sturfs  Desert  Pea  (q.v.). 

Locust,  n.  name  popularly  but 
quite  erroneously  applied  to  in- 
sects belonging  to  two  distinct 
orders. 

(1)  Insects    belonging    to    the 
order  Hemiptera.    The  great  black 
Cicada,     Cicada    mcerens,    Germ., 
and  the  great  green  Cicada,  Cy- 
chchila  australasia,  Donov. 

(2)  Insects    belonging    to    the 
order    Orthoptera,    such     as    the 
great    green     gum-tree     grass- 
hopper, Lo&usta  vigentissima,  Serv., 
or  the  Australian  yellow-winged 
locust,  Oedipoda  musica,  Fab. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  I.  c.  ix.  p.  285  : 

"The  trees  swarmed  with  large 
locusts  (the  Cicada],  quite  deafening 
us  with  their  shrill  buzzing  noise." 

1862.  F.  J.  Jobson,  '  Australia,'  c.  iv. 
p.  104 : 

"  We  heard  everywhere  on  the  gum- 
trees  the  cricket-like  insects — usually 
called  locusts  by  the  colonists— hissing 
their  reed-like  monotonous  noise." 

1869.  J.  Townend,  'Reminiscences  of 
Australia,'  p.  155  : 

"  The  perpetual  song  of  unnumbered 
locusts." 

1885.   H.  H.  Hayter,  'Carboona,'  p.  5  : 

"  The  deaf  ning  hum  of  the  locusts." 


1885.  F.  McCoy,  'Prodromus  of  the 
Natural  History  of  Victoria,'  Dec.  5,  pi. 

5°: 

"  Our  Cicada  moerens  .  .  .  produces 
an  almost  deafening  sound  from  the 
numbers  of  the  individuals  in  the 
hottest  days  and  the  loudness  of  their 
noise."  "  This  species  (Cydochila  Aus- 
tralasia] is  much  less  abundant  than 
the  C.  moerens,  and  seems  more  con- 
fined to  moist  places,  such  as  river 
banks  and  deep  ravines  and  gullies." 

1889.  F.  McCoy,  'Prodromus  of  the 
Natural  History  of  Victoria,'  Dec.  n,  pi. 
no: 

"The  great  size  of  the  muscular 
thighs  of  the  posterior  pair  of  feet 
enables  the  Locusts  to  jump  much 
higher,  further,  and  more  readily  than 
Grasshoppers,  giving  an  example  of 
muscular  power  almost  unparalleled 
in  the  animal  kingdom." 

1896.  F.  A.  Skuse,  *  Records  of  Aus- 
tralian Museum,'  vol.  ii.  No.  7,  p.  107 : 

"What  are  commonly  styled  'locusts 
in  this  country  are  really  Cicadce, 
belonging  to  a  totally  distinct  and 
widely  separated  order  of  insects.  And 
moreover  the  same  kind  of  Cicada  is 
known  by  different  names  in  different 
localities,  such  as  'Miller,'  'Mealy- 
back,'  etc.  The  true  locusts  belong  to 
the  grasshoppers,  while  the  Homo- 
pterous  Cicadidce  have  been  known  as 
Cicadas  from  times  of  remote  anti- 
quity." 

Locust-tree,  of  New  Zealand, 
See  Kowhai. 

Logan-Apple,  n.  a  small 
Queensland  tree,  with  an  acid 
fruit,  Acronychia  acidia,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Rutacece. 

Log-hut,  TZ.  Log-cabin  is  Ameri- 
can. Log-hut  is  Australian. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  178  : 

"  Not  more  than  ten  settlers  had 
been  able  to  erect  dwellings  better 
than  log-huts."  [This  was  in  Sydney, 
1796.] 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  I.  c.  ix.  p.  287  : 

"  Captain  Fyans  was  living  in  a  log- 
hut  on  the  banks  of  the  Marabool 
river." 


.272 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[LOG-LON 


Miner's 


1890.      Rolf     Boldrewood, 
Right,'  c.  vi.  p.  6 1  : 

"Log-huts,  with  the  walls  built 
American  fashion,  of  horizontal  tree- 
trunks." 

Log-Runner,  n.  an  Australian 
bird,  called  also  a  Spinetail.  The 
species  are — Black-headed,  Ortho- 
nyx  spaldingi,  Ramsay  ;  Spine- 
tailed,  O.  spinicatida,  Temm.,  called 
also  Pheasant's  Mother.  See 
Orthonyx. 

Logs,  n.  pi.  the  Lock-up. 
Originally,  in  the  early  days,  a 
log-hut,  and  often  keeping  the 
name  when  it  was  made  a  more 
secure  place.  Sometimes,  when 
there  was  no  lock-up,  the  prisoners 
werechained  to  heavy  logs  of  trees. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  184  : 

"  The  governor  resolved  on  building 
a  large  log  prison  both  at  Sydney  and 
Paramatta,  and  'as  the  affair  cried 
haste,'  a  quantity  of  logs  were  ordered 
to  be  sent  in  by  the  various  settlers, 
officers  and  others."  [p.  196]:  "The 
inhabitants  of  Sydney  were  assessed  to 
supply  thatch  for  the  new  gaol,  and  the 
building  was  enclosed  with  a  strong 
high  fence.  It  was  80  feet  long,  the 
sides  and  ends  were  of  strong  logs,  a 
double  row  of  which  formed  each  par- 
tition. The  prison  was  divided  into 
22  cells.  The  floor  and  the  roof  were 
logs,  over  which  was  a  coat  eight  inches 
deep  of  clay." 

1851.  Letter  from  Mrs.  Perry,  given  in 
Canon  Goodman's  '  Church  of  Victoria 
during  Episcopate  of  Bishop  Perry,'  p. 
164  : 

"One  [sentry]  at  the  lock-up,  a 
regular  American  log-hut."  [sic.  But 
in  America  it  would  have  been  called 
a  log- cabin.] 

1888.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  193  : 

"  Let's  put  him  in  the  Logs  .  .  .  The 
lock-up,  like  most  bush  ones,  was 
built  of  heavy  logs,  just  roughly 
squared,  with  the  ceiling  the  same 
sort." 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Sydney- 
•side  Saxon,'  p.  in  : 

"'He'll  land   himself  in    the   logs 


about  that  same  calf  racket  if  he 
doesn't  look  out,  some  day.'  '  Logs  ! ' 
I  says.  '  There  don't  seem  to  be  many 
about  this  part.  The  trees  are  all  too 
small.'" 

Log  up,  v.  to  make  a  log-sup- 
port for  the  windlass. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Miner's  Right,' 
c.  v.  p.  54 : 

"  We  .  .  .  had  logged  up  and  made 
a  start  with  another  shaft." 

Lolly,  «.,//.  Lollies.  The  Eng- 
lish word  lollipop  is  always  short- 
ened in  Australia,  and  is  the 
common  word  to  the  exclusion  of 
others,  e.g.  sweets.  Manufac- 
turers of  sweetmeats  are  termed 
Lolly-makers. 

1871.  J.  J.  Simpson,  'Recitations,'  p. 
24: 

"  Lollies  that  the  children  like." 

1874.  Garnet  Walch,  '  Head  over  Heels,' 
p.  18: 

"  Common  children  fancy  lollies, 
Eat  them  'gainst  their  parents'  wills." 
1882.  A.  J.    Boyd,  'Old  Colonials,'  p. 

165: 
"  I  thankfully  expended  the  one  in 

bile-producing  cakes  and  lollies." 

1893.  '  Evening  Standard'  (Melbourne), 
Oct.  1 8,  p.  6,  col.  2  : 

"Mr.  Patterson  (musing  over  last 
Saturday's  experiences)  :  You're  going 
to  raise  the  price  of  lollies.  I'm  a 
great  buyer  of  them  myself.  (Laugh- 
ter.) If  you  pay  the  full  duty  it 
will,  doubtless,  be  patriotic  for  me  to 
buy  more  when  I  go  amongst  the 
juveniles." 

Long-fin,  n.  name  given  to  the 
fish  Caprodon  schlegelii,  Giinth., 
and  in  New  South  Wales  to 
Anthias  longimanus,  Giinth. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  33  : 

"  The  long-fin,  Anthias  longtmanus, 
Giinth.,  is  a  good  fish  that  finds  its  way 
to  the  market  occasionally  .  .  .  may 
be  known  by  its  uniform  red  colour,  and 
the  great  length  of  the  pectoral  fins." 

Long-Jack,  name  given  to  the 
tree  Flindersia  oxleyana,  F.  v.  M., 


I.ON-LOR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


273 


N.  O.  Meliacea  ;  called  also  Light 
Yellow-Wood. 

Long-sleever,  n.  name  for  a 
big  drink  and  also  for  the  glass  in 
which  it  is  contained.  Perhaps 
in  allusion  to  its  tall,  tapering,  long 
shape. 

1888.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iii.  p.  83  : 

"  Their  drivers  had  completed  their 
regulation  half-score  of '  long-sleevers ' 
of 'she-oak.';' 

Long-Tom,  n.  name  given  in 
Sydney  to  Belone  ferox,  Giinth.,  a 
species  of  Garfish  which  has  both 
jaws  prolonged  to  form  a  slender 
beak.  See  Garfish. 

Long-Yam.     See  Yam. 

Look,  v.  tr.  to  examine. 

1874.  W.  H.  L.  Ranken,  '  Dominion  of 
Australia,'  c.  vi.  p.  105  : 

"  Plains  are  scoured  and  every  piece 
of  timber  looked."  [sc.  looked-over.] 

Lope,  n.  a  slow  and  steady  gal- 
lop. From  Dutch  verb  loopen, 
to  leap,  to  run.  The  word  is 
American  rather  than  Australian. 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  35  : 

"  Every  body  gallops  here,  or  at 
least  goes  at  a  canter — which  they  call 
the  Australian  lope." 

Loquat,  a  Chinese  word  mean- 
ing "  Rush-orange,"  Photinia 
japonica.  Being  highly  orna- 
mental and  bearing  a  pleasant 
stony  juicy  fruit  of  the  colour  and 
size  of  a  small  orange,  it  has 
been  introduced  into  nearly  all 
Australian  gardens.  The  name 
.Native  Loquat  has  been  given  to 
an  indigenous  shrub,  Rhodomyrtus 
macrocarpa,  Benth.,  N.O.  Myr- 
tacece. 

Lorikeet,    n.    a   bird-name,    a 
little  Lory  (q.v.).     The  species  in 
Australia  are — 
Blue-bellied  Lorikeet — 

Trichoglossus    novce-hollandicz, 
Gmel. 


Blue-faced  L. — 

Cydopsitta  macleayana,  Ramsay. 
Little  L.— 

Trichoglossus pusittuS)  Shaw. 
Musk  L.— 

T.  concinnus,  Shaw. 
Purple-crowned  L. — 

T.  porphyrocephalus ,  Dietr. 
Red-collared  L.— 

T.  rubritorqus,  Vig.  and  Hors. 
Red-faced  L. — 

Cydopsitta  coxenii,  Gould. 
Scaly-breasted  L. — 

Trichoglossus   chlorolepidotus , 

Kuhl. 
Swift  L.— 

Lathamus  discolor,  Shaw. 
Varied  L.— 

Trichoglossus  versicolor,  Vig. 

The  following  table  gives 
Gould's  classification  in  1848  : — 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  v. 

Plate 

Lathamus  discolor,  Swift  Lorikeet     47 
Trichoglossus    Novcz  -  Hollandice, 

Jard.  and  Selb.,  Swainson's  L.  48 
T.  rubritorquis,  Vig.  and  Horsf., 

Red-collared  L 49 

T.   chlorolepidotus,  Scaly-breasted 

L 50 

T.  versicolor,  Vig.,  Varied  L.       ...  51 

T.  concinnus,  Musky  L 52 

T.   porphyrocephalus,    Diet.,  Por- 
phyry-crowned L 53 

T.  pusillus,  Little  L 54 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  June  7,  p.  13, 
col.  4 : 

"On  the  hill-sides  the  converse  of 
the  lorikeets  as  they  drain  the  honey- 
cups  and  swing  and  chatter  in  low 
undertones  the  whole  day  long." 

Lory,  n.  a  bird-name.  The 
word  is  Malay.  (See  'Encyclopaedia 
Britannica,'  vol.  xv.)  It  is  often 
spelt  Lowrie  in  Australia.  The 
species  in  Australia  are — 

Crimson-winged  Lory — 

Aprosmictus  coccineopterus ,  Gould. 
King  L.— 

A.  scapulatus,  Bechst. 


2/4 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[LOT-LUB 


Red-winged  Lory — 
A.  erythropterus,  Gmel. 

1848.  Gould's  '  Birds  of  Australia,'  vol. 
v.  : 

"  Aprosmictus  scapulatus,  king  lory  ; 
erythropturiiS)  red-winged  lory." 

Lotus-bird,  n.  Parr  a  gallinacea, 
Temm.  ;  called  also  the  Jacana 
(q.v.),  and  the  Parra  (q.v.). 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  22: 

"  The  most  striking  bird  on  the 
lagoon  is  doubtless  the  beautiful  Parra 
gallinacea,  which  in  Australia  is  called 
the  lotus-bird.  It  sits  on  the  leaves 
that  float  on  the  water,  particularly 
those  of  the  water-lily." 

Lowan,  n.  aboriginal  bird- 
name  for  Leipoa  ocellata,  Gould. 
The  name  is  used  for  the  bird  in 
Victoria  and  in  the  south-east 
district  of  South  Australia.  In  the 
Mallee  district,  it  is  called  Mallee- 
btrdy  Mallei  fowl,  Mallee-hen  (q.v.) ; 
in  South  Australia,  Native  Pheasant 
(q.v.)  ;  and  in  various  parts  of 
Australia,  the  Scrub-Turkey.  The 
county  called  Lowan,  after  the 
bird,  is  in  the  Mallee  country  in 
the  west  of  Victoria.  See  Turkey. 

1888.  RolfBoldrewood,  '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  171  : 

"The  lowan  (Mallee-hen,  they're 
mostly  called).  The  lowan  eggs — beau- 
tiful pink  thin-shelled  ones  they  are, 
first-rate  to  eat,  and  one  of  'em  a 
man's  breakfast."  ' 

1890.  A.  H.  S.  Lucas,  'Handbook  of 
the  Australasian  Association  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science,'  Melbourne,  p.  68  : 

"  To  the  dry,  arid  Mallee  Scrub  of 
the  Western  District  is  a  radical 
change  of  scene.  There  the  so-called 
Mallee  hen,  or  Native  name,  Lowan 
(Leipoa  ocellata),  loves  to  dwell." 

1896.   '  The  Argus,'  Aug.  4,  p.  5,  col.  2  : 

"  The  postmaster  at  Nhill  had  drawn 
the  attention  of  the  Deputy  Post- 
master-General to  the  large  number 
of  letters  which  are  received  there 
addressed  to  '  Lowan.'  It  should  be 
understood  that  this  is  the  name  of  a 
county  containing  several  postal  dis- 


tricts, and  correspondents  should  be 
more  specific  in  their  addresses." 

Lowrie,  n.  a  bird-name.  An 
Australian  variant  of  Lory  (q.v.). 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip 
in  1849,'  P-  40  : 

"  A  great  many  species  of  the  parrot 
are  found  ;  and  of  these  the  King 
Parrot  is  the  most  beautiful,  and  that 
called  the  Lowrie  is  perhaps  the  most 
docile." 

1890.  Lyth,  'Golden  South, 'p.  127: 
"  The  birds  are  very  beautiful— the 
Blue  Mountain  and  Lowrie  parrots . . .' 

Lubra,  n.  aboriginal  name  for 
a  black  woman.  The  name 
comes  from  Tasmania,  appearing 
first  in  the  form  loubra,  in  a  vo- 
cabulary given  in  the  'Voyage 
de  De"couvertes  de  1'Astrolabe  * 
(Paris,  1834),  vol.  vii.  p.  9,  and 
was  obtained  from  a  Tasmanian 
woman,  belonging  to  Port  Dal- 
rymple  on  the  Tamar  River.  It 
is  probably  a  compound  of  the 
Tasmanian  words  loa  or  Iowa,  a 
woman,  and  proi  (with  variants), 
big.  In  Victoria,  the  use  of  the 
word  began  at  the  Hopkins 
River  and  the  vicinity,  having 
been  introduced  by  settlers  from 
Tasmania,  but  it  was  generally 
adopted  south  of  the  Murray. 
North  of  the  Murray  the  native 
women  were  called  Gins  (q.v.). 
Both  words  are  now  used  indis- 
criminately. 

1855.  W.  Blandowski,  '  Transactions  of 
Philosophical  Society  of  Victoria,'  vol.  i. 
P-  73: 

"  The  young  man  who  wishes  to 
marry  has  first  to  look  out  for  a  wife 
amongst  the  girls  or  leubras  of  some 
neighbouring  tribe." 

1864.  H.  Simcox,  'Outward  Bound,' 
p.  87: 

"  Many  lubras  so  black  with  their  load 
on  their  back." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Australian  Life/ 
p.  23: 

"  Certain  stout  young  gins  or  lubras,, 


LUC-LYR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


275 


set  apart  for  that  purpose,  were  sacri- 
ficed." 

1891.  '  The  Argus,'  Nov.  7,  p.  13,  col.  4  : 
"  A  few  old  lubras  sufficiently  dirty 

and  unprepossessing." 

1892.  Gilbert    Parker,     '  Round     the 
Compass  in  Australia,'  p.  28  : 

"  Naked,  and  not  ashamed,  the  old 
men  grey-bearded  and  eyes  bright, 
watched  the  cooking  of  the  fish,  and 
the  younger,  with  the  lubras,  did  the 
honours  of  reception." 

Lucerne,  Native,  or  Paddy,  n. 
i.q.  Queensland  Hemp.    See  Hemp. 
1895.  A.  B.  Paterson,  *  Man  from  Snowy 
River,'  p.  95  : 

"And  now  lies  wandering  fat  and  sleek, 
On  the  lucerne  flats  by  the  Home- 
stead Creek." 

Luderick,  or  Ludrick,  n.  an 
aboriginal  Gippsland  name  for  a 
local  variety  of  the  fish  Girella 
simplex,  Richards.,  the  Black-fish 
(q.v.). 

Lugg,  n.  a  fish  not  identified. 
"  Lug,  a  kind  of  fish."  (<  Walker,' 
1827.) 

1802.  Flemming,  'Journal  of  the  Ex- 
ploration of  C.  Grimes '  (at  Port  Phillip), 
ed.  by  J.  J.  Shillinglaw,  Melbourne,  1897, 
p.  27: 

"  Many  swans,  ducks  and  luggs." 

Lyonsia,  n.  a  Tasmanian  plant. 
See  DeviF s^guts. 

Lyre-bird,  n.  an  Australian  bird, 
originally  called  the  Bird  of  Para- 
dise of  New  South  Wales ;  then 
called  a  Native  Pheasant,  or 
Mountain  Pheasant,  and  still  gener- 
ally called  a  Pheasant  by  the 
Gippsland  bushmen.  The  name 
Lyre-bird  apparently  began  be- 
tween 1828  and  1834.  It  is  not 
used  by  Cunningham,  '  Two 
Years  in  New  South  Wales' 
(1828),  vol.  i.  p.  303.  See  Menura. 
The  species  are — 

The  Lyre-bird — 

Menura  superba,  Davies. 
Albert  L.-b.— 
M.  alberti,  Gould. 


Victoria  L.-b. — 
M.  victories,  Gould. 

Since  1888  the  Lyre-bird  has 
been  the  design  on  the  eight- 
penny  postage-stamp  of  New 
South  Wales. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  435: 

"  The  Bird  of  Paradise  of  New  South 
Wales  [with  picture].  This  elegant 
bird,  which  by  some  is  called  the  Bird 
of  Paradise,  and  by  others  the  Maenura 
Superba,  has  a  straight  bill,  with  the 
nostrils  in  the  centre  of  the  beak." 

1802.  D.  Collins,  «  History  of  English 
Colony  of  New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p. 
335: 

'•'•Menura  superba"  [But  not  the 
name  lyre-bird.] 

1834.  Geo.  Bennett,  '  Wanderings  in 
New  South  Wales,  etc.,'  i.  p.  277: 

"The  'Native  or  Wood-pheasant,' 
or  • '  Lyre  bird  '  of  the  colonists,  the 
*  Menura  superba }  of  naturalists,  and 
the  *  Bdleck,  beleck,'  and  *  Balaugara ' 
of  the  aboriginal  tribes,  is  abundant 
about  the  mountain  ranges,  in  all  parts 
of  the  colony." 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  *  Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  132: 

"  Numerous  pheasants  (Menura 
superba}.  These  birds  are  the  mock- 
ing-birds of  Australia,  imitating  all  the 
sounds  that  are  heard  in  the  bush  in 
great  perfection.  They  are  about  the 
size  of  a  barn-door  fowl,  and  are  not 
remarkable  for  any  beauty  either  in 
the  shape  or  colour,  being  of  a  dirty 
brown,  approaching  to  black  in  some 
parts  ;  their  greatest  attraction  con- 
sists in  the  graceful  tail  of  the  cock 
bird,  which  assumes  something  the 
appearance  of  a  lyre,  for  which  reason 
some  naturalists  have  called  them 
lyre-birds." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  *  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iii.  pi.  14  : 

'•'•Menura  stiperba,  Davies,  Lyre-bird ; 
Pheasant  of  the  Colonists.  Were  I 
requested  to  suggest  an  emblem  for 
Australia  amongst  its  birds,  I  should 
without  the  slightest  hesitation  select 
the  Menura  as  the  most  appropriate, 
being  strictly  peculiar  to  Australia." 


276 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[LYR 


1864.  J.  S.  Moore,  '  Spring-Life  Lyrics,' 
p.  92  : 
"  Shy  as  the  lyre-bird,  hidden  away, 

A  glittering  waif  in  the  wild." 
1867.  G.  G.  McCrae,   '  Balladeadro,'  p. 
30: 

"  There  the  proud  lyre-bird  spreads 

his  tail, 
And  mocks  the  notes  of  hill  and 

dale— 
Whether  the  wild  dog's  plaintive 

howl 
Or  cry  of  piping  water-fowl." 

1872.     A.    McFarland,    '  Illawarra  and 
Manaro,'  p.  54  : 

"  The  Lyre-bird  may  yet  be  seen — 
more  frequently  heard — amongst  the 
gullies  and  ravines.  It  has  the  power 
of  imitating  every  other  bird,  and 
nearly  every  sound  it  hears  in  the 
bush — even  that  of  a  cross-cut  saw." 
1886.  J.  A.  Froude,  '  Oceana,'  p.  146  : 
"  Here,  too,  for  the  first  time,  we 
saw  a  lyre-bird,  which  some  one  had 
just  shot,  the  body  being  like  a  ccfot's, 
and  about  the  same  size,  the  tail  long 
as  the  tail  of  a  bird  of  paradise,  beau- 
tifully marked  in  bright  brown,  with 
the  two  chief  feathers  curved  into  the 
shape  of  a  Greek  lyre,  from  which  it 
takes  its  name." 

1890.    '  Victorian  Statutes ' — Game  Act, 
Third  Schedule  : 

[Close  Season.]  "  Lyre  Birds.    The 
whole  year." 

1893.  '  The  Age,'  Aug.  7,  p.  vi,  col.  9  : 
"  There  are  more  reasons  than  one 
why  the  lyre-bird  should  be  preserved. 
From  a  purely  utilitarian  point  of  view 
it  is  of  value,  for  it  is  insectivorous  and 
preys  upon  insects  which  are  apt  to 
prefer  orchard  fruit  to  their  natural 
bush  food.  But  the  bird  has  as  well  a 
national  and  sentimental  value.  Next 
to  the  emu  it  is  the  most  typical 


Australian    bird.       It    is    peculiar   to 
Australia,  for  in  no  other  country  is  it 
to  be  seen.     Comparatively  speaking 
it  is  a  rara  avis  even   in   Australia 
itself,  for  it  is  only  to  be  found  in  the 
most  secluded  parts  of  two  colonies — 
Victoria  and  New  South  Wales.     It  is 
the  native  pheasant.     The  aborigines 
call  it '  Beleck-Beleck,'  and  whites  call  it 
the  'lyre-bird'  from  the  shape  of  its 
tail  ;  the  ornithologists  have  named  it 
Menura.     There  are   three  species — 
the    Victoria  of  this   colony,  and  the 
Alberta  and  superba  of  New   South 
Wales.   The  general  plumage  is  glossy 
brown,  shaded  with  black  and  silver 
grey,  and  the  ornate  tail  of  the  male 
bird  is  brown  with  black  bars.     They 
live  in  the  densest  recesses  of  the  fern 
gullies  of  the  Dividing  Range  with  the 
yellow-breasted  robin,  the   satin-bird, 
and  the  bell-bird  as  their  neighbours. 
They  are  the  most  shy  of  birds,  and 
are   oftener  heard  than  seen.     Their 
notes,  too,  are  heard  more  frequently 
than  they  are  recognized,  for  they  are 
consummate    mimics     and     ventrilo- 
quists.    They  imitate  to  perfection  the 
notes  of  all   other    birds,   the  united 
voicing  of  a  flock  of  paraquetts  [sic], 
the  barking   of  dogs,   the   sawing  of 
timber,  and  the  clink  of  the  woodman's 
axe.     Thus  it  is  that  the  menura  has 
earned  for  itself  the  title  of  the  Aus- 
tralian   mocking-bird.       Parrots    and 
magpies   are  taught  to  speak  ;    as  a 
mimic     the     lyre-bird     requires     no 
teacher." 

1893.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug. 
9,  p.  9,  col.  i  : 

"  If  the  creature  was  lovely  its  beauty 
was  marketable  and  fatal — and  the 
lyre-bird  was  pursued  to  its  last  re- 
treats and  inveigled  to  death,  so  that 
its  feathers  might  be  peddled  in  our 
streets." 


MAC-MAG] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


277 


M 


Mackerel,  n.  In  Australia, 
Scomber  antarcticus,  Castln.,  said  to 
be  identical  with  Scomber  pneumato- 
phoruS)  De  la  Roche,  the  European 
mackerel ;  but  rare.  In  New  Zea- 
land, Scomber  australasicus,  Cuv. 
and  Val. 

Macquarie  Harbour  Grape,  or 
Macquarie  Harbour  Vine,  n. 
the  Tasmanian  name  for  Muhlen- 
beckia  adpressa,  Meissn.,  N.O. 
Polygonacea  ;  called  Native  Ivy  in 
Australia.  See  Ivy  and  Grape. 

1831.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  265  : 

"That  valuable  plant  called  the 
Macquarie  harbour  grape.  It  was  so 
named  by  Mr.  Lempriere,  late  of  the 
Commissariat  at  that  station,  who  first 
brought  it  into  notice  as  a  desirable 
acquisition  in  our  gardens." 

1834.  Ross,  *  Van  Diemen's  Land 
Annual,'  p.  133 : 

"  Polygonum  adpressum.  The  Mac- 
quarie harbour  vine,  either  as  an  insig- 
nificant trailing  plant,  or  as  a  magnifi- 
cent climber;  according  to  the  soil  and 
situation,  is  found  on  the  coast  of 
various  parts  of  Van  Diemen's  Land, 
and  also  as  far  inland  as  within  about 
four  miles  of  New  Norfolk.  This 
plant  has  a  small  but  sweet  fruit,  formed 
of  the  thickened  divisions  of  the  calyx 
of  the  flower,  inclosing  a  triangular 
seed  of  unpleasant  flavour." 

Macquarie  Pine,  n.     See  Pine. 

Macropus,  «.the  scientific  name 
for  the  typical  genus  of  Macro- 
podtdce,  established  by  Shaw  in 
1800.  From  the  Greek  paKpoTrovs, 
long-footed.  It  includes  the  Kan- 
garoo (q.v.)  and  Wallaby  (q.v.). 
M.  giganteus,  Zimm.,  is  the  Giant 
Kangaroo,  or  Forester  (q.v.). 


Mado,  n.  a  Sydney  fish,  Thera- 
cuvieri,  Bleek ;  called  also 
Trumpeter- Perch.  Atypus  strigatus^ 
Giinth.,  is  also  called  Mado  by  the 
Sydney  fishermen,  who  confound 
it  with  the  first  species.  The 
name  is  probably  aboriginal. 

Magpie,  n.  a  black-and-white 
Crow-Shrike,  present  all  over 
Australia.  He  resembles  the  Eng- 
lish Magpie  in  general  appear- 
ance, but  has  not  the  long  tail  of 
that  bird,  though  he  shares  with 
him  his  kleptomania.  He  is  often 
called  the  Bush-magpie  (q.v.)  by 
townsfolk,  to  distinguish  him 
from  the  tamed  specimens  kept 
in  many  gardens,  or  in  cages, 
which  are  easily  taught  to  talk. 
The  species  are — 
Black-backed  Magpie — 

Gymnorhinatibicen,  Lath.;  called 

also  Flute-Bird  (q.v.). 
Long-billed  M. — 

G.  dorsalis,  Campbell. 
White,  or  Organ  M. — 

G.  organicum^  Gould;  called  also 

Organ-bird  (q.v.). 
White-backed  M.— 

G.  leuconota,  Gould. 

In  Tasmania,  the  name  Magpie 
is  also  applied  to  the — 
Black  Magpie — 

Strepera  fuliginosa,  Gould  ;   and 

S.  arguta^  Gould. 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  '  Geoffry  Hamlyn,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  314  [Footnote]  : 

"  Magpie,  a  large,  pied  crow.  Of  all 
the  birds  I  have  ever  seen,  the  cleverest, 
the  most  grotesque,  and  the  most 
musical.  The  splendid  melody  of  his 
morning  and  evening  song  is  as  un- 
equalled as  it  is  indescribable." 


278 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[MAG-MAH 


1869.  B.  Hoare,  '  Figures  of  Fancy,'  p. 
97: 
"  Gay  magpies  chant  the  livelong  day." 

1886.  T.  Heney,  '  Fortunate  Days,'  p. 
47: 

"The  magpie  swells  from  knoll  or 

silent  brake 
His  loud  sweet  tune." 

1887.  '  Melbourne  Punch,'  March  31  : 
"  The  magpie  maketh  mute 

His  mellow  fluent  flute, 
Nor  chaunteth  now  his  leuconotic 

hymn." 

Magpie-Goose,  n.  a  common 
name  for  the  Australian  Goose, 
Anseranusmelanoleuca, Lath.;  called 
also  Swan-goose,  and  Pied-goose. 
See  Goose. 

Magpie-Lark,  n.  an  Australian 
black-and-white  bird  (Grallina 
picata,  Lath.),  resembling  the 
Magpie  in  appearance,  but  smaller; 
called  also  Pee-wee,  and  Mudlark, 
from  its  building  its  nest  of  mud. 

1888.  CasselPs  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  235  : 

"The  little  magpie-lark.  .  .  .  His 
more  elegant  and  graceful  figure  re- 
mains in  modest  silence  by  the  hedge- 
row in  the  outskirts." 

Magpie-Perch,  n.  a  West  Aus- 
tralian, Victorian,  and  Tasmanian 
fish,  Chilodactylus  gibbosus,  Rich- 
ards. ;  not  a  true  Perch,  but  of 
family  Cirrhitidcz. 

Magra,  n.  aboriginal  name  for 
the  sling  or  pouch  in  which  the 
gins  carry  their  children  on  their 
backs. 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  <  Australia,'  p.  185  : 

"  Other  lesser  brats  were  in  magras, 
gipsy-like,  at  their  mothers'  backs." 
[On  p.  195,  Mr.  Howitt  uses  the  form 
"  mogra."] 

Mahoe,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
New  Zealand  Whitewood-tree, 
Melicytus  ramiflorus,  Forst.,  N.  O. 
Violariece. 

1855.  Rev-  R-  Taylor,  'Telkaa  Maui,' 
p.  447  : 

" 


to  the  height  of  about  fifty  feet,  and  has 

a  fine  thin  spiral  leaf." 

1863.  Thomas  Moser,  'Mahoe  Leaves': 
[Title  of  a  volume  of  articles  about 

the  Maoris.] 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  130 : 

"Mahoe,  hinahina.  A  small  tree 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  high  ;  trunk  often 
angular  and  seven  feet  in  girth.  The 
word  is  soft  and  not  in  use.  .  .  .  Leaves 
greedily  eaten  by  cattle." 

Mahogany,  n.  The  name,  with 
varying  epithets,  is  applied  to 
several  Australian  trees,  chiefly 
Eucalypts,  on  account  of  the  red- 
ness or  hardness  of  their  timber, 
and  its  applicability  to  purposes 
similar  to  that  of  the  true  Ma- 
hogany. The  following  enumer- 
ation is  compiled  from  Maiden's 
*  Useful  Native  Plants  '— 

Mahogany,  Tristaniaconferta^.  Br., 
N.O.  Myrtacetzj  called  also  White 
Box,  Red  Box,  Brush  Box,  Bastard 
Box,  Brisbane  Box.  This  bark  is 
occasionally  used  for  tanning. 

Bastard  Mahogany,  or  Gippsland 
Mahogany,  or  Swamp  Mahogany, 
Eucalyptus  botryoides,  Smith,  N.O. 
MyrtacecB.  The  Blue  Gum  of  New 
South  Wales  coast  districts.  Bastard 
Mahogany  of  Gippsland  and  New  South 
Wales  ;  called  also  Swamp  Mahogany 
in  Victoria  and  New  South  Wales.  It 
also  bears  the  names  of  Bastard  Jarrah, 
and  occasionally  Woolly  Butt.  Sydney 
workmen  often  give  it  the  name  Ban- 
galay,  by  which  it  was  formerly  known 
by  the  aboriginals  of  Port  Jackson. 
It  is  one  of  four  colonial  timbers 
recommended  by  the  Victorian  Car- 
riage Timber  Board  for  use  in  the 
construction  of  railway  carriages. 
Specimens  from  Gippsland  (Gippsland 
Mahogany)  are  spoken  of  as  "  a  timber 
of  good  colour,  as  strong  as  Blue  Gum." 

Mahogany,  or  Bastard  Mahogany, 
Eucalyptus  marginata,  Smith,  N.O. 
Myrtacece.  Universally  known  as 
Jarrah.  In  Western  Australia  it  also 
bears  the  name  of  Mahogany,  or  Bas- 
tard Mahogany. 

Forest  or  Red  Mahogany,  Eucalyptus 


MAI-MAj] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


279 


resinifera^  Smith,  N.  0.  Myrtacece; 
called  also  Jimmy  Low  (q.v.). 

Forest  Mahogany,  Eucalyptus  mi- 
crocorys,  F.  v.  M.,  N.  O.  Myrtacece. 
In  Queensland  it  is  known  as  Pepper- 
mint, the  foliage  being  remarkably  rich 
in  volatile  oil.  But  its  almost  universal 
name  is  Tallow  Wood  (q.v.).  North  of 
Port  Jackson  it  bears  the  name  of 
Turpentine  Tree  (q.v.),  and  Forest 
Mahogany. 

Tom  Russell's  Mahogany,  Lysicarpus 
ternifoliuS)  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Myrtacece. 

Swamp  Mahogany,  or  White  Ma- 
hogany, Eucalyptus  robusta,  Smith, 
N.O.  Myrtacece,  B.  Fl.  This  tree 
is  known  as  White,  or  Swamp  Mahog- 
any, from  the  fact  that  it  gener- 
ally grows  in  swampy  ground.  It  is 
also  called  Brown  Gum.  This  timber 
is  much  valued  for  shingles,  wheel- 
wrights' work,  ship-building,  and  build- 
ing purposes  generally.  As  a  timber 
for  fuel,  and  where  no  great  strength 
is  required,  it  is  excellent,  especially 
when  we  consider  its  adaptability  to 
stagnant,  swampy,  or  marshy  places. 

1846.  J,  L.  Stokes,  *  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  c.  iv.  p.  132  : 

"  Mahogany,  Jarrail,  Eucalyptus, 
grows  on  white  sandy  land." 

Ibid.  vol.  ii.  c.  iv.  p.  231  : 

"  Part  of  our  road  lay  through  a 
thick  mahogany  scrub." 

Mai,  or  Matai,  n.  a  New  Zea- 
land tree,  now  called  Podocarpus 
spicata. 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  440  : 

"Matai,  mai  (Dacryditim  mat),  a 
tree  with  a  fine  thick  top,  and  leaf 
much  resembling  that  of  the  yew.  The 
wood  is  of  a  slightly  reddish  colour, 
close-grained,  but  brittle,  and  peculiarly 
fragrant  when  burnt.  .  .  .  Highly 
prized  for  fuel,  and  also  much  used  for 
furniture,  as  it  works  up  easily  and 
comes  next  to  the  totara  for  durability." 

1876.  W.  N.  Blair,  'Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  ix.  art.  x. 
P-  157: 

"  I  have  in  this  paper  adhered  to 
the  popular  name  of  black-pine  for  this 
timber,  but  the  native  name  matai  is 
always  used  in  the  north." 

Maiden's  Blush,  n.  name  given 


to  the  Australian  tree  Echinocarpus 
australis,  Benth.,  N.O.  Tiliacecz  ; 
and  sometimes  applied  to  Euro- 
schinus  falcatuS)  Hook.,  N.O.  Ana~ 
cardiacece.  The  timber  is  of  a 
delicate  rosy  colour  when  cut. 
The  fruit  is  called  Hedgehog-fruit 
(q.v.).  In  Tasmania,  the  name  is 
applied  to  Convolvulus  erubescens^ 
Sims.,  order  Convolvulacecz. 

Maire,  n.  a  Maori  name  applied 
to  three  kinds  of  trees  ;  viz. — (i) 
Santalum  cunninghamii,  Hook.,  a 
sandal-wood  ;  (2)  Olea  of  various 
species  (formerly  Fusanus] ;  (3) 
Eugenia  maire^  A.  Cunn.,  native 
box-wood,  but  now  usually  con- 
fined to  N.O.  Santalacece. 

1835.  W.  Yate,  '  Some  Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  41 : 

"  Mairi — a  tree  of  the  Podocarpus 
species." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  pp.  132-33  : 

"  Maire — a  small  tree  ten  to  fifteen 
feet  high,  six  to  eight  inches  in  dia- 
meter ;  wood  hard,  close-grained, 
heavy,  used  by  Maoris  in  the  manu- 
facture of  war  implements.  Has  been 
used  as  a  substitute  for  box  by  wood- 
engravers.  Black  maire,  N.O.  Jas- 
minecE  j  also  Maire-rau-nui,  Olea 
Cunninghamii.  Hook.,  fil.,  Black  M., 
forty  to  fifty  feet  high,  three  to  four 
feet  in  diameter,  timber  close-grained, 
heavy,  and  very  durable." 

Major  Buller,  n.  name  given  to 
one  of  the  fruits  of  the  Geebong 
tribe.  See  Geebong. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  82: 

"  The  Sergeant  Baker  in  all  proba- 
bility got  its  local  appellation  in  the 
early  history  of  the  colony  (New  South 
Wales),  as  it  was  called  after  a  sergeant 
of  that  name  in  one  of  the  first  detach- 
ments of  a  regiment;  so  were  also  two 
fruits  of  the  Geebong  tribe  (Persoonia} ; 
one  was  called  Major  Buller,  and  the 
other  Major  Groce,  and  this  latter 
again  further  corrupted  into  Major 
Grocer." 

Major  Groce,  or  Major  Grocer, 


280 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MAJ-MAL. 


name  given  to  one  of  the  fruits  of 
the  Geebung  tribe.  See  Geebung, 
and  quotation  under  Major  Buller. 

Major  Mitchell,  n.  vernacular 
name  of  a  species  of  Cockatoo, 
Cacatua  leadbeateri,  Vig.  It  was 
called  after  the  explorer,  Major 
(afterwards  Sir  Thomas)  Mitchell, 
who  was  Surveyor-General  of 
New  South  Wales.  The  cry  of 
the  bird  was  fancifully  supposed 
to  resemble  his  name.  See  Lead- 
beater. 

Make  a  light,  expressive 
pigeon-English.  An  aboriginal's 
phrase  for  to  look  for,  to  find. 
"You  been  make  a  light  yarra- 
man  this  morning  ?  "  i.  e.  Have 
you  found  or  seen  the  horses  this 
morning  ? 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  'Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
vol.  ii.'p.  185  [Footnote]: 

"'Make  a  light,'  in  blackfellow's 
gibberish,  means  simply  '  See.' " 

Mako,  n.  originally  Makomako. 
Maori  name  for  a  New  Zealand 
tree,  Aristotelia  racemosa,  Hook., 
N.O.  TiliacecE,  often  but  incor- 
rectly called  Mokomoko. 

1883.  T.  Hector,  '  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand/ p.  130: 

"  Mako,  a  small  handsome  tree,  six 
to  twenty  feet  high,  quick-growing, 
with  large  racemes  of  reddish  nodding 
flowers.  Wood  very  light  and  white 
in  colour." 

Mako2,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
Tiger -Shark.  See  Shark.  The 
teeth  of  the  Mako  are  used  for 
ornaments  by  the  Maoris. 

Mallee,  n.  and  adj.  an  ab- 
original word.  Any  one  of  several 
scrubby  species  of  Eucalyptus  in 
the  desert  parts  of  South  Aus- 
tralia and  Victoria,  especially 
Eucalyptus  dumosa,  Cunn.,  and  E. 
oleosa,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Myrtacece. 
They  are  also  called  Mallee  Gums. 
Accent  on  the  first  syllable.  The 
word  is  much  used  as  an  adjective 


to  denote  the  district  in  which 
the  shrub  grows,  the  "Mallee 
District"  and  this  in  late  times 
is  generally  shortened  into  The 
Mallee.  Compare  "The  Lakes" 
for  the  Lake-district  of  Cumber- 
land. It  then  becomes  used  as 
an  epithet  of  Railways,  Boards, 
Farmers,  or  any  matters  con- 
nected with  that  district. 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Australia  Felix,' 
P-  73: 

"  The  natives  of  the  Wimmera  pre- 
pare a  luscious  drink  from  the  laap,  a 
sweet  exudation  from  the  leaf  of  the 
mallee  (Eucalyptus  dumosa)." 

1854.  E.  Stone  Parker,  '  Aborigines  of 
Australia,'  p.  25  : 

"  The  immense  thickets  of  Eucalyp- 
tus dumosa,  commonly  designated  the 
'Malle' scrub." 

1857.  W.  Howitt,  <  Tallangetta,'  vol. 
ii.  p.  2  : 

"  This  mallee  scrub,  as  it  is  called, 
consists  of  a  dense  wood  of  a  dwarf 
species  of  gum-tree,  Eucalyptus  du- 
mosa. This  tree,  not  more  than  a 
dozen  feet  in  height,  stretches  its 
horizontal  and  rigid  branches  around 
it  so  as  to  form  with  its  congeners  a 
close,  compact  mass." 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  '  Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  214  (Oxley's  Expedition 
in  1817) : 

"The  country, in  dead  flats,  was  over- 
spread with  what  is  now  called  mallee 
scrub,  that  is,  the  dwarf  spreading 
eucalyptus,  to  which  Mr.  Cunningham 
gave  the  specific  name  of  dumosa,  a 
most  pestilent  scrub  to  travel  through,, 
the  openings  betwixt  the  trees  being 
equally  infested  with  the  detestable 
malle-grass." 

1883.  '  The  Mallee  Pastoral  Leases  Act, 
1883,'  47  Viet.  No.  766,  §  3  : 

"  The  lands  not  alienated  from  the 
Crown  and  situated  in  the  North- 
Western  district  of  Victoria  within  the 
boundaries  set  forth  in  the  First 
Schedule  hereto,  comprising  in  al 
some  ten  millions  of  acres  wholly  or 
partially  covered  with  the  mallee  plant, 
and  known  as  the  Mallee  Country, 
shall  be  divided  into  blocks  as  herein- 
after provided." 


MAL-MAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


281 


1890.    'The  Argus/  June  13,  p.  6,  col.  2: 
"  Mallee  Selections  at  Horsham.    A 

special  Mallee  Board,  consisting  of  Mr. 

Hayes,  head  of  the  Mallee  branch  of 

the     Lands     Department,     and     Mr. 

Porter." 

1893.   '  The  Argus,'  April  24,  p.  7,  col.  .$: 
"In   the    Mallee    country  there  is 

abundance    of    work,    cutting    down 

mallee,  picking  up  dead  wood,  rabbit 

destruction,  etc." 

1893.  A.  R.  Wallace,  'Australasia/ 
vol.  i.  p.  46: 

"One  of  the  most  common  terms 
used  by  explorers  is  'Mallee'  scrub, 
so  called  from  its  being  composed  of 
dwarf  species  of  Eucalyptus,  called 
*  Mallee ;  by  the  natives.  The  species 
that  forms  the  '  mallee '  scrub  of  South 
Australia  is  the  Eucalyptus  dumosa, 
and  it  is  probable  that  allied  species 
receive  the  same  name  in  other  parts 
of  the  country." 

1897.    '  The  Argus/  March  2,  p.  7,  col.  I : 

"The  late  Baron  von  Mueller  was 
firmly  convinced  that  it  would  pay 
well  in  this  colony,  and  especially  in 
the  mallee,  to  manufacture  potash." 

Mallee-bird,  n.  an  Australian 
bird,  Leipoa  ocellata,  Gould.  Ab- 
original name,  the  Lowan  (q.v.) ; 
see  Turkey. 

Mallee-fowl,  n.  Same  as  Mallee- 
bird(q.v.). 

Mallee-hen,  n.  Same  as  Mallee- 
bird  (q.v.). 

1890.  '  Victorian  Statutes — Game  Act, 
Third  Schedule': 

[Close  Season.]  "  Mallee-hen,  from 
ist  day  of  August  to  the  2oth  day  of 
December  next  following  in  each  year." 

1895.  'The  Australasian/  Oct.  5,  p. 
652,  col.  i : 

"...  the  economy  of  the  lowan  or 
mallee-hen.  ...  It  does  not  incubate 
its  eggs  after  the  manner  of  other 
birds,  but  deposits  them  in  a  large 
mound  of  sand  .  .  .  Shy  and  timid. 
.  .  .  Inhabits  dry  arid  scrubs.  In 
shape  and  size  resembles  a  greyish 
mottled  domestic  turkey,  but  is  smaller, 
more  compact  and  stouter  in  the  legs." 

Mallee-scrub,    «.  the  "  scrub," 


or  thicket,  formed  by  the  Mallee 
(q.v.). 

1893.  A.  R.  Wallace,  'Australasia/ 
vol.  i.  p.  22: 

"The  flat  and,  rarely,  hilly  plains  .  .  . 
are  covered  chiefly  with  thickets  and 
'  scrub '  of  social  plants,  generally  with 
hard  and  prickly  leaves.  This  '  scrub/ 
which  is  quite  a  feature  of  the  Aus- 
tralian interior,  is  chiefly  formed  of  a 
bushy  Eucalyptus,  which  grows  some- 
what like  our  osiers  to  a  height  of 
8  or  10  feet,  and  often  so  densely 
covers  the  ground  as  to  be  quite  im- 
penetrable. This  is  the  '  Mallee  scrub ' 
of  the  explorers  ;  while  the  still  more 
dreaded  '  Mulga  scrub J  consists  of 
species  of  prickly  acacia,  which  tear 
the  clothes  and  wound  the  flesh  of  the 
traveller."  >  '. 

Malurus,  n.  the  scientific  name 
for  a  genus  of  Australian  warblers. 
Name  reduced  from  Malacurus, 
from  the  Grk.  ^aXa/co's,  soft,  and 
ou/oa,  a  tail.  The  type-species  is 
Malurus  cyaneus  of  Australia,  the 
Superb  Warbler  or  Blue-Wren. 
See  Superb  Warbler,  Wren,  and 
Emu- Wren.  All  the  Maluri,  of 
which  there  are  fifteen  or  sixteen 
species,  are  popularly  known  as 
Superb  Warblers,  but  are  more 
correctly  called  Wrens. 

1896.  F.  G.  Aflalo,  '  Natural  History  of 
Australia/  p.  136 : 

"  The  Wrens  and  Warblers — chiefly 
Maluri,  with  the  allied  Amytis  and 
Stipiturus — are  purely  Australian. 
They  are  feeble  on  the  wing  but  swift 
of  foot." 

Mana,  n.  a  Maori  word  for 
power,  influence,  right,  authority, 
prestige.  See  chapter  on  Mana,, 
in  'Old  New  Zealand'  (1863),, 
by  Judge  Maning. 

1843.  E.  Dieffenbach,  '  Travels  in  New- 
Zealand/  vol.  i.  p.  371  : 

"  Mana  —  command,  authority, 
power." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  'Te  Ika  a  Maui/ 
p.  279  : 

"The  natives  feel  that  with  the 
land  their  '  mana/  or  power,  has  gone 


-282 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MAN 


likewise  ;   few  therefore   can  now  be 
induced  to  part  with  land." 

1863.  F.  E.  Maning  (Pakeha  Maori), 
*  Old  New  Zealand,'  Intro,  p.  xiii  : 

"The  Maoris  of  my  tribe  used  to 
come  and  ask  me  which  had  the 
greatest '  mana J  (i.  e.  fortune,  prestige, 
power,  strength),  the  Protestant  God 
or  the  Romanist  one." 

1873.  '  Appendix  to  Journal  of  House 
of  Representatives,'  G.  I,  B.  p.  8  : 

"  The  Government  should  be  asked 
to  recognize  his  mana  over  that  terri- 
tory." 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell,  '  Poenamo,'  p. 
166: 

"  We  should  be  glad  to  shelter  our- 
selves under  the  mana — the  protection 
— of  good  old  Kanini." 

1892.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Dec  22,  p.  7, 
col.  i  : 

"  A  man  of  great  lineage  whose  per- 
sonal mana  was  undisputed." 

1896.  'New  Zealand  Herald/  P'eb.  14 
[Leading  Article]  : 

"The  word  'mana,'  power,  or  in- 
fluence, may  be  said  to  be  classical, 
as  there  were  learned  discussions 
about  its  precise  meaning  in  the  early 
dispatches  and  State  papers.  It  may 
be  said  that  misunderstanding  about 
what  mana  meant  caused  the  war  at 
Taranaki." 

Mangaroo,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  a  small  flying  phalanger  with 
exquisitely  fine  fur. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  '  Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  217: 

"  Descending  from  the  branches  of 
an  ironbark  tree  beside  him,  a  beauti- 
ful little  mangaroo  floated  downwards 
on  out-stretched  wings  to  the  foot  of 
a  sapling  at  a  little  distance  away,  and 
nimbly  ascending  it  was  followed  by 
his  mate." 

Mangi,  or  Mangeao,  n.  Maori 

name   for  a  New  Zealand    tree, 

Litsea  calicaris^  Benth.  and  Hook.  f. 

1873.  '  Catalogue  of  Vienna  Exhibition' : 

"  Mangi  —  remarkably    tough    and 

compact,    used    for    ship-blocks    and 

similar  purposes." 

Mango,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
Dog-fish  (q.v.),  a  species  of  shark. 


Mangrove,  n.  The  name  is 
applied  to  trees  belonging  to 
different  natural  orders,  common 
in  all  tropical  regions  and  chiefly 
littoral.  Species  of  these,  Rhizo- 
phorea  mucronata.  Lamb,  and  Am- 
cennia  officinalis,  Linn.,  are  com- 
mon in  Australia ;  the  latter  is 
also  found  in  New  Zealand. 

Bruguiera  rheedii,  of  the  N.  O. 
Rhizophorece,  is  called  in  Australia 
Red  Mangrove ',  and  the  same 
vernacular  name  is  applied  to 
Heritiera  littoralis,  Dryand.,  N.O. 
Sterculiacecz,  the  Sundri  of  India 
and  the  Looking-glass  Tree  of 
English  gardeners. 

The  name  Milky  Mangrove  is 
given,  in  Australia,  to  Excaecaria 
agallocha.  Linn.,  N.O.  Euphor- 
biacece,  which  further  goes  by  the 
names  of  River  Poisonous  Tree  and 
Blind-y our- Eyes — names  alluding 
to  the  poisonous  juice  of  the  stem. 

The  name  River  Mangrove  is 
applied  to  SEgiceras  ma/us,  Gaertn., 
N.  O.  Myrsinece,  which  is  not  en- 
demic in  Australia. 

In  Tasmania,  Native  Mangrove 
is  another  name  for  the  Boobialla 
(q.v.). 

Mangrove-Myrtle,  n.  name 
applied  by  Leichhardt  to  the 
Indian  tree  Barringtonia  acutan- 
gula,  Gagrtn.  (Stravadtum  rubrum 
De  C.),  N.O.  Myrtacea. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  289: 

"As  its  foliage  and  the  manner  of 
the  growth  resemble  the  mangrove, 
we  called  it  the  mangrove-myrtle." 

Manna,  n.  the  dried  juice,  of 
sweet  taste,  obtained  from  in- 
cisions in  the  bark  of  various 
trees-.  The  Australian  manna  is 
obtained  from  certain  Eucalypts, 
especially  E.  viminalis^  Labill. 
It  differs  chemically  from  the 
better  known  product  of  the 


MAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


283 


Manna- Ash  (Fraxinus  ornus].  See 
Lerp. 

1835.  Ross,  'Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  99: 

"  Several  of  the  species  yield  an  ex- 
udation in  the  spring  and  summer 
months,  which  coagulates  and  drops 
from  the  leaves  to  the  ground  in  small 
irregular  shaped  snow  white  particles, 
often  as  large  as  an  almond  [?].  They 
are  sweet  and  very  pleasant  to  the 
taste,  and  are  greedily  devoured  by 
the  birds,  ants,  and  other  animals,  and 
used  to  be  carefully  picked  up  and 
eaten  by  the  aborigines.  This  is  a 
sort  of  Manna." 

1878.  R.  Brough  Smyth,  'The  Ab- 
origines of  Victoria/  vol.  i.  p.  211 : 

"Two  varieties  of  a  substance  called 
manna  are  among  the  natural  products 
„  .  .  one  kind  .  .  being  secreted  by 
the  leaves  and  slender  twigs  of  the 
E.  viniinalis  from  punctures  or  injuries 
done  to  these  parts  of  the  tree.  .  .  . 
It  consists  principally  of  a  kind  of 
grape  sugar  and  about  5  %  of  the  sub- 
stance called  mannite.  Another  variety 
of  manna  is  the  secretion  of  the  pupa 
of  an  insect  of  the  Psylla  family  and 
obtains  the  name  of  lerp  among  the 
aborigines.  At  certain  seasons  of  the 
year  it  is  very  abundant  on  the  leaves 
of  E.  dumosa,  or  mallee  scrub  .  .  ." 

1878.  W.  W.  Spicer,  'Handbook  of 
Plants  of  Tasmania/  p.  viii : 

"  The  Hemipters,  of  which  the  aphids, 
or  plant-lice,  are  a  familiar  example, 
are  furnished  with  stiff  beaks,  with 
which  they  pierce  the  bark  and  leaves 
of  various  plants  for  the  purpose  of 
extracting  the  juices.  It  is  to  the 
punctures  of  this  and  some  other  insects 
of  the  same  Order,  that  the  sweet  white 
manna  is  due,  which  occurs  in  large 
quantities  during  the  summer  months 
on  many  of  the  gum-trees." 

Manna-Grass.     See  Grass. 

Manna-Gum.  See  Manna  and 
Gum. 

Manoao,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
New  Zealand  tree,  Yellow-pine, 
Dacrydium  colensoi.  Hook.,  N.O. 
Conifers. 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand/  p.  192  : 


"  The  wood  of  the  manoao  is  of  a 
light-brown  colour." 

Manucode,  n.  The  word  is  in 
English  use  for  the  bird-of-para- 
dise.  It  is  Malay  (inanuk-dewata 
=  bird  of  the  gods).  The  species 
in  Australia  is  Manucodia  gouldii, 
Grey.  See  also  Rifle-bird. 

Manuka,  n.  the  Maori  name 
for  Tea-tree  (q.v.).  Properly,  the 
accent  is  on  the  first  syllable  with 
broad  a.  Vulgarly,  the  accent  is 
placed  on  the  second  syllable. 
There  are  two  species  in  New 
Zealand,  white  and  red ;  the  first, 
a  low  bush  called  Scrub-Manuka, 
L.  scoparium^  R.  and  G.  Forst., 
the  Tea-tree  used  by  Captain 
Cook's  sailors ;  the  second,  a  tree 
Leptospermum  ericoides,  A.  Richard. 

1840.  J.  S.  Polack,  '  Manners  and 
Customs  of  the  New  Zealanclers/  p.  258  : 

"  This  wood,  called  by  the  southern 
tribes  manuka,  is  remarkably  hard 
and  durable,  and  throughout  the 
country  is  an  especial  favourite  with 
the  natives,  who  make  their  spears, 
paddles,  fishing  rods,  etc.,  of  this 
useful  timber." 

1842.  W.     R.    Wade,     'Journey     in 
Northern  Island  of  New  Zealand/  p.  75  : 

"  The  Manuka,  or,  as  it  is  called  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  island, 
Kahikatoa  (leptospermum  scoparium}, 
is  a  mysterious  plant,  known  in  Van 
Diemen's  Land  as  the  tea  tree." 

1843.  E.  Dieffenbach,  '  Travels  in  New 
Zealand/  vol.  i.  p.  28: 

"  The  manuka  supplies  the  place  of 
the  tea-shrub." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand/  vol.  i.  p.  270  : 

"  [The  house]  was  protected  from  the 
weather  by  a  wooden  railing  rilled  in 
with  branches  of  the  manuka.  This 
is  a  shrub  very  abundant  in  some 
parts.  The  plant  resembles  the  tea- 
plant  in  leaves  and  flower,  and  is  often 
used  green  by  the  whalers  and  traders 
for  the  same  purpose." 

1851.  Mrs.  Wilson,  'New  Zealand/ 
p.  46: 

"  It  is  generally  made  of  manuka   a 


284 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MAO 


very  hard,  dark,  close-grained  and 
heavy  wood." 

1867.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  121  : 

"  The  manuka,  a  sort  of  scrub,  has 
a  pretty  blossom  like  a  diminutive 
Michaelmas  daisy,  white  petals  and  a 
brown  centre,  with  a  very  aromatic 
odour  ;  and  this  little  flower  is  suc- 
ceeded by  a  berry  with  the  same  strong 
smell  and  taste  of  spice.  The  shep- 
herds sometimes  make  an  infusion  of 
these  when  they  are  very  hard  up  for 
tea  ;  but  it  must  be  like  drinking  a 
decoction  of  cloves." 

1871.  C.   L.   Money,   '  Knocking  about 
in  New  Zealand,'  p.  70  : 

"  Chiefly  covered  with  fern  and  tea- 
tree  (manuka)  scrub." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  149: 
"  Then  to  a  copse  of  manuka  retreat, 

Where  they  could  safely,  secretly 
commune." 

[Domett  has  the  following  note — "  'A 
large  shrub  or  small  tree  ;  leaves  used 
as  tea  in  Tasmania  and  Australia, 
where  the  plant  is  equally  abundant' 
(Hooker).  In  the  poem  it  is  called 
indiscriminately  manuka,  broom, 
broom-like  myrtle,  or  leptosperm.  The 
settlers  often  call  it  *  tea-broom.' "] 

1875.  Wood  and  Lapham,  '  Waiting  for 
the  Mail,'  p.  23  : 

"  A  tremendous  fire  of  broadleaf  and 
manuka  roared  in  the  chimney." 

1889.  Cassell's  'Picturesque  Austral- 
asia,' vol.  iv.  p.  123  : 

"  Manuka  is  a  shrub  which  is  ram- 
pant throughout  New  Zealand.  If  it 
were  less  common  it  would  be  thought 
more  beautiful.  In  summer  it  is 
covered  with  white  blossom  :  and  there 
are  few  more  charming  sights  than  a 
plain  of  flourishing  manuka." 

Maomao,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
New  Zealand  sea-fish,  Ditrema 
violacea. 

1886.  R.  A.  Sherrin,  '  Fishes  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  67  : 

"The  delicious  little  maomao  may 
be  caught  at  the  Riverina  Rocks  in 
immense  quantities." 

Maori,  n.  (pronounced  so  as  to 
rhyme  with  Dowry].  (i)  The 
name  used  to  designate  them- 


selves by  the  Polynesian  race 
occupying1  New  Zealand  when  it 
was  discovered  by  the  white  man, 
and  which  still  survives.  They 
are  not  aboriginal  as  is  commonly 
supposed,  but  migrated  into  New 
Zealand  about  500  years  ago  from 
Hawaii,  the  tradition  still  sur- 
viving of  the  two  great  canoes 
(Arawa  and  Tainui)  in  which  the 
pioneers  arrived.  They  are  com- 
monly spoken  of  as  the  Natives 
of  New  Zealand. 

(2)  The  language  of  the  Maori 
race. 

(3)  adj.    Applied    to    anything 
pertaining  to  the  Maoris  or  their 
language.     See  Pakeha. 

There  is  a  discussion  on  the 
word  in  the  '  Journal  of  Polyne- 
sian Society,' vol.  i.  no.  3,  vol.  ii. 
no.  i,  and  vol.  iii.  no.  i.  Bishop 
Williams  (4th  ed.)  says  that  the 
word  means,  "of  the  normal  or 
usual  kind."  The  Pakehas  were 
not  men  to  whom  the  natives  were 
accustomed.  So  Maori  was  used 
as  opposed  to  the  Europeans,  the 
white-skins.  Kuri  Maori  was  a 
name  used  for  a  dog  after  the 
arrival  of  other  quadrupeds  called 
also  kuri.  Wai  maori  was  fresh- 
water, ordinary  as  opposed  to 
sea-water.  Another  explanation 
is  that  the  word  meant  "  indi- 
genoils,"  and  that  there  are 
kindred  words  with  that  meaning 
in  other  Polynesian  languages. 
First,  "indigenous,"  or  "of  the 
native  race,"  and  then  with  a 
secondary  meaning,  "ours." 
(See  'Tregear's  Maori  Com- 
parative Dictionary,'  s.v.) 

The  form  of  the  plural  varies. 
The  form  Maoris  is  considered  the 
more  correct,  but  the  form  Maories 
is  frequently  used  by  good  writers. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  194  : 

"  The  Maori  language  is  essentially 


MAO] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


285 


a  poor  one,  and  possesses  in  particular 
but  few  words  which  express  abstract 
ideas." 

1859.  A.  S.  Thomson,  '  Story  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  c.  iii.  p.  51  : 

"  No  light  is  thrown  on  the  origin  of 
the  New  Zealanders  from  the  name 
Maori  which  they  call  themselves. 
This  word,  rendered  by  linguists 
'  native,'  is  used  in  contradistinction  to 
pakeha,  or  stranger." 

1864.     Crosbie       Ward,       '  Canterbury 
Rhymes,' '  The  Runaways'  (2nd  edition),  p. 
79: 
"  One  morn  they  fought,  the  fight  was 

hot, 
Although  the  day  was  show'ry  ; 

And  many  a  gallant  soldier  then 
Was  bid  Memento  Maori." 

1891.  Jessie   Mackay,    '  The   Sitter  on 
the  Rail,  and  other  Poems,'  p.  61  : 
"  Like  the  night,  the  fated  Maori 

Fights  the  coming  day  ; 
Fights  and  falls  as  doth  the  kauri 
Hewn  by  axe  away." 

(4)  Name  given  in  New  South 
Wales  to  the  fish,  Cost's .  lineolatus, 
one  of  the  Labridce,  or  Wrasses. 

Maori-Cabbage,  n.  the  wild 
cabbage  of  New  Zealand,  Bras- 
sica  spp.,  N.O.  Crurifercz,  said  to 
be  descended  from  the  cabbages 
planted  by  Captain  Cook. 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  206. 

"  Every  recollection  of  Cook  is 
interesting  ....  But  the  chief  record 
of  his  having  been  on  the  island  is  the 
cabbage  and  turnip  which  he  sowed  in 
various  places  :  these  have  spread  and 
become  quite  naturalized,  growing 
everywhere  in  the  greatest  abundance, 
and  affording  an  inexhaustible  supply 
of  excellent  vegetables." 

1863.  S.  Butler,  '  First  Year  in  Canter- 
bury Settlement/  p.  131  : 

"  The  only  plant  good  to  eat  is 
Maori  cabbage,  and  that  is  swede 
turnip  gone  wild,  from  seed  left  by 
Captain  Cook." 

1880.  W.  Colenso,  'Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xiii.  art.  i. 
p.  31  ['On  the  Vegetable  Food  of  the 
Ancient  New  Zealanders '] : 

"  The  leaves  of  several  smaller  plants 


were  also  used  as  vegetables  ;  but  the 
use  of  these  in  modern  times,  or  during 
the  last  forty  or  fifty  years,  was  com- 
monly superseded  by  that  of  the  ex- 
tremely useful  and  favourite  plant — 
the  Maori  cabbage,  Brassica  oleracea, 
introduced  by  Cook  (nani  of  the 
Maoris  at  the  north,  and  rearea  at  the 
south),  of  which  they  carefully  sowed 
the  seeds." 

Maori-chief,  n.  name  given  to  a 
New  Zealand  Flathead-fish,  Noto- 
thenia  maoriensis,  or  coriiceps.  The 
name  arises  from  marks  on  the 
fish  like  tattooing.  It  is  a  very 
dark,  almost  black  fisb. 

1877.  P.  Thomson,  '  Transactions  of  the 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.    x.   art.  xliv. 

P-  330 : 

"  Some  odd  fishes  now  and  then  turn 
up  in  the  market,  such  as  the  Maori- 
chief,  cat-fish,  etc." 

1878.  Ibid.  vol.  xi.  art.  Hi.  p.  381  : 
"That  very  dark-skinned  fish,  the 

Maori-chief,  Notothenia  Maoriensis  of 
Dr.  Haast,  is  not  uncommon,  but  is 
rarely  seen  more  than  one  at  a  time." 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 
407,  col.  5  : 

"  Resemblances  are  strange  things. 
At  first  it  would  seem  improbable  that 
a  fish  could  be  like  a  man,  but  in 
Dunedin  a  fish  was  shown  to  me  called 
Maori  Chief,  and  with  the  exercise  of 
a  little  imagination  it  was  not  difficult 
to  perceive  the  likeness.  Nay,  some 
years  ago,  at  a  fishmonger's  in  Mel- 
bourne, a  fish  used  to  be  labelled  with 
the  name  of  a  prominent  Victorian 
politician  now  no  more.  There  is 
reason,  however,  to  believe  that  art 
was  called  in  to  complete  the  likeness." 

Maori-head,  n.  a  swamp  tus- 
sock, so  called  from  a  fancied 
resemblance  to  the  head  of  a 
Maori.  (Compare  Black-boy.)  It 
is  not  a  grass,  but  a  sedge 
(car ex). 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  <  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  169  : 

"A  boggy  creek  that  oozed  slug- 
gishly through  rich  black  soil,  amongst 
tall  raupo,  maori-heads,  and  huge  flax- 
bushes." 


286 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[MAO-MAP 


1892.  W.  McHutcheson,  '  Camp  Life  in 
Fiordland,'  p.  34 : 

"  Amid  the  ooze  and  slime  rose  a 
rank  growth  of  '  Maori  heads.' " 

Maori-hen,  n.  Same  as  Weka 
(q.v.)- 

Maoriland,  n.  a  modern  name 
for  New  Zealand.  It  is  hardly 
earlier  than  1884.  If  the  word,  or 
anything  like  it,  such  as  Maoria, 
was  used  earlier,  it  meant  "the 
Maori  parts  of  New  Zealand. "  It 
is  now  used  for  the  whole. 

1873.  J.  H.  St.  John  [Title]: 

"  Pakeha  Rambles  through  Maori 
Lands." 

1874.  J.  C.  Johnstone  [Title]  : 

"  Maoria  :  a  sketch  of  the  Manners 
and   Customs   of  the  Aboriginal    In- 
habitants of  New  Zealand." 
1884.  Kerry  Nicholls  [Title]  : 
"The    King    Country,    or    Explor- 
ations in  New  Zealand.  A  Narrative  of 
600   Miles  of  Travel  through   Maori- 
land." 

1884.  [Title]  : 

"  Maoriland  :  an  Illustrated  Hand- 
book to  New  Zealand." 

1886.  Annie  R.  Butler  [Title]  : 
"  Glimpses  of  Maori  Land." 
1890.  T.  Bracken  [Title] : 
"  Musings  in  Maori  Land." 
1896.    'The  Argus,'  July  22,  p.  4,  col.  8: 
"Always  something  new  from  Maori- 
land  !     Our  New  Zealand  friends  are 
kindly  obliging  us  with  vivid  illustra- 
tions of  how  far  demagogues  in  office 
will  actually  go." 

Maorilander,  n.  modern  name 
for  a  white  man  born  in  New 
Zealand. 

1896.  'Melbourne  Punch,'  April  9,  p. 
233,  col.  2  : 

"  Norman  is  a  pushing  young  Maori- 
lander  who  apparently  has  the  Britisher 
by  the  right  ear." 

Maori,  White,  New  Zealand 
miners'  name  for  a  stone.  See 
quotation. 

1883.  '  A  Citizen,'  '  Illustrated  Guide  to 
Dunedin,'  p.  169: 

"Tungstate  of  lime  occurs  plenti- 
fully in  the  Wakatipu  district,  where 


from  its  weight  and  colour  it  is  called 
White  Maori  by  the  miners." 

Mapau,  ?i.  a  Maori  name  for 
several  New  Zealand  trees ;  called 
also  Mapou,  and  frequently  cor- 
rupted by  settlers  into  Maple,  by 
the  law  of  Hobson-Jobson.  The 
name  is  applied  to  the  following— 

The  Mapau — 

My r sine    urvillei,    De  C.,    N.O. 

Myrsinecz  ;   sometimes    called 

Red  Mapau. 
Black  M.— 

Pittosporum    tenuifolium,    Banks 

and    Sol.,    N.O.   Pittosporea  ; 

Maori  name,  Tawhiri. 
White  M.— 

Carpodetus  serratus,  Forst.,  N.O. 

Saxifrages; 
Pittosporum  eugenoides,  A.  Cunn.; 

Maori  name,    Tarata    (q.v.)  ; 

called    also    the   Hedge-laurel 

(q.v.),  Lemon-wood,   and  New 

Zealand  Oak.      See  Oak. 

The  first  of  these  trees  (Myrsine 
urvillei}  is,  according  to  Colenso, 
the  only  tree  to  which  the  Maoris 
themselves  give  the  name  Mapau. 
The  others  are  only  so  called  by 
the  settlers. 

1868.  '  Transactions  of  the  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  vol.  i.,  'Essay  on  Botany  of 
Otago,'p.  37: 

"White  Mapau,  or  Piripiri-whata 
(Carpodetus  serratus],  an  ornamental 
shrub-tree,  with  mottled-green  leaves, 
and  large  cymose  panicles  of  white 
flowers  ....  Red  Mapau  (Myrsine 
Urvillei),  a  small  tree  common  at 
Dunedin.  Wood  dark  red,  very 
astringent,  used  as  fence  stuff." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  132  : 

"  Tawiri,  white-mapau,  white-birch 
(of  Auckland).  A  small  tree,  ten  to 
thirty  feet  high  ;  trunk  unusually 
slender  ;  branches  spreading  in  a  fan- 
shaped  manner,  which  makes  it  of 
very  ornamental  appearance  ;  flower 
white,  profusely  produced.  The  wood 
is  soft  and  tough. n 


MAP-MAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


287 


1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand, '  p.  75  : 

"  By  the  settlers  it  is  frequently 
called  'black  mapou'  on  account  of 
the  colour  of  the  bark.  .  .  .  With  still 
less  excuse  it  is  sometimes  called 
'black  maple,'  an  obvious  corruption 
of  the  preceding." 

Maple,  n.  In  New  Zealand,  a 
common  settlers'  corruption  for 
any  tree  called  Mapau  (q.v.) ;  in 
Australia,  applied  to  Villaresia 
moorei,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Olaanea, 
called  also  the  Scrub  Silky  Oak. 
See  Oak. 

Maray,  n.  New  South  Wales 
name  for  the  fish  Clupea  sagax, 
Jenyns,  family  Clupeidce  or  Her- 
rings^ almost  identical  with  the 
English  pilchard.  The  word 
Maray  is  thought  to  be  an  ab- 
original name.  Bloaters  are 
made  of  this  fish  at  Picton  in 
New  Zealand,  according  to  the 
Report  of  the  Royal  Commission 
on  Fisheries  of  New  South  Wales, 
1880.  But  Agonostoma  forsteri,  a 
Sea-Mullet,  is  also  when  dried 
called  the  Picton  Herring  (q.v). 
See  Herring  and  Aua. 

Marble-fish,  n.  name  given  to 
the  Tupong  (q.v.)  in  Geelong. 

Marble-wood,  n.  name  applied 
to  a  whitish-coloured  mottled 
timber,  Olea  paniculata,  R.  Br., 
N.  O.  Jasminece  ;  called  also  Native 
Olive  and  Ironwood. 

Mark,  a  good,  Australian  slang. 
1845.  R.  Howitt,  <  Australia,'  p.  233  : 
"I  wondered  often  what  was  the 
meaning  of  this,  amongst  many  other 
peculiar  colonial  phrases,  '  Is  the  man 
a  good  mark?'  I  heard  it  casually 
from  the  lips  of  apparently  respectable 
settlers,  as  they  rode  on  the  highway, 
'  Such  and  such  a  one  is  a  good  mark," 
— simply  a  person  who  pays  his  men 
their  wages,  without  delays  or  draw- 
backs ;  a  man  to  whom  you  may  sell 
anything  safely  ;  for  there  are  in  the 
colony  people  who  are  regularly  sum- 


moned before  the  magistrates  by  every 
servant  they  employ  for  wages.  They 
seem  to  like  to  do  everything  publicly, 
legally,  and  so  become  notoriously  not 
'  good  marks.' " 

[So  also  "bad  mark,"  in  the 
opposite  sense.] 

Mariner,  n.  name  given  in  Tas- 
mania to  a  marine  univalve  mol- 
lusc, either  Elenchus  badius,  or  E. 
bellulus.  Wood. 

The  Mariner  is  called  by  the 
Tasmanian  Fishery  Commis- 
sioners the  "  Pearly  Necklace 
Shell " ;  when  deprived  of  its 
epidermis  by  acid  or  other  means, 
it  has  a  blue  or  green  pearly 
lustre. 

The  shells  are  made  into  neck- 
laces, of  which  the  aboriginal 
name  is  given  as  Merrina,  and  the 
name  of  the  shell  is  a  corruption 
of  this  word,  by  the  law  of 
Hobson-Jobson.  Compare  War~ 
rener. 

1878.  c  Catalogue  of  the  Objects  of 
Ethnotypical  Art  in  the  National  Gallery ' 
(Melbourne),  p.  52  : 

"Necklace,  consisting  of  565  shells 
(Elenchus  Belhdus)  strung  on  thin, 
well-made  twine.  The  native  name  of 
a  cluster  of  these  shells  was,  according 
to  one  writer,  Merrina" 

Marsh,  n.  a  Tasmanian  name 
for  a  meadow.  See  quotation. 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  i.  p.  163  : 

"Perhaps  my  use  of  the  common 
colonial  term  'marsh'  may  be  mis- 
understood at  home,  as  I  remember 
that  I  myself  associated  it  at  first  with 
the  idea  of  a  swamp  ;  but  a  '  marsh ' 
here  is  what  would  in  England  be 
called  a  meadow,  with  this  difference, 
that  in  our  marshes,  until  partially 
drained,  a  growth  of  tea-trees  (Lepto 
spermuni)  and  rushes  in  some  measure 
encumbers  them  ;  but,  after  a  short 
time,  these  die  off,  and  are  trampled 
down,  and  a  thick  sward  of  verdant 
grass  covers  the  whole  extent :  such  is. 
our  'marsh,'"' 


288 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MAR 


Marsupial,  adj.    See  the  Noun. 

Marsupial,  n.  an  animal  in 
which  the  female  has  an  abdom- 
inal pouch  in  which  the  young, 
born  in  a  very  immature  state, 
are  carried.  (Lat.  Marsupium  — 
a  pouch.)  At  the  present  day 
Marsupials  are  only  found  in 
America  and  the  Australian  re- 
gion, the  greater  number  being 
confined  to  the  latter.  See  quo- 
tation 1894,  Lydekker. 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Australia  Felix,' 
p.  129  : 

"The  marsupial  type  exhibits  the 
economy  of  nature  under  novel  and 
very  interesting  arrangements.  .  .  . 
Australia  is  the  great  head-quarters  of 
the  marsupial  tribe." 

1860.  G.  Bennett, 'Gatherings  of  a  Natur- 
alist,' p.  5  : 

"I  believe  it  was  Charles  Lamb 
who  said,  the  peculiarity  of  the  small 
fore-feet  of  the  Kangaroo  seemed  to  be 
for  picking  pockets  ;  but  he  forgot  to 
mention  the  singularity  characterizing 
the  animal  kingdom  of  Australia,  that 
they  have  pockets  to  be  picked,  being 
mostly  marsupial.  We  have  often 
amused  ourselves  by  throwing  sugar 
or  bread  into  the  pouch  of  the  Kan- 
garoo, and  seen  with  what  delight  the 
animal  has  picked  its  own  pocket,  and 
devoured  the  contents,  searching  its 
bag,  like  a  Highlander  his  sporran,  for 
more."  [See  Kangaroo,  quotation 

1833-] 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  *  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  106  : 

"An  Act  known  as  the  Marsupial 
Act  was  accordingly  passed  to  encour- 
age their  destruction,  a  reward  of  so 
much  a  scalp  being  offered  by  the 
Government.  .  .  .  Some  of  the  squat- 
ters have  gone  to  a  vast  expense  in 
fencing-in  their  runs  with  marsupial 
fencing,  but  it  never  pays." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  29: 

"  One  of  the  sheep-owners  told  me 
that  in  the  course  of  eighteen  months 
he  had  killed  64,000  of  these  animals 
(marsupials),  especially  wallabies  (Ma- 
cropus  dorsalis]  and  kangaroo-rats 
(Lagorchestes  conspicillatus\  and  also 


many  thousands  of  the  larger  kangaroo 
(Macropus  giganteus)" 

1893.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug. 
5,  p.  9,  col.  I  : 

"  In  South  Australia  the  Legislature 
has  had  to  appoint  a  close  season  for 
kangaroos,  else  would  extinction  of  the 
larger  marsupials  be  at  hand.  We 
should  have  been  forced  to  such  action 
also,  if  the  American  market  for  kan- 
garoo-hides had  continued  as  brisk  as 
formerly." 

1894.  R-  Lydekker,  '  Marsupialia,'  p.  I : 
"  The  great  island-continent  of  Aus- 
tralia, together  with  the  South-eastern 
Austro- Malay  an  islands,  is  especially 
characterized  by  being  the  home  of 
the  great  majority  of  that  group  of 
lowly  mammals  commonly  designated 
marsupials,  or  pouched-mammals.    In- 
deed, with  the  exception  of  the  still 
more  remarkable  monotremes  [q.v.], 
or  egg-laying    mammals,   nearly  the 
whole  of  the  mammalian  fauna  of  Aus- 
tralia consists  of  these  marsupials,  the 
only  other  indigenous  mammals  being 
certain  rodents  and  bats,  together  with 
the  native  dog,  or  dingo,  which  may 
or  may  not  have  been  introduced  by 
man." 

1896.  F.  G.  Aflalo,  '  Natural  History  of 
Australia,'  p.  30 : 

"  The  presence  of  a  predominating 
marsupial  order  in  Australia  has,  be- 
sides practically  establishing  the  long 
isolation  of  that  continent  from  the 
rest  of  the  globe,  also  given  rise  to  a 
number  of  ingenious  theories  profess- 
ing to  account  for  its  survival  in  this 
last  stronghold." 

Marsupial  Mole, «.  the  only  spe- 
cies of  the  genus  Notoryctes  (q.v.), 
N.  typhlops  [from  the  Greek  VO'TOS, 
*  south '  (literally  *  south  wind  '), 
and  pvyxos,  a  *  snout ']  ;  first  de- 
scribed by  Dr.  Stirling  of  Adelaide 
(in  the  '  Transactions  of  the  Royal 
Society  of  South  Australia,'  1891, 
p.  154).  Aboriginal  name,  Ur- 
quamata.  It  burrows  with  such 
extraordinary  rapidity  in  the 
desert-sands'of  Central  Australia, 
to  which  it  is  confined,  that, 
according  to  Mr.  Lydekker,  it 


MAR-MEG] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


289 


may  be  said  to  swim  in  the  sand 
as  a  porpoise  does  in  the  water. 

Marsupial  'Wolf,  n.  See  Thy- 
lacine  and  Tasmanian  Tiger. 

Martin,  n.  a  bird  common  in 
England.  The  species  in  Austra- 
lia are — Tree,  Petrochelidon  nigri- 
cans,  Vieill.  ;  Fairy,  Lagenoplastes 
ariel,  Gould ;  called  also  Bottle- 
Swallow  (q.v.). 

1896.  F.  G.  Aflalo,  '  Natural  History  of 
Australia,'  p.  128  : 

".  .  .  the  elegant  little  Fairy  Martins 
{Lagenoplastes  ariel\  which  construct 
a  remarkable  mud  nest  in  shape  not 
unlike  a  retort." 

Mary,  n.  used  in  Queensland 
of  the  aborigines,  as  equivalent  to 
girl  or  woman.  "  A  black  Mary." 
Compare  "Benjamin"  used  for 
husband. 

Matai,  often  abridged  to  Mai, 
n.  Maori  name  for  a  New  Zealand 
tree,  Podocarpus  spicata,  R.  Br., 
N.  O.  Coniferce.  Black-pine  of 
Otago. 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  124 : 

"  Mr.  Buchanan  has  described  a  log 
of  matai  that  he  found  had  been  ex- 
posed for  at  least  200  years  in  a  dense 
damp  bush  .in  North-East  Valley, 
Dunedin,  as  proved  by  its  being  en- 
folded by  the  roots  of  three  large  trees 
of  Griselinia  littoralis.n 

Matagory,  «.  a  prickly  shrub 
of  New  Zealand,  Discaria  toumatou, 
Raoul.  ;  also  called  Wild  Irishman 
(q.v.).  The  Maori  name  is  Tuma* 
takuruy  of  which  Matagory,  with 
various  spellings,  is  a  corruption, 
much  used  by  rabbiters  and 
swagmen.  The  termination  gory 
evidently  arises  by  the  law  of 
Hobson-Jobson  from  the  fact  that 
the  spikes  draw  blood. 

I859-  J-  T.  Thomson,  in  'Otago 
Gazette,'  Sept.  22,  p.  264: 

"  Much  over-run  with  the  scrub 
called  '  tomata-guru.' }: 


Alex.  Garvie,  ibid.  p.  280  : 

"  Much  of  it  is  encumbered  with 
matakura  scrub." 

1892.  W.  McHutcheson,  '  Camp  Life  in 
Fiordland,'  p.  8: 

"  Trudging  moodily  along  in  Indian 
file  through  the  matagouri  scrub  and 
tussock." 

1896.  'Otago  Witness,'  7th  May,  p.  48: 

"  The  tea  generally  tastes  of  birch 
or  Matagouri." 

Match-box  Bean,  n.  another 
name  for  the  ripe  hard  seed  of  the 
Queensland  Bean,  Entada  scandens, 
Benth.,  N.O.  Leguminoscz.  A  tall 
climbing  plant.  The  seeds  are 
used  for  match-boxes.  See  under 
Bean. 

Matipo,  n.  another  Maori  name 
for  the  New  Zealand  trees  called 
Mapau  (q.v.). 

1866.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand'  (ed.  1886),  p.  94: 

"  The  varieties  of  matapo,  a  beautiful 
shrub,  each  leaf  a  study,  with  its  delicate 
tracery  of  black  veins  on  a  yellow- 
green  ground." 

1879.  J.  B.  Armstrong,  '  Transactions  of 
the  New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xxi. 
art.  xlix.  p.  329: 

"  The  tipau,  or  matipo  (pittosporum 
tenuifolium),  makes  the*  best  orna- 
mental hedge  I  know  of." 

1879.  '  Tourist,'  '  New  Zealand  Country 
Journal,'  vol.  iii.  p.  93 : 

"An  undergrowth  of  beautiful 
shrubs,  conspicuous  amongst  these 
were  the  Pittosporum  or  Matipo, 
which  are,  however,  local  in  their 
distribution,  unlike  the  veronicas, 
which  abound  everywhere." 

Meadow  Bice-grass,  n.  See 
Grass. 

Mealy-back,  n.  a  local  name 
for  the  Locust  (q.v.). 

Medicine-tree,  i.q.  Horse-radish 
Tree  (q.v.). 

Megapode,  n.  scientific  name 
for  a  genus  of  Australian  birds 
with  large  feet — the  Mound-birds 
(q.v.).  From  Greek  //,eyas,  large, 
and  TTOVS,  TroSos,  a  foot.  They  are 
also  called  Scrub-fowls. 

u 


290 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MEL-MER 


Melitose,  n.  the  name  given 
by  Berthelot  to  the  sugar  obtained 
from  the  manna  of  Eucalyptus 
mannifera.  Chemically  identical 
with  the  raffinose  extracted  from 
molasses  and  the  gossypose  ex- 
tracted from  cotton-seeds. 

1894.  <The  Australasian,'  April  28,  p. 
732,  col.  I  : 

[Statement  as  to  origin  of  melitose 
by  the  Baron  von  Mueller.]  "  Sir 
Frederick  M'Coy  has  traced  the  pro- 
duction of  mellitose  also  to  a  smaller 
cicade." 

Melon,  n.  Besides  its  botani- 
cal use,  the  word  is  applied  in 
Australia  to  a  small  kangaroo, 
the  Paddy-melon  (q.v.). 

Melon-hole,  n.  a  kind  of  honey- 
combing of  the  surface  in  the  in- 
terior plains,  dangerous  to  horse- 
men, ascribed  to  the  work  of  the 
Paddy-melon.  Seeprecedingword, 
and  compare  the  English  Rabbit- 
hole.  The  name  is  often  given 
to  any  similar  series  of  holes,  such 
as  are  sometimes  produced  by  the 
growing  of  certain  plants. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  9 : 

"  The  soil  of  the  Bricklow  scrub  is  a 
stiff  clay,  washed  out  by  the  rains  into 
shallow  holes,  well  known  by  the 
squatters  under  the  name  of  melon- 
holes." 

Ibid.  p.  77 : 

"  A  stiff,  wiry,  leafless,  polyganace- 
ous  plant  grows  in  the  shallow  de- 
pressions of  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
which  are  significantly  termed  by  the 
squatters  'Melon-holes,3  and  abound 
in  the  open  Box-tree  flats." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,' p.  220 : 

"The  plain  is  full  of  deep  melon- 
holes,  and  the  ground  is  rotten  and 
undermined  with  rats." 

Menindie     Clover,     n.       See 

Clover. 

Menura,  n.  the  scientific  name 
of  the  genus  of  the  Lyre-bird  (q.v. ), 


so  called  from  the  crescent-shaped 
form  of  the  spots  on  the  tail ;  the 
tail  itself  is  shaped  like  a  lyre. 
(Grk.  /Arji/,  moon,  crescent,  and 
ovpa,  tail.)  The  name  was  given 
by  General  Davies  in  1800. 

1800.  T.  Davies,  'Description  of 
Menura  superba,'  in  '  Transactions  of  the 
Linnaean  Society'  (1802),  vol.  vi.  p.  208: 

"  The  general  colour  of  the  under 
sides  of  these  two  [tail]  feathers  is  of  a 
pearly  hue,  elegantly  marked  on  the 
inner  web  with  bright  rufous-coloured 
crescent-shaped  spots,  which,  from 
the  extraordinary  construction  of  the 
parts,  appear  wonderfully  transparent. J> 

Mere,  or  Meri,  n.  (pronounced 
merry),  a  Maori  war-club ;  a  casse- 
tte, or  a  war-axe,  from  a  foot  to 
eighteen  inches  in  length,  and 
made  of  any  suitable  hard  ma- 
terial— stone,  hard  wood,  whale- 
bone. To  many  people  out  of 
New  Zealand  the  word  is  only 
known  as  the  name  of  a  little 
trinket  of  greenstone  (q.v.)  made 
in  imitation  of  the  New  Zealand 
weapon  in  miniature,  mounted  in 
gold  or  silver,  and  used  as  a 
brooch,  locket,  ear-ring,  or  other 
article  of  jewelry. 

1830.  J.  D.  Lang,  'Poems'  (edition 
1873),  p.  116: 

"  Beneath  his  shaggy  flaxen  mat 
The  dreadful  marree  hangs  con- 
cealed." 

1851.  Mrs.  Wilson,  'New  Zealand,'  p. 
48: 

"  The  old  man  has  broken  my  head 
with  his  meri." 

1859.  A.  S.  Thomson,  'Story  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  140 : 

"  Of  these  the  greenstone  meri  was 
the  most  esteemed.  It  weighs  six 
pounds,  is  thirteen  inches  long,  and  in 
shape  resembles  a  soda-water  bottle 
flattened.  In  its  handle  is  a  hole  for 
a  loop  of  flax,  which  is  twisted  round 
the  wrist.  Meris  are  carried  occasion- 
ally in  the  girdle,  like  Malay  knives. 
In  conflicts  the  left  hand  grasped  the 
enemy's  hair,  and  one  blow  from  the 
meri  on  the  head  produced  death." 


MER-MIA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


291 


1887.  J.  Bonwick,  'Romance  of  Wool 
Trade/  p.  229  : 

"  A  land  of  musket  and  meri-armed 
warriors,  unprovided  with  a  meat  sup- 
ply, even  of  kangaroo." 

1889.  Jessie  Mackay,  '  The  Spirit  of  the 
Rangatira/  p.  16: 

"  He 'brandished  his  greenstone  mere 

high, 
And  shouted  a  Maori  battle-cry." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldre wood,  'Miner's Right,' 
c.  iii.  p.  33  : 

*  No,  no,  my  peg  ;  I  thrust  it  in 
with  this  meri,'  yells  Maori  Jack,  bran- 
dishing his  war-club." 

Merinoes,  Pure,  n.  a  term  often 
used,  especially  in  New  South 
Wales,  for  the  'very  first  families,' 
as  the  pure  merino  is  the  most 
valuable  sheep. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales/  vol.  i.  p.  116: 

"  Next  we  have  the  legitimates  .  .  . 
such  as  have  legal  reasons  for  visiting 
this  colony ;  and  the  illegitimates,  or 
such  as  are  free  from  that  stigma. 
The  pure  merinos  are  a  variety  of  the 
latter  species,  who  pride  themselves 
on  being  of  the  purest  blood  in  the 
colony." 

Mersey  Jolly-tail,  n.  See  Jolly- 
tail 

i 

Message-stick,  n.  The  aborigi- 
nals sometimes  carve  little  blocks 
of  wood  with  various  marks  to 
convey  messages.  These  are 
called  by  the  whites,  message-sticks. 

Messmate,  n.  name  given  to 
one  of  the  Gum-trees,  Eucalyptus 
amygdalina,  Labill.,  and  often  to 
other  species  of  Eucalypts,  espe- 
cially E.  obliqua,  L'Herit.  For 
origin  of  this  curious  name,  see 
quotation,  1889. 

1889.  J-  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants/  p.  429  : 

"  It  is  also  known  by  the  name  of 
'Messmate,'  because  it  is  allied  to, 
or  associated  with,  Stringy-bark. 
This  is  probably  the  tallest  tree  on 
the  globe,  individuals  having  been 
measured  up  to  400  ft.,  410  ft.,  and  in 


one  case  420  ft.,  with  the  length  of  the 
stem  up  to  the  first  branch  295  ft. 
The  height  of  a  tree  at  Mt.  Baw  Baw 
(Victoria)  is  quoted  at  471  ft." 

1890.  'The  Argus/ June  7,  p.  13,00!.  4  : 
"  Away  to  the  north-east  a  wooded 
range  of  mountains  rolls  along  the  sky- 
line, ragged  rents  showing  here  and 
there  where  the  dead  messmates  and 
white  gums  rise  like  gaunt  skeletons 
from  the  dusky  brown-green  mass  into 
which  distance  tones  the  bracken  and 
the  underwood." 

Mia-mia,  n.  an  aboriginal  hut. 
The  word  is  aboriginal,  and  has 
been  spelt  variously.  Mia-mia  is 
the  most  approved  spelling,  mi-mi 
the  most  approved  pronunciation. 
See  Humpy. 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  « Australia/  p.  103  : 

"  There  she  stood  in  a  perfect  state 
of  nudity,  a  little  way  from  the  road, 
by  her  miam,  smiling,  or  rather 
grimacing." 

1852.  Letter  from  Mrs.  Perry,  given  in 
Canon  Goodman's  '  Church  in  Victoria 
during  Episcopate  of  Bishop  Perry/  p.  167 : 

"We  came  upon  the  largest  (de- 
serted) native  encampment  we  had 
ever  seen.  One  of  the  mia-mias  (you 
know  what  that  is  by  this  time — the  a 
is  not  sounded)  was  as  large  as  an 
ordinary  sized  circular  summer-house, 
and  actually  had  rude  seats  all  round, 
which  is  quite  unusual.  It  had  no 
roof;  they  never  have,  being  mere 
break- weathers,  not  so  high  as  a  man's 
shoulder." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria/ vol.  i.  p.  366 : 

"  They  constructed  a  mimi,  or  bower 
of  boughs  on  the  other,  leaving  port- 
holes amongst  the  boughs  towards  the 
road." 

1858.  T.  McCombie,  'History  of  Vic- 
toria/ c.  vii.  p.  96 : 

"  Their  thoughts  wandered  to  their 
hunting-grounds  and  mia-mias  on  the 
Murray." 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches/  p.  15  : 

[Notice  varied  spelling  in  the  same 
author.]  "  Many  of  the  diggers  re- 
sided under  branches  of  trees  made 
into  small  '  miams '  or  '  wigwams.' " 


2Q2 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MIC-MIL 


1871.  C.  L.  Money,  '  Knocking  About 
in  New  Zealand,'  p.  42  : 

"  The  next  day  I  began  building  a 
little  'mi-mi,3  to  serve  as  a  resting- 
place  for  the  night  in  going  back  at 
any  time  for  supplies." 

1883.  E.  M.  Curr,  'Recollections  of 
Squatting  in  Victoria '  ( 1 84 1 — 1 85 1 ),  p.  1 48 : 

"  Of  the  mia-mias,  some  were  stand- 
ing ;  others  had,  wholly  or  in  part, 
been  thrown  down  by  their  late  occu- 
pants." 

1888.  D.    Macdonald,    'Gum    Boughs,' 
p.  32: 

"  A  few  branches  thrown  up  against 
the  prevailing  wind,  in  rude  imitation 
of  the  native  mia-mia." 

1889.  Rev.  J.  H.  Zillmann,  '  Australian 
Life,' p.  ill: 

"[The  blacks]  would  compel  [the 
missionaries]  to  carry  their  burdens 
while  travelling,  or  build  their  mia- 
mias  when  halting  to  camp  for  the 
night ;  in  fact,  all  sorts  of  menial 
offices  had  to  be  discharged  by  the 
missionaries  for  these  noble  black  men 
while  away  on  the  wilds  !  "  [Footnote]: 
"  Small  huts,  made  of  bark  and  leafy 
boughs,  built  so  as  to  protect  them 
against  the  side  from  which  the  wind 
blew." 

Micky,  n.  young  wild  bull. 
"  Said  to  have  originated  in 
Gippsland,  Victoria.  Probably 
from  the  association  of  bulls  with 
Mickeys,  or  Irishmen."  (Barere 
and  Leland.) 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xviii.  p.  217  : 

"The  wary  and  still  more  danger- 
ously sudden  'Micky,3  a  two-year-old 
bull." 

Micky2,  n.  In  New  Zealand,  a 
corruption  of  Mingi  (q.v.). 

Midwinter,  n.  The  seasons 
being  reversed  in  Australia, 
Christmas  occurs  in  the  middle 
of  summer.  The  English  word 
Midsummer  has  thus  dropped  out 
of  use,  and  "Christmas,"  or 
Christmas-time,  is  its  Australian 
substitute,  whilst  Midwinter  is 
the  word  used  to  denote  the  Aus- 


tralian  winter-time  "  of  late   June 
and  early  July.     See  Christmas. 

Mignonette,  Native,  n.  a  Tas- 
manian  flower,  Stackhousia  linarice- 
folia,  Cunn.,  N.  O.  Stackhousecz. 

Mihanere,  n.  a  convert  to 
Christianity ;  a  Maori  variant  of 
the  English  word  Missionary. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  pp.  n,  12  : 

"  The  mihanere  natives,  as  a  body, 
were  distinctly  inferior  in  point  of 
moral  character  to  the  natives,  who 
remained  with  their  ancient  customs 
unchanged.  ...  A  very  common 
answer  from  a  con  verted  native,  accused 
of  theft,  was, '  How  can  that  be  ?  I  am  a 
mihanere.3  .  .  .  They  were  all  mi- 
hanere, or  converts.33 

Milk-bush,  n.  a  tall  Queens- 
land shrub,  Wrightia  saligna,  F. 
v.  M.,  N.O.  Apocynetz  ;  it  is  said 
to  be  most  valuable  as  a  fodder- 
bush. 

Milk-fish,  n.  The  name,  in  Aus- 
tralia, is  given  to  a  marine  animal 
belonging  to  the  class  Holothu- 
rioidea.  The  Holothurians  are 
called  Sea-cucumbers,  or  Sea-slugs. 
The  Trepang,  or  beche-de-mer,  eaten 
by  the  Chinese,  belongs  to  them. 
Called  also  Tit-fish  (q.v.). 

1880.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Linnsean  Society  of  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  v.  pt.  ii.  p.  128 : 

"  Another  species  [of  Trepang\  is 
the  'milk  fish'  or  'cotton  fish/  so 
called  from  its  power  of  emitting  a 
white  viscid  fluid  from  its  skin,  which 
clings  to  an  object  like  shreds  of 
cotton." 

Milk-plant,  n.  i.q.  Caustic 
Creeper  (q.v.). 

Milk-tree,  n.  a  New  Zealand 

tree,      Epicarpurus      microphyllus, 

Raoul. 

1873.   '  Catalogue  of  Vienna  Exhibition ' : 
"Milk-tree  ...  a  tall  slender  tree 

exuding  a  milky  sap  :  wood  white  and 

very  brittle." 

Milk-wood,     n.     a     Northern 


MIL-MIM] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


293 


Territory  name  for  Melaleuca  leuca- 
dendron,  Linn. ;  called  also  Paper- 
bark-tree  (q-v.). 

Miller,  n.  a  local  name  for  the 
Cicada.  See  Locust  (quotation, 
1896). 

Millet,  n.  The  name  is  given 
to  several  Australian  grasses. 
The  Koda  Millet  of  India,  Paspa- 
lum  scroMculatum,  Linn.,  is  called 
in  Australia  Ditch  Millet ;  Seaside 
Millet  is  the  name  given  to  Paspa- 
lum  distichum,  Linn.,  both  of  the 
N.  O.  Graminecz.  But  the  principal 
species  is  called  Australian  Millet, 
Native  Millet,  and  Umbrella  Grass ; 
it  is  Panicum  decomposition,  R.  Br., 
N.  O.  Graminece. ;  it  is  not  endemic 
in  Australia. 

1896.  *  The  Australasian,'  March  14,  p. 
488,  col.  5  : 

"  One  of  the  very  best  of  the  grasses 
found  in  the  hot  regions  of  Central 
Australia  is  the  Australian  millet, 
Panicum  decompositum. .  It  is  ex- 
tremely hardy  and  stands  the  hot  dry 
summers  of  the  north  very  well ;  it  is 
nutritious,  and  cattle  and  sheep  are 
fond  of  it.  It  seeds  freely,  was  used 
by  the  aborigines  for  making  a  sort  of 
cake,  and  was  the  only  grain  stored  by 
them.  This  grass  thrives  in  poor  soil, 
and  starts  into  rapid  growth  with  the 
first  autumn  rains." 

Mimosa,  n.  a  scientific  name 
applied  to  upwards  of  two  hundred 
trees  of  various  genera  in  the  Old 
World.  The  genus  Mimosa,  under 
which  the  Australian  trees  called 
Wattles  were  originally  classed, 
formerly  included  the  Acacias. 
These  now  constitute  a  separate 
genus.  Acacia  is  the  scientific 
name  for  the  Wattle  ;  though  even 
now  an  old  colonist  will  call  the 
Wattles  "Mimosa." 

1793.  J.  E.  Smith,  '  Specimen  of  Botany 
of  New  Holland,'  p.  52  : 

"  This  shrub  is  now  not  uncommon 
in  our  greenhouses,  having  been  raised 
in  plenty  from  seeds  brought  from  Port 


Jackson.  It  generally  bears  its  fra- 
grant flowers  late  in  the  autumn,  and 
might  then  at  first  sight  be  sooner 
taken  for  a  Myrtus  than  a  Mimosa? 

1802.  Jas.  Flemming,  'Journal  of  Ex- 
plorations of  Charles  Grimes, 'in  'Historical 
Records  of  Port  Phillip '  (ed.  1879,  J.  J. 
Shillinglaw),  p.  25 : 

"  Timber  ;  gum,  Banksia,  oak,  and 
mimosa  of  sorts,  but  not  large  except 
the  gum." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  '  Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  202  : 

"  Gum-arabic,  which  exudes  from 
the  mimosa  shrubs." 

1844.  'Port   Phillip   Patriot,'  July    18, 
p.  4,  col.  2  : 

" '  Cashmere '  shawls  do  not  grow  on 
the  mimosa  trees." 

1845.  J.    O.    Balfour,   'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  38  : 

"  The  mimosa  is  a  very  graceful 
tree  ;  the  foliage  is  of  a  light  green 
colour.  .  .  .  The  yellow  flowers  with 
which  the  mimosa  is  decked  throw  out 
a  perfume  sweeter  than  the  laburnum  ; 
and  the  gum  ...  is  said  not  to  be 
dissimilar  to  gum-arabic." 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  'Australia,'  p.  175  : 

"  But,  Yarra,  thou  art  lovelier  now, 
With    clouds    of    bloom    on    every 

bough  ; 

A  gladsome  sight  it  is  to  see, 
In  blossom  thy  mimosa  tree. 
Like  golden-moonlight  doth  it  seem, 
The  moonlight  of  a  heavenly  dream  ; 
A  sunset  lustre,  chaste  and  cold, 
A  pearly  splendour  blent  with  gold." 
"  To  the  River  Yarra." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
P-  255  : 

"The  other  exports  of  Australia 
Felix  consist  chiefly  of  tallow,  cured 
beef  and  mutton,  wheat,  mimosa-bark, 
and  gumwood." 

1849.  J.    P.    Townsend,    'Rambles    in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  34 : 

"The  mimosa — although  it  sadly 
chokes  the  country — when  in  flower, 
fills  the  air  with  fragrance.  Its  bark  is 
much  used  for  tanning  purposes  ;  and 
the  gum  that  exudes  from  the  stem  is 
of  some  value  as  an  export,  and  is  used 
by  the  blacks  as  food." 


294 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[MIN 


1870.  F.  S.  Wilson,  '  Australian  Songs,' 
p.  29: 

"  I   have  sat,  and  watched  the  land- 
scape, latticed  by  the  golden  curls, 
Showering,  like  mimosa-blooms,   in 
scented  streams  about  my  breast." 

Minah,  n.  (also  Myna,  Mina, 
and  Minah-bird,  and  the  charac- 
teristic Australian  change  of 
Miner).  From  Hindustani  maina,  a 
starling.  The  word  is  originally 
applied  in  India  to  various  birds 
of  the  Starling  kind,  especially  to 
Graculus  religiosa,  a  talking  star- 
ling or  grackle.  One  of  these 
Indian  grackles,  Acridotheres 
tristis,  was  acclimatised  in  Mel- 
bourne, and  is  now  common  to 
the  house-tops  of  most  Aus- 
tralian towns.  He  is  not  Aus- 
tralian, but  is  the  bird  generally 
referred  to  as  the  Minah,  or  Minah- 
bird.  There  are  Minahs  native  to 
Australia,  of  which  the  species 
are — 

Bell-Minah— 

Manorhina  melanophrys,  Lath. 
Bush-M.— 

Myzantha  garrula,  Lath. 
Dusky-M. — 

M.  obscura,  Gould. 
Yellow-M.— 

M.  lutea>  Gould. 
Yellow-throated  M.— 

M.  flavigula,  Gould. 

1803.  Lord  Valentia,  '  Voyages,'  vol.  i. 
p.  227  [Stanford] : 

"  During  the  whole  of  our  stay  two 
minahs  were  talking  most  incessantly." 

1813.  J.  Forbes,  '  Oriental  Memoirs,' 
vol.  i.  p.  47  [Yule]  : 

"  The  mynah  is  a  very  entertaining 
bird,  hopping  about  the  house,  and 
articulating  several  words  in  the  man- 
ner of  the  starling." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv.  pi.  40  : 

"While  at  other  times,  like  the 
miners  (genus,  Myzantha),  it  soars 
from  tree  to  tree  with  the  most  graceful 
and  easy  movement." 


Ibid.  vol.  iv.  pi.  76  : 

"Myzantha  garrula,  Vig.  and 
Horsf.,  Garrulous  Honey-eater  ;  miner, 
Colonists  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,  M. 
flavigula,  Gould,  Yellow-Throated 
miner." 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Over  the  Straits,' 
vol.  i.  p.  33  : 

"  His  common  name  ...  is  said  to 
be  given  from  his  resemblance  to  some 
Indian  bird  called  mina  or  miner." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  72: 

"The  Indian  minah  is  as  much  at 
home,  and  almost  as  presumptuous,  as 
the  sparrow."  (p.  146):  "Yellow-legged 
minahs,  tamest  of  all  Australian  birds." 

1890.  Tasma,  'In  her  Earliest  Youth,' 
p.  265  : 

"  The  plaintive  chirp  of  the  mina." 

Miner's  Eight,  n.  the  licence 
to  dig  for  gold.  See  quotation. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  The  Miner's 
Right,'  p.  i  : 

"A  miner's  right,  a  wonderful 
document,  printed  and  written  on 
parchment,  precisely  as  follows."  [A 
reduced  facsimile  is  given.] 

Ibid.  p.  106  : 

"  You  produce  your  Miner's  Right. 
.  .  .  The  important  piece  of  parch- 
ment, about  the  size  of  a  bank-cheque, 
was  handed  to  the  Court." 

Mingi,  n.  originally  mingi  mingi, 
Maori  name  for  a  New  Zealand 
shrub  or  small  tree,  Cyathodes 
acerosa,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Epacridea. 
In  south  New  Zealand  it  is  often 
called  Micky. 

Minnow,  n.  name  sometimes 
given  to  a  very  small  fish  of 
New  Zealand,  Galaxias  attenuates, 
Jenyns,  family  Galaxida ;  called 
also  Whitebait  (q.v.).  The  Maori 
name  is  Inanga  (q.v.). 

Mint,  Australian  or  Native,  n.a. 
plant,  Mentha  aus traits,  R.Br.,  JV.  O. 
Labiatecz.  This  herb  was  largely 
used  by  the  early  colonists  of 
South  Australia  for  tea.  Many 
of  the  plants  of  the  genus  Mentha 
in  Australia  yield  oil  of  good 


MIN-MIS] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


295 


flavour,  among  them  the  common 
Pennyroyal. 

Mint-tree,  n.  In  Australia,  the 
tree  is  Prostanthera  lasiantha, 
Labill.,  N.O.  Labiates. 

Mirnyong",  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  a  shell-mound,  generally  sup- 
posed to  be  Victorian,  but,  by 
some,  Tasmanian. 

1888.  R.  M.  Johnston,  'Geology  of 
Tasmania,'  p.  337  : 

"With  the  exception  of  their  rude 
inconspicuous  flints,  and  the  accumu- 
lated remains  of  their  feasts  in  the 
'mirnyongs,5  or  native  shell-mounds, 
along  our  coasts,  which  only  have 
significance  to  the  careful  observer,  we 
have  no  other  visible  evidence  of  their 
former  existence." 

1893.  R.  Etheridge,  jun.,  'Transactions 
of  the  Royal  Society  of  South  Australia,' 
,p.  21  [Title  of  Paper]: 

"The  Mirrn-yong  heaps  at  the 
North-West  bank  of  the  River  Murray." 

Miro,  n.  (i)  Maori  name  for  a 
Robin  (q.v.),  and  adopted  as  the 
scientific  name  of  a  genus  of 
New  Zealand  Robins.  The  word 
is  shortened  form  of  Miro-miro. 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
P-  403  : 

"  Miro-miro  (Miro  albifrons).  A 
little  black-and-white  bird  with  a  large 
head  ;  it  is  very  tame,  and  has  a  short 
melancholy  song.  The  miro  toi-toi 
(muscicapa  toi-toi}  is  a  bird  not  larger 
than  the  torn-tit.  Its  plumage  is  black 
and  white,  having  a  white  breast  and 
some  of  the  near  feathers  of  each  wing 
tinged  with  white." 

1879.  W.  Colenso,  'Transactions  of 
Few  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xii.  art.  vii. 

119: 

"  Proverb  28  :  Ma  te  kanohi  miro- 
liro,  [signifying]  'To  be  found  by 
the  sharp-eyed  little  bird.'  Lit.  '  For 
the  miro-miro's  eye.'  Used  as  a 
stimulus  to  a  person  searching  for 

lything  lost.  The  miro-miro  is  the 
little  petroica  toi-toi,  which  runs  up 
and  down  trees  peering  for  minute 
insects  in  the  bark." 

1882.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Manual  of  the 
Birds  of  New  Zealand,'  p.  23 : 


"  The  Petroeca  longipes  is  confined 
to  the  North  Island,  where  it  is  very 
common  in  all  the  wooded  parts  of  the 
country  ;  but  it  is  represented  in  the 
South  Island  by  a  closely  allied  and 
equally  common  species,  the  miro 
albifrons." 

(2)  Maori  name  for  a  New  Zea- 
land tree,  Podocarpus  ferruginea, 
Don.,  N.O.  Conifera;  the  Black- 
pine  of  Otago. 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  '  Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  308  : 

"  The  miro-tree  (Podocarpus  ferru- 
gined]  is  found  in  slightly  elevated 
situations  in  many  of  the  forests  in  New 
Zealand.  Height  about  sixty  feet.  The 
wood  varies  from  light  to  dark-brown 
in  colour,  is  close  in  grain,  moder- 
ately hard  and  heavy,  planes  up  well, 
and  takes  a  good  polish." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  163  : 

"  The  Miro  is  a  valuable  tree,  com- 
mon in  all  parts  of  the  colony.  ...  It 
is  usually  distinguished  by  its  ordinary 
native  name." 

Mistletoe,  n.  The  name  is  given 
to  various  species  of  trees  of 
several  genera — 

(1)  In   Australia,   generally,  to 
various      species     of     Loranthus, 
N.O.    Loranthacecz.     There   are  a 
great     number,     they    are    very 
common    on    the    Eucalypts,  and 
they    have     the      same     viscous 
qualities  as  the   European  Mistle- 
toes. 

(2)  In    Western    Australia,    to 
Nuytsia  floribunda,    R.Br.,    N.O. 
Loranthacece,  a  terrestrial  species 
attaining  the  dimensions  of  a  tree 
—the  Flame-tree  (q.v.)  of  Western 
Australia  —  and     also    curiously 
called  there  a  Cabbage-tree. 

(3)  In    Tasmania,    to    Cassytha 
pubescent,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Lauracea. 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller,  'Botanic  Teach- 
ings,' p.  43  : 

"  The  English  mistletoe  is  the  well- 
known  Viscum  album,  whereas  all  the 
Victorian  kinds  belong  to  the  genus 
Loranthus,  of  which  the  Mediterranean 


296 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MIT-MOB 


L.  Ettropceus  is  the  prototype.  The 
generic  name  arose  in  allusion  to  the 
strap-like  narrowness  of  the  petals." 

[Greek  Xwpov,  from  Lat.  lorum,  a 
thong,  and  avdos,  a  flower.] 

Mitchell-Grass,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian grass,  Astrebla  elymoides,  A. 
triticoideS)  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Graminece. 
Two  other  species  of  Astrebla  are 
also  called  "  Mitchell-grasses." 
See  Grass. 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey,  *  Synopsis  of 
Queensland  Flora,'  p.  660  : 

"  Used  for  food  by  the  natives.  The 
most  valuable  fodder-grass  of  the 
colony.  True  Mitchell-grass." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  *  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  78  : 

"  Mitchell-grass.  The  flowering 
spikes  resemble  ears  of  wheat.  ...  It 
is  by  no  means  plentiful." 

Moa,  n.  The  word  is  Maori, 
and  is  used  by  that  race  as  the 
name  of  the  gigantic  struthious 
bird  of  New  Zealand,  scientifically 
called  Dinornis  (q.v.).  It  has 
passed  into  popular  Australasian 
and  English  use  for  all  species  of 
that  bird.  A  full  history  of  the 
discovery  of  the  Moa,  of  its 
nature  and  habits,  and  of  the 
progress  of  the  classification  of 
the  species  by  Professor  Owen, 
from  the  sole  evidence  of  the 
fossil  remains  of  its  bones,  is 
given  in  the  Introduction  to  W.  L. 
Buller's  '  Birds  of  New  Zealand,' 
vol.  i.  (pp.  xviii — xxxv). 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
New  Zealand  Language '  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  181  : 

"  Moe  [sic],  a  bird  so  called." 

1839.  '  Proceedings  of  Zoological  So- 
ciety,' Nov.  12  : 

[Description  by  Owen  of  Dinornis 
without  the  name  of  Moa.  It  con- 
tained the  words — "  So  far  as  my  skill 
in  interpreting  an  osseous  fragment 
may  be  credited,  I  am  willing  to  risk 
the  reputation  for  it,  on  the  statement 
that  there  has  existed,  if  there  does 
not  now  exist,  in  New  Zealand  a 


Struthious   bird,   nearly,   if  not  quite 
equal  in  size  to  the  Ostrich."] 

1844.   '  Ibid.  vol.  iii.  pt.  iii.  p.  237  : 
[Description  of  Dinornis  by  Owen, 
in  which  he  names  the  Moa,  and  quotes 
letter  from  Rev.  W.  (afterwards  Bishop) 
Williams,   dated   Feb.   28,    1842,  "to 
which  they  gave  the  name  of  Moa."] 
1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 

P-  137  : 

"  The  new  genus  Dinornis,  which 
includes  also  the  celebrated  moa,  or 
gigantic  bird  of  New  Zealand,  and 
bears  some  resemblance  to  the  present 
Apteryx,  or  wingless  bird  of  that 
country  ....  The  New  Zealanders 
assert  that  this  extraordinary  bird  was 
in  existence  in  the  days  of  their 
ancestors,  and  was  finally  destroyed 
by  their  grandfathers." 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  '  New  Zealand  ' 
(English  translation),  p.  214  : 

"  First  among  them  were  the  gigantic 
wingless  Moas,  Dinornis  and  Palap- 
teryx,  which  seem  to  have  been  exter- 
minated already  about  the  middle  of 
the  seventeenth  century."  [Query, 
eighteenth  century  ?] 
1867.  Ibid.  p.  181  : 

"  By  the  term  '  Moa '  the  natives 
signify  a  family  of  birds,  that  we  know 
merely  from  bones  and  skeletons,  a 
family  of  real  giant-birds  compared 
with  the  little  Apterygides."  [Foot- 
note] :  "  Moa  or  Toa,  throughout  Poly- 
nesia, is  the  word  applied  to  domestic 
fowls,  originating  perhaps  from  the 
Malay  word  mua,  a  kind  of  peasants 
[sic].  The  Maoris  have  no  special 
term  for  the  domestic  fowl." 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  <  Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  Introduction,  p.  Ivi.  [Footnote]  : 
"  I  have  remarked  the  following 
similarity  between  the  names  employed 
in  the  Fijian  and  Maori  languages  for 
the  same  or  corresponding  birds  :  Toa 
(any  fowl-like  kind  of  bird)  =  Moa 
(DinormsY 

Mob,  n.  a  large  number,  the 
Australian  noun  of  multitude, 
and  not  implying  anything  low  or 
noisy.  It  was  not  used  very  early, 
as  the  first  few  of  the  following 
quotations  show. 

z8n.  G.  Paterson,  « History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  530  : 


MOB] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


297 


"  Besides  herds  of  kangaroos,  four 
large  wolves  were  seen  at  Western 
Port." 

1830.   R. 

Australia'  : 


Dawson,    *  Present    State  of 


[P- 
fo- 


il o]  :  "  Herds  of  kangaroos." 


An  immense  herd  of  kan- 


139. 
garoos." 

[p.  196]:  "Flocks  of  kangaroos  of 
every  size." 

1835.  T.  B.  Wilson,  '  Voyage  round  the 
World,'  p.  243 : 

"We  started  several  flocks  of 
kangaroos." 

1836.  Dec.  26,    Letter  in  '  Three  Years' 
Practical  Experience  of  a  Settler  in  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  44  : 

"  A  man  buying  a  flock  of  sheep,  or 
a  herd  of  cattle  .  .  .  While  I  watched 
the  mop  I  had  collected."  [This,  thus 
spelt,  seems  the  earliest  instance.] 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  6  : 

"  Droves  of  kangaroos." 

Of  Men— 

[But  with  the  Australian  and 
not  the  ordinary  English  signifi- 
cation.] 

1874.  w-  M.  B.,  '  Narrative  of  Edward 
Crewe,'  p.  223  : 

"  A  contractor  in  a  large  way  having 
a  mob  of  men  in  his  employ." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  Aug.  16,  p.  13, 
col.  2  : 

"  It  doesn't  seem  possible  to  get  a 
mob  of  steady  men  for  work  of  that 
sort  now." 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  *  Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  ix.  p.  69  : 

"He,  tho'  living  fifty  miles  away, 
was  one  of  the  l  Dunmore  mob,'  and 
aided  generally  in  the  symposia  which 
were  there  enjoyed." 

Of  Blackfellows— 

1822.  J.  West,  « History  of  Tasmania ' 
(1852),  vol.  ii.  p.  12  : 

"The  settlers  of  1822  remember  a 
number  of  natives,  who  roamed  about 
the  district,  and  were  known  as  the 
'  tame  mob J ;  they  were  absconders 
from  different  tribes." 

1830.  Newspaper  (Tasmanian),  March, 
(cited  J.  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  42): 

"A  mob  of  natives  appeared  at 
Captain  Smith's  hut,  at  his  run." 


1835.  H-  Melville,  'History  of  Van 
Diemen's  Land,'  p.  75  : 

"  A  mob  of  some  score  or  so  of 
natives,  men,  women,  and  children^, 
had  been  discovered  by  their  fires." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia/ p.  107  : 

"  A  whole  crowd  of  men  on  horse- 
back get  together,  with  a  mob  of 
blacks  to  assist  them." 

1892.  Rolf  Boldrewood, '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  134  : 

"At  the  side  of  the  crowd  was  a 
small  mob  of  blacks  with  their  dogs, 
spears,  possum  rugs,  and  all  complete." 

Of  Cattle— 

1860.  R.Donaldson,  'Bush  Lays, 'p.  14: 

"  Now  to  the  stockyard  crowds  the 

mob  ; 
'Twill  soon  be  milking  time." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  ' My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  70  : 

"A  number  of  cattle  collected  tof- 
gether  is  colonially  termed  a  mob." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  105  : 

"A  mixed  mob  of  cattle — cows, 
steers,  and  heifers — had  to  be  col- 
lected." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  120: 

"'Mobs'  or  small  sub-divisions  of 
the  main  herd." 

Of  Sheep— 

1860.  Lady  Barker,  '  Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  169  : 

"  It  was  more  horrible  to  see  the 
drowning,  or  just  drowned,  huddled- 
up  'mob'  (as  sheep  en  masse  are 
technically  called)  which  had  made 
the  dusky  patch  we  noticed  from  the 
hill." 

1875.  '  Spectator '  (Melbourne),  May 
22,  p.  34,  col.  2  : 

"  A  mob  of  sheep  has  been  sold  at 
Belfast  at  is.  lod.  per  head." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  83  : 

"  The  army  of  sheep — about  thirty 
thousand  in  fifteen  flocks — at  length 
reached  the  valley  before  dark,  and 
the  overseer,  pointing  to  a  flock  of  two 
thousand,  more  or  less,  said,  'There's 
your  mob.' " 


298 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[MOC-MOK 


Of  Horses— 

1865.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  27  : 

"All  the  animals  to  make  friends 
with,  mobs  of  horses  to  look  at." 

1879.  W.  J.  Barry,  '  Up  and  Down,'  p. 
197: 

"  I  purchased  a  mob  of  horses  for 
the  Dunstan  market." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  *  Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  Ill  : 

"The  stockman  came  suddenly  on 
a  mob  of  nearly  thirty  horses,  feeding 
up  a  pleasant  valley." 

Of  Kangaroos — 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  '  Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  59  : 

"The  'old  men'  are  always  the 
largest  and  strongest  in  the  flock,  or 
in  colonial  language  *  mob.3 " 

1864.  'Once  a  Week,' Dec.  31,  p.  45, 
'The  Bulla  Bulla  Bunyip' : 

"About  a  mile  outside  the  town  a 
four-rail  fence  skirted  the  rough  track 
we  followed.  It  enclosed  a  lucerne 
paddock.  Over  the  grey  rails,  as  we 
approached,  came  bounding  a  mob 
of  kangaroos,  headed  by  a  gigantic 
perfectly  white  '  old  man,'  which 
glimmered  ghostly  in  the  moonlight." 

Of  Ducks— 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia, p.  99  : 

"  They  [the  ducks]  all  came  in  twos 
and  threes,  and  small  mobs." 

Of  Clothes— 

1844.  '  Port  Phillip  Patriot,'  July  22,  p. 
2,  col.  6 : 

"  They  buttoned  up  in  front ;  the 
only  suit  in  the  mob  which  did  so." 

Of  Books— 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  72  : 

"  If  it  was  in  your  mob  of  books, 
give  this  copy  to  somebody  that  would 
appreciate  it." 

More  generally — 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  ii.  p.  20  : 

"  A  number  of  cattle  together  is  here 
usually  termed  a '  mob,'  and  truly  their 
riotous  and  unruly  demeanour  renders 
the  designation  far  from  inapt ;  but  I 
was  very  much  amused  at  first,  to  hear 


people  gravely  talking  of '  a  mob  of 
sheep,'  or  *  a  mob  of  lambs]  and  it  was 
some  time  ere  I  became  accustomed  to 
the  novel  use  of  the  word.  Now,  the 
common  announcements  that  'the 
cuckoo  hen  has  brought  out  a  rare  mob 
of  chickens,'  or  that  'there's  a  great 
mob  of  quail  in  the  big  paddock,'  are 
to  me  fraught  with  no  alarming  antici- 
pations." 

1853.  H.  Berkeley  Jones,  '  Adventures 
in  Australia,'  p.  114  : 

"'There  will  be  a  great  mob  of 
things  going  down  to-day,'  said  one  to 
another,  which  meant  that  there  would 
be  a  heavy  cargo  in  number  ;  we  must 
remember  that  the  Australians  have 
a  patois  of  their  own." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xiii.  p.  135  : 

"What  a  mob  of  houses,  people, 
cabs,  teams,  men,  women  and 
children ! " 

Mocking-bird,  n.  The  name  is 
given  in  Australia  to  the  Lyre-bird 
(q.v.),  and  in  New  Zealand  to  the 
Tui  (q.v.). 

Mock-Olive,  «.  a  tree.  Called 
also  Axe-breaker  (q.v.). 

Mock-Orange,  n.  an  Australian 
tree,  i.q.  Native  Laurel.  See 
Laurel. 

Mogo,  n.  the  stone  hatchet  of 
the  aborigines  of  New  South 
Wales. 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  i.  p.  204  : 

"  I  heard  from  the  summit  the  mogo 
of  a  native  at  work  on  some  tree  close 
by." 

1868.  W.  Carleton, '  Australian  Nights,' 
p.  20  : 

"  One  mute  memorial  by  his  bier, 
His  mogo,  boomerang,  and  spear." 

Moguey,  n.  English  corruption 
of  Mokihi  (q.v.). 

1871.  C.  L.  Money,  '  Knocking  About 
in  New  Zealand,'  p.  52  : 

"  Moguey,  a  Maori  name  for  a  raupo 
or  flax-stick  raft." 

Moki,  n.  the  Maori  name  for 
the  Bastard  Trumpeter  (q.v.)  of 


MOK-MOL] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


299 


New  Zealand,  Latris  ciliaris^ 
Forst,  family  Cirrhitida. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand'  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  182  : 

"  Moki,  s.    A  fish  so  called." 

Mokihi,  or  Moki,  ?z.  Maori  name 
for  a  raft ;  sometimes  anglicised 
as  Moguey. 

1840.  J.  S.  Polack,  '  Manners  and 
Customs  of  New  Zealanders,'  vol.  ii.  p. 
226  : 

"  In  the  absence  of  canoes,  a 
quantity  of  dried  bulrushes  are 
fastened  together,  on  which  the  native 
is  enabled  to  cross  a  stream  by  sitting 
astride  and  paddling  with  his  hands  ; 
these  humble  conveyances  are  called 
moki,  and  resemble  those  made  use  of 
by  the  Egyptians  in  crossing  among 
the  islands  of  the  Nile.  They  are 
extremely  buoyant,  and  resist  satura- 
tion for  a  longer  period." 

1858.  'Appendix  to  Journal  of  House 
of  Representatives,'  c.  iii.  p.  18 : 

"  We  crossed  the  river  on  mokis. 
...  By  means  of  large  mokis,  carry- 
ing upwards  of  a  ton.  .  .  .  Moki 
navigation." 

1889.  Vincent  Pyke,  <  Wild  Will  En- 
derby,'  p.  82  : 

"  For  the  benefit  of  the  unlearned 
in  such  matters,  let  me  here  explain 
that  a  '  Mokihi '  is  constructed  of 
Koradies,  Anglice^  the  flowering  stalks 
of  the  flax, — three  faggots  of  which 
lashed  firmly  in  a  point  at  the  small 
ends,  and  expanded  by  a  piece  of 
wood  at  the  stern,  constitute  the  sides 
and  bottom  of  the  frail  craft,  which, 
propelled  by  a  paddle,  furnishes  suffi- 
cient means  of  transport  for  a  single 
individual." 

Moko,  n.  the  system  of  tat- 
tooing practised  by  the  Maoris. 
See  Tattoo.  It  is  not  a  fact — as 
popularly  supposed — that  the 
"  moko "  was  distinctive  in 
different  families  ;  serving,  as  is 
sometimes  said,  the  purpose  of  a 
coat-of-arms.  The  "moko"  was 
in  fact  all  made  on  the  same 
pattern  —  that  of  all  Maori 
carvings.  Some  were  more 


elaborate  than  others.  The  sole 
difference  was  that  some  were  in 
outline  only,  some  were  half 
filled  in,  and  others  were  finished 
in  elaborate  detail. 

1769.  J.  Banks,  'Journal,'  Nov.  22 
(Sir  J.  D.  Hooker's  edition,  1896),  p.  203  : 

"  They  had  a  much  larger  quantity 
of  amoca  [sic]  or  black  stains  upon  their 
bodies  and  faces.  They  had  almost 
universally  a  broad  spiral  on  each 
buttock,  and  many  had  their  thighs 
almost  entirely  black,  small  lines  only 
being  left  untouched,  so  that  they 
looked  like  striped  breeches.  In  this 
particular,  I  mean  the  use  of  amoca^ 
almost  every  tribe  seems  to  have  a 
different  custom." 

1896.  'The  Times'  (Weekly  Edition), 
July  17,  p.  498,  col.  3: 

"  In  this  handsome  volume,  '  Moko 
or  Maori  Tattooing,'  Major-General 
Robley  treats  of  an  interesting  subject 
with  a  touch  of  the  horrible  about  it 
which,  to  some  readers,  will  make  the 
book  almost  fascinating.  Nowhere 
was  the  system  of  puncturing  the  flesh 
into  patterns  and  devices  carried  out 
in  such  perfection  or  to  such  an  extent 
as  in  New  Zealand.  Both  men  and 
women  were  operated  upon  among  the 
Maoris." 

Moko-moko,  n.  (i)  Maori  name 
for  the  Bell-bird  (q.v.),  Anthornis 
melanura,  Sparrm. 

1888.  A.  W.  Bathgate,  '  Sladen's  Aus- 
tralian Ballads,'  p.  22  : 

[Title]:  "To  the  Moko-moko,  or 
Bell-bird."  [Footnote]  :  "  Now  rapidly 
dying  out  of  our  land,"  sc.  New 
Zealand. 

(2)  Maori  name  for  the  lizard, 

Lygosoina  ornatumy  Gray,  or  Lygo- 
soma  mokOy  Durn.  and  Bib. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand '  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  182 : 

"  Moko-moko,  a  small  lizard." 

Mole,  Marsupial.  See  Mar- 
supial Mole. 

Moloch,  n.  an  Australian  lizard, 
Moloch  horridus,  Gray  ;  called  also 
Mountain  Devil  (q.v.).  There  is 


3oo 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[MON 


no  other  species  in  the  genus,  and 
the  adjective  (Lat.  horridus^  brist- 
ling) seems  to  have  suggested 
the  noun,  the  name  probably  re- 
calling Milton's  line  ('  Paradise 
Lost,'  i.  392)— 

"  FirstMoloch,  horrid  king,  besmeared 
with  blood." 

Moloch  was  the  national  god  of 
the  Ammonites  (i  Kings  xi.  7), 
and  was  the  personification  of  fire 
as  a  destructive  element. 

1896.  Baldwin  Spencer,  'Home  Ex- 
pedition in  Central  Australia,'  Narrative, 
p.  41  : 

"Numerous  lizards  such  as  the 
strange  Moloch  horridus,  the  bright 
yellow,  orange,  red  and  black  of  which 
render  it  in  life  very  different  in  appear- 
ance from  the  bleached  specimens  of 
museum  cases." 

Mongan,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  the  animal  named  in  the 
quotation. 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals,' 

P-  173: 

"Jimmy,  however,  had,  to  my  great 
delight,  found  mongan  (Pseudochirus 
herbertensis),  a  new  and  very  pretty 
mammal,  whose  habitat  is  exclusively 
the  highest  tops  of  the  scrubs  in  the 
Coast  Mountains." 

Monk,  n.  another  name  for  the 
Friar  Bird  (q.v.). 

Monkey-Bear,  or  Monkey,  n. 
i.q.  Native  Bear.  See  Bear. 

1853.  C.  St.  Julian  and  E.  K.  Silvester, 
'  The  Productions,  Industry,  and  Resources 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  30: 

"The  Kola,  so  called  by  the  abo- 
rigines, but  more  commonly  known 
among  the  settlers  as  the  native  bear 
or  monkey,  is  found  in  brush  and 
forest  lands  .  .  ." 

1891.  Mrs.  Cross  (Ada  Cambridge), 
*  The  Three  Miss  Kings,'  p.  9  : 

"A  little  monkey-bear  came  cau- 
tiously down  from  the  only  gum-tree 
that  grew  on  the  premises,  grunting 
and  whimpering." 

Monkey-shaft,  n.  "A  shaft  ris- 
ing from  a  lower  to  a  higher  level 


(as  a  rule  perpendicularly),  and 
differing  from  a  blind-shaft  only 
in  that  the  latter  is  sunk  from  a 
higher  to  a  lower  level."  (Brough 
Smyth's  'Glossary.') 

1880.  G.   Sutherland,    « Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  69  : 

"They  began  to  think  they  might 
be  already  too  deep  for  it,  and  a  small 
'  monkey '-shaft  was  therefore  driven 
upwards  from  the  end  of  the  tunnel." 

Monkeys,  n.  bush  slang  for 
sheep. 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,    'Bush    Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  88  : 

"  No  one  felt  better  pleased  than  he 
did  to  see  the  last  lot  of  'monkeys/ 
as  the  shearers  usually  denominated 
sheep,  leave  the  head-station." 

Monotreme,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  an  order  of  Australian 
mammals  (Monotremata).  "  The 
Monotremes  derive  their  name 
from  the  circumstance  that  there 
is,  as  in  birds  and  reptiles,  but  a 
single  aperture  at  the  hinder  ex- 
tremity of  the  body  from  which 
are  discharged  the  whole  of  the 
waste-products,  together  with 
the  reproductive  elements  ;  the 
oviducts  opening  separately  into 
the  end  of  this  passage,  which  is 
termed  the  cloaca.  [Grk.  /xoVos, 
sole,  and  rprj/m,  a  passage  or 
hole.]  Reproduction  is  effected 
by  means  of  eggs,  which  are 
laid  and  hatched  by  the  female 
parent ;  after  [being  hatched]  the 
young  are  nourished  by  milk 
secreted  by  special  glands  situ- 
ated within  a  temporary  pouch, 
into  which  the  head  of  the  young 
animal  is  inserted  and  retained. 
...  It  was  not  until  1884  that 
it  was  conclusively  proved  that 
the  Monotremes  did  actually  lay 
eggs  similar  in  structure  to  those 
of  birds  and  reptiles."  (R. 
Lydekker,  '  Marsupialia  and 
Monotremata,'  1894,  p.  227.) 
The  Monotremes  are  strictly 


MOO-MOP] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


301 


confined  to  Australia,  Tasmania, 
and  New  Guinea.  They  are  the 
Platypus  (q.v.),  and  the  Echidna 
(q.v.),  or  Ant-eating  Porcupine. 

Mooley- Apple,  n.  i.q.  Emu- 
Apple  (q.v.). 

Moor-hen,  n.  common  English 
bird-name  (Gallinula).  The  Aus- 
tralian species  are — the  Black, 
Gallinula  tenebrosa^  Gould ;  Rufous- 
tailed,  G.  ruficrissa,  Gould. 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  '  Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  169: 

"  The  Rail-like  bird,  the  Black-tailed 
Tribonyx,orMoor-Hen  of  the  colonists, 
which,  when  strutting  along  the  bank 
of  a  river,  has  a  grotesque  appearance, 
with  the  tail  quite  erect  like  that  of  a 
domestic  fowl,  and  rarely  resorts  to 
flight."  [The  Tribonyx  is  called 
Native  Hen,  not  Moorhenl\ 

Moon,  v.  tr.  a  process  in 
opossum-shooting",  explained  in 
quotations. 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  '  Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  182: 

" '  Mooning '  opossums  is  a  speciality 
with  country  boys.  The  juvenile  hunter 
utilises  the  moon  as  a  cavalry  patrol 
would  his  field-glass  for  every  suspected 
point." 

1890.  E.  Davenport  Cleland,  'The 
White  Kangaroo,'  p.  66 : 

"  They  had  to  go  through  the  process 
known  as  '  mooning.'  Walking  back- 
wards from  the  tree,  each  one  tried  to 
get  the  various  limbs  and  branches 
between  him  and  the  moon,  and  then 
follow  them  out  to  the  uttermost  bunch 
of  leaves  where  the  'possum  might  be 
feeding." 

Mopoke,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  an  Australian  bird,  from  .its 
note  "  Mopoke."  There  is  em- 
phasis on  the  first  syllable,  but 
much  more  on  the  second.  Settlers 
very  early  attempted  to  give  an 
English  shape  and  sense  to  this 
name.  The  attempt  took  two 
forms,  " More-pork"  and  ^Mope- 
hawk  " ;  both  forms  are  more 
than  fifty  years  old.  The  r  sound, 


however,  is  not  present  in  the 
note  of  the  bird,  although  the 
form  More-pork  is  perhaps  even 
more  popular  than  the  true  form 
Mopoke.  The  form  Mope-hawk 
seems  to  have  been  adopted 
through  dislike  of  the  perhaps 
coarser  idea  attaching  to  "  pork." 
The  quaint  spelling  Mawpawk 
seems  to  have  been  adopted  for  a 
similar  reason. 

The  bird  is  heard  far  more  often 
than  seen,  hence  confusion  has 
arisen  as  to  what  is  the  bird  that 
utters  the  note.  The  earlier  view 
was  that  the  bird  was  Podargus 
cuvieri,  Vig.  and  Hors.,  which 
still  popularly  retains  the  name  ; 
whereas  it  is  really  the  owl, 
Ninox  boobook,  that  calls  "  more- 
pork  "  or  "  mopoke  "  so  loudly  at 
night.  Curiously,  Gould,  having 
already  assigned  the  name  More- 
pork  to  Podargus^  in  describing 
the  Owlet  Night-jar  varies  the 
spelling  and  writes,  "  little  Mawe- 
pawk.  Colonists  of  Van  Diemen's 
Land."  The  New  Zealand  More- 
pork  is  assuredly  an  owl.  The 
Podargus  has  received  the  name 
of  Frogmouth  and  the  Mopoke  has 
sometimes  been  called  a  Cuckoo 
(q.v.).  See  also  Boobook,  Frogs- 
mouth. 

The  earliest  ascertained  use  of 
the  word  is — 

1827.  Hellyer  (in  1832),  <  Bischoff,  Van 
Diemen's  Land,'  p.  177: 

"One  of  the  men  shot  a  'more 
pork.' " 

The  Bird's  note— 
1868.  Carleton,  'Australian  Nights,'  p. 
19: 

"  The  Austral  cuckoo  spoke 
His  melancholy  note — '  Mo-poke.' " 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  «  Gum  Boughs  and 
Wattle  Bloom,'  p.  236: 

"  Many  a  still  night  in  the  bush  I 
have  listened  to  the  weird  metallic  call 
of  this  strange  bird,  the  mopoke  of  the 


302 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


natives,  without  hearing  it  give  expres- 
sion to  the  pork-shop  sentiments." 

Podargus — 

1848.  J.  Gould,  «  Birds  of  Australia,'  vol. 
ii.  pi.  4: 

"Podargus  Ctivieri,  Vig.  and  Horsf., 
More-pork  of  the  Colonists." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals/ 
p.  33 ; 

"We  are  lulled  to  sleep  by  the 
melancholy,  sleep-inspiring,  and  not 
disagreeable  voices  of  the  night  bird 
Podargus— •'  More-pork !  more -pork ! ' " 

1890.  'Victorian  Statutes — Game  Act, 
Third  Schedule.' 

"  Podargus  or  Mopoke.  [Close  Sea- 
son.] The  whole  year." 

Vague  name  of  Cuckoo — 
1854.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'The  Australian 

Emigrant,'  p.  1 10 : 

"The  note  of  the   More-pork,  not 

unlike  that  of  a  cuckoo  with  a  cold." 

1857.  W.  Howitt,  '  Tallangetta,'  vol.  i. 
p.  98: 

"  The  distant  monotone  of  the  more- 
pork — the  nocturnal  cuckoo  of  the 
Australian  wilds." 

Incorrect — 

1858.  W.   H.   Hall,   'Practical  Experi- 
ences at  the  Diggings  in  Victoria,'  p.  22  : 

"  The  low,  melancholy,  but  pleasing 
cry  of  the  Mope-hawk." 

1877.  William  Sharp,  'Earth's Voices': 
"  On  yonder  gum  a  mopoke's  throat 

Out-gurgles  laughter  grim, 
And  far  within  the  fern-tree  scrub 
A  lyre-bird  sings  his  hymn." 

[This  is  confusion  worse  confounded. 
It  would  seem  as  if  the  poet  confused 
the  Laughing  Jackass  with  the  Mopoke , 
q.v.] 

1878.  Mrs.  H.  Jones,   '  Long  Years  in 
Australia,'  p.  145  : 

"  How  the  mope-hawk  is  screeching." 

Owl— 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  '  Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  71  : 

"  A  bird  of  the  owl  species,  called 
by  the  colonists  morepork,  and  by  the 
natives  whuck-whuck,  derives  both  its 
names  from  the  peculiarity  of  its  note. 
At  some  distance  it  reminds  one  of  the 
song  of  the  cuckoo ;  when  nearer  it 
sounds  hoarse  and  discordant." 


1848.  J.    Gould, 
vol.  ii.  pi.  I  : 


[MOP 

;  Birds  of  Australia,' 


"jEgotheles  Novce-Hollandice^  Vig. 
and  Horsf.,  Owlet  Nightjar ;  Little 
Mawepawk,  Colonists  of  Van  Diemen's 
Land." 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  ii.  p.  253  : 

"The  Mawpawk,  More  Pork,  or 
Mope  Hawk,  is  common  in  most  parts 
of  the  colony,  and  utters  its  peculiar 
two-syllable  cry  at  night  very  con- 
stantly. Its  habits  are  those  of  the 
owl,  and  its  rather  hawkish  appearance 
partakes  also  of  the  peculiarities  of  the 
goat-sucker  tribe.  .  .  .  The  sound  does  " 
not  really  resemble  the  words  *  more 
pork,'  any  more  than  '  cuckoo,'  and  it 
is  more  like  the  *  tu-whoo J  of  the  owl 
than  either." 

1859.  D.  Bunce,  '  Australasiatic  Remi- 
niscences,' p.  14 : 

"  Just  as  our  sportsman,  fresh  from 
the  legal  precincts  of  Gray's  Inn 
Square,  was  taking  a  probably  deadly 
aim,  the  solitary  and  melancholy  note 
of  '  More -pork  !  more-pork  ! '  from  the 
Cyclopean,  or  Australian  owl,  inter- 
fered most  opportunely  in  warding  off 
the  shot." 

1864.  '  Once  a  Week,'  Dec.  31,  p.  45, 
'  The  Bulla  Bulla  Bunyip': 

"The  locusts  were  silent,  but  now 
and  then  might  be  heard  the  greedy 
cry  of  the  'morepork,'  chasing  the 
huge  night-moths  through  the  dim 
dewy  air." 

1892.  A.  Sutherland,  '  Elementary  Geo- 
graphy of  British  Colonies,'  p.  274 : 

"  Owls  are  also  numerous,  the  Mo- 
poke's  note  being  a  familiar  sound  in 
the  midnight  darkness  of  the  forest." 
By  transference  to  a  man. 
1845.  R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  233  : 
" '  A  more-pork  kind  of  a  fellow '  is 
a  man  of  cut-and-dry  phrases,  a  person 
remarkable  for  nothing  new  in  common 
conversation.    This  by  some  is  thought 
very  expressive,  the  more-pork  being 
a  kind  of  Australian  owl,  notorious  for 
its  wearying  nightly  iteration,  '  More 
pork,  more  pork.' " 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xiii.  p.  125  : 

"What  a  regular  more-pork  I  was 
to  be  sure  to  go  and  run  my  neck  agin' 
a  roping-pole." 


MOR-MOS] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


303' 


Morepork,  n.  (i)  The  Austra- 
lian bird,  or  birds,  described 
under  Mopoke  (q.v.). 

(2)  The  New  Zealand  Owl, 
formerly  Athene  nov<z-zelandia, 
Gray ;  now  Spiloglaux  novcz-ze- 
landice,  Kaup. 

1849.  W.  T.  Power,  'Sketches  in  New 
Zealand,'  p.  74 : 

"This  bird  gave  rise  to  a  rather 
amusing  incident  in  the  Hutt  Valley 
during  the  time  of  the  fighting.  ...  A 
strong  piquet  was  turned  out  regularly 
about  an  hour  before  daybreak.  On  one 
occasion  the  men  had  been  standing 
silently  under  arms  for  some  time,  and 
shivering  in  the  cold  morning  air, 
when  they  were  startled  by  a  solemn 
request  for  'more  pork.'  The  officer 
in  command  of  the  piquet,  who  had 
only  very  recently  arrived  in  the 
country,  ordered  no  talking  in  the 
ranks,  which  was  immediately  replied 
to  by  another  demand,  distinctly  enun- 
ciated, for  '  more  pork.'  So  malaprop 
a  remark  produced  a  titter  along  the 
ranks,  which  roused  the  irate  officer  to 
the  necessity  of  having  his  commands 
obeyed,  and  he  accordingly  threatened 
to  put  the  next  person  under  arrest 
who  dared  make  any  allusion  to  the 
unclean  beast.  As  if  in  defiance  of 
the  threat,  and  in  contempt  of  the 
constituted  authorities,  *  more  pork ' 
was  distinctly  demanded  in  two  places 
at  once,  and  was  succeeded  by  an 
irresistible  giggle  from  one  end  of  the 
line  to  the  other.  There  was  no  put- 
ting up  with  such  a  breach  of  discipline 
as  this,  and  the  officer,  in  a  fury  of 
indignation,  went  along  the  line  in 
search  of  the  mutinous  offender,  when 
suddenly  a  small  chorus  of  'more 
pork'  was  heard  on  all  sides,  and  it 
was  explained  who  the  real  culprits 
were." 

1866.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  100  : 

"  The  last  cry  of  a  very  pretty  little 
owl,  called  from  its  distinctly  uttered 
words  the  '  more-pork.' " 

1884.  T.  Bracken,  « Lays  of  Maori,'  p. 
84: 

"Sleeping  alone  where  the  more- 
pork's  call 
At  night  is  heard." 


1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  192  : 

"  Spiloglaux Nov<z-Zelandice,  Kaup., 
More-pork  of  the  colonists.  Every 
New  Zealand  colonist  is  familiar  with 
this  little  owl,  under  the  name  of 
'  morepork.' " 

Moreton-Bay,  n.  the  name 
formerly  given  to  the  district  of 
New  South  Wales  which  is  now 
the  colony  of  Queensland.  The 
Brisbane  river  (on  which  is  situ- 
ated Brisbane,  the  capital  of 
Queensland)  enters  it.  See  below. 

Moreton-Bay  Ash,  n.  See  Ash. 

Moreton  -  Bay  Chestnut,  n. 
See  Bean-tree. 

Moreton-Bay  Fig,  n.    See  Fig. 

Moreton-Bay  Laurel,  n.     See 

Laurel. 

Moreton-Bay  Pine,  n.  See  Pine. 

Moriori,  n.  a  people  akin  to, 
but  not  identical  with,  the  Maoris. 
They  occupied  the  Chatham 
Islands,  and  were  conquered  in 
1832  by  the  Maoris.  In  1873,  M. 
Quatrefages  published  a  mono- 
graph, '  Moriori  et  Maori.' 

Morwong,  n.  the  New  South 
Wales  name  for  the  fish  Chilo- 
dactylus  macropterus,  Richards.  ; 
also  called  the  Carp  (q.v.)  and 
Jackass-fish,  and  in  New  Zealand 
by  the  Maori  name  of  Tara- 
kihi.  The  Melbourne  fishermen, 
according  to  Count  Castelnau, 
call  this  fish  the  Bastard  Trum- 
peter (q.v.),  but  this  name  is  also 
applied  to  Latris  forsteri,  Castln. 
See  also  Trumpeter  and  Paper-fish. 
The  Red  Morwong  is  Chilodactylus 
fuscus,  Castln.,  also  called  Carp 
(q.v.).  The  Banded  Morwong  is 
Chilodactylus  vittatus^  Garrett. 

Moses,  Prickly,  n.  a  bushman's 
name  for  Mimosa  (q.v.). 
1887.   '  The  Australian,'  April : 
"  I     cannot      recommend  .  .  .  [for 


304 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MOU 


fishing  rods]  .  .  .  that  awful  thing 
which  our  philosopher  called  *  prickly 
moses.5 " 

Moulmein  Cedar,  n.  See  Cedar. 

Mound-bird,  n.  the  Jungle-hen 
of  Australia.  The  birds  scratch  up 
heaps  of  soil  and  vegetable  matter, 
Vi  which  they  bury  their  eggs  and 
leave  them  to  be  hatched  by  the 
heat  of  decomposition.  Scientific- 
ally called  Megapodes  (q.v.). 

1893.  A.  R.  Wallace,  'Australasia,' 
vol.  i.  p.  76 : 

"  Next  to  these,  as  a  special  Aus- 
tralian type  ....  come  the  bush- 
turkeys  or  mound-makers  ...  all 
these  birds  have  the  curious  reptilian 
character  of  never  sitting  on  their 
eggs,  which  they  bury  under  mounds 
of  earth  or  decaying  vegetable  matter, 
allowing  them  to  be  hatched  by  the 
heat  of  the  sun,  or  that  produced  by 
fermentation." 

Mountain-  (as  epithet)  : 
Mountain-Apple-tree — 
Angophora  lanceolata,  Cav.,  N.O. 

Myrtacta. 
M.-Ash— 

A    name    applied     to    various 
Eucalypts,  and   to    the    tree 
Alphitonia  excelsa,  Reiss. 
M. -Beech— 

The  tree  Lomatia  longifolia,  R. 

Br.,  N.O.  Proteacea. 
M.-Bloodwood — 

The     tree     Eucalyptus    eximia, 

Schau. 
M. -Cypress-pine — 

The  tree  Frenela  parlatori,  F.  v. 

M.,  N.O.  Conifera. 
M. -Ebony — 

See   Ebony. 
M. -Gentian — 

The  name  is  applied  to  the 
Tasmanian  species,  Gentiana 
saxosa,  Forst,  N.O.  Genti- 
anece. 

M.-Gums — 
See  Gum. 
JVI.-  Oak- 
See  Oak. 


M. -Parrot — 

Another  name  for  the  Kea  (q.v.). 
M.-Rocket— 

The  name  is  applied  to  the  Tas- 
manian species  Bellendena 
montana,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Pro- 
teacecB. 

M. -Tea-tree — 
See  Tea-tree. 

Mountain-Devil,  n.  name  given 
to  the  strange-looking  Australian 
lizard,  Moloch  horridus.  Gray. 
See  Moloch.  Also  called  Spiny 
Lizard. 

1853.  '  Papers  and  Proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  515  [November  9]  : 

"  A  spirit  preparation  of  the  Spiny 
Lizard  (Moloch  horridus)  of  Western 
Australia." 

Mountain  Thrush,  n.  an 
Australian  thrush,  Oreocincla  lunu- 
lata>  Gould.  See  Thrush. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv.  pi.  7  : 

"  Oreocincla  lunulatus.  Mountain 
Thrush,  Colonists  of  Van  Diemen's 
Land.  In  all  localities  suitable  to  its 
habits  and  mode  of  life,  this  species  is 
tolerably  abundant,  both  in  Van  Die- 
men's  Land  and  in  New  South  Wales; 
it  has  also  been  observed  in  South 
Australia,  where  however  it  is  rare." 

Mountain-Trout,  n.  species 
of  Galaxias,  small  cylindrical 
fishes  inhabiting  the  colder  rivers 
of  Australasia,  Southern  Chili, 
Magellan  Straits,  and  the 
Falkland  Islands.  On  account  of 
the  distribution  of  these  fish  and 
of  other  forms  of  animals,  it  has 
been  suggested  that  in  a  remote 
geological  period  the  area  of  land 
above  the  level  of  the  sea  in  the 
antarctic  regions  must  have  been 
sufficiently  extended  to  admit  of 
some  kind  of  continuity  across 
the  whole  width  of  the  Pacific 
between  the  southern  extremities 
of  South  America  and  Australia. 


MUD-MUL] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


305 


Mud-fat,  adj.  fat  as  mud,  very 
fat. 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  142  : 

"  There's  half  this  fine  body  of  veal, 
mud-fat  and  tender  as  a  chicken,  worth 
a  shilling  a  pound  there." 

Mud-fish,  n.  a  fish  of  Westland, 
New  Zealand,  Neochanna  apoda^ 
Giinth.  Giinther  says  Neochanna 
is  a  "degraded  form  of  Galaxias 
[see  Mountain- Trout],  from  which 
it  differs  by  the  absence  of  ventral 
fins.  This  fish  has  hitherto  been 
found  only  in  burrows,  which  it 
excavates  in  clay  or  consolidated 
mud,  at  a  distance  from  water." 

Mud-lark,  n.  another  name  for 
the  Magpie-lark,  Grallina  picata 
(q.v.). 

Mulberry-bird,  n.  name  given 
to  the  Australian  bird  Sphecotheres 
maxillaris,  Lath. ;  called  also  Fig- 
bird  (q.v.). 

1891.  A.  J.  North,  '  Records  of  the  Aus- 
tralian Museum,'  vol.  i.  no.  6,  p.  113  : 

"  Southern  Sphecotheres.  Mr.  Grime 
informs  me  it  is  fairly  common  on  the 
Tweed  River,  where  it  is  locally  known 
as  the  '  Mulberry-bird,3  from  the  de- 
cided preference  it  evinces  for  that 
species  of  fruit  amongst  many  others 
attacked  by  this  bird." 

Mulberry,  Native,  n.  name 
given  to  three  Australian  trees, 
viz. — 

Hedycarya  cunninghami,  Tull., 
N.O.  Monimiacece.  Called  also 
Smooth  Holly. 

Pipturus  propinquus,  Wedd.,  N.O. 
Urticece.  Called  also  Queensland 
Grasscloth  Plant. 

Litscea  ferruginea,  Mart.,  N.O. 
Laurinece.  Called  also  Pigeon- 
berry-tree. 

The  common  English  garden 
fruit-tree  is  also  acclimatised,  and 
the  Victorian  Silk  Culture  Asso- 
ciation, assisted  by  the  Govern- 


ment, are  planting  many  thou- 
sands of  the  White  Mulberry  for 
silk  culture. 

Mulga,  n.  an  aboriginal  word, 
(i)  Name  given  to  various  species 
of  Acacia,  but  especially  A.  an- 
eura,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Leguminosa. 
See  also  Red  Mulga. 

^  1864.  J.  McDouall  Stuart,  'Explora- 
tions in  Australia,'  p.  154: 

"  We  arrived  at  the  foot  nearly 
naked,  and  got  into  open  sandy  rises 
and  valleys,  with  mulga  and  plenty  of 
grass,  amongst  which  there  is  some 
spinifex  growing." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  <  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  ii.  p.  126,  Note : 

"  Mulga  is  an  Acacia.  It  grows  in 
thick  bushes,  with  thin  twigs  and  small 
leaves.  Probably  it  is  the  most  ex- 
tensively distributed  tree  in  all  Aus- 
tralia. It  extends  right  across  the 
continent." 

1888.  Baron  F.  von  Muller,  'Select 
Extra-tropical  Plants  '  [7th  ed.j,  p.  i  : 

"Acacia  aneura,  F.  v.  M.  Arid 
desert  interior  of  extra-tropic  Australia. 
A  tree  never  more  than  25  feet  high. 
The  principal  'Mulga5  tree  .... 
Cattle  and  sheep  browse  on  the  twigs 
of  this  and  some  allied  species,  even 
in  the  presence  of  plentiful  grass,  and 
are  much  sustained  by  such  acacias  in 
seasons  of  protracted  drought." 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  43  : 

"  Not  a  drop  of  rain  !  And  for  many 
and  many  a  day  the  jackaroo  will  still 
chop  down  the  limbs  of  the  mulga-tree, 
that  of  its  tonic  leaves  the  sheep  may 
eat  and  live." 

1894.  <Tne  Argus,'  Sept.  i,  p.  4,  col. 
2  : 

"  The  dull  green  of  the  mulga-scrub 
at  their  base." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  85  : 

"  Flax  and  tussock  and  fern, 

Gum  and  mulga  and  sand, 
Reef  and  palm — but  my  fancies  turn 
Ever  away  from  land." 

(2)  A  weapon,  made  of  mulga- 
wood. 


x 


306 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MUL 


(a)  A  shield. 

1878.  '  Catalogue  of  Ethnotypical  Art  in 
the  National  Gallery '  (Melbourne),  p.  19  : 

"Mulga.  Victoria.  Thirty-six  inches 
in  length.  This  specimen  is  37  inches 
in  length  and  5  inches  in  breadth  at  the 
broadest  part.  The  form  of  a  section 
through  the  middle  is  nearly  triangular. 
The  aperture  for  the  hand  (cut  in  the 
solid  wood)  is  less  than  4  inches  in 
length.  Ornamentation :  Herring- 
bone, the  incised  lines  being  filled  in 
with  white  clay.  Some  figures  of  an 
irregular  form  are  probably  the  distin- 
guishing marks  of  the  owner's  tribe. 
This  shield  was  obtained  from  Larne- 
Gherin  in  the  Western  District." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  349 : 

"  Mulga  is  the  name  of  a  long  nar- 
row shield  of  wood,  made  by  the  ab- 
originals out  of  acacia- wood." 

(b]  In    one    place    Sir  Thomas 
Mitchell  speaks  of  it  as  a  club. 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  ii.  p.  267 : 

"The  malga  [sic]  .  .  .  with  which 
these  natives  were  provided,  some- 
what resembled  a  pick-axe  with  one 
half  broken  off." 

Mulga- Apple,  n.  a  gall  formed 
on  the  Mulga-tree,  Acacia  aneura, 
F.  v.  M.  (q.v.).  See  also  Apple. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  3  : 

"  In  Western  New  South  Wales  two 
kinds  of  galls  are  found  on  these  trees. 
One  kind  is  very  astringent,  and  not 
used  ;  but  the  other  is  less  abundant, 
larger,  succulent  and  edible.  These 
latter  galls  are  called  *  mulga-apples,' 
and  are  said  to  be  very  welcome  to  the 
thirsty  traveller." 

1889.  E.      Giles,      'Australia    Twice 
Traversed,'  p.  71: 

"The  mulga  bears  a  small  woody 
fruit  called  the  mulga  apple.  It 
somewhat  resembles  the  taste  of 
apples  and  is  sweet." 

Mulga-down,  n.  hills  covered 
with  Mulga. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,    '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xvii.  p.  201  : 

"  Fascinating  territories  of  limitless 
mulga-downs." 


Mulga-grass,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian grass,  Danthonia  penicillata, 
F.  v.  M.  ;  also  Neurachne  mitchel- 
liana,  Nees.  See  also  Grass. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  82  : 

"  Mulga  Grass.  .  .  .  Peculiar  to  the 
back  country.  It  derives  its  vernacu- 
lar name  from  being  only  found  where 
the  mulga-tree  {Acacia  aneura  and 
other  species)  grows ;  it  is  a  very 
nutritious  and  much  esteemed  grass.'* 

Mulga-scrub,  n.  thickets  of 
Mulga-trees. 

1864.  J.  McDouall  Stuart,  'Explora- 
tions in  Australia,'  p.  190: 

"  For  the  first  three  miles  our  course 
was  through  a  very  thick  mulga  scrub, 
with  plenty  of  grass,  and  occasionally 
a  little  spinifex." 

1875.  John   Forrest,    '  Explorations  in 
Australia,'  p.  220 : 

"Travelled  till  after  dark  through 
and  over  spinifex  plains,  wooded  with 
acacia  and  mulga  scrub,  and  camped 
without  water  and  only  a  little  scrub 
for  the  horses,  having  travelled  nearly 
forty  miles." 

1876.  W.  Harcus,  '  South  Australia,'  p, 
127: 

"  The  road  for  the  next  thirty  miles, 
to  Charlotte  Waters  Telegraph  Station, 
is  characterized  by  mulga-scrub,  open 
plains,  sand-hills,  and  stony  rises  poorly 
grassed." 

1893.  A.  R.  Wallace,  'Australasia,'  vol. 
i.  p.  47: 

"  Still  more  dreaded  by  the  explorer 
is  the  '  Mulga '  scrub,  consisting  chiefly 
of  dwarf  acacias.  These  grow  in 
spreading  irregular  bushes  armed  with 
strong  spines,  and  where  matted  with 
other  shrubs  form  a  mass  of  vegetation 
through  which  it  is  impossible  to 
penetrate." 

Mulga-studded,  adj.  with 
Mulga  growing  here  and  there. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xvii.  p.  201  : 

"The  frown  on  the  face  of  the  mulga- 
studded  lowlands  deepened." 

Mullet,  n.  Various  species  of 
this  fish  are  present  in  Austral- 
asia, all  belonging  to  the  family 


MUL-MUR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


307 


Mugilida,  or  Grey-Mullets.     They 
are  the — 

Flat-tail  Mullet— 

Mugil peronii,  Cuv.  and  Val. 
Hard-gut  M.— 

M.  dobula,  Giinth. 
Sand-M.,  or  Talleygalanu — 

Myxus  elongatus,  Giinth.  (called 

also  Poddy  in  Victoria). 
Sea-M.— 

M.grandis,  Castln. 

In  New  Zealand,  the  Mullet 
is  Mugil  perusii,  called  the  Silver- 
Mullet  (Maori  name,  Kande] ;  and 
the  Sea-Mullet,  Agonostoma  forsten 
(Maori  name,  Aua,  q.v.) ;  abundant 
also  in  Tasmanian  estuaries. 

The  Sand-Mullet  in  Tasmania 
is  Mugil  cephalotus,  Cuv.  and  Val. 
See  also  Red-Mullet. 

1890.  *  Victorian  Statutes — Fisheries 
Act,  Second  Schedule'  : 

[Close  Season.]  "Sand-mullet  or 
poddies." 

Mullock,  n.  In  English,  the 
word  is  obsolete  ;  it  was  used  by 
Chaucer  in  the  sense  of  refuse, 
dirt.  In  Australia,  it  is  confined 
to  "<  rubbish,  dirt,  stuff  taken 
out  of  a  mine — the  refuse  after 
the  vein-stuff  is  taken  away  ' 
(Brough  Smyth's  'Glossary')." 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  '  New  Rush,'  pt.  ii.  p. 
26: 

"  A  man  each  windlass-handle  work- 
ing slow, 

Raises  the  mullock  from  his  mate 
below." 

1874.     Garnet     Walch,     *  Head     over 
Heels,'  p.  77  : 
"But  still  we  worked  on — same  old 

tune  : 
For  nothin'  but  mullock  come  up." 

Mullock  over,  v.  Shearing 
slang.  See  quotation. 

1893.  '  The  Age,'  Sept.  23,  p.  14,  col.  4 : 

"  I  affirm  as  a  practical  shearer,  that 

no  man  could  shear  321  sheep  in  eight 

hours,  although  I  will  admit  he  might 

do  what   we    shearers   call   'mullock 


over '  that  number  ;  and  what  is  more, 
no  manager  or  overseer  who  knows  his 
work  would  allow  a  shearer  to  do  that 
number  of  sheep  or  lambs  in  one  day." 

Munyeru,  n.  name  given  to 
the  small  black  seeds  of  Claytonia 
balonnensis>  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Portu- 
lacece,  which  are  ground  up  and 
mixed  with  water  so  as  to  form  a 
paste.  It  forms  a  staple  article 
of  diet  amongst  the  Arunta  and 
other  tribes  of  Central  Australia. 

1896.  E.  C.  Stirling,  '  Home  Expedition 
in  Central  Australia,'  Anthropology,  p.  56  : 

"  In  these  districts  '  Munyeru'  takes 
the  place  of  the  spore  cases  of  Nardoo7 
(Marsilea  quadrifolia),  which  is  so 
much  used  in  the  Barcoo  and  other 
districts  to  the  south  and  east,  these 
being  treated  in  a  similar  way." 

Murray-Carp,  n.     See  Carp. 

Murray-Cod,  n.  an  important 
fresh  -  water  food  -  fish,  Oligorus 
macquariensisy  Cuv.  and  Val. ,  called 
Kookoobal  by  the  aborigines  of 
the  Murrumbidgee,  and  Pundy  by 
those  of  the  Lower  Murray.  A 
closely  allied  species  is  called  the 
Murray-Perch.  Has  been  known 
to  reach  a  weight  of  120  Ibs. 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  '  Three  Expedi- 
tions into  the  Interior  of  Eastern  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  95  : 

"  We  soon  found  that  this  river  con- 
tained .  .  .  the  fish  we  first  found  in 
the  Peel,  commonly  called  by  the 
colonists  '  the  -  cod,'  although  most 
erroneously,  since  it  has  nothing  what- 
ever to  do  with  malacopterygious 
fishes." 

1880.  Giinther,  'Introduction  to  Study 
of  Fishes/  p.  392  ('  O.E.D.')  : 

"The  first  (Oligorus  macquariensis) 
is  called  by  the  colonists  *  Murray- 
cod,'  being  plentiful  in  the  Murray 
River  and  other  rivers  of  South  Aus- 
tralia. It  attains  to  a  length  of  more 
than  3  feet  and  to  a  weight  of  nearly 
100  Ibs." 

Murray-Lily,  n.     See  Lily. 

Murray-Perch,  n.  a  fresh- 
water fish,  Oligorus  mitchelli. 


308 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MUR-MUS 


Castln.,  closely  allied  to  Oligorus 
macquariensis ,  the  Murray-Cod, 
belonging  to  the  family  Perridce. 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  '  Victoria  in 
1880,'  p.  124  : 

"  Our  noble  old  I4oo-mile  river,  the 
Murray,  well  christened  the  Nile  of 
Australia,  .  .  .  produces  '  snags,3  and 
that  finny  monster,  the  Murray  cod, 
together  with  his  less  bulky,  equally 
flavourless  congener,  the  Murray 
perch." 

Murr-nong,  n,  a  plant.  The 
name  used  by  the  natives  in 
Southern  Australia  for  Microseris 
forsteri,  Hook.,  N.O.  Compost  tee. 

1878.  R.  Brough  Smyth,  '  Aborigines  of 
Victoria,'  p.  209: 

"  Murr-nong,  or  Mirr-n'yong,  a  kind 
of  yam  (Microseris  Forstert)  was 
usually  very  plentiful,  and  easily  found 
in  the  spring  and  early  summer,  and 
was  dug  out  of  the  earth  by  the  women 
and  children." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants, 'p.  45: 

"  Murr-nong,  or  '  Mirr  n'yong '  of 
the  aboriginals  of  New  South  Wales 
and  Victoria.  The  tubers  were  largely 
used  as  food  by  the  aboriginals.  They 
are  sweet  and  milky,  and  in  flavour 
resemble  the  cocoa-nut." 

Murrumbidgee  Pine,  n.  See 
Pine. 

Mushroom,  n.  The  common 
English  mushroom,  Agaricus 
campestris,  Linn.,  N.O.  Fungi, 
abounds  in  Australia,  and  there 
are  many  other  indigenous  edible 
species. 

Musk-Duck,  n.  the  Australian 
bird,  Biziura  lobata,  Shaw.  See 
Duck. 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  'Victoria  in  1880,' 
p.  30: 

"The  ungainly  musk-duck  paddles 
clumsily  away  from  the  passing  steamer, 
but  hardly  out  of  gunshot,  for  he  seems 
to  know  that  his  fishy  flesh  is  not  es- 
teemed by  man." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  159: 

"  That's  a  musk  duck  :  the  plumage 


is  very  sombre  and  loose  looking — not 
so  thick  as  most  other  ducks  ;  the  tail, 
too,  is  singular,  little  more  than  a  small 
fan  of  short  quills.  The  head  of  the 
male  has  a  kind  of  black  leathery  ex- 
crescence under  the  bill  that  gives  it 
an  odd  expression,  and  the  whole  bird 
has  a  strange  odour  of  musk,  rendering 
it  quite  uneatable." 

Musk-Kangaroo,  n.  See  Hyp- 
siprymnodon  and  Kangaroo. 

Musk-Parrakeet,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian parrakeet.  See  Parrakeet. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  v.  pi.  5  : 

"  Trichoglossus  Condnnus,  Vig.-  and 
Horsf.  (Australis,  Wagl.),  Musky- 
Parrakeet ;  Musk-Parrakeet,  Colon- 
ists of  New  South  Wales,  from  the 
peculiar  odour  of  the  bird." 

Musk-tree,  n.  The  name  is  ap- 
plied to  Marlea  vitiense,  Benth., 
N.O.  Cornacece,  with  edible  nuts, 
which  is  not  endemic  in  Australia, 
and  to  two  native  trees  of  the 
N.  O.  Composites. — Aster  argophyl- 
lus,  Labill,  called  also  Musk-wood, 
from  the  scent  of  the  timber ; 
and  Aster  viscosus,  Labill.,  called 
also  the  Dwarf  Musk-tree. 

1848.  Letter  by  Mrs.  Perry,  given  in 
Canon  Goodman's  '  Church  in  Victoria 
during  the  Episcopate  of  Bishop  Perry,' 
p.  71  : 

"Also  there  is  some  pretty  under- 
wood, a  good  deal  of  the  musk-tree — 
which  is  very  different  from  our  musk- 
plant,  growing  quite  into  a  shrub  and 
having  a  leaf  like  the  laurel  in  shape." 

1888.  Mrs.  M'Cann,   '  Poetical  Works,' 
P-  H3  : 
"  The  musk-tree  scents  the  evening  air 

Far  down  the  leafy  vale." 

Musk- wood,  n.    See  Musk-tree. 

Mussel,  n.  Some  Australasian 
species  of  this  mollusc  are — Myti- 
lus  latus,  Lamark.,  Victoria,  Tas- 
mania, and  New  Zealand ;  M~ 
tasmanicus,  Tenison  Woods,  Tas- 
mania ;  M.  rostratus,  Dunker, 
Tasmania  and  Victoria ;  M.  hir- 
y  Lamark.,  Tasmania,  South 


MUT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


309 


Australia,  Victoria,  New  Zea- 
land ;  M.  crassus,  Tenison-Woods, 
Tasmania.  Fresh-water  Mussels 
belong  to  the  genus  Unto. 

Mutton-bird,  n.  The  word  is 
ordinarily  applied  to  the  Antarctic 
Petrel,  JEstrelata  lessoni.  In  Aus- 
tralasia it  is  applied  to  the  Puffin 
or  Short-tailed  Petrel,  Puffinus 
brevicaudus,  Brandt.  The  collec- 
tion of  the  eggs  of  this  Petrel, 
the  preparation  of  oil  from  it, 
the  salting  of  its  flesh  for  food, 
form  the  principal  means  of  sub- 
sistence of  the  inhabitants,  half- 
caste  and  other,  of  the  islands  in 
Bass  Straits. 

1839.  W.  Mann,  '  Six  Years'  Residence 
in  the  Australian  Provinces,'  p.  51 : 

"  They  are  commonly  called  mut- 
ton birds,  from  their  flavour  and 
fatness  ;  they  are  migratory,  and 
arrive  in  Bass's  Straits  about  the  com- 
mencement of  spring,  in  such  numbers 
that  they  darken  the  air." 

1843.  J.  Backhouse,  '  Narrative  of  a 
Visit  to  the  Australian  Colonies'  (1832), 
P-  73  = 

"  Mutton  birds  were  in  such  vast 
flocks,  that,  at  a  distance,  they  seemed 
as  thick  as  bees  when  swarming." 

Ibid.  p.  91: 

"  The  Mutton  -  birds,  or  Sooty 
Petrels,  are  about  the  size  of  the  Wood 
Pigeon  of  England  ;  they  are  of  a 
dark  colour,  and  are  called  *  Yola '  by 
the  natives." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  'Discoveries  in 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  264: 

"  The  principal  occupation  of  these 
people  during  this  month  of  the  year 
is  taking  the  Sooty  Petrel,  called  by 
the  Colonists  the  Mutton  Bird,  from  a 
fancied  resemblance  to  the  taste  of 
that  meat." 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix/  p.  47  : 

"  The  mutton-bird,  or  sooty  petrel 
...  is  about  the  size  of  the  wood- 
pigeon  of  England,  and  is  of  a  dark 
colour.  These  birds  are  migratory, 
and  are  to  be  seen  ranging  over  the 
surface  of  the  great  southern  ocean  far 
from  land  .  .  .  Many  millions  of  these 


birds  are  destroyed  annually  for  the 
sake  of  their  feathers  and  the  oil  of 
the  young,  which  they  are  made  to 
disgorge  by  pressing  the  craws." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  «Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  382  : 

"The  titi,  or  mutton-bird,  is  a  sea- 
bird  which  goes  inland  at  night  just 
as  the  light  wanes.  The  natives  light 
a  bright  fire,  behind  which  they  sit, 
each  armed  with  a  long  stick.  The 
titis,  attracted  by  the  light,  fly  by  in 
great  numbers,  and  are  knocked  down 
as  quickly  as  possible  ;  thus  in  one 
night  several  hundreds  are  often  killed, 
which  they  preserve  in  their  own  fat 
for  future  use." 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  'New  Zealand 
the  Britain  of  the  South,'  vol.  i.  p.  121  : 

"The  young  titi  (mutton-bird),  a 
species  of  puffin,  is  caught  by  the 
natives  in  great  quantities,  potted  in 
its  own  fat,  and  sent  as  a  sort  of 
''pate  defoie  gras  '  to  inland  friends." 

1863.  B.  A.  Heywood,  'Vacation  Tour 
at  the  Antipodes,'  p.  232  : 

"The  natives  in  the  South  [of 
Stewart's  Island]  trade  largely  with 
their  brethren  in  the  North,  in  supplies 
of  the  mutton-bird,  which  they  boil 
down,  and  pack  in  its  own  fat  in  the 
large  air-bags  of  sea-weed." 

1879.  H-  N-  Moseley,  'Notes  by 
Naturalist  on  Challenger,'  p.  207  : 

"Besides  the  prion,  there  is  the 
'  mutton-bird  '  of  the  whalers 


lata  tessoni),  a  large  Procellanid,  as 
big  as  a  pigeon,  white  and  brown  and 
grey  in  colour." 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  '  Victoria  in  1880,' 
p.  49  : 

"  The  crest  of  the  Cape  [Wollomai] 
is  a  favourite  haunt  of  those  elegant 
but  prosaically-named  sea-fowl,  the 
'  mutton-birds.'  .  .  One  of  the  sports 
of  the  neighbourhood  is  'mutton- 
birding.' 

1888.  A.  Reischek,  'Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xxi.  art. 
xlix.  p.  378  : 

"Passing  through  Foveaux  Strait, 
clothed  with  romantic  little  islands,  we 
disturbed  numerous  flocks  of  mutton- 
birds  (Puffinus  tristis),  which  were 
playing,  feeding,  or  sleeping  on  the 
water." 


3io 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MUT-MYA 


1891.  'The  Australasian,'  Nov.  14,  p. 
963,  col.  i  ('  A  Lady  in  the  Kermadecs ') : 

"The  mutton-birds  and  burrowers 
come  to  the  island  in  millions  in  the 
breeding  season,  and  the  nesting-place 
of  the  burrowers  is  very  like  a  rabbit- 
warren  ;  while  the  mutton-bird  is  con- 
tent with  a  few  twigs  to  do  duty  for  a 
nest." 

1891.  Rev.  J.  Stack,  'Report  of  Aus- 
tralasian Association  for  the  Advancement 
of  Science,'  vol.  iii.  p.  379  : 

"Wild  pigeons,  koko,  tui,  wekas, 
and  mutton-birds  were  cooked  and 
preserved  in  their  own  fat." 

Mutton-bird  Tree,  n.  a  tree, 
Senecio  rotundifolius,  Hook.  :  so 
called  because  the  mutton-birds, 
especially  in  Foveaux  Straits,  New 
Zealand,  are  fond  of  sitting  under 
it. 

Mutton-fish,  n.  a  marine  uni- 
valve mollusc,  Haliotis  n&vosa, 
Martyn :  so  called  from  its  flavour 
when  cooked.  The  empty  ear- 
shell  of  Haliotis,  especially  in  New 
Zealand,  Haliotis  iris,  Martyn,  is 
known  as  Venus'  Ear ;  Maori 
name,  Paua  (q.v.).  A  species  of 
the  same  genus  is  known  and 
eaten  at  the  Cape  and  in  the 
Channel  Islands.  (French  name 
Ormer,  sc.  Oreille  de  mer. ) 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
and  Fisheries  of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  92  : 

"Then  mutton  fish  were  speared. 
This  is  the  ear-shell  fish  (Haliotis 
ncevosd),  which  was  eagerly  bought 
by  the  Chinese  merchants.  Only  the 
large  muscular  sucking  disc  on  foot 
is  used.  Before  being  packed  it  is 
boiled  and  dried.  About  9^.  per  Ib. 
was  given." 

Myall,  n.  and  adj.  aboriginal 
word  with  two  different  meanings ; 
whether  there  is  any  connection 
between  them  is  uncertain. 

(i)  n.    An   acacia   tree,   Acacia 

pendula,  A.  Cunn.,  and  its  timber. 

Various      species     have     special 

epithets :     Bastard,   Dalby,    True, 

Weeping,  etc. 


1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  '  Sketch  of   New 
South  Wales,'  p.  38  : 

"The  myall-tree  (Acacia  pendula}  is 
the  most  picturesque  tree  of  New 
South  Wales.  The  leaves  have  the 
appearance  of  being  frosted,  and  the 
branches  droop  like  the  weeping  wil- 
low. ...  Its  perfume  is  as  delightful, 
and  nearly  as  strong,  as  sandal-wood." 
(p.  10)  :  "They  poison  the  fish  by 
means  of  a  sheet  of  bark  stripped  from 
the  Myall-tree  (Acacia  pendula)? 

1846.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  Report  quoted  by 
J.  D.  Lang,  '  Cooksland,'  p.  495  : 

"The  myall-tree  and  salt-bush, 
Acacia  pendula  and  salsolce  [sic],  so 
essential  to  a  good  run,  are  also  there." 

1864.  J.  S.  Moore,  '  Spring  Life  Lyrics,' 
p.  170  : 

"  The  guerdon's  won  !     What  may  it 

be? 
A  grave  beneath  a  myall-tree." 

1865.  Rev.     J.     E.    Tenison-Woods, 
'  History  of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration 
of  Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  193  [Note] : 

"  This  acacia,  which  has  much  the 
habit  of  the  weeping  willow,  is  found 
very  extensively  on  the  wet,  alluvial 
flats  of  the  west  rivers.  It  sometimes 
forms  scrubs  and  thickets,  which  give 
a  characteristic  appearance  to  the 
interior  of  this  part  of  Australia,  so 
that,  once  seen,  it  can  never  be  again 
mistaken  for  scenery  of  any  other 
country  in  the  world.  The  myall 
scrubs  are  nearly  all  of  Acacia  pen- 
dula? 

1880.  Fison    and    Howitt,    *  Kamilaroi 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  280  : 

"  The  myall-wood  weapons  made  at 
Liverpool  Plains  were  exchanged  with 
the  coast  natives  for  others." 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,    'Bush    Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  46  : 

"  Lignum-vitcB  and  bastard-myall 
bushes  were  very  common." 

1889.  J.    H.    Maiden,    '  Useful   Native 
Plants,'  p.  115  : 

"  Weeping  or  true  Myall.  .  .  .  Stock 
are  very  fond  of  the  leaves  of  this 
tree  \A cacia  penduld\,  especially  in 
seasons  of  drought,  and  for  this  reason, 
and  because  they  eat  down  the  seed- 
lings, it  has  almost  become  extermin- 
ated in  parts  of  the  colonies." 

1890.  Rolf     Boldrewood,       'Squatter's 
Dream,'  p.  27  : 


MYA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


,n 


"  A  strip  of  the  swaying,  streaming 
myall,  of  a  colour  more  resembling 
blue  than  black." 

1890.  '  The  Argus,' June  7,  p.  4,  col.  2  : 
"  The   soft  and  silvery  grace  of  the 
myalls." 

1890.  E.  D.  Cleland,  '  The  White  Kan- 
garoo,'  p.  50  : 

"  Miall,  a  wood  having  a  scent 
similar  to  raspberry-jam,  and  very 
hard  and  well-grained." 

1891.  Rolf   Boldrewood,   '  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  130 : 

"Stock- whips  with  myall  handles 
(the  native  wood  that  smells  like 
violet)." 

(2)  adj.  and  n.  wild,  wild  na- 
tives, used  especially  in  Queens- 
land. The  explanation  given  by 
Lumholtz  (1890)  is  not  generally 
accepted.  The  word  mat'/,  or 
myalZt  is  the  aboriginal  term  for 
"men,"  on  the  Bogan,  Du- 
maresque,  and  Macintyre  Rivers 
in  New  South  Wales.  It  is  the 
local  equivalent  of  the  more 
common  form  murrai. 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  41  : 

"On  my  arrival  I  learnt  from  the 
natives  that  one  party  was  still  at  work 
a  considerable  distance  up  the  country, 
at  the  source  of  one  of  the  rivers,  called 
by  the  natives  'Myall,'  meaning,  in 
their  language,  Stranger,  or  a  place 
jwhich  they  seldom  or  never  frequent." 

1839.  T-  L-  Mitchell,  '  Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  i.  p.  192  : 

"  This  tribe  gloried  in  the  name  of 
*  Myall,'  which  the  natives  nearer  to 
the  colony  apply  in  terror  and  abhor- 
rence to  the  'wild  blackfellows,'  to 
whom  they  usually  attribute  the  most 
savage  propensities." 

1844.  '  P<>rt  Phillip  Patriot,'  Aug.  i,  p. 
4,  col.  4 : 

"Even  the  wildest  of  the  Myall 
black  fellows — as  cannibals  usually 
are — learned  to  appreciate  him." 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  'Cooksland,' p.  447: 

"Words  quite  as  unintelligible  to 
the  natives  as  the  corresponding  words 
in  the  vernacular  language  of  the 
white  men  would  have  been,  were 
learned  by  the  natives,  and  are  now 


commonly  used  by  them  in  conversing 
with  Europeans,  as  English  words. 
Thus  corrobbory,  the  Sydney  word  for 
a  general  assembly  of  natives,  is  now 
commonly  used  in  that  sense  at  More- 
ton  Bay  ;  but  the  original  word  there 
is  yanerwille.  Gabon,  great ;  narang 
little ;  boodgeree,  good ;  myall,  wild 
native,  etc.  etc.,  are  all  words  of  this 
description,  supposed  by  the  natives 
to  be  English  words,  and  by  the  Euro- 
peans to  be  aboriginal  words  of  the 
language  of  that  district." 

1881.  A.    C.     Grant,    'Bush    Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  171  : 

"  A  more  intimate  acquaintance  with 
the  ways  and  customs  of  the  whites 
had  produced  a  certain  amount  of 
contempt  for  them  among  the  myalls." 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,  'Old  Colonials,'  p. 
209: 

"I  had  many  conversations  with 
native  police  officers  on  the  subject  of 
the  amelioration  of  the  wild  myalls." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  150 : 

"Suddenly  he  became  aware  that 
half-a-dozen  of  these  *  myalls,'  as  they 
are  called,  were  creeping  towards  him 
through  the  long  grass.  Armed  with 
spears  and  boomerangs  ..." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Canni- 
bals,' p.  76  : 

"These  so-called  civilized  blacks 
look  upon  their  savage  brethren  with 
more  or  less  contempt,  and  call  them 
myall."  [Footnote]  :  "  A  tree  (Acacia 
pendula)  which  grows  extensively  in 
the  less  civilized  districts  is  called  by 
the  Europeans  myall.  This  word  was 
soon  applied  by  the  whites  as  a  term 
for  the  wild  blacks  who  frequented 
these  large  remote  myall  woods. 
Strange  to  say,  the  blacks  soon  adopted 
this  term  themselves,  and  used  it  as  an 
epithet  of  abuse,  and  hence  it  soon 
came  to  mean  a  person  of  no  culture." 

1893.  M.  Gaunt,  'English  Illustrated,' 
March,  p.  367  : 

"He  himself  had  no  faith  in  the 
myall  blacks  ;  they  were  treacherous, 
they  were  cruel." 

(3)    By  transference,  wild  cattle. 

1893.  '  The  Argus,'  April  29,  p.  4,  col. 
4,  '  Getting  in  the  Scrubbers ' : 

"To  secure  these  myalls  we  took 
down  sixty  or  seventy  head  of  quiet 


312 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[MYR 


cows,  as  dead  homers  as  carrier 
pigeons,  some  of  them  milking  cows, 
with  their  calves  penned  up  in  the 
stockyard." 

Myrmecobius,^.  scientific  name 
of  the  Australian  genus  with  only 
one  species,  called  the  Banded 

an 


Ant-eater  (q.v.).     (Grk. 
ant,  and  /3ios  life.) 

Myrtle,  n.  The  true  Myrtle, 
Myrtus  communis,  is  a  native  of 
Asia,  but  has  long  been  natural- 
ised in  Europe,  especially  on  the 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean.  The 
name  is  applied  to  many  genera 
of  the  family,  N.O.  Myrtacece,  and 
has  been  transferred  to  many 
other  trees  not  related  to  that 
order.  In  Australia  the  name, 
with  various  epithets,  is  applied 
to  the  following  trees  — 

Backhousia  citriodora,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Myrtacece,  called  the  Scrub 
Myrtle  and  Native  Myrtle. 

Backhousia  myrtifolia,  Hook,  and 
Herv.,  N.O.  Myrtacece,  called 
Scrub  Myrtle,  or  Native  Myrtle, 
or  Grey  Myrtle,  and  also  Lance- 
wood. 

Diospyrus  pentamera,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Ebenacece,  the  Black  Myrtle 
and  Grey  Plum  of  Northern  New 
South  Wales. 

Eugenia  myrtifolia,  Sims,  N.O. 
Myrtacece,  known  as  Native 
Myrtle,  Red  Myrtle  and  Brush 
Cherry. 

"Eugenia  ventenatii,  Benth.,  N.O. 
Myrtacece,  the  Drooping  Myrtle 
or  Large-leaved  Water-gum. 

Melaleuca  decussata,  R.Br.,  N.O. 
Myrtacece. 

Melaleuca  genistifolia,  Smith,  N.O. 
Myrtacece,  which  is  called  Ridge 


Myrtle,  and  in  Queensland  Iron- 
wood. 

Myoporum  serratum,  R.Br.,  N.O. 
Myoporinece,  which  is  called 
Native  Myrtle ;  and  also  called 
Blue-berry  Tree,  Native  Currant, 
Native  Juniper,  Cockatoo-Bush, 
and  by  the  aborigines  Palberry. 
Myrtus  acmenioides,¥.v.  M.,  N.O. 
Myrtacece,  which  is  the  White 
Myrtle  of  the  Richmond  and 
Clarence  Rivers  (New  South 
Wales),  and  is  also  called  Lig- 
num-vitce. 

Rhodamnia  argentea,  Benth.,  N.O. 
Myrtacece,  called  White  Myrtle, 
the  Muggle-muggle  of  the  aborigi- 
nals of  Northern  New  South 
Wales. 

Syncarpia  leptopetala,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Myrtacece,  which  is  called 
Myrtle  and  also  Brush-Turpen- 
tine. 

Tristania   neriifolia,    R.Br.,    N.O. 
Myrtacece,  called    Water  Myrtle, 
and  also  Water  Gum. 
Trochocarpa  laurina,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 
Epacridece,  called   Brush-Myrtle 
Beech  and  Brush  Cherry. 
In  Tasmania,  all  the  Beeches  are 
called     Myrtles,    and    there    are 
extensive    forests   of    the    Beech 
Fagus  cunninghamii,  Hook.,  which 
is  invariably  called  "  Myrtle  "  by 
the  colonists  of  Tasmania. 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  '  Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  206: 

Table  of  Tasmanian  Woods. 

Hgt.  Dia.  Where  found.      Use. 

ft.    in. 

Scented  Myrtle   15     6  Low,  marshy  Seldom  used 
Red  ,,          40   12  Swampy  As  pine 

White         ,,          20     9  Low,  marshy    House -car- 
pentry 

Yellow       ,,         20     9      ,,        ,,  do. 

Brown        ,,         20   30      ,,        ,,  do.    and 

joiners' planes 


NAI-NAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


313 


N 


Nailrod,  n.  a  coarse  dark 
tobacco  smoked  by  bushmen. 
The  name  alludes  to  the  shape  of 
the  plug,  which  looks  like  a  thin 
flat  stick  of  liquorice.  It  is  pro- 
perly applied  to  the  imported 
brand  of  "Two  Seas,"  but  is  in- 
discriminately used  by  up-country 
folk  for  any  coarse  stick  of  tobacco. 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'While  the  Billy 
boils,'  p.  118  : 

" '  You  can  give  me  half-a-pound  of 
nailrod,'  he  said,  in  a  quiet  tone." 

Nail-tailed  Wallaby,  n.  See 
Onychogalc. 

Namma  hole,  n.  a  native  well. 
Namma  is  an  aboriginal  word  for 
a  woman's  breast. 

1893.  'The  Australasian,'  August  5,  p. 
252,  col.  4  : 

"  The  route  all  the  way  from  York 
to  Coolgardie  is  amply  watered,  either 
'  namma  holes '  (native  wells)  or 
Government  wells  being  plentiful  on 
the  road." 

-  1896.     '  The   Australasian,'   March  28, 
p.  605,  col.  i  : 

"  The  blacks  about  here  [far  west  of 
N.S.W.]  use  a  word  nearly  resembling 
'  namma '  in  naming  waterholes,  viz., 
'  numma,'  pronounced  by  them  '  ngum- 
ma,'  which  means  a  woman's  breast. 
It  is  used  in  conjunction  with  other 
words  in  the  native  names  of  some 
waterholes  in  this  district,  e.g., '  Tirra- 
ngumma '  =  Gum-tree  breast ;  and 
*  ngumma-tunka '  =  breast-milk,  the 
water  in  such  case  being  always  milky 
in  appearance.  In  almost  all  native 
words  beginning  with  n  about  here 
the  first  n  has  the  ng  sound  as  above." 

Nancy,  «.  a  Tasmanian  name 
for  the  flower  Anguillaria  (q.v.). 

Nankeen  Crane,  or  Nankeen 


Bird,  or  Nankeen  Night  Heron, 
n.  the  Australian  bird  Nycticorax 
caledonicus,  Gmel.  Both  the  Nan- 
keen Bird  and  the  Nankeen  Hawk 
are  so  called  from  their  colour. 
Nankeen  is  "a  Chinese  fabric, 
usually  buff,  from  the  natural 
colour  of  a  cotton  grown  in  the 
Nanking  district "  of  China. 
('Century.') 

1838.  James,  '  Six  Months  in  South 
Australia,'  p.  202  : 

"  After  shooting  one  or  two  beautiful 
nankeen  birds." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  'My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland/  p.  121  : 

"The  nankeen  crane  (Nycticorax 
caledonicus),  a  very  handsome  bright 
nankeen-coloured  bird  with  three  long 
white  feathers  at  the  back  of  the  neck, 
very  good  eating." 

Nankeen  Gum.     See  Gum. 

Nankeen  Hawk,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian bird,  Tinnunculus  cenchroi- 
des,  Vig\  and  Hors.,  which  is 
otherwise  called  Kestrel  (q.v.). 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Transac-- 
tions  of  the  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p. 
184: 

" '  This  bird,'  as  we  are  informed  by 
Mr.  Caley,  'is  called  Nankeen  Hawk 
by  the  settlers.  It  is  a  migratory 
species.' " 

Nannygai,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  an  Australian  fish,  Beryxaffinis, 
Gimth. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  52  : 

"  Amongst  the  early  colonists  it  used 
also  to  be  called '  mother  nan  a  di,'  pro- 
bably a  corruption  of  the  native  name, 
mura  ngin  a  gai." 

1884.  E.  P.  Ramsay,  'Fisheries  Ex- 
hibition Literature,'  vol.  v.  p.  308  : 

"  Known   among  the  fishermen   of 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[NAR 


Port  Jackson  as  the  '  nannagai,'  or  as 
it  is  sometimes  spelt  'nannygy.'  It 
is  a  most  delicious  fish,  always  brings 
a  high  price,  but  is  seldom  found  in 
sufficient  numbers." 

Nardoo,  or  Nardu,  n.  ab- 
original word  for  the  sporocarp  of 
a  plant,  Marsilea quadrifolia^  Linn., 
used  as  food  by  the  aboriginals, 
and  sometimes  popularly  called 
Clover-fern.  The  explorers  Burke 
and  Wills  vainly  sought  the 
means  of  sustaining  life  by  eat- 
ing flour  made  from  the  spore- 
cases  of  nardoo.  "  Properly 
Ngdrdu  in  the  Cooper's  Creek 
language  (Yantruwunta)."  (A. 
W.  Howitt.)  Cooper's  Creek 
was  the  district  where  Burke  and 
Wills  perished.  In  South  Aus- 
tralia Ardoo  is  said  to  be  the 
correct  form. 

1861.  'Diary  of  H.  J.  Wills,  the  Ex- 
plorer,'  quoted  in  Brough  Smyth's  '  Abori- 
gines of  Victoria,'  p.  216 : 

"  I  cannot  understand  this  nardoo 
at  all ;  it  certainly  will  not  agree  with 
me  in  any  form.  We  are  now  reduced 
to  it  alone,  and  we  manage  to  get  from 
four  to  five  pounds  a  day  between  us. 
...  It  seems  to  give  us  no  nutriment. 
.  .  .  Starvation  on  nardoo  is  by  no 
means  very  unpleasant,  but  for  the 
weakness  one  feels  and  the  utter  in- 
ability to  move  oneself,  for,  as  far  as 
appetite  is  concerned,  it  gives  me  the 
greatest  satisfaction." 

1862.  Andrew  Jackson,  '  Burke  and  the 
Australian  Exploring  Expedition  of  1860,' 
p.  186 : 

"The  [wheaten]  flour,  fifty  pounds 
of  which  I  gave  them,  they  at  once 
called  '  whitefellow  nardoo,'  and  they 
explained  that  they  understood  that 
these  things  were  given  to  them  for 
having  fed  King." 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  p.  247 : 

"  They  now  began  to  inquire  of  the 
blacks  after  the  nardoo  seed,  imagining 
it  the  produce  of  a  tree  ;  and  received 
from  the  natives  some  of  their  dried 
narcotic  herbs,  which  they  chew,  called 
pitchery.  They  soon  found  the  nardoo 


seed  in  abundance,  on  a  flat,  and  con- 
gratulated themselves  in  the  idea  that 
on  this  they  could  subsist  in  the  wil- 
derness, if  all  other  food  failed,  a  hope 
in  which  they  were  doomed  to  a  great 
disappointment." 

1877.  F-  von  Miiller,    'Botanic  Teach- 
ings,'p.  130: 

"  QiMarsiliacea:  we  have  well  known 
examples  in  the  nardoo  (Marsilea 
quadrifolia,  with  many  varieties),  the 
foliage  resembling  that  of  a  clover 
with  four  leaflets." 

1878.  R.  Brough  Smyth,    'Aborigines 
of  Victoria,'  p.  209  : 

"They  seem  to  have  been  unac- 
quainted generally  with  the  use,  as  a 
food,  of  the  clover-fern,  Nardoo,  though 
the  natives  of  the  North  Western  parts 
of  Victoria  must  have  had  intercourse 
with  the  tribes  who  use  it,  and  could 
have  obtained  it,  sparingly,  from  the 
lagoons  in  their  own  neighbourhood." 

1879.  J.   D.   Wood,  'Native  Tribes  of 
South  Australia,'  p.  288  : 

"  Ardoo,  often  described  by  writers 
as  Nardoo.  A^very  hard  seed,  a  flat 
oval  of  about  the  size  of  a  pea.  It  is 
crushed  for  food." 

1879  (about).  '  Queensland  Bush  Song ': 
"  Hurrah  for  the  Roma  Railway  ! 

Hurrah  for  Cobb  and  Co. ! 
Hurrah,  hurrah  for  a  good  fat  horse 

To  carry  me  Westward  Ho  ! 
To  carry  me  Westward   Ho !    my 

boys; 

That's  where  the  cattle  pay, 
On  the  far  Barcoo,  where  they  eat 

nardoo, 
A  thousand  miles  away." 

1879.  S.  Gason,  in  '  The  Native  Tribes 
of  South  Australia,'  p.  288 : 

"Ardoo.  Often  described  in  news- 
papers and  by  writers  as  Nardoo.  A 
very  hard  seed,  a  flat  oval  of  about  the 
size  of  a  split  pea  ;  it  is  crushed  or 
pounded,  and  the  husk  winnowed.  In 
bad  seasons  this  is  the  mainstay  of  the 
native  sustenance,  but  it  is  the  worst 
food  possible,  possessing  very  little 
nourishment,  and  being  difficult  to 
digest." 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  *  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Linnaean  Society  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  82  [Botanical  Notes  on 
Queensland]  : 

"  Sesbania  aculeata.     The  seeds  of 


NAT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


315 


this  plant  are  eaten  by  the  natives.  It 
grows  in  all  warm  or  marshy  places  in 
Queensland.  By  many  it  is  thought 
that  this  was  the  Nardoo  which  Burke 
and  Wills  thought  came  from  the  spores 
of  a  Marsilea.  It  is  hard  to  suppose 
that  any  nourishment  would  be  ob- 
tained from  the  spore  cases  of  the 
latter  plant,  or  that  the  natives  would 
use  it.  Besides  this  the  spore-cases 
are  so  few  in  number." 

1890.  E.  D.  Cleland,  '  White  Kangaroo,' 
p.  113  : 

"The  great  thing  with  the  blacks 
was  nardoo.  This  is  a  plant  which 
sends  up  slender  stems  several  inches 
high  ;  at  the  tip  is  a  flower-like  leaf, 
divided  into  four  nearly  equal  parts. 
It  bears  a  fruit,  or  seed,  and  this  is  the 
part  used  for  food.  It  is  pounded  into 
meal  between  two  stones,  and  is  made 
up  in  the  form  of  cakes,  and  baked  in 
the  ashes.  It  is  said  to  be  nourishing 
when  eaten  with  animal  food,  but 
taken  alone  to  afford  no  support." 

Native,  n.  This  word,  originally 
applied,  as  elsewhere,  to  the 
aboriginal  inhabitants  of  Aus- 
tralia, is  now  used  exclusively  to 
designate  white  people  born  in 
Australia.  The  members  of  the 
' '  Australian  Natives'  Association  " 
(A.N.A.),  founded  April  27,  1871, 
pride  themselves  on  being  Aus- 
tralian-born and  not  immigrants. 
Mr.  Rudyard  Kipling,  in  the 
'  Times'  of  Nov.  1895,  published 
a  poem  called  "The  Native- 
Born,"  sc.  born  in  the  British 
Empire,  but  outside  Great  Britain. 
As  applied  to  Plants,  Animals, 
Names,  etc.,  the  word  Native 
bears  its  original  sense,  as  in 
"Native  Cabbage,"  "Native 
Bear,"  "  Native  name  for,"  etc., 
though  in  the  last  case  it  is  now 
considered  more  correct  to  say  in 
Australia  "  Aboriginal  name  for," 
and  in  New  Zealand  "Maori 
lame  for." 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Over  the  Straits,' 
c.  v.  p.  161  : 

"  Three  Sydney  natives  (*  currency ' 


not  aboriginal)  were  in  the  coach, 
bound  for  Melbourne." 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  '  Man  from  Snowy 
River,'  p.  43  : 

"They  were  long  and  wiry  natives 
from  the  rugged  mountain  side." 

Native,  or  Rock-Native,  n.  a 
name  given  to  the  fish  called 
Schnapper^  after  it  has  ceased  to 
< *  school. "  See  Schnapper. 

Native  Arbutus,  n.  See  Wax- 
cluster. 

Native  Banana,  n.  another 
name  for  Lilly-pilly  (q.v.J. 

Native  Banyan,  n.  another 
name  for  Ficus  rubiginosa.  See  Fig. 

Native  Bear,  n.     See  Bear. 
Native  Beech,  n.     See  Beech. 

Native   Blackberry,    n.      See 

Blackberry. 

Native  Borage,  n.     See  Borage. 
Native  Box,  n.     See  Box. 
Native  Bread,  n.     See  Bread. 
Native  Broom,  n.     See  Broom. 
Native  Burnet,  n.     StzBurnet. 

Native  Cabbage,  «.  The  Nas- 
turtium palustre,  De  C.,  N. O.  Cru- 
ciferce,  is  so  called,  but  in  spite  of 
its  name  it  is  not  endemic  in  Aus- 
tralia. In  New  Zealand,  the  name 
is  sometimes  applied  to  the  Maori 
Cabbage  (q.v.). 

Native  Carrot,  n.     See  Carrot. 

Native  Cascarilla,  n.    See  Cas- 

carilla. 

Native  Cat,  n.     See  Cat. 

Native  Celery,  or  Australian 
Celery,  n.  See  Celery. 

Native  Centaury,  n.  See  Cen- 
taury. 

Native  Cherry,  n.    See  Cherry. 

Native-Companion,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian bird-name,  Grus  austral- 
asianuS)  Gould.  See  also  Crane. 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[NAT 


1845.  R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  125  : 
"  Here  we  saw  the  native-companion, 
a  large  bird  of  the  crane  genus  .  .  . 
five  feet  high,  colour  of  the  body  grey, 
the  wings  darker,  blue  or  black." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  38  : 

"With  native-companions  {Ardea 
antigone)  strutting  round." 

1848.  J.    Gould,    'Birds   of  Australia,' 
vol.  vi.  pi.  48  : 

"  Grus  Australasianus,  Gould,  Aus- 
tralian Crane  ;  Native-Companion  of 
the  Colonists." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  146: 

"A  handsome  tame  'native-com- 
panion,' which  had  been  stalking  about 
picking  up  insects,  drew  near.  Open- 
ing his  large  slate-coloured  wings,  and 
dancing  grotesquely,  the  interesting 
bird  approached  his  young  mistress, 
bowing  gracefully  from  side  to  side  as 
he  hopped  lightly  along ;  then  running 
up,  he  laid  his  heron-like  head  lovingly 
against  her  breast." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  21 : 

"  The  most  extraordinary  of  Riverina 
birds  is  the  native-companion." 

1890.  Tasma,  '  In  her  Earliest  Youth,' 
P-  145: 

"A  row  of  native-companions,  of 
course,  standing  on  one  leg — as  is 
their  wont — like  recruits  going  to 
drill."  [Query,  did  the  writer  mean 
going  "  through  "  drill.] 

1891.  '  Guide  to  Zoological   Gardens, 
Melbourne,'  p.  23: 

"In  this  paddock  are  some  speci- 
mens of  the  Native  Companion,  whose 
curious  habit  of  assembling  in  groups 
on  the  plains  and  fantastically  dancing, 
has  attracted  much  attention.  This 
peculiarity  is  not  confined  to  them 
alone,  however,  as  some  of  the  other 
large  cranes  (notably  the  crowned 
cranes  of  Africa)  display  the  same 
trait." 

Native  Cranberry,     n.       See 

Cranberry. 

Native  Currant,  n.  See  under 
Currant. 

Native   Daisy,  n.     See  Daisy. 


Native  Damson,  n.  See  Dam- 
son. 

Native  Dandelion,  n.  SeeDan- 

delion. 

Native  Daphne,  n.  See  Daphne. 
Native  Date,  n.     See  Date. 
Native  Deal,  n.     See  Deal. 

Native  Dog,  n.  Another  name 
for  the  Dingo  (q.v.). 

Native  Elderberry,  n.  See 
Elderberry. 

Native  Flax,  n.  See  under 
Flax,  Native,  and  New  Zealand. 

Native  Fuchsia, «.  See  Fuchsia. 
Native  Furze,  n.  See  Hakea. 
Native  Ginger,  n.  See  Ginger. 

Native  Grape,  n.  See  Grape, 
Gippsland. 

Native-hen,  n.  name  applied 
to  various  species  of  the  genus 
Tribonyx  (q.v.).  The  Australian 
species  are — Tribonyxmortieri,  Du 
Bus.,  called  by  Gould  the  Native 
Jfen  of  the  Colonists ;  Black-tailed 
N.-h.,  T.  ventralis,  Gould;  and  in 
Tasmania,  Tribonyx  gouldi,  Sclater. 
See  Tribonyx. 

1848.  J.  Gould, '  Birds  of  Australia,'  vol. 
vi.  pi.  71 : 

"  Tribonyx  Mortierii,  Du  Bus., 
native-hen  of  the  colonists." 

Native  Hickory,  n.  See  Hic- 
kory. 

Native  HoUy,  n.  See  Holly. 
Native  Hops,  n.  See  Hops. 

Native  Hyacinth,  n.  See  Hya- 
cinth. 

Native  Indigo.  ;/.     See  I?idigo. 

Native  Ivy,  n.  See  Ivy,  and 
Grape,  Macquarie  Harbour. 

Native  Jasmine,  n.  See  Jas- 
mine. 

Native  Juniper,  n.  Same  as 
Native  Currant.  See  under  Cur- 
rant. 


NAT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


317 


Native  Kumquat,  n.  Same  as 
Desert  Lemon  (q.v.). 

Native  Laburnum,  n.  See  La- 
burnum. 

Native  Laurel,  n.    See  Laurel. 

Native  Lavender,  n.  See  La- 
vender. 

Native  Leek,  n.     See  Leek. 

Native  Lilac,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
plant.  See  Lilac. 

Native  Lime,  n.     See  Lime. 

Native  Lucerne,  n.  i.q.  Queens- 
land Hemp.  See  under  Hemp. 

Native  Mangrove,  n.  Tasman- 
ian name  for  the  Boobialla  (q.v.). 

Native   Mignonette,    n.     See 

Mignonette. 

Native  Millet,  n.     See  Millet. 
Native  Mint,  n.     See  Mint. 

Native  Mistletoe,  n.  See  Mis- 
tletoe. 

Native  Mulberry,  n.  See  Mul- 
berry. 

Native  Myrtle,  n.     See  Myrtle. 

Native  Nectarine,  n.  another 
name  for  the  Emu- Apple.  See 
under  Apple. 

Native  Oak,  n.     See  Oak. 

Native  Olive,  n.  See  under 
Olive  and  Marblewood. 

Native  Onion,  n.  Same  as  Na- 
tive Leek,  n.  See  Leek. 

Native  Orange,  n.  See  under 
Orange. 

Native  Passion-flower,  n.  See 
Passion  -flower. 

Native  Peach,  n.  i.  q.  Quandong 
(q.v.). 

Native  Pear,  n.  See  Hakea  and 
Pear. 

Native    Pennyroyal,  n.      See 

Pennyroyal. 

Native  Pepper,  n.     See  Pepper. 


Native  Plantain,  n.  See  Plan- 
tain. 

Native  Plum,  n.  See  Plum, 
Wild. 

Native  Pomegranate,  n.  See 
Orange,  Native. 

Native  Potato,  n.     See  Potato. 

Native  Quince,  n.  Another 
name  for  Emu-Apple.  See  Apple. 

Native  Raspberry,  n.  See 
Raspberry. 

Native  Rocket,  n.     See  Rocket. 

Native  Sandalwood,  n.     See 

Sandalwood     and     Raspberry-Jam 
Tree. 

Native  Sarsaparilla,  n.  See 
Sarsaparilla. 

Native  Sassafras,  n.  See  Sas- 
safras. 

Native  Scarlet-runner,  n.    See 

Kennedya. 

Native  Shamrock,  n.  See 
Shamrock. 

Native  Sloth,  n.  i.q.  Native 
Bear.  See  Bear. 

Native  Speedwell,  n.  See 
Speedwell. 

Native  Tamarind,  n.  See 
Tamarind-tree. 

Native  Tiger,  n.  See  Tasmanian 
Tiger. 

Native  Tobacco,  n.  See  To- 
bacco. 

Native  Tulip,  n.    See  Waratah. 

Native  Turkey,  n.  Same  as 
Wild  Turkey.  A  vernacular  name 
given  to  Eupodotis  australis.  Gray, 
which  is  not  a  turkey  at  all,  but  a 
true  Bustard.  See  Turkey. 

Native  Vetch,  n.     See  Vetch. 

Native  Willow,  n.  See  Boobi- 
alla and  Poison-berry  Tree. 

Native  Yam,  n.     See  Yam. 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[NEC-NEV 


Necho,  and  Neko.    See  Nikau. 

Nectarine,  Native,  n.  another 

name  for  Emu- Apple.     See  Apple. 

Needle-bush,  n.  name  applied 
to  two  Australian  trees,  Hakea 
leucoptera,  R.Br.,  N.O.  Proteacece  ; 
called  also  Pin-bush  and  Water- 
tree  (q.v.)  and  Beef  wood;  Acacia 
rigens,  Cunn.,  N.O.  Leguminosce 
(called  also  Nealie].  Both  trees 
have  fine  sharp  spines. 

Negro-head    Beech,    n.      See 

Beech. 

Neinei,  n.  Maori  name  for  New 
Zealand  shrub,  Dracophyllum  lon- 
gifolium,  R.  Br.,  also  D.  traversii, 
N.O.  Epacridece. 

1865.  J.  Von  Haast,  '  A  Journey  to  the 
West  Coast,  1865'  (see  '  Geology  of  West- 
land,'  p.  78) : 

"An  undescribed  superb  tree  like 
Dracophyllum^  not  unlike  the  D.  latifo- 
liiim  of  the  North  Island,  began  to 
appear  here.  The  natives  call  it  nene. 
(Named  afterwards  D.  traversii  by  Dr. 
Hooker.)  It  has  leaves  a  foot  long 
running  out  into  a  slender  point,  of  a 
reddish  brown  colour  at  the  upper 
part,  between  which  the  elegant  flower- 
panicle  comes  forth." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  128  : 

"  Neinei,  an  ornamental  shrub-tree, 
with  long  grassy  leaves.  Wood  white, 
marked  with  satin-like  specks,  and 
adapted  for  cabinet-work." 

1888.  J.  Adams,  '  Transactions  of  New 
Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xxi.  art.  ii.  p.  40: 

"  On  the  flat  and  rounded  top  the 
tallest  plants  are  stunted  neinei." 

Nephrite,  n.     See  Gree?istone. 

Nestor,  n.  scientific  name  for 
a  genus  of  New  Zealand  Parrots. 
See  Kaka  and  Kea. 

1863.  S.  Butler,  '  First  Year  in  Canter- 
bury Settlement,'  p.  58  : 

"There  was  a  kind  of  dusky, 
brownish-green  parrot  too,  which  the 
scientific  call  a  Nestor.  What  they 
mean  by  this  name  I  know  not.  To 
the  unscientific  it  is  a  rather  dirty- 
looking  bird,  with  some  bright  red 


feathers  under  its  wings.  It  is  very 
tame,  sits  still  to  be  petted,  and  screams 
like  a  parrot." 

Nettle-tree,  ;/.  Two  species  of 
Laportea,  N.O.  Urticacea,  large 
scrub-trees,  are  called  by  this 
name— Giant  Nettle,  L.  gigas, 
Wedd.,  and  Small-leaved  Nettle, 
L.  photiniphylla,  Wedd. ;  they  have 
rigid  stinging  hairs.  These  are 
both  species  of  such  magnitude 
as  to  form  timber-trees.  A  third, 
L.  moroides,  Wedd.,  is  a  small 
tree,  with  the  stinging  hairs  ex- 
tremely virulent.  See  also  preced- 
ing words. 

1849.  J.  P.  Townsend,  'Rambles  in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  34  : 

"kln  the  scrubs  is  found  a  tree,  com- 
monly called  the  nettle-tree  (Urtica 
gigas).  It  is  often  thirty  feet  in  height, 
and  has  a  large,  broad,  green  leaf.  It 
is  appropriately  named  ;  and  the  pain 
caused  by  touching  the  leaf  is,  I  think, 
worse  than  that  occasioned  by  the 
sting  of  a  wasp." 

Never,  Never  Country,  or 
Never,  Never  Land.  See  quot- 
ations. Mr.  Cooper's  explanation 
(1857  quotation)  is  not  generally 
accepted. 

1857.  F.  de  Brebant  Cooper,  'Wild 
Adventures  in  Australia,'  p.  68  : 

"  With  the  aid  of  three  stock-keepers, 
soon  after  my  arrival  at  Illarrawarra,  I 
had  the  cattle  mustered,  and  the  draft 
destined  for  the  Nievah  vahs  ready  for 
for  the  road."  [Footnote]  :  "  Nievah 
vahs,  sometimes  incorrectly  pronounced 
never  nevers,  a  Comderoi  term  signi- 
fying unoccupied  land." 

1884.  A.  W.  Stirling,  '  The  Never  Never 
Land :  a  Ride  in  North  Queensland,' 
p.  5  : 

"  The  '  Never  Never  Land,'  as  the 
colonists  call  all  that  portion  of  it 
[Queensland]  which  lies  north  or  west 
of  Cape  Capricorn." 

1887.  CasselPs  '  Picturesque  Australasia, ' 
vol.  i.  p.  279  : 

"  In  very  sparsely  populated  country, 
such  as  the  district  of  Queensland, 
known  as  the  Never  Never  Country— 
presumably  because  a  person,  who  has 


NEW] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


319 


once  been  there,  invariably  asseverates 
that  he  will  never,  never,  on  any  con- 
sideration, go  back." 

1890.  J.  S.  O'Halloran,  Secretary  Royal 
Colonial  Institute,  a///af  BarrereandLeland : 

"The  Never,  Never  Country  means 
in  Queensland  the  occupied  pastoral 
country  which  is  furthest  removed 
from  the  more  settled  districts." 

1890.  A.  J.  Vogan,  'The  Black  Police,' 
p.  85  : 

"  The  weird  '  Never,  Never  Land,'  so 
called  by  the  earliest  pioneers  from  the 
small  chance  they  anticipated,on  reach- 
ing it,  of  ever  being  able  to  return  to 
southern  civilization." 

Newberyite,  n.  [Named  after 
J.  Cosmo  Newbery  of  Melbourne.] 
"A  hydrous  phosphate  of  magne- 
sium occurring  in  orthorhombic 
crystals  in  the  bat-guano  of 
the  Skipton  Caves,  Victoria." 
('Century.') 

New  Chum,  n.  a  new  arrival, 
especially  from  the  old  country  : 
generally  used  with  more  or  less 
contempt  ;  what  in  the  United 
States  is  called  a  'tenderfoot.' 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  i.  p.  99  : 

"He  was  also  what  they  termed  a 
'  new  chum,'  or  one  newly  arrived." 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  366: 

" '  New  Chum,'  in  opposition  to  '  Old 
Chum.'  The  former  '  cognomen  '  pecu- 
liarizing  [sic]  the  newly-arrived  Emi- 
grant ;  the  latter  as  a  mark  of  respect 
attached  to  the  more  experienced 
Colonist." 

1855.    'How  to  Settle  in  Victoria,'  p.  15  : 

"They  appear  to  suffer  from  an 
apprehension  of  being  under-sold,  or 
in  some  other  way  implicated  by  the 
inexperience  of,  as  they  call  him,  the 
'  new  chum.' " 

1865.  'Once  a  Week,'  'The  Bulla  Bulk 
Bunyip': 

"I  was,  however,  comparatively 
speaking,  a  'new  chum,'  and  there- 
fore my  explanation  of  the  mystery 
met  with  scant  respect." 

1874.  w-  M-  B.,  'Narrative  of  Edward 
Crewe,'  p.  17  : 


"  To  be  a  new  chum  is  not  agree- 
able— it  is  something  like  being  a  new 
boy  at  school — you  are  bored  with 
questions  for  some  time  after  your 
arrival  as  to  how  you  like  the  place, 
and  what  you  are  going  to  do ;  and 
people  speak  to  you  in  a  pitying  and 
patronizing  manner,  smiling  at  your 
real  or  inferred  simplicity  in  colonial 
life,  and  altogether  '  sitting  upon '  you 
with  much  frequency  and  persistence." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Head  Station,'  p. 
32: 

"A  new  chum  is  no  longer  a  new 
chum  when  he  can  plait  a  stock-whip." 

1886.  P.  Clarke  [Title] : 

"  The  New  Chum  in  Australia." 

1887.  W.  S.  S.  Tyrwhitt  [Title]  : 

"  The  New  Chum  in  the  Queensland 
Bush." 

1890.  Tasma,  '  In   her  Earliest  Youth/ 
p.  152: 

"  I've  seen  such  a  lot  of  those  new 
chums,  one  way  and  another.  They 
knock  down  all  their  money  at  the 
first  go-off,  and  then  there's  nothing 
for  them  to  do  but  to  go  and  jackaroo 
up  in  Queensland." 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  4 : 

"  The  buggy  horse  made  a  bolt  of  it 
when  a  new-chum  Englishman  was 
driving  her." 

1892.  Mrs.  H.  E.  Russell,   'Too  Easily 
Jealous,'  p.  155  : 

"One  man  coolly  told  me  it  was 
because  I  was  a  new  chum,  just  as 
though  it  were  necessary  for  a  fellow 
to  rusticate  for  untold  ages  in  these 
barbarous  solitudes,  before  he  is 
allowed  to  give  an  opinion  on  any 
subject  connected  with  the  colonies." 

New  Chumhood,  n.  the  period 
and  state  of  being  a  New  Chum. 

1883.  W.  Jardine  Smith,  in  '  Nineteenth 
Century,'  November,  p.  849: 

"The  'bumptiousness'  observable  in 
the  early  days  of '  new  chumhood.' " 

New  Holland,  n.  the  name,  now 
extinct,  first  given  to  Australia 
by  Dutch  explorers. 

1703.  Capt. William  Dampier, '  Voyages,' 
vol.  iii.  [Title]: 

"A  Voyage  to  New  Holland,  £c.,  in. 
the  Year  1699." 


320 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[\KW-NIG 


1814.  M.  Flinders,  'Voyage  to  Terra 
Australis/  Intro,  p.  ii : 

"  The  vast  regions  to  which  this  voy- 
age was  principally  directed,  compre- 
hend, in  the  western  part,  the  early 
discoveries  of  the  Dutch,  under  the 
name  of  New  Holland  ;  and  in  the 
east,  the  coasts  explored  by  British 
navigators,  and  named  New  South 
Wales." 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  2  : 

"The  Spaniards  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  seventeenth  century  were 
the  discoverers  of  New  Holland ;  and 
from  them  it  received  the  name  of 
Australia.  It  subsequently,  however, 
obtained  its  present  name  of  New 
Holland  from  the  Dutch  navigators, 
who  visited  it  a  few  years  afterwards." 

[The  Spaniards  did  not  call  New 
Holland  A  ustralia(<\.\^).  The  Spaniard 
Quiros  gave  the  name  of  Australia  del 
Espiritu  Santo  to  one  of  the  New 
Hebrides  (still  known  as  Espiritu 
Santo),  thinking  it  to  be  part  of  the 
'  Great  South  Land.'  See  Captain 
Cook's  remarks  on  this  subject  in 
'  Hawkesworth's  Voyages,'  vol.  iii.  p. 
602.] 

1850.  J.  Bonwick,  *  Geography  for  Aus- 
tralian Youth,'  p.  6: 

"Australasia,  or  Australia,  consists 
of  the  continent  of  New  Holland,  or 
Australia,  the  island  of  Tasmania,  or 
Van  Diemen's  Land,  and  the  islands 
of  New  Zealand." 

[In  the  map  accompanying  the  above 
work  '•Australia*  is  printed  across  the 
whole  continent,  and  in  smaller  type 
'•New  Holland'1  stretches  along  the 
Western  half,  and '  New  South  Wales ' 
along  the  whole  of  the  Eastern.] 

New  South  "Wales,  n.  the  name 
of  the  oldest  and  most  important 
colony  in  Australia.  The  name 
"New  Wales"  was  first  given  by 
Captain  Cook  in  1770,  from  the 
supposed  resemblance  of  the  coast 
to  that  of  the  southern  coast  of 
Wales  ;  but  before  his  arrival  in 
England  he  changed  the  name  to 
"New  South  Wales."  It  then 
applied  to  all  the  east  of  the  con- 
tinent. Victoria  and  Queensland 


have  been  taken  out  of  the  parent 
colony.  It  is  sometimes  called  by 
the  slang  name  of  Eastralia,  as 
opposed  to  Westralia  (q.v). 

New  Zealand,  n.  This  name 
was  given  to  the  colony  by  Abel 
Jansz  Tasman,  the  Dutch  navi- 
gator, who  visited  it  in  1642. 
He  first  called  it  Staaten-land.  It 
is  now  frequently  called  Maori- 
land  (q.v.). 

New  Zealand  Spinach,  n.  See 
Spinach. 

Ngaio,  n.  Maori  name  for  a  New 
Zealand  tree,  Myoporum  Icetum, 
Forst;  generally  corrupted  into 
Kaio,  in  South  Island. 

1873.    '  Catalogue  of  Vienna  Exhibition  ' : 

"  Ngaio  :  wood  light,  white  and 
tough,  used  for  gun-stocks." 

1876.  J.  C.  Crawford,  '  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  ix.  art.  xiv. 
p.  206  : 

"  A  common  New  Zealand  shrub,  or 
tree,  which  may  be  made  useful  for 
shelter,  viz.  the  Ngaio." 

1880.  W.  Colenso,  '  Transactions  of  New 
Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xiii.  art.  i.  p.  33  : 

"The  fruits  of  several  species  of 
Rubus,  and  of  the  Ngaio  (Myoporum 
laetuni),  were  also  eaten,  especially  by 
children." 

1892.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Nov.  3,  '  Native 
Trees '  : 

'•'•Myoporum  Lcettim  (Ngaio}.  This 
is  generally  called  kio  by  colonists.  It 
is  a  very  rapid-growing  tree  for  the 
first  five  or  six  years  after  it  has  been 
planted.  They  are  very  hardy,  and 
like  the  sea  air.  I  saw  these  trees 
growing  at  St.  Kilda,  near  Melbourne, 
thirty  years  ago." 

Nicker  Nuts,  n.  i.q.  Bonduc 
Nuts  (q.v.). 

Nigger,  n.  an  Australian  black 
or  aboriginal.  [Of  course  an  incor- 
rect use.  He  is  not  a  negro,  any 
more  than  the  Hindoo  is.] 

1874.   M-  C.,  'Explorers,'  p.  25  : 
"  I  quite  thought   the   niggers   had 
made  an  attack." 


NIG-NOB] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


321 


1891.    'The  Argus,'  Nov.  7,  p.  13,  col. 

"The  natives  of  Queensland  are 
nearly  always  spoken  of  as  '  niggers '  by 
those  who  are  brought  most  directly 
in  contact  with  them." 

Nigger-head,  n.  (i)  Name  given 
in  New  Zealand  to  hard  black- 
stones  found  at  the  Blue  Spur 
and  other  mining  districts.  They 
are  prized  for  their  effectiveness 
in  aiding  cement-washing.  The 
name  is  applied  in  America  to  a 
round  piece  of  basic  igneous  rock. 
(2)  Name  used  in  Queensland  for 
blocks  of  coral  above  water. 

1876.  Capt.  J.  Moresby,  R.N.,  'Dis- 
coveries and  Surveys  in  New  Guinea,'  pp. 
2-3: 

"  The  gigantic  Barrier  Reef  is  sub- 
merged in  parts,  generally  to  a  shallow 
depth,  and  traceable  only  by  the  surf 
that  breaks  on  it,  out  of  which  a  crowd 
of  '  nigger  heads,'  black  points  of  coral 
rock,  peep  up  in  places  .  .  ." 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison  -  Woods, 
'  Fish  of  New  South  Wales/  p.  1 1 1  : 

"Abundantly  on  the  Queensland 
coast,  especially  on  the  coral  reefs, 
where  all  the  outstanding  blocks  of 
coral  (nigger-heads)  are  covered  with 
them." 

Nightjar,  n.  English  bird-name, 
applied  in  Australia  to  the  fol- 
lowing species — 

Large-tailed  Nightjar — 

Caprimulgus  macrurus,  Hors. 
Little  N.— 

dLgotheles  novtz-hollandice,  Gould. 
Spotted  N.— 

Eurostopodus  guttatus,  Vig.   and 

Hors. 
White-throated  N.— 

E.  albogulariS)  Vig.  and  Hors. 

Nikau,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
New  Zealand  palm-tree,  Areca 
sapida,  N.O.  Palmea.  Spelt  also 
Necho  and  Neko. 

1843.  *  An  Ordinance  for  imposing  a  tax 
on  Raupo  Houses,  Session  II.  No.  xvii.  of 
the  former  legislative  Council  of  New 
Zealand ' : 


[From  A.  Domett's  collection  of 
Ordinances,  1850.]  "Section  2.  ... 
there  shall  be  levied  in  respect  of 
every  building  constructed  wholly  or 
in  part  of  raupo,  nikau,  toitoi,  wiivi, 
kakaho,  straw  or  thatch  of  any  descrip- 
tion [  .  .  .  £20].'' 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  c.  i.  p.  270: 

[The  house  was]  "covered  with  a 
thick  coating  of  the  leaves  of  the 
nikau  (a  kind  of  palm)  and  tufts  of 
grass." 

1854.  W.  Colder,  '  Pigeons'  Parliament,' 
[Note]  p.  75  : 

"  The  necho  or  neko  is  a  large  tree- 
like plant  known  elsewhere  as  the 
mountain  cabbage." 

1862.  'All  the  Year  Round,'  'From 
the  Black  Rocks  on  Friday,'  May  17, 
No.  1 60: 

"  I  found  growing,  as  I  expected, 
amongst  the  trees  abundance  of  the 
wild  palm  or  nikau.  The  heart  of  one 
or  two  of  these  I  cut  out  with  my  knife. 
The  heart  of  this  palm  is  about  the 
thickness  of  a  man's  wrist,  is  about  a 
foot  long,  and  tastes  not  unlike  an 
English  hazel-nut,  when  roasted  on 
the  ashes  of  a  fire.  It  is  very  nutri- 
tious." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  'Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  86: 

"The  pale  green  pinnate-leaved 
nikau." 

1888.  Cassell's/  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iii.  p.  210: 

"With  the  exception  of  the  kauri 
and  the  nekau-palm  nearly  every  tree 
which  belongs  to  the  colony  grows  in 
the  'seventy-mile  bush5  of  Welling- 
ton." 

Nipper,  ;/.  local  name  in  Syd- 
ney for  AlpJicRus  socialis,  Heller,  a 
species  of  prawn. 

Nobbier,  n.  a  glass  of  spirits  ; 
lit.  that  which  nobbles  or  gets 
hold  of  you.  Nobble  is  the  fre- 
quentative form  of  nab.  No  doubt 
there  is  an  allusion  to  the  bad 
spirits  frequently  sold  at  bush 
public-houses,  but  if  a  teetotaler 
had  invented  the  word  he  could 
not  have  invented  one  involving 
stronger  condemnation. 


322 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[NOB-NOT 


1852.  G.  F.  P.,  'Gold  Pen  and  Pencil 
Sketches,'  canto  xiv.  : 

"The  summit  gained,  he  pulls  up 

at  the  Valley, 

To  drain  a  farewell  'nobbier'  to 
his  Sally." 

1859.  Frank  Fowler,  '  Southern  Lights 
and  Shadows,'  p.  52  : 

"  To  pay  for  liquor  for  another  is  to 
'  stand,3  or  to  '  shout,'  or  to  *  sacrifice.' 
The  measure  is  called  a  '  nobbier,'  or 
a  '  break-down.' " 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  201  : 

"A  nobbier  is  the  proper  colonial 
phrase  for  a  drink  at  a  public-house." 

1876.  J.  Brenchley,  '  May  Bloom,'  p. 
80: 

"  And  faster  yet  the  torrents  flow 
Of  nobblers  bolted  rapidly." 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  '  Kamilaroi  and 
Kurnai,'  p.  249  : 

"When  cruising  about  .  .  .  with  a 
crew  of  Kurnai  ...  I  heard  two  of 
my  men  discussing  where  we  could 
camp,  and  one,  on  mentioning  a  place, 
said,  speaking  his  own  language,  that 
there  was  'le-en  (good)  nobler.'  I  said, 
'there  is  no  nobler  there.'  He  then 
said  in  English,  '  Oh  !  I  meant  water.' 
On  inquiry  I  learned  that  a  man  named 
Yan  (water)  had  died  shortly  before, 
and  that  not  liking  to  use  that  word, 
they  had  to  invent  a  new  one." 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,    'Bush    Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  36  : 

"  Only  to  pull  up  again  at  the  nearest 
public-house,  to  the  veranda  of  which 
his  horse's  bridle  was  hung  until  he 
had  imbibed  a  nobbier  or  two." 

Nobblerise,  v.  to  drink  fre- 
quent nobblers  (q.v.). 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  'The  New  Rush,' 
P- 5i: 

"And  oft  a    duffer-dealing  digger 

there 

Will  nobblerize  in  jerks   of  small 
despair  .     ." 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,  'Old  Colonials,'  p. 
268: 

"The  institution  of  ' nobblerising J 
is  carried  out  in  far  different  places." 

Noddy,  n.  common  English 
name  for  the  sea-bird.  The  species 
observed  in  Australia  are — 


The  Noddy— 

Anous  stolidus,  Linn. 
Black-cheeked  N.  — 

A.  melanogenys,  Gray. 
Grey  N.— 

A.  tinereus,  Gould. 
Lesser  N.— 

A.  tenuirostris,  Temm. 
White-capped  N.  — 

A.  leucocapillus,  Gould. 

Nonda,  n.  aboriginal  name  for 
a  tree,  Parinarium  Nonda,  F.  v. 
M.,  JV.  O.  Rosacece,  of  Queensland. 
It  has  an  edible,  mealy  fruit, 
rather  like  a  plum. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  315  : 

"We  called  this  tree  the  'Nonda/ 
from  its  resemblance  to  a  tree  so 
called  by  the  natives  in  the  Moreton 
Bay  district." 

Noogoora  Bur,  n.  a  Queensland 
plant,  Xanthiumstrumarium,  Linn., 
N.O.  Composites. 

Noon-flower,  n.  a  rare  name 
for  the  Mesembryanthemum.  See 
Pig-face. 

1891.     '  The  Argus,'  Dec.  19,  p.  4,  col.  2: 

"  The  thick-leaved  noon-flower  that 

swings   from    chalk  cliffs    and   creek 

banks  in  the   auriferous  country  is  a 

delectable  salad." 

Norfolk  Island  Pine,  n.  See 
Pine. 

Note,  n.  short  for  Bank-note, 
and  always  used  for  a  one-pound 
note,  the  common  currency.  A 


1864.  J.  Rogers,  'New  Rush,'  pt.  ii.  p. 
28: 

"A  note's  so  very  trifling,  it's  no 

sooner  chang'd  than  gone  ; 
For  it  is  but  twenty  shillings." 
1875.    Wood    and  Lapham,    '  Waiting 
for  Mail,'  p.  39  : 

"And  even    at    half  fifty  notes   a 

week 

You  ought  to  have  made  a  pile." 
1884.  Marcus  Clarke,    'Memorial  Vol- 
ume,' p.  92  : 

"  I  lent  poor  Dick  Snaffle  a  trotting 


NOT-NUL] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


323 


pony  I  had,  and  he  sold  him  for  forty 
notes." 

Notornis,  n.  a  bird  of  New 
Zealand  allied  to  the  Porphyrio 
(q.v.),  first  described  from  a  fossil 
skull  by  Professor  Owen  (1848), 
and  then  thought  to  be  extinct, 
like  the  Moa.  Professor  Owen 
called  the  bird  Notornis  mantelli, 
and,  curiously  enough,  Mr.  Walter 
Mantell,  in  whose  honour  the  bird 
was  named,  two  years  afterwards 
captured  a  live  specimen  ;  a 
third  specimen  was  captured  in 
1879.  The  word  is  from  the 
Greek  VO'TOS,  south,  and  opvts,  bird. 
The  Maori  names  were  Moho  and 
Takahe  (q.v.). 

Notoryctes,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  to  which  be- 
longs the  Marsupial  Mole  (q.v.). 

Nugget,  n.  a  lump  of  gold. 
The  noun  nugget  is  not  Aus- 
tralian, though  often  so  supposed. 
Skeat  (*  Etymological  Diction- 
ary,' s.v.)  gives  a  quotation  from 
North's  'Plutarch'  with  the  word 
in  a  slightly  different  shape,  viz., 
niggot.  ( f  The  word  nugget  was 
in  use  in  Australia  many  years 
before  the  goldfields  were  heard 
of.  A  thick-set  young  beast  was 
'called  'a  good  nugget.'  A  bit 
of  a  fig  of  tobacco  was  called  '  a 
nugget  of  tobacco."  (G.  W. 
Rusden.) 

1852.  Sir  W.  T.  Denison,  '  Proceedings 
of  the  Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's 
Land, '  vol.  ii.  p.  203  : 

"  In  many  instances  it  is  brought  to 
market  in  lumps,  or  '  nuggets '  as  they 
are  called,  which  contain,  besides  the 
gold  alloyed  with  some  metal,  portions 
of  quartz  or  other  extraneous  material, 
forming  the  matrix  in  which  the  gold 
was  originally  deposited,  or  with  which 
it  had  become  combined  accidentally." 

1869.  Marcus  Clarke,  'Peripatetic  Phi- 
losopher' (reprint),  p.  51  :. 

"  They  lead  a  peaceful,  happy,  pas- 
toral life — dig  in  a  hole  all  day,  and 


get  drunk  religiously  at  night.  They 
are  respected,  admired,  and  esteemed. 
Suddenly  they  find  a  nugget,  and  lo  ! 
the  whole  tenor  of  their  life  changes." 

Nugget,  v.  Queensland  slang. 
See  quotation. 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Longleat  of 
Kooralbyn,'  c.  iii.  p.  25 : 

"  To  nugget :  in  Australian  slang, 
to  appropriate  your  neighbours'  un- 
branded  calves." 

Ibid.  c.  xviii.  p.  182: 

"If  he  does  steal  a  calf  now  and 
then,  I  know  several  squatters  who 
are  given  to  nuggeting." 

Nuggety,  adj.  applied  to  a 
horse  or  a  man.  Short,  thick-set 
and  strong.  See  G.  W.  Rusden's 
note  under  Nugget. 

1896.  Private  Letter,  March  2  : 
"  Nuggety  is  used  in  the  same  sense 
as  Bullocky  (q.v.),  but  with  a  slight 
difference  of  meaning,  what  we  should 
say  *  compact.'  Bullocky  has  rather  a 
sense  of  over-strength  inducing  an 
awkwardness  of  movement.  Nuggety 
does  not  include  the  last  suggestion." 

Nulla-nulla,  «.  (spellings  vari- 
ous) aboriginal  name.  A  battle 
club  of  the  aborigines  in  Australia. 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions into  the  Interior  of  Eastern  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  71  : 

"  He  then  threw  a  club,  or  nulla- 
nulla,  to  the  foot  of  the  tree." 

1853.  C.  Harpur,  ' Creek  of  the  Four 
Graves '  : 

"  Under  the  crushing  stroke 

Of  huge  clubbed  nulla-nullas." 

1873.  J.  B.  Stephens,  'Black  Gin,'  p. 
6l  : 

"  Lay  aside  thy  nullah-nullahs  : 
Is  there  war  betwixt  us  two  ? " 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life/ 
p.  9: 

"The  blacks  .  .  .  battered  in  his 
skull  with  a  nulla-nulla." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  U  : 

"They  would  find  fit  weapons  for 
ghastly  warriors  in  the  long  white 
shank-bones  gleaming  through  the 
grass — appropriate  gnulla-gnullas  and 
boomerangs." 


324 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[NUT 


1889.  P.    Beveridge,    'Aborigines    of 
Victoria  and  Riverina,'  p.  67  : 

"  The  nulla-nulla  is  another  bludgeon 
which  bears  a  distinctive  character 
.  .  .  merely  a  round  piece  of  wood, 
three  feet  long  and  two  and  a  half 
inches  thick,  brought  to  a  blunt  point 
at  the  end.  The  mallee  is  the  wood 
from  which  it  is  generally  made." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  72: 

"  I  frequently  saw  another  weapon, 
the  'nolla-nolla'  or  club,  the  warlike 
weapon  of  the  Australian  native  most 
commonly  in  use.  It  is  a  piece  of 
hard  and  heavy  wood  sharpened  to  a 
point  at  both  ends.  One  end  is  thick 
and  tapers  gradually  to  the  other  end, 
which  is  made  rough  in  order  to  give 
the  hand  a  more  secure  hold  ;  in  using 
he  weapon  the  heavy  end  is  thrown 
back  before  it  is  hurled." 

1892.  J.  Fraser,  « Aborigines  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  73  : 

"  One  of  the  simplest  of  Australian 
clubs,  the  *  nulla-nulla '  resembles  the 
root  of  a  grass-tree  in  the  shape  of  its 
head  ...  in  shape  something  like  a 
child's  wicker-rattle." 

Nut,  n.  (i)  Slang.  Explained 
in  quotation. 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,  '  Old  Colonials,'  p. 
60: 

"  The  peculiar  type  of  the  Australian 
native  (I  do  not  mean  the  aboriginal 
blackfellow,  but  the  Australian  white), 
which  has  received  the  significant. 
sobriquet  of  '  The  Nut,'  may  be  met 
with  in  all  parts  of  Australia,  but  more 
particularly  ...  in  far-off  inland  bush 
townships.  .  .  .  What  is  a  Nut  ?  .  .  . 
Imagine  a  long,  lank,  lantern -jawed, 
whiskerless,  colonial  youth  .  .  .  gener- 


ally nineteen  years  of  age,  with  a 
smooth  face,  destitute  of  all  semblance 
of  a  crop  of  '  grass,'  as  he  calls  it  in 
his  vernacular." 

(2)  Dare-devil,  etc.  "Tommy 
the  Nut"  was  the  alias  of  the 
prisoner  who,  according  to  the 
story,  was  first  described  as  "  a- 
larrikin."  by  Sergeant  Dalton. 
See  Larrikin. 


Nut,  Bonduc, 
Nut. 


n.     See  Bonduc 


Nut,  Burrawang,  n.  See  Bur- 
rawang. 

Nut,  Candle,  n.  See  Candle-nut. 

Nut,  Nicker,  n.  See  Bonduc 
Nut. 

Nut,  Queensland,  n.  See 
Queensland  Nut. 

Nut,  Union,  n.    See  Union  Nut. 

Nut-Grass,  n.  an  Australian 
plant,  Cyperus  rotundus,  Linn., 
NO.  Cyperacece.  The  specific  and 
the  vernacular  name  both  refer 
to  the  round  tubers  of  the  plant ; 
it  is  also  called  Erriakura  (q.v.). 

Nutmeg,  Queensland,  n.    See 

Queensland  Nutmeg. 

Nut-Palm,  n.  a  tree,  Cycas 
media,  R.  Br.,  N.  O.  Cycadecz. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  21  : 

"  Nut-Palm.  Employed  by  the  abo- 
rigines as  food.  An  excellent  farina 
is  obtained  from  it." 


OAK] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


325 


Oak,  n.  The  Oak  of  the  North- 
ern Hemisphere  (Quercus)  is  not 
found  among  the  indigenous  trees 
of  Australia ;  but  the  name  Oak 
is  applied  there  to  the  trees  of  the 
genus  Casuarina  (q.v.),  and  usually 
in  the  curious  form  of  She-Oak 
(q.v.).  The  species  have  various 
appellations  in  various  parts,  such 
as  Swamp-Oak,  River- Oak,  Bull- 
Oak,  Desert-Oak;  and  even  the 
word  He-Oak  is  applied  sometimes 
to  the  more  imposing  species  of 
She-Oak,  though  it  is  not  recog- 
nised by  Maiden,  whilst  the  word 
Native  Oak  is  indiscriminately 
applied  to  them  all. 

The  word  Oak  is  .  further  ex- 
tended to  a  few  trees,  not  Casua- 
rince,  given  below ;  and  in  New 
Zealand  it  is  also  applied  to 
Matipo  (q.v.)  and  Titoki,  or 
Alectryon  (q.v.). 

The  following  table  of  the 
various  trees  receiving  the  name 
of  Oak  is  compiled  from  J.  H. 
Maiden's  < Useful  Native  Plants'— 
Bull-Oak— 

Casuarina  eqidsetifolia,  Forst; 

C.  glauca,  Sieb. 
Forest-O.— 

Casuarina  equisetifolia,  Forst.; 

C.  suberosa,  Otto  and  Diet.; 

C.  torulosa,  Ait. 
Mountain-O. — 

Queensland  name  for  Casuarina 

torulosa,  Ait. 
River  Black-O.— 

Casuarina    suberosa,    Otto    and 

Diet. 
River-O. — 

Callistemon  salignus,  De  C.,  N.O. 
Myrtacece,  ; 


Casuarina  cunninghamii,  Miq.; 
C.  distyla,  Vent.; 
C.  stricta,  Ait.; 
C.  torulosa,  Ait. 
Scrub  Silky-O.— 

Villaresia  moorei,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O. 
Olacinece.     Called  also  Maple. 
She-Oak  :— 
Coast  S.-O.— 

Casuarina  stricta,  Ait. 
Desert  S.-O.— 

C.  glauca,  Sieb. 
Erect  S.-O.— 

C.  suberosa,  Otto  and  Diet. 
River  S.-O.— 

C.  glauca,  Sieb. 
Scrub  S.-O.— 

C.  cunninghamii,  Miq. 
Stunted  S.-O.— 

C.  distyla,  Vent. 
Shingle-O. — 

Casuarina  stricta,  Ait. ; 
C.  suberosa,  Otto  and  Diet. 
Silky-O.— 

Stenocarpus  salignus,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 
Proteacetz  ;  called  also  Silvery- 
Oak.     See  also  Grevillea  and 
Silky-Oak. 
Swamp-O. — 

Casuarina  equisetifolia,  Forst.; 
C.  glauca,  Sieb.; 
C.  suberosa,  Otto  and  Diet.; 
C.  stricta,  Ait.;  called  also  Salt- 
water Swamp-Oak. 
White-O.— 

Lagunaria    pater soni,  G.    Don., 

N.O.  Malvacece. 

Botany-Bay  Oak,  or  Botany-Oak, 
is  the  name  given  in  the  timber 
trade  to  the  Casuarina. 

The  *  Melbourne  Museum  Cata- 
logue of  Economic  Woods  '  (1894) 


326 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[OAK 


classes    the    She  -  Oak     in     four 
divisions — 

Desert  She-Oak— 

Casuarina  glauca,  Sieb. 
Drooping  S.-O. — 

C.  quadrivalviS)  Labill. 
Shrubby  S.-O.— 

C.  distyla,  Vent. 
Straight  S.-O.— 

C.  suberosa.  Otto. 

1770.  Captain  Cook,  'Journal,'  Sunday, 
May  6  (edition  Wharton,  1893,  pp.  247, 
248): 

"  The  great  quantity  of  plants  Mr. 
Banks  and  Dr.  Solander  found  in  this 
place  occasioned  my  giving  it  the  name 
of  Botany  Bay.  .  .  .  Although  wood  is 
here  in  great  plenty,  yet  there  is  very 
little  Variety ;  .  .  .  Another  sort  that 
grows  tall  and  Strait  something  like 
Pines — the  wood  of  this  is  hard  and 
Ponderous,  and  something  of  the 
Nature  of  America  live  Oak." 

1770.  R.  Pickersgill,  'Journal  on  the 
Endeavour'  (in  '  Historical  Records  of  New 
South  Wales'),  p.  215  : 

"May  5,  1770. — We  saw  a  wood 
which  has  a  grain  like  Oak,  and  would 
be  very  durable  if  used  for  building  ; 
the  leaves  are  like  a  pine  leaf." 

1802.  Jas.  Flemming,  'Journal  of  Ex- 
plorations of  Charles  Grimes,'  in  '  Historical 
Records  of  Port  Phillip'  (edition  1879, 
J.  J.  Shillinglaw),  p.  22  : 

"The  land  is  a  light,  black-sand 
pasture,  thin  of  timber,  consisting  of 
gum,  oak,  Banksia,  and  thorn." 

[This  combination  of  timbers  occurs 
several  times  in  the  'Journal.'  It  is 
impossible  to  decide  what  Mr.  Flem- 
ming meant  by  Oak.] 

1839.  T-  L-  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  i.  p.  38 : 

"We  found  lofty  blue-gum  trees 
(Eucalyptus)  growing  on  the  flats  near 
the  Peel,  whose  immediate  banks  were 
overhung  by  the  dense,  umbrageous 
foliage  of  the  casuarina,  or  *  river-oak ' 
of  the  colonists." 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  38  : 

"  The  river-oak  grows  on  the  banks 
and  rivers,  and  having  thick  foliage, 
forms  a  pleasant  and  useful  shade  for 
cattle  during  the  heat  of  the  day  ;  it  is 


very  hard  and  will  not  split.  The 
timber  resembles  in  its  grain  the 
English  oak,  and  is  the  only  wood  in 
the  colony  well  adapted  for  making 
felloes  of  wheels,  yokes  for  oxen,  and 
staves  for  casks." 

1846.  C.  Holtzapffel,  'Turning,' p.  75: 
"  Botany-Bay  Oak,  sometimes  called 

Beef-wood,  is  from  New  South  Wales. 

...  In  general  colour  it  resembles  a 

full   red  mahogany,   with  darker  red 

veins." 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  323  : 

"The  Casuarina  trees,  with  their 
leafless,  thin,  thread-like,  articulated 
branches,  have  been  compared  to  the 
arborescent  horse-tails  (Equisetacece\ 
but  have  a  much  greater  resemblance 
to  the  Larch-firs  ;  they  have  the  colonial 
name  of  Oaks,  which  might  be  changed 
more  appropriately  to  that  of  Australian 
firs.  The  dark,  mournful  appearance 
of  this  tree  caused  it  to  be  planted  in 
cemeteries.  The  flowers  are  unisexual ; 
the  fruit  consists  of  hardened  bracts 
with  winged  seeds.  The  wood  of 
this  tree  is  named  Beef-wood  by  the 
colonists." 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  56  : 
"  The  wail  in  the  native  oak." 

1878.  W.  R.  Guilfoyle,  'First  Book  of 
Australian  Botany,'  p.  54  : 

"It  may  here  be  remarked  that  the 
term  '  oak '  has  been  very  inaptly — in 
fact  ridiculously — applied  by  the  early 
Australian  settlers  ;  notably  in  the  case 
of  the  various  species  of  Casuarina, 
which  are  commonly  called  'she- 
oaks.'" 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  '  Kamilaroi 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  252  : 

"  They  chose  a  tall  He-oak,  lopped 
it  to  a  point." 

1885.  J.  Hood,  'Land  of  the  Fern,' p. 
53: 

"  The  sighing  of  the  native  oak, 
Which    the    light    wind    whispered 
through." 

1892.  A.  Sutherland,  '  Elementary  Geo- 
graphy of  British  Colonies,'  p.  27  : 

"  A  peculiar  class  of  trees,  called  by 
the  scientific  name  of  Casuarina^  is 
popularly  known  as  oaks,  'swamp- 
oaks,'  '  forest-oaks,'  '  she-oaks,'  and  so 
forth,  although  the  trees  are  not  the 


OAK-OLD] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


327 


least  like  oaks.  They  are  melancholy 
looking  trees,  with  no  proper  leaves, 
but  only  green  rods,  like  those  of  a 
pine-tree,  except  that  they  are  much 
longer,  and  hang  like  the  branches  of 
a  weeping-willow." 

Oak-Apple,  n.  the  Cone  of  the 
Casuarina  or  She-Oak  tree. 

1862.  G.  T.  Lloyd,  'Thirty-three  Years 
in  Tasmania  and  Victoria,'  p.  32  : 

"  The  small  apple  of  this  tree  (she- 
oak)  is  also  dark  green  .  .  .  both  apple 
and  leaf  are  as  acid  as  the  purest 
vinegar. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  15  : 

"  In  cases  of  severe  thirst,  great  re- 
lief may  be  obtained  from  chewing  the 
foliage  of  this  and  other  species  [of 
Casuarina],  which,  being  of  an  acid 
nature,  produces  a  flow  of  saliva — a 
fact  well-known  to  bushmen  who  have 
traversed  waterless  portions  of  the 
country.  This  acid  is  closely  allied  to 
citric  acid,  and  may  prove  identical 
with  it.  Children  chew  the  young 
cones,  which  they  call  '  oak-apples.' " 

Oamarut  Stone^  n.  Oamaru  is  a 
town  on  the  east  coast  of  the 
South  Island  of  New  Zealand. 
It  produces  a  fine  building  stone. 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  64 : 

"  A  white,  granular  limestone,  called 
the  Oamaru  stone,  is  worked  in  exten- 
sive quarries  in  the  Oamaru  district. 
...  A  considerable  quantity  has  been 
exported  to  Melbourne." 

Oat-Grass,  n.  Anthistiria  ave- 
nacea,)  F.  v.  M.,  N.  O.  Graminece. 
A  species  of  Kangaroo- Grass  (q.v.). 
See  also  Grass. 

Oat-shell,  n.  the  shell  of  vari- 
ous species  of  Columbella^  a  small 
marine  mollusc  used  for  neck- 
laces. 

Oats,  Wild,  an  indigenous 
grass,  Bromns  arenariusy  Labill, 
N.  O.  GraminecE.  Called  also  Sea- 
side Brome-Grass.  "It  makes 
excellent  hay."  (Maiden,  p.  79.) 

Officer  Plant,  n.  another  name 


for  Christmas-Bush  (q.v.),  so  called 
"  because  of  its  bright  red  appear- 
ance." (Maiden,  p.  404.) 

Old  Chum,  n.  Not  in  common 
use  :  the  opposite  to  a  new  chum. 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  'Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  366. 

"  *  New  chum,'  in  opposition  to  '  old 
chum.'  The  former  '  cognomen '  pecu- 
liarizing  [sic]  the  newly-arrived  emi- 
grant ;  the  latter  as  a  mark  of  respect 
attached  to  the  more  experienced 
colonist." 

Old  Hat,  a  Victorian  political 
catch-word. 

1895.  '  The  Argus,'  May  n,  p.  8,  col.  3  : 
"  Mr.  Frank  Stephen  was  the  author 
of  the  well-known  epithet  *  Old  Hats,3 
which  was  applied  to  the  rank  and  file 
of  Sir  James  M'Culloch's  supporters. 
The  phrase  had  its  origin  through  Mr. 
Stephen's  declaration  at  an  election 
meeting  that  the  electors  ought  to  vote 
even  for  an  old  hat  if  it  were  put  for- 
ward in  support  of  the  M'Culloch 
policy." 

Old  Lady,  n.  name  given  to  a 
moth,  Erebus  pluto. 

Old  Man,  n.  a  full-grown  male 
Kangaroo.  The  aboriginal  cor- 
ruption is  Wool-man. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  160: 

"  To  your  great  relief,  however,  the 
'old  man'  turns  out  to  possess  the 
appendage  of  a  tail,  and  is  in  fact  no 
other  than  one  of  our  old  acquaint- 
ances, the  kangaroos." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  141 : 

"  If  he  (greyhound)  has  less  ferocity 
when  he  comes  up  with  an  '  old  man,3 
so  much  the  better.  .  .  .  The  strongest 
and  most  courageous  dog  can  seldom 
conquer  a  wool-man  alone,  and  not 
one  in  fifty  will  face  him  fairly  ;  the 
dog  who  has  the  temerity  is  certain  to 
be  disabled,  if  not  killed." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  33  : 

"  Mr.  Gilbert  started  a  large  kanga- 
roo known  by  the  familiar  name  of 
'old  man.3" 


328 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[OLD-OLI 


1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  172 : 

"  The  settlers  designate  the  old  kan- 
garoos as  *  old  men '  and '  old  women  ; ' 
the  full-grown  animals  are  named 
'flyers,'  and  are  swifter  than  the 
British  hare." 

1864.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Colony  of  Vic- 
toria,'  p.  451 : 

"  The  large  kangaroo,  the  '  old  man,' 
as  he  is  called,  timorous  of  every  un- 
wonted sound  that  enters  his  large, 
erected  ears,  has  been  chased  far  from 
every  busy  seat  of  colonial  industry." 

1873.  J-  B.  Stephens,  'Black  Gin,'  p. 
39: 

"  Where  the  kangaroo  gave  hops, 
The  old  man  fleetest  of  the  fleet." 

1893.  'The  Times,'  [Reprint]  'Letters 
from  Queensland,'  p.  66  : 

"  The  animals,  like  the  timber,  too, 
are  strange.  Kangaroo  and  wallaby 
are  as  fond  of  grass  as  the  sheep,  and 
after  a  pelican's  yawn  there  are  few 
things  funnier  to  witness  than  the 
career  of  an  '  old  man '  kangaroo,  with 
his  harem  after  him,  when  the  ap- 
proach of  a  buggy  disturbs  the  family 
at  their  afternoon  meal.  Away  they 
go,  the  little  ones  cantering  briskly,  he 
in  a  shaggy  gallop,  with  his  long  tail 
stuck  out  for  a  balance,  and  a  per- 
petual see-saw  maintained  between  it 
and  his  short  front  paws,  while  the 
hind  legs  act  as  a  mighty  spring  under 
the  whole  construction.  The  side  and 
the  back  view  remind  you  of  a  big  St. 
Bernard  dog,  the  front  view  of  a  rat. 
You  begin  an  internal  debate  as  to 
which  he  most  resembles,  and  in  the 
middle  of  it  you  find  that  he  is  sitting 
up  on  his  haunches,  which  gives  him  a 
secure  height  of  from  five  to  six  feet, 
and  is  gravely  considering  you  with 
the  air  of  the  old  man  he  is  named 
from." 

Old-Man,  adj.  large,  or  bigger 
than  usual.  Compare  the  next 
two  words. 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  233  : 
"  I  stared  at  a  man  one  day  for  say- 
ing that  a  certain  allotment  of  land 
was  'an  old-man  allotment':  he  meant 
a  large  allotment,  the  old-man  kanga- 
r,QQ  being  the  largest  kangaroo." 


1888.  D.   Macdonald,    'Gum    Boughs,' 
p.  7: 

"Who  that  has  ridden  across  the 
Old-Man  Plain  .  .  ." 

Old-Man  Fern,  a  Bush-name 
in  Tasmania  for  the  Tree-fern  (q.v.). 

Old-Man  Salt-Bush,  A  trip  lex 
nummularium,  Lindl.  See  Salt- 
Bush. 

1889.  J.    H.   Maiden,    'Useful    Native 
Plants,' p.  118: 

"  One  of  the  tallest  and  most  fatten- 
ing and  wholesome  of  Australian  pas- 
toral salt-bushes  ;  also  highly  recom- 
mended for  cultivation,  as  natural 
plants.  By  close  occupation  of  the 
sheep  and  cattle  runs,  have  largely 
disappeared,  and  as  this  useful  bush  is 
not  found  in  many  parts  of  Australia, 
sheep  and  cattle  depastured  on  salt- 
bush  country  are  said  to  remain  free 
of  fluke,  and  get  cured  of  Distoma- 
disease,  and  of  other  allied  ailments 
(Mueller)." 

Old- Wife,  n.  a  New  South  Wales 
fish,  Enoplosus  armatus,  White, 
family  Percidcz.  The  local  name 
Old-  Wife  in  England  is  given  to 
a  quite  different  fish,  one  of  the 
Sea-Breams. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  32  : 

"The  'old-wife'  (Enoplosus  arma- 
tus>  White)  is  another  fish  which  from 
its  small  size  is  not  esteemed  nearly 
so  highly  as  it  ought  to  be.  It  is  a 
most  exquisite  fish." 

Olive,  Mock,  i.q.  Axe-breaker 
(q.v.). 

Olive,  Native,  n.  one  of  the 
many  names  given  to  four  trees — 
Bursaria  spinosa,  Cav.,  N.O.  Pitto- 
sporece ;  Elceocarpus  cyaneus,  Ait., 
N.O.  Tiliacece  ;  Notelaa  ovala,  R. 
Br.,  N.O.  Jasminetz ;  and,  in 
Queensland,  to  Olea  paniculata, 
R.  Br.,  N.O.  Jasminea,  a  tree  of 
moderate  size,  with  ovoid  fruit 
resembling  a  small  common  Olive. 

Olive,  Spurious,  n.  another 
name  for  the  tree  Noteltza  ligus- 
trina.  Vent.  See  Ironwood. 


ON-OPO] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


329 


On,  prep.  Used  for  In,  in  many 
cases,  especially  of  towns  which 
sprang  from  Goldfields,  and  where 
the  original  phrase  was,  e.g.  "on 
the  Ballarat  diggings,  or  gold- 
field."  Thus,  an  inhabitant  still 
speaks  of  living  On  Ballarat,  On 
Bendigo ;  On  South  Melbourne 
(formerly  Emerald  Hill). 

1869.  J.  F.  Blanche,  'The  Prince's 
Visit,'  p.  21  : 

"  When  came  Victoria's  son  on 
Ballarat." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'While  the  Billy 
boils,  etc.'  p.  3  : 

"  After  tea  they  would  sit  on  a  log 
of  the  wood-heap,  .  .  and  yarn  about 
Ballarat  and  Bendigo — of  the  days 
when  we  spoke  of  being  *  on '  a  place 
oftener  than  '  at 3  it :  on  Ballarat,  on 
Gulgong,  011  Lambing  Flat,  on  Cres- 
wick." 

Onion,  Native,  n.  i.q.  Native 
Leek.  See  Leek. 

Onychogale,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  containing  the 
Nail-tailed  Wallabies  (q.v.).  They 
derive  their  name  from  the  pre- 
sence of  a  peculiar  horny  append- 
age to  their  tails.  (Grk.  6w£, 
oVv^os,  a  claw,  and  yaXfj,  a  weasel. ) 
For  the  species,  see  Wallaby. 

Opossum,  n.  The  marsupial 
Animal,  frequent  all  over  Aus- 
tralia, which  is  called  an  Opossum, 
is  a  Phalanger  (q.v.).  He  is  not 
the  animal  to  which  the  name 
was  originally  applied,  that  being 
an  American  animal  of  the  family 
Didelphyidce.  See  quotations  be- 
low from  'Encycl.  Brit.'  (1883). 
ISkeat  (<  Etym.  Diet.')  says  the 
word  is  West  Indian,  but  he 
quotes  Webster  (presumably  an 
older  edition  than  that  now  in 
use),  "  Orig.  opassom,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Indians  of  Virginia," 
and  he  refers  to  a  translation 
of  Buffon's  'Natural  History' 
(Lond.  1792),  vol.  i.  p.  214.  By 


1792  the  name  was  being  applied 
in  Australia.  The  name  opossum 
is  applied  in  Australia  to  all  or 
any  of  the  species  belonging  to 
the  following  genera,  which  to- 
gether form  the  sub-family  Pha- 
>,,  viz. — Phalanger,  Tricho- 


surus,  Pseudochirus,  Petauroides, 
Dactylopsila,  Petaurus,  Gymnobe- 
lideus,  Dromicia,  Acrobates. 

The  commoner  forms  are  as  fol- 
lows : — 

Common  Dormouse  O. — 

Dromicia  nana,  Desm, 
Common  Opossum — 

Trichosurus  vulpecula,  Kerr. 
Common  Ring-tailed-O. — 

Pseudochirus  peregrinus,  Bodd. 
Greater  Flying-O. — 

Petauroides  volans,  Kerr. 
Lesser  Dormouse  O. — 

Dromicia  lepida,  Thomas. 
Lesser  Flying-O. — 

Petaurus  breviceps,  Water. 
Pigmy  Flying-O. — 

Acrobates  pygmceus. 
Short-eared-O. — 

Trichosurus  caninus,  W.  Ogilby. 
Squirrel     Flying-O.,  or    Flying- 
Squirrel — 

Petaurus  sciureus,  Shaw. 
Striped  O.— 

Dactylopsila  trivirgata,  Gray. 
Tasmanian,  or  Sooty  O. — 

Trichosurus  vulpecula,   var.  full- 

ginosus. 
Tasmanian  Ring-tailed-O. — 

Pseudochirus  cooki,  Desm. 
Yellow-bellied  Flying-O.— 

Petaurus  australis,  Shaw. 

Of  the  rare  little  animal  called 
Leadbeater's  Opossum,  only  one 
specimen  has  been  found,  and 
that  in  Victoria ;  it  is  Gymnobelideus 
leadbeateri,  and  is  the  only  species 
of  this  genus. 

1608.  John  Smith,  'Travels,  Adven- 
tures, and  Observations  in  Europe,  Asia, 
Africke,  and  America,  beginning  about 
J593>  an(l  continued  to  1629;'  2  vols., 


330 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[OPO 


Richmond,  U.S.,  reprinted  1819;  vol.  i. 
p.  124  [On  the  American  animal ;  in  the 
part  about  Virginia,  1608]: 

"An  Opassom  hath  a  head  like  a 
Swine, — a  taile  like  a  Rat,  and  is  of  the 
bigness  of  a  Cat.  Under  the  belly  she 
hath  a  bagge,  wherein  she  lodgeth, 
carrieth  and  suckleth  her  young." 

[This  is  the  American  opossum. 
There  are  only  two  known  genera  of 
living  marsupials  outside  the  Austra- 
lian region.] 

1770.  'Capt.  Cook's  Journal'  (edition 
Wharton,  1893),  p.  294  [at  Endeavour 
River,  Aug.  4,  1770]  : 

"  Here  are  Wolves,  Possums,  an 
animal  like  a  ratt,  and  snakes." 

1770.  J.  Banks,  'Journal,'  July  26, 
(edition  Hooker,  1896,  p.  291): 

"  While  botanising  to-day  I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  take  an  animal  of  the 
opossum  (Didelphis)  tribe;  it  was  a 
female,  and  with  it  I  took  two  young 
ones.  It  was  not  unlike  that  remark- 
able one  which  De  Buffon  has  de- 
scribed by  the  name  of  Phalanger  as 
an  American  animal.  It  was,  however, 
not  the  same.  M.  de  Buffon  is  cer- 
tainly wrong  in  asserting  that  this  tribe 
is  peculiar  to  America,  and  in  all  pro- 
bability, as  Pallas  has  said  in  his 
Zoologia,  the  Phalanger  itself  is  a 
native  of  the  East  Indies,  as  my 
animals  and  that  agree  in  the  extra- 
ordinary conformation  of  their  feet,  in 
which  they  differ  from  all  others." 

1789.  Governor  Phillip,  'Voyage  to 
Botany  Bay,'  p.  104  : 

"  The  pouch  of  the  female,  in  which 
the  young  are  nursed,  is  thought  to 
connect  it  rather  with  the  opossum 
tribe." 

[p.  147]:  "A  small  animal  of  the 
opossum  kind." 

[p.  293]:  "Black  flying-opossum. 
[Description  given.]  The  fur  of  it  is  so 
beautiful,  and  of  so  rare  a  texture,  that 
should  it  hereafter  be  found  in  plenty, 
it  might  probably  be  thought  a  very 
valuable  article  of  commerce." 

1793.  J.  Hunter,  '  Voyage,'  p.  68  : 

"  The  opossum  is  also  very  numerous 
here,  but  it  is  not  exactly  like  the 
American  opossum  :  it  partakes  a  good 
deal  of  the  kangaroo  in  the  strength  of 
its  tail  and  make  of  its  fore-legs,  which 
are  very  short  in  proportion  to  the  hind 


ones  ;  like  that  animal  it  has  the  pouch, 
or  false  belly,  for  the  safety  of  its 
young  in  time  of  danger." 

1798.  D.  Collins,  'Account  of  New 
South  Wales,'  fol.  i.  p.  562  : 

"  At  an  early  age  the  females  wear 
round  the  waist  a  small  line  made  of 
the  twisted  hair  of  the  opossum,  from 
the  centre  of  which  depend  a  few  small 
uneven  lines  from  two  to  five  inches 
long.  This  they  call  bar-rin." 

1809.  G-  Shaw,  'Zoological  Lectures/ 
vol.  i.  p.  93  : 

"  A  still  more  elegant  kind  of  New 
Holland  opossum  is  the  petaurine 
opossum  .  .  .  has  the  general  appear- 
ance of  a  flying-squirrel,  being  furnished 
with  a  broad  furry  membrane  from  the 
fore  to  the  hind  feet,  by  the  help  of 
which  it  springs  from  tree  to  tree.  .  .  .. 
Known  in  its  .native  regions  by  the 
name  of  hepoona  roo." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  67  : 

"Their  food  consists  of  fish  when 
near  the  coasts,  but  when  in  the  woods, 
of  oppossums  [sic],  bandicoots,  and 
almost  any  animal  they  can  catch." 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  143  : 

"  The  sharp  guttural  noises  of  opos- 
sums." 

Ibid.  p.  174  ['The  Native  Woman's 
Lament ']  : 

"  The  white  man  wanders  in  the  dark, 
We  hear  his   thunder  smite   the 

bough  ; 

The  opossum's  mark  upon  the  bark 
We    traced,   but    cannot  find  it, 

now." 

1853.  J.  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania/ 
vol.  i.  p.  324 : 

"The  opossums  usually  abound 
where  grass  is  to  be  found,  lodging  by 
day  in  the  holes  and  hollows  of  trees. 
The  most  common  species  is  the 
Phalangista  milpina  (Shaw),  under 
which  are  placed  both  the  black  and 
grey  opossums.  .  .  .  The  ringtail 
opossum  {Phalangista  or  Hepoona 
Cookii,  Desm.)  is  smaller,  less  com- 
mon, and  less  sought  after,  for  dogs 
will  not  eat  the  flesh  of  the  ringtail 
even  when  roasted." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  200  : 

"  Dogs,  immediately  on  coming  into 


OPO-ORA] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


331 


the  Australian  forest,  become  perfectly 
frantic  in  the  pursuit  of  opossums." 

1883.  '  Encyclopaedia  Britannica '  (ed.  9) 
[On  the  Australian  animal],  vol.  xv.  p. 
382: 

"  A  numerous  group,  varying  in  size 
from  that  of  a  mouse  to  a  large  cat,  ar- 
boreal in  their  habits  and  abundantly 
distributed  throughout  the  Australian 
region  .  .  .  have  the  tail  more  or  less 
prehensile.  .  .  .  These  are  the  typical 
phalangers  or  '  opossums,'  as  they  are 
commonly  called  in  Australia.  (Genus 
Phalangistay 

Ibid.  p.  380  [On  the  American  animal]  : 

"  The  Didelphidte,  or  true  opossums, 
differ  from  all  other  marsupials  in  their 
habitat,  being  peculiar  to  the  American 
continent.  They  are  mostly  carnivor- 
ous or  insectivorous  in  their  diet,  and 
arboreal  in  habits." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  II  : 

"Among  the  colonists  the  younger 
generation  are  very  zealous  opossum 
hunters.  They  hunt  them  for  sport, 
going  out  by  moonlight  and  watching 
the  animal  as  it  goes  among  the  trees 
to  seek  its  food." 

1891.  '  Guide  to  Zoological    Gardens, 
Melbourne '  : 

"  We  see  two  fine  pairs  of  the  Tas- 
manian  sooty  opossum  (Phalangista 
fuliginosa)  ;  this  species  is  unap- 
proached  by  any  other  in  regard  to 
size  and  the  beauty  of  its  fur,  which  is 
of  a  rich,  fulvous  brown  colour.  This 
opossum  is  becoming  scarce  in  Tas- 
mania on  account  of  the  value  of  its 
fur,  which  makes  it  much  sought  after. 
In  the  next  compartment  are  a  pair  of 
short-eared  opossums  (P.  canina),  the 
mountain  opossums  of  Southern  Aus- 
tralia. The  next  is  a  pair  of  vulpine 
opossums ;  these  are  the  common 
variety,  and  are  found  all  over  the 
greater  part  of  Australia,  the  usual 
colour  of  this  kind  being  grey." 

1893.  '  Melbourne  Stock  and  Station 
Journal,'  May  10  (advertisement)  : 

"  Kangaroo,  wallaby,  opossum,  and 
rabbit  skins.  .  .  .  Opossum  skins, 
ordinary  firsts  to  js.  6d.  ;  seconds  to 
$s. ;  thirds  to  is.  6d.  ;  silver  greys  up 
to  9.$-.  per  doz.  ;  do.  mountain,  to  i8.y. 
per  doz." 

Opossum-Mouse,  n.  the  small 


Australian  marsupial,  Acrobates 
pygm&us,  Shaw ;  more  correctly 
called  the  Pigmy  Flying-Phalanger. 
See  Flying-Phalanger.  This  is  the 
animal  generally  so  denoted,  and 
it  is  also  called  the  Flying-Mouse. 
But  there  is  an  intermediate  genus, 
Dromicia  (q.v.),  with  no  parachute 
expansion  on  the  flanks,  not 
"flying,"  of  which  the  name  of 
Dormouse-Phalanger  is  the  more 
proper  appellation.  The  species 
are  the — 

Common  Dormouse-Phalanger — 

Dromicia  nana,  Desm. 
Lesser  D.-Ph. — 

D.  lepida,  Thomas. 
Long-tailed  D.-Ph.— 

D.  caudata,  M.  Edw. 
Western  D.-Ph.— 

D.  concinna,  Gould. 

One  genus,  with  only  one 
species,  the  Pentailed-Phalanger, 
Distcechurus  pennatus,  Peters,  is 
confined  to  New  Guinea. 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
p.  28  : 

"The  opossum-mouse  is  about  the 
size  of  our  largest  barn-mouse." 

1894.  R.  Lydekker,  '  Marsupialia,'  p. 
118: 

"Resembling  a  common  mouse  in 
size,  and  hence  known  to  the  colonists 
as  the  flying-mouse  or  opossum-mouse, 
this  little  animal  is  one  of  the  most 
elegant  of  the  Australian  marsupials." 

Opossum-Tree,  n.  a  timber- 
tree,  Quintinia  sieberi,  De  C., 
N.O.  Saxifrages. 

Orange,  n.  i.q.  Native  Lime, 
Citrus  australis.  See  Lime. 

Orange,  Mock,  n.  i.q.  Native 
Laurel.  See  Laurel. 

Orange,  Native,  n.  name  given 
to  two  Australian  trees,  (i) 
Capparis  mitchelli,  Lindl.,  N.O. 
Capparidece.. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  12  : 


332 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[ORA-OVE 


'"Small  Native  Pomegranate,' 
'Native  Orange.'  The  fruit  is  from 
one  to  two  inches  in  diameter,  and 
the  pulp,  which  has  an  agreeable 
perfume,  is  eaten  by  the  natives." 

(2)  Citriobatus  pauciflorus,  A. 
Cunn.,  N.O.  Pittosporecz. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  1 6  : 

"  '  Native  Orange,'  '  Orange  Thorn.' 
The  fruit  is  an  orange  berry  with  a 
leathery  skin,  about  one  inch  and  a 
half  in  diameter.  It  is  eaten  by  the 
aboriginals." 

Orange,  Wild,  n.  i.q.  Wild 
Lemon.  See  under  Lemon. 

Orange-Gum,  n.     See  Gum. 

Orange-spotted  Lizard  (of 
New  Zealand),  Naultinus  elegant, 
Gray. 

Orange-Thorn,  n.  See  Orange, 
Native  (2). 

Orange-Tree,  n.  The  New 
Zealand  Orange-Tree  is  a  name 
given  to  the  Tarata  (q.v.),  from 
the  aromatic  odour  of  its  leaves 
when  crushed. 

Organ-Bird,  or  Organ-Magpie, 
n.  other  names  for  one  of  the 
Magpies  (q.v.). 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  pi.  48  : 

"  Gymnorrhina  organictnn,  Gould, 
Tasmanian  crow- shrike  ;  Organ- Bird 
and  White-Magpie  of  the  Colonists. 
Resembling  the  sounds  of  a  hand-organ 
out  of  tune." 

1848.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Tropical  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  176  : 

"  The  burita,  or  Gymnorrhina,  the 
organ-magpie,  was  here  represented 
by  a  much  smaller  bird." 

Ornithorhynchus,  n.  i.q.  Platy- 
pus (q.v.). 

Orthonyx,  n.  a  scientific  name 
of  a  remarkable  Australian  genus 
of  passerine  birds,  the  spine-tails. 
It  long  remained  of  uncertain 
position  .  .  .  and  finally  it  was 
made  the  type  of  a  family,  Or- 


thonyrida.  In  the  type  species,  O. 
spinacauda  .  .  .  the  shafts  of  the 
tail-feathers  are  prolonged  beyond 
the  legs.  ('  Century.')  The  name 
is  from  the  Greek  6p66g,  straight, 
and  oVv£,  a  claw.  See  Log-Runner 
and  Pheasanfs  Mother. 

Osprey,  n.  another  name  for 
the  Fish-Hawk  (q.v.). 

Ounce,  n.  used  as  adj.  Yielding 
an  ounce  of  gold  to  a  certain 
measure  of  dirt,  as  a  dish-full,  a 
cradle-full,  a  tub-full,  etc.  Also 
used  to  signify  the  number  of 
ounces  per  ton  that  quartz  will  pro- 
duce, as  "  ounce-stuff,"  "three- 
ounce  stuff,"  etc. 

Out-run,  n.  a  sheep-run  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  Head-station  (q.v.). 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  vi.  p.  47  (1890)  : 

"  They'd  come  off  a  very  far  out- 
run, where  they'd  been,  as  one  might 
say,  neglected." 

Out-station,  n.  a  sheep  or  cattle 
station  away  from  the  Head-station 

(q.v.). 

1844.  'Port  Phillip  Patriot,'  July  II, 
p.  i,  col.  3  : 

"  There  are  four  out-stations  with 
huts,  hurdles  .  .  and  every  con- 
venience." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  c.  8,  p.  231  : 

"  The  usual  fare  at  that  time  at  the 
out-stations  —  fried  pork  and  kan- 
garoo." 

1870.  Paul  Wentworth,  'Amos  Thorne,' 
c.  iii.  p.  26  : 

"  He  ...  at  last  on  an  out-station 
in  the  Australian  bush  worked  for  his 
bread." 

Overland,  v.  to  take  stock 
across  the  country. 

1874.  W.  H.  L.  Ranken,  '  Dominion  of 
Australia,'  c.  xiii.  p.  232  : 

"  Herds  used  to  be  taken  from  New 
South  Wales  to  South  Australia  across 
what  were  once  considered  the  deserts 
of  Riverina.  That  used  to  be  called 
'  overlanding.' " 


OVE-OYS] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


333 


1890.   Lyth,    '  Golden  South,'  c.  ix.  p. 

"  Several  gentlemen  were  away  from 
the  two  nearest  stations, '  overlanding,' 
i.  e.  taking  sheep,  cattle,  and  flour  to 
Melbourne." 

Overlander,  n.  (i)  In  the  days 
before  railways,  and  when  much 
of  the  intervening  country  was 
not  taken  up,  to  travel  between 
Sydney  and  Melbourne,  or  Mel- 
bourne and  Adelaide,  was  difficult 
if  not  dangerous.  Those  who 
made  either  journey  were  called 
Overlander s.  In  this  sense  the 
word  is  now  only  used  historically, 
but  it  retains  the  meaning  in 
the  general  case  of  a  man  taking 
cattle  a  long  distance,  as  from  one 
colony  to  another.  (2)  A  slang 
name  for  a  Sundowner  (q.v.). 

1843.  Rev.  W.  Pridden,  'Australia:  Its 
History  and  Present  Condition,'  p.  335  : 

"  Among  the  beings  which,  although 
not  natives  of  the  bush,  appear  to  be 
peculiar  to  the  wilds  of  Australia,  the 
class  of  men  called  Overlanders  must 
not  be  omitted.  Their  occupation  is 
to  convey  stock  from  market  to  market, 
and  from  one  colony  to  another." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  c.  vi.  p.  237  : 

"  The  Eastern  extent  of  the  country 
of  South  Australia  was  determined  by 
the  overlanders,  as  they  call  the  gentle- 
men who  bring  stock  from  New  South 
Wales." 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  'Victoria  in  1880,' 
p.  Ii: 

"Overlanders from  Sydney  and  Mel- 
bourne to  Adelaide  were  making  great 
sums  of  money." 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  ix.  p.  69 : 

"  He  gave  us  the  advice  of  an  ex- 
perienced Overlander." 

1890.  A.  J.  Vogan,  '  Black  Police,'  p. 
262  : 

"An  ' Overlander/ — for,  as  you  havn't 
any  of  the  breed  in  New  Zealand,  I'll 
explain  what  that  is, — is  Queensland- 
English  for  a  long-distance  drover ; 
and  a  rough,  hard  life  it  generally  is. 
-  .  .  Cattle  have  to  be  taken  long  dis- 


tances to  market  sometimes  from  these 
'  up-country '  runs." 

1890.  '  Melbourne  Argus, '  June  7,  p.  4, 
col.  i  : 

"  Then  came  overlanders  of  another 
sort — practical  men  who  went  out  to 
develop  and  not  to  explore." 

Owl,  n.  an  English  bird-name. 
The  species  in  Australia  are — 

Boobook  Owl — 

Ninox  boobook,  Lath. 
Chestnut-faced  O.— 

Strix  castanops,  Gould. 
Grass  O. — 

S.  Candida,  Tickell. 
Lesser  Masked  O. — 

S.  delicatula,  Lath. 
Masked  O.— 

S.  novcR-hollandice.)  Steph. 
Powerful  O. — 

Ninox  strenua,  Gould. 
Sooty  O.— 

Strix  tenebricosa,  Gould. 
Spotted  O.— 

Ninox  maculata,  Vig.  and  Hors. 
Winking  O. — 

N.  connivens,  Lath. 

In  New  Zealand,  the  species 
are — Laughing  Jackass,  or  L. 
Owl,  Sceloglaux  albifaties,  Kaup 
(Maori  name,  Whekau,  q.v.),  and 
the  Morepork,  formerly  Athene 
novce-zelandicz,  Gray,  now  Spilo- 
glaux  novce-zelandice,  Kaup.  (See 
Morepork.) 

See  also  Barking  Owl. 

Owl-Parrot,  n.  a  bird  of  New 
Zealand.  See  Kakapo. 

Oyster,  n.  The  Australian  varie- 
ties are — Mud-Oyster,  Ostrea  an- 
gasi,  Sow.  (sometimes  considered 
only  a  variety  of  O.  edulis,  Linn., 
the  European  species):  New  South 
Wales,  Victoria,  Tasmania,  South 
Australia.  O.  rutupina,  Jeffreys, 
"  the  native  "  of  Colchester,  Eng- 
land, is  a  variety  and  occurs  in 
Tasmania.  Drift-O.,  O.  subtri- 
gona,  Sow.,  called  so  because  its 


334 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[OYS 


beds  are  thought  to  be  shifted  by 
storms  and  tides :  New  South 
Wales  and  Queensland.  Rock-O., 
O.  glomerata,  Gould,  probably  the 
same  species  as  the  preceding,  but 
under  different  conditions :  all 
Eastern  Australia.  And  other 
species  more  or  less  rare.  See 
also  Stewart  Islander.  Australian 
oysters,  especially  the  Sydney 
Rock-Oyster,  are  very  plenti- 
ful, and  of  excellent  body  and 
flavour,  considered  by  many  to 
be  equal  if  not  superior  to  the 
Colchester  native.  They  cost 
is.  a  dozen  ;  unopened  in  bags, 
they  are  6d.  a  dozen — a  contrast 
to  English  prices. 

Oyster-Bay  Pine,  n.    See  Pine. 

1857.  '  Papers  and  Proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land, 'vol. 

i-  P-  J55  : 

"  1 6  August,  1848  ...  A  sample  of 
the  white  resin  of  the  Oyster  Bay  Pine 
(Callitris  Australis,  Brown)  lay  on  the 
table.  The  Secretary  stated  that  this 
tree  has  only  been  met  with  along 
a  comparatively  limited  and  narrow 
strip  of  land  bordering  the  sea  on  the 
eastern  coast  of  Tasmania,  and  upon 
Flinders  and  Cape  Barren  Islands  in 
Bass's  Straits ;  that  about  Swanport 
and  the  shores  of  Oyster  Bay  it  forms 


a  tree,  always  handsome  and  pictur- 
esque, and  sometimes  1 20  feet  in  height, 
affording  useful  but  not  large  timber, 
fit  for  all  the  ordinary  purposes  of  the 
house  carpenter  and  joiner  in  a  country 
district." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  222  : 

"  Those  most  picturesque  trees,  the 
Oyster  Bay  pines,  which,  vividly  green 
in  foliage,  tapering  to  a  height  of  eighty 
or  one  hundred  feet,  and  by  turns  sym- 
metrical or  eccentric  in  form,  harmo- 
nise and  combine  with  rugged  moun- 
tain scenery  as  no  other  of  our  trees 
here  seem  to  do." 

Oyster-catcher,  n.  common 
English  bird-name.  The  Austral- 
asian species  are — Pied,  Hama- 
topus  longirostris,  Vieill. ;  Black,  If. 
unicolor,  Wagler ;  and  two  other 
species — If.  picatus,  Vigors,  and 
H.  australasianus )  Gould,  with  no 
vernacular  name. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  c.  vii.  p.  174: 

"Our  game-bag  was  thinly  lined 
with  small  curlews,  oyster-catchers, 
and  sanderlings." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  'Ranolf,'  p.  274: 

"  Slim  oyster-catcher,  avocet, 
And  tripping  beach-birds,  seldom  met 
Elsewhere." 


PA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


335 


Pa,  or  Pah,  n.  The  former  is 
now  considered  the  more  correct 
spelling1.  A  Maori  word  to  sig- 
nify a  native  settlement,  sur- 
rounded by  a  stockade  ;  a  fort ; 
a  fighting  village.  In  Maori,  the 
verb/tf  means,  to  touch,  to  block 
up.  Pa  =  a  collection  of  houses 
to  which  access  is  blocked  by 
means  of  stockades  and  ditches. 

1769.  '  Captain  Cook's  Journal '  (edition 
Wharton,  1893),  P-  H7  : 

"  I  rather  think  they  are  places  of 
retreat  or  stronghold,  where  they  defend 
themselves  against  the  attack  of  an 
enemy,  as  some  of  them  seemed  not  ill- 
design'd  for  that  purpose." 

Ibid.  p.  156: 

"  Have  since  learnt  that  they  have 
strongholds — or  hippas,  as  they  call 
them — which  they  retire  to  in  time  of 
danger."  [Hawkesworth  spelt  it,  Hep- 
pahs  ;  he  =  Maori  definite  article.] 

1794.  « History  of  New  South  Wales ' 
(1818),  p.  175: 

"[On  the  coast  of  New  Zealand] 
they  passed  many  huts  and  a  consider- 
able hippah)  or  fortified  place,  on  a 
high  round  hill,  from  the  neighbour- 
hood of  which  six  large  canoes  were 
seen  coming  towards  the  ship." 

1842.  W.  R.  Wade,  'Journey  in  New 
Zealand'  (Hobart  Town),  p.  27  : 

"  A  native  pa,  or  enclosed  village,  is 
usually  surrounded  by  a  high  stockade, 
or  irregular  wooden  fence,  the  posts  of 
which  are  often  of  great  height  and 
thickness,  and  sometimes  headed  by 
the  frightful  carving  of  an  uncouth  or 
indecent  image." 

1858.  '  Appendix  to  Journal  of  House  of 
Representatives,3  £-4,  p.  4  : 

"They  seem,  generally  speaking,  at 
present  inveterate  in  their  adherence 
to  their  dirty  native  habits,  and  to  their 
residence  in  pas." 


1859.  A.  S.  Thomson,  M.D.,  'Story  of 
New  Zealand,'  p.  132  : 

"  The  construction  of  the  war  pas 
.  .  .  exhibits  the  inventive  faculty  of 
the  New  Zealanders  better  than  any 
other  of  their  works.  .  .  .  Their  shape 
and  size  depended  much  on  the  nature 
of  the  ground  and  the  strength  of  the 
tribe.  They  had  double  rows  of  fences 
on  all  unprotected  sides  ;  the  inner 
fence,  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high,  was 
formed  of  poles  stuck  in  the  ground, 
slightly  bound  together  with  supple- 
jacks, withes,  and  torotoro  creepers. 
The  outer  fence,  from  six  to  eight  feet 
high,  was  constructed  of  lighter  mate- 
rials. Between  the  two  there  was  a 
dry  ditch.  The  only  openings  in  the 
outer  fence  were  small  holes  ;  in  the 
inner  fence  there  were  sliding  bars. 
Stuck  in  the  fences  were  exaggerated 
wooden  figures  of  men  with  gaping 
mouths  and  out-hanging  tongues.  At 
every  corner  were  stages  for  sentinels, 
and  in  the  centre  scaffolds,  twenty  feet 
high,  forty  feet  long,  and  six  broad, 
from  which  men  discharged  darts  at 
the  enemy.  Suspended  by  cords  from 
an  elevated  stage  hung  a  wooden  gong 
twelve  feet  long,  not  unlike  a  canoe 
in  shape,  which,  when  struck  with  a 
wooden  mallet,  emitted  a  sound  heard 
in  still  weather  twenty  miles  off.  Pre- 
viously to  a  siege  the  women  and 
children  were  sent  away  to  places  of 
safety." 

1863.  T.  Moser,  'Mahoe  Leaves,'  p.  14: 
"  A  pah  is  strictly  a  fortified  village, 
but  it  has  ceased  to  be  applied  to  a 
fortified  one  only,  and  a  collection  of 
huts  forming  a  native  settlement  is 
generally  called  a  pah  now-a-days." 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  224 : 

"  They  found  the  pah  well  fortified, 
and  were  not  able  to  take  it." 

1879.  Clement  Bunbury,  '  Eraser's  Mag- 
azine,' June,  p.  761  : 


336 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[PAC-PAD 


"The  celebrated  Gate  Pah,  where 
English  soldiers  in  a  panic  ran  away 
from  the  Maories,  and  left  their  officers 
to  be  killed." 

1889.  CasselPs '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iv.  p.  46: 

"A  sally  was  made  from  the  pah, 
but  it  was  easily  repulsed.  Within  the 
pah  the  enemy  were  secure." 

Pachycephala,  n.  the  scientific 
name  for  the  typical  genus  of 
PachyeephalincR)  founded  in  1826 
by  Vigors  and  Horsfield.  It  is  an 
extensive  group  of  thick-headed 
shrikes,  containing  about  fifty 
species,  ranging  in  the  Indian  and 
Australian  region,  but  not  in  New 
Zealand.  The  type  is  P.  gutturalis, 
Lath.,  of  Australia.  ('Century.') 
They  are  singing-birds,  and  are 
called  Thickheads  (q.v.),  and  often 
Thrushes  (q.v.).  The  name  is  from 
the  Greek  Tra^vs,  thick,  and  Ke^oAij, 
the  head. 

Packer,  n.  used  for  a  pack- 
horse. 

1875.  Wood  and  Lapham,  *  Waiting  for 
Mail,'  p.  59  : 

"  The  boys  took  notice  of  a  horse, 
some  old  packer  he  looked  like." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  June  7,  p.  4,  col.  I  : 
"  The  Darling  drover  with  his  saddle- 
horses  and  packers." 

Paddock,  (i)  In  England,  a 
small  field ;  in  Australia,  the 
general  word  for  any  field,  or  for 
any  block  of  land  enclosed  by  a 
fence.  The  *  Home-paddock ' 
is  the  paddock  near  the  Home- 
station,  and  usually  very  large. 

1832.  J.  Bischoff, '  VanDiemen's  Land,' 
c.  vi.  p.  148 : 

"  There  is  one  paddock  of  100  acres, 
fenced  on  four  sides." 

1844.  '  Port  Phillip  Patriot,'  July  25,  p. 
3,  col.  6 : 

"  A  3oo-acre  grass  paddock,  enclosed 
by  a  two-rail  fence." 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  42  : 

"  The  paddocks  are  so  arranged  that 
hills  may  afford  shelter,  and  plains  or 


light-timbered  flats  an  escape  from 
the  enormous  flies  and  other  persecut- 
ing enemies." 

1892.  '  Scribner's  Magazine,'  Feb.,  p. 
141: 

''Paddocks,'  as  the  various  fields 
are  called  (some  of  these  '  paddocks ' 
contain  12,000  acres)." 

(2)  An  excavation  made  for 
procuring  wash-dirt  in  shallow 
ground.  A  place  built  near  the 
mouth  of  a  shaft  where  quartz  or 
wash-dirt  is  stored.  (Brough 
Smyth,  '  Glossary  of  Mining 
Terms,'  1869.) 

1895.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Nov.  21,  p.  22, 
col.  5  : 

"  A  paddock  was  opened  at  the  top 
of  the  beach,  but  rock-bottom  was 
found." 

Paddock,  v.  to  divide  into 
paddocks. 

1873.  A-  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  c.  xx.  p.  302  : 

"When  a  run  is  paddocked  shep- 
herds are  not  required  ;  but  boundary 
riders  are  required." 

Paddy  Lucerne,  n.  i.q.  Queens- 
land Hemp.  See  under  Hemp. 

Paddymelon,  n.  the  name  of 
a  small  Wallaby  (q.v.),  Macropus 
thetidis.  Less.  It  is  certainly  a 
corruption  of  an  aboriginal  name, 
and  is  spelt  variously  pademelony 
padmelon,  and  melon  simply.  (See 
Melon-holes.}  This  word  is  perhaps 
thebestinstance  in  Australiaof  the 
law  of  Hobson-Jobson,  by  which 
a  strange  word  is  fitted  into  a 
language,  assuming  a  likeness 
to  existing  words  without  any 
regard  to  the  sense.  The  Sydney 
name  for  kangaroo  was  patago- 
rang.  See  early  quotations.  This 
word  seems  to  give  the  first  half 
of  the  modern  word.  Pata,  or 
pada^  was  the  generic  name :  mella 
an  adjective  denoting  the  species. 
Paddymalla  (1827)  marks  an  in- 
termediate stage,  when  one-half 
of  the  word  had  been  anglicised. 


PAD-PAK] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


337 


At  Jervis  Bay,  New  South  Wales, 
the  word  potalemon  was  used  for 
a  kangaroo. 

1793.  J.  Hunter,  <  Voyage,'  p.  547  : 

"The  pattagorang  and  baggaray 
frequently  supplied  our  colonists  with 
fresh  meals,  and  Governor  Phillip  had 
three  young  ones,  which  were  likely  to 
live  :  he  has  not  the  least  doubt  but 
these  animals  are  formed  in  the  false 
belly." 

1798.  D.  Collins,  «  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p. 
548: 

"The  pat-ta-go-rang  or  kangooroo 
was  (bood-yer-re)  good,  and  they  ate 
it  whenever  they  were  fortunate  enough 
to  kill  one." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  310  : 

"  The  wallabee  and  paddymalla 
grow  to  about  sixty  pounds  each." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  212  : 

"  Had  hunted  down  a  paddymelon 
(a  very  small  species  of  kangaroo, 
which  is  found  in  the  long  grass  and 
thick  brushes)." 

1845.  Clement  Hodgkinson,  'Australia, 
from  Port  Macquarie  to  Moreton  Bay,'  p. 
45  = 

"  The  brush-kangaroos  or  pademel- 
las  were  thus  gradually  enclosed." 

1846.  G.  H.   Haydon,  '  Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  47  : 

"A  small  species  of  the  kangaroo 
tribe,  called  by  the  sealers  paddy- 
melon,  is  found  on  Philip  Island, 
while  none  have  been  seen  on  French 
Island." 

1851.  J.  Henderson,  '  Excursions  in  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  129  : 

"  The  small  kind  of  kangaroo,  how- 
ever, called  by  the  natives  'Paddy 
Mellon,'  and  which  inhabits  the  dense 
brushes  or  jungles,  forms  a  more  fre- 
quent, and  more  easily  obtained  article 
of  food." 

1863.  M.  K.  Beveridge,  '  Gatherings,' 
p.  41  : 

"  An  apron  made  from  skin  of 
Paddie-Melon." 

1863.  B.  A.  Heywood,  '  Vacation  Tour 
at  the  Antipodes,'  p.  107  : 

"  In  the  scrub  beyond,  numbers  of 
a  small  kind  of  kangaroo  called 


'  Paddy-Mellans,5  resort."  [Footnote]  : 
"  I  cannot  guarantee  the  spelling." 

1888.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  90 : 

"The  kangaroo  and  his  relatives, 
the  wallaby  and  the  paddymelon." 

1890.  A.  H.  S.  Lucas,  'Handbook  of 
the  Australasian  Association  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science,'  p.  62  : 

"  Onychogale  frtznatus  and  its  ally 
O.  lunatus.  Mr.  Le  Souef  reports  that 
the  former  are  fairly  numerous  in  the 
Mallee  country  to  the  north-west  of 
the  Colony,  and  are  there  known  as 
Pademelon."  [This  seems  to  be  only 
a  local  use.] 

1893.  J.  L.  Purves,  Q.C.,  in  'The 
Argus,'  Dec.  14,  p.  9,  col.  7  : 

"  On  either  side  is  a  forest,  the 
haunt  of  wombats  and  tree-bears,  and 
a  few  paddymelons." 

Paddymelon-Stick,  n.  a  stick 
used  by  the  aborigines  for  knock- 
ing paddymelons  (q.v.)  on  the  head. 

1851.  J.  Henderson,  '  Excursions  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  129  : 

"These  are  hunted  in  the  brushes 
and  killed  with  paddy  mellun  sticks 
with  which  they  are  knocked  down. 
These  sticks  are  about  2  feet  long  and 
an  inch  or  less  in  diameter." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  56  : 

"  Nulla  -  mullahs,  paddy  -  melon 
sticks,  boomerangs,  tomahawks,  and 
heelimen  or  shields  lay  about  in  every 
direction." 

Pah,  n.  i.q.  Pa  (q.v.). 

Pake,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
coarse  mat  used  against  rain. 
A  sack  thrown  over  the  shoulders 
is  called  by  the  settlers  a  Pake. 

Pakeha,  n.  Maori  wrord  for  a 
white  man.  The  word  is  three 
syllables,  with  even  accent  on  all. 
A  Pakeha  Maori  is  an  English- 
man who  lives  as  a  Maori  with 
the  Maoris.  Mr.  Tregear,  in  his 
4  Maori  Comparative  Dictionary,' 
s.v.  Pakepakeha,  says:  "  Mr.  John 
White  [author  of  *  Ancient  His- 
tory of  the  Maoris']  considers  that 
a^  a  foreigner,  an  European, 


338 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[PAL-PAN 


originally  meant  'fairy, 'and  states 
that  on  the  white  men  first  land- 
ing sugar  was  called  'fairy-sand,' 
etc."  Williams'  *  Maori  Diction- 
ary '  (4th  edit.)  gives,  "a  for- 
eigner :  probably  from  pakepakeha, 
imaginary  beings  of  evil  influ- 
ence, more  commonly  known  as 
patupaiarehe,  said  to  be  like  men 
with  fair  skins."  Some  express 
this  idea  by  "fairy."  Another 
explanation  is  that  the  word  is  a 
corruption  of  the  coarse  English 
word,  said  to  have  been  described 
by  Dr.  Johnson  (though  not  in  his 
dictionary),  as  "  a  term  of  endear- 
ment amongst  sailors."  The  first 
a  in  Pakeha  had  something  of  the 
u  sound.  The  sailors'  word  would 
have  been  introduced  to  New 
Zealand  by  whalers  in  the  early 
part  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand  '  (Church 
Missionary  Society),  p.  187  : 

"  Pakdha,  s.  an  European ;  a  white 
man." 

1832.  A.  Earle,  '  Narrative  of  Nine 
Months'  Residence  in  New  Zealand,'  p. 
146: 

"  The  white  taboo'd  day,  when  the 
packeahs  (or  white  men)  put  on  clean 
clothes  and  leave  off  work"  [sc. 
Sunday]. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '.Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  c.  i.  p.  73  : 

"  We  do  not  want  the  missionaries 
from  the  Bay  of  Islands,  they  are 
pakeha  maori,  or  whites  who  have 
become  natives." 

1854.  W.  Colder,  '  Pigeons'  Parliament,' 
canto  iii.  p.  44 : 

"  Aiding  some  vile  pakehas 

In  deeds  subversive  of  the  laws." 
1876.   F.  E.  Maning  [Title] : 
"Old  New  Zealand,  by  a   Pakeha 
Maori." 

1884.  T.  Bracken,  '  Lays  of  the  Maori,' 
P-  15: 

"  Long  ere  the  pale  pakeha  came  to 
the  shrine." 

Palberry,  n.  a  South  Aus- 
tralian name  for  the  Native 


Currant.  See  Currant.  The  word 
is  a  corruption  of  the  aborigi- 
nal name  Palbri,  by  the  law  of 
Hobson-Jobson. 

Palm,  Alexandra,  n.  a  Queens- 
land timber-tree,  Ptychosperma 
alexandrcz,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Palmea. 

Palm,  Black,  n.  a  Queensland 
timber  -  tree,  Ptychosperma  nor- 
manbyi,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Palmecz. 

Palm,  Cabbage,  n.  i.q.  Cabbage- 
tree  (q.v.). 

Palm  Nut,  n.  See  under  Nut. 
Palm,  Walking-Stick,  n.  a 
Queensland  plant,  Bacularia  mono- 
stocky  a,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Palmea. 
So  called  because  the  stem  is 
much  used  for  making  walking- 
sticks. 

Panel,  n.  the  part  between  two- 
posts  in  a  post-and-rail  fence. 
See  also  Slip-panel. 

1876.  A.  L.  Gordon,  'Sea-spray,' p.  148 : 

"  In  the  jar  of  the  panel  rebounding, 

In  the  crash  of  the  splintering 

wood, 
In    the    ears   to   the  earth-shock 

resounding, 
In   the   eyes   flashing  fire    and 

blood." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  *  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xviii.  p.  226  : 

"A  panel  of  fencing  is  not  quite 
nine  feet  in  length." 

Pan,  or  Pan-wash,  Pan-out, 
Pan-off,  verbs,  to  wash  the  dirt 
in  the  pan  for  gold.  Some  of 
the  forms,  certainly  pan-out,  are 
used  in  the  United  States. 

1870.  J.  O.  Tucker,  '  The  Mute,'  p.  40  : 
"Others  to  these  the  precious  dirt 

convey, 
Linger  a  moment  till  the  panning's 

through." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  4 : 

"On  the  very  day  of  their  arrival 
they  got  a  lesson  in  pan-washing." 
Ibid.  p.  36  : 

"  All  the  diggers  merely  panned  out 
the  earth." 


PAN-PAP] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


339 


1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Miner's Right,' 
c.  vii.  p.  79  : 

"These  returned  gnomes  having 
been  brought  to  light,  at  once  com- 
menced to  pan  off  according  to  the 
recognized  rule  and  practice." 

Pannikin,  n.  a  small  tin  cup 
for  drinking.  The  word  is  not 
Australian.  Webster  refers  to 
Marryat  and  Thackeray.  The 
*  Century '  quotes  Blackmore. 
This  diminutive  of  pan  is  ex- 
ceedingly common  in  Australia, 
though  not  confined  to  it. 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia/  p.  200  : 

"He  went  to  the  spring  and  brought 
me  a pannican  full."  (p.  101):  "Several 
tin  pannicans." 

1847.  L.    Leichhardt,    'Overland   Ex- 
pedition,' p.  87  : 

"  We  caught  the  rain  in  our  panni- 
kins as  it  dropt  from  our  extended 
blankets." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Australia  Felix,' 
p.  190: 

"  There  is  a  well-known  story  of 
two  bullock-drivers,  who,  at  a  country 
public-house  on  their  way  to  the  town, 
called  for  a  dozen  of  champagne,  which 
they  first  emptied  from  the  bottles  into 
a  bucket,  and  then  deliberately  drank 
off  from  their  tin  pannikins." 

1871.  C.  L.  Money,  '  Knocking  About 
in  New  Zealand,'  p.  6  : 

"  He  was  considered  sufficiently 
rewarded  in  having  the  'honour'  to 
drink  his  'pannikin'  of  tea  at  the 
boss's  deal  table." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  44  : 

"A  small  pannikin  full  of  gold 
dust." 

Pannikin-boss,  or  Pannikin- 
overseer,  n.  The  term  is  applied 
colloquially  to  a  man  on  a  station, 
whose  position  is  above  that  of 
the  ordinary  station-hand,  but 
who  has  no  definite  position  of 
authority,  or  is  only  a  '  boss '  or 
overseer  in  a  small  way. 

Papa,    n.    Maori    word    for    a 


bluish  clay  found  along  the  east 
coast  of  the  North  Island. 

Paper-bark  Tree,  or  Paper- 
barked  Tea-tree,  n.  Called  also 
Milk-wood (q.v.).  Name  given  to 
the  species  Melaleuca  leucodendron, 
Linn.  Its  bark  is  impervious  to 
water. 

1842.   'Western  Australia,'  p.  8l  : 

"  There  is  no  doubt,  from  the  partial 
trial  which  has  been  made  of  it,  that 
the  wood  of  the  Melaleuca,  or  tea-tree, 
could  be  rendered  very  serviceable. 
It  is  sometimes  known  by  the  name  of 
the  paper-bark  tree  from  the  multitu- 
dinous layers  (some  hundreds)  of 
which  the  bark  is  composed.  These 
layers  are  very  thin,  and  are  loosely 
attached  to  each  other,  peeling  off  like 
the  bark  of  the  English  birch.  The 
whole  mass  of  the  bark  is  readily 
stripped  from  the  tree.  It  is  used  by 
the  natives  as  a  covering  for  their 
huts." 

[Compare  the  New  Zealand  Thou- 
sand-Jacket^ 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  of  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  c.  v.  p.  106: 

"  The  face  of  the  country  was  well 
but  not  too  closely  covered  with  speci- 
mens of  the  red  and  white  gum,  and 
paper-bark  tree." 

1847.  E.  W.  Landor,    '  The  Bushman ; 
or,  Life  in  a  New  Country,'  p.  212  : 

"  Fish  and  other  things  are  fre- 
quently baked  in  the  bark  of  the  paper- 
tree." 

1857.  J.  Askew,  '  Voyage  to  Australia 
and  New  Zealand,'  p.  433  : 

"The  dead  bodies  are  burnt  or 
buried,  though  some  in  North  Aus- 
tralia place  the  corpse  in  the  paper 
bark  of  the  tea-tree,  and  deposit  it  in 
a  hollow  tree." 

Paper-fish,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
name.  See  Bastard  Trumpeter and 
Morwong. 

1883.  '  Royal  Commission  on  Fisheries 
of  Tasmania, '  p.  xxxvi : 

"  The  young  [of  the  bastard  trum- 
peter] are  always  coloured,  more  or 
less,  like  the  red,  and  are  known  by 
some  as  'paper-fish.'  The  mature 
form  of  the  silver  bastard  is  alone 


340 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[PAR 


caught.  This  is  conclusive  as  favour- 
ing the  opinion  that  the  silver  is 
simply  the  mature  form  of  the  red." 

Paradise,  Bird  of,  n.  English 
bird-name,  originally  applied  in 
Australia  to  the  Lyre-bird  (q.v.), 
now  given  to  Manucoda  gouldii, 
Gray.  Called  also  the  Manucode 
(q.v.). 

1802.  D.  Collins,  'Account  of  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  300  : 

"  By  him  [Wilson,  a  convict]  the  first 
bird  of  paradise  ever  seen  in  this 
country  had  been  shot."  [This  was 
the  Lyre-bird^\ 

Paradise-Duck,  n.  bird-name 
applied  to  the  New  Zealand  duck, 
Casarca  variegata^  Gmel.  See  Duck 
quotation,  1889,  Parker. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  c.  1.  p.  57 : 

"  These  (wild  ducks  of  different 
sorts)  are  principally  the  black,  the 
grey,  the  blue-winged,  and  the  para- 
dise-duck, or  '  pu  tangi  tangi,'  as  it  is 
called  by  the  natives.  The  last  is 
nearly  as  large  as  a  goose,  and  of 
beautiful  plumage." 

Paradoxus,  n,  a  Shortened 
form  of  the  former  scientific  name 
of  the  Platypus,  Paradoxus  orni- 
thorrhynchus.  Sometimes  further 
abbreviated  to  Paradox.  The 
word  is  from  the  Greek  7ra/>a8o£o5, 
*  Contrary  to  opinion,  strange,  in- 
credible.' (<L.  &  S.') 

1817.  O'Hara,  '  The  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  452  : 

"  In  the  reaches  or  pools  of  the 
Campbell  River,  the  very  curious 
animal  called  the  paradox,  or  water- 
mole,  is  seen  in  great  numbers." 

Paramatta,  n.  "A  fabric  like 
merino,  of  worsted  and  cotton. 
So  named  from  Paramatta,  a 
town  near  Sydney,  New  South 
Wales/'  (Skeat,  'Etymological 
Dictionary,'  s.v.)  According  to 
some,  the  place  named  Parramatta 
means,  in  the  local  Aboriginal 
dialect,  "  eels  abound,"  or  "  plenty 


of  eels."  Others  rather  put  it 
thatflara  =  fish,  and  matta  =  water. 
There  is  a  river  in  Queensland 
called  the  Paroo,  which  means 
"fish-river."  NOTE. — The  town 
Parramatta,  though  formerly  often 
spelt  with  one  r,  is  now  always 
spelt  with  two. 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  367 

"A  peculiar  tweed,  made  in  the 
colony,  and  chiefly  at  Paramatta,  hence 
the  name." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  19: 

"Paramattas,  fine  cloths  originally 
made  from  the  Paramatta  wool,  with 
silk  warps,  though  now  woollen." 

Pardalote,  n.  anglicised  form 
of  the  scientific  bird-name  Parda- 
lotus (q.v.),  generally  called  Dia- 
mond birds  (q.v. ) ;  a  genus  of  small 
short-tailed  birds  like  the  Fly- 
catchers. The  species  are — 

Black-headed  Pardalote — 

Pardalotus  melanocephalus^  Gould. 
Chestnut-rumped  P. — 

P.  uropygialis,  Gould. 
Forty-spotted  P.— 

P.  quadragintus,  Gould  ;   called 

also  Forty-Spot  (q.v.). 
Orange-tipped  P. — 

P.  assimilis,  Ramsay. 
Red-browed  P.— 

P.  rubricatus,  Gould. 
Red-tipped  P.— 

P.  ornatus,  Temm. 
Spotted  P.— 

P.  punctatuS)  Temm.  ;    the  bird 
originally  called  the  Diamond 


Yellow-rumped  P. — 

P.  xanthopygiuS)  McCoy. 

Yellow-tipped  P. — 
P.  affinis,  Gould. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia, 
vol.  ii.  pi.  35 : 

"  No  species  of  the  genus  to  which 
this  bird  belongs  is  more  widely  and 
generally  distributed  than  the  spotted 
pardalote,  Pardalotus  punctatus." 


PAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


341 


Pardalotus,  n.  scientific  name 
for  a  genus  of  Australian  birds, 
called  Diamond  birds  (q.v.),  and 
also  Pardalotes  (q.v.),  from  Grk. 
TrapSoAcoTo?,  spotted  like  the  pard. 

Par&ra,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
genus  Duck  (q.v.). 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  <Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  407 : 

"  Family,  Anatida  —  Parera,  turuki 
(Anas  superciliosa),  the  duck;  very 
similar  to  the  wild  duck  of  England." 

Parra,  n.  a  popular  use  for  the 
fuller  scientific  name  Parra  galli- 
nacea.  Called  also  the  Jacana 
(q.v.),  and  the  Lotus-bird  (q.v.). 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  March  25,  p.  4, 
col.  6  : 

"  The  egg  of  the  comb-crested  parra 
shines  amongst  its  neighbours  so 
vividly  that  it  at  once  catches  the  eye, 
and  suggests  a  polished  agate  rather 
than  an  egg.  The  bird  itself  is  some- 
thing of  a  gem,  too,  when  seen  skip- 
ping with  its  long  water- walking  claws 
over  the  floating  leaves  of  pink  and 
blue  water-lilies." 

Parrakeet,  n.  (various  spell- 
ings). From  French.  Origin- 
ally from  Spanish  periquito,  dim. 
of  sp.  perico,  a  little  parrot. 
Hence  used  generally  in  English 
to  signify  any  small  parrot.  The 
Australian  species  are — 

Alexandra  Parrakeet — 

Spathopterus  (Poly  felts)  alexandrce, 

Gould. 
Beautiful  P.— 

Psephotus  pulcherrimus,  Gould. 
Black-tailed  P. — 

Polytelis     melanura,     Vig.    and 
Hors.  ;    called  also  Rock-peb- 
bler. 
Blue-cheeked  P. — 

Platycercus  amathusice,  Bp. 
Cockatoo  P. — 

Calopsittacus       novce  -  hollandice, 

Gmel. 
Crimson-bellied  P. — 

Psephotus  hcematogaster,  Gould. 


Golden-shouldered  P. — 

Psephotus  chrysopterygius,  Gould. 
Green  P.— 

Platycercus  flaviventris,  Temm. 
Ground  P. — 

Pezoporus  formosus.  Lath. 
Mallee  P.— 

Platycercus   barnardi,    Vig.    and 

Hors. 
Many-coloured  P. — 

Psephotus  multicolor,  Temm. 
Night  P.— 

Pezoporus  occidentalis >  Gould. 
Pale-headed  P.— 

Platycercus  pallidiceps,  Vig. 
Pheasant  P. — 

P.  adelaidensis,  Gould. 
Red-backed  P. — 

Psephotus  hcematonotus ;  Gould. 
Red-capped  P.— 

P.  spurius,  Kuhl. 
Rock  P.— 

Euphema  petrophila^  Gould. 
Smutty  P.— 

Platycercus  browni^  Temm. 
Yellow  P.— 

P.flaveoluS)  Gould. 
Yellow-banded  P.— 

P.  zonariuS)  Shaw. 
Yellow-cheeked  P.— 

P.  icterotis,  Temm. 
Yellow-collared  P.— 

P.     semitorquatus  >     Quoy     and 
Gaim.  ;    called    also    Twenty- 
eight  (q.v.). 
Yellow-mantled  P. — 

P.  splendidus,  Gould. 
Yellow-vented  P.— 

Psephotus  xanthorrhous,  Gould. 

See  also  Grass-Parrakeet,  Musk- 
Parrakeet,  Rosella,  and  Rosehill. 
The  New  Zealand  Green  Parra- 
keet (called  also  Kakariki,  q.v.) 
has  the  following  species — 
Antipodes  Island  P.— 

Platycercus  unicolor,  Vig. 
Orange-fronted  P. — 

P.  alpinus,  Buller. 
Red-fronted  P.— 

P.  novce-zelandice,  Sparrm. 


342 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[PAR 


R  owley'sParrakeet — 

Platycercus  rowleyi^  Buller. 
Yellow-fronted  P.— 
P.  auriceps,  Kuhl. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Journal,'  p.  80: 
"The    cockatoo-parrakeet     of    the 
Gwyder  River  (Nymphicus  Novce-Hol- 
landice,  Gould).'3 

1867.  A.  G.   Middleton,    'Earnest,'  p. 
93: 
"  The  bright  parroquet,  and  the  crow, 

black  jet, 
For  covert,  wing  far  to  the  shade." 

1889.  Prof.  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,' p.  118: 

"  There  are  three  species  of  parra- 
keet,  the  red -fronted  (Platycercus 
NovcE-Zelandia),  the  yellow-fronted 
(P.  auriceps),  and  the  orange-fronted 
(P.  alpinus).  The  genus  Platycercus 
is  found  in  New  Zealand,  New  Guinea, 
and  Polynesia." 

Parrot-bill,  n.     See  Kaka-bill. 

Parrot-fish,  n.  name  given  in 
Australia  to  Pseudoscarus  pseudo- 
labrus ;  called  in  the  Australian 
tropics  Parrot-perch.  In  Victoria 
and  Tasmania,  there  are  also 
several  species  of  Labricthys.  In 
New  Zealand,  it  is  L.  psittacula, 
Rich. 

Parrot-Perch,  n.  See  Parrot- 
fish. 

Parrot's-food,  n.  name  given 
in  Tasmania  to  the  plant  Goodenia 
ovata,  Sm.,  N.  O.  Goodeniacece. 

Parsley,  Wild,  n.  Apiwn  lepto- 
phyllum,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Umbelli- 
ferce.  Parsley  grows  wild  in 
many  parts  of  the  world,  especi- 
ally on  the  shores  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  this  species  is  not 
endemic  in  Australia. 

Parsnip,  Wild,  n.  a  poisonous 
weedfTradtymene  australts,  Benth., 
N.O.  Umbellifera. 

1889.  J-  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  142 : 

"Recently  (Dec.  1887)  the  sudden 
death  of  numbers  of  cattle  in  the 


vicinity  of  Dandenong,  Victoria,  was 
attributed  to  their  having  eaten  a  plant 
known  as  the  wild  parsnip.  ...  Its 
action  is  so  powerful  that  no  remedial 
measures  seem  to  be  of  any  avail." 

Parson-bird,  n.  the  New  Zea- 
land bird  Prosthemadera  novce- 
zelandtce,  Gmel.;  Maori  name,  Tui 
(q.v.).  See  also  Poe. 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  401  : 

"  Cook  named  this  beautiful  and 
lively  bird  the  parson  and  mocking- 
bird. It  acquired  the  first  name  from 
its  having  two  remarkable  white 
feathers  on  the  neck  like  a  pair  of 
clergyman's  bands." 

[Mr.  Taylor  is  not  correct.  Cook 
called  it  the  Ppe-bird  (q.v.).  The 
name  '  Parson-bird '  is  later.] 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  '  New  Zealand  the 
Britain  of  the  South,'  vol.  i.  p.   118  : 

"  The  most  common,  and  certainly 
the  most  facetious,  individual  of  the 
ornithology  is  the  tui  (parson-bird). 
Joyous  Punchinello  of  the  bush,  he  is 
perpetual  fun  in  motion." 

1858.  C.  W. ,  '  Song  of  the  Squatters,' 
'Canterbury  Rhymes  '  (2nd  edit.),  p.  47  : 

"  So  the  parson-bird,  the  tui, 
The  white-banded  songster  tui, 
In  the  morning  wakes  the  woodlands 
With  his  customary  music. 
Then  the  other  tuis  round  him 
Clear   their    throats    and    sing    in 

concert, 
All  the  parson-birds  together." 

1866.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  93 : 

"The  tui,  or  parson-bird,  most  re- 
spectable and  clerical-looking  in  its 
glossy  black  suit,  with  a  singularly 
trim  and  dapper  air,  and  white  wattles 
of  very  slender  feathers — indeed  they 
are  as  fine  as  hair — curled  coquettishly 
at  each  side  of  his  throat,  exactly  like 
bands." 

1888.  Dr.  Thomson,  apud  Buller, 
'  Birds  of  New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  95  : 

"  Sitting  on  the  branch  of  a  tree,  as 
a  pro  tempore  pulpit,  he  shakes  his 
head,  bending  to  one  side  and  then  to 
another,  as  if  he  remarked  to  this  one 
and  to  that  one  ;  and  once  and  again, 
with  pent-up  vehemence,  contracting 


PAR-PAT] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


343 


his  muscles  and  drawing  himself  toge- 
ther, his  voice  waxes  loud,  in  a  manner 
to  awaken  sleepers  to  their  senses." 

1890.  W.  Colenso,  'Bush Notes," Trans- 
actions of  the  New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol. 
xxxiii.  art.  Ivii.  p.  482  : 

"  It  is  very  pleasing  to  hear  the  deep 
rich  notes  of  the  parson-bird — to  see  a 
pair  of  them  together  diligently  occu- 
pied in  extracting  honey  from  the  tree- 
flowers,  the  sun  shining  on  their  glossy 
sub-metallic  dark  plumage." 

Partridge-Pigeon,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian pigeon. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  8  : 

"The  partridge-pigeon  (Geophaps 
scripta)  abounded  in  the  Acacia 
groves." 

Partridge  -  wood,  n.  another 
name  for  the  Cabbage-Palm  (q.v.). 

Passion  -  flower,  Native,  n. 
Several  species  of  the  genus  Pas- 
siflora  are  so  called  in  Australia ; 
some  are  indigenous,  some  natur- 
alised. 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  '  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
p.  398  : 

"  The  native  passion-flower,  scarlet 
and  orange,  was  tangled  up  with  the 
•common  purple  sarsaparilla  and  the 
English  honeysuckle  and  jessamine." 

Pastoralist,  n.  The  squatters 
are  dropping  their  old  name  for 
this  new  one.  A  Pastoralist  is  a 
sheep  or  cattle-farmer,  the  dis- 
tinction between  him  and  an  Agri- 
culturist being,  that  cultivation, 
if  he  undertakes  it  at  all,  is  a 
minor  consideration  with  him. 

1891.  March  15  [Title]  : 

"  The  Pastoralists3  Review,"  No.  i. 

1892.  'Scribner's  Magazine,'    Feb.,   p. 
147: 

"A  combination  has  been  formed 
by  the  squatters  under  the  name  of 
the  Pastoralists'  Union." 

Patagorang,  n.  one  of  the  ab- 
original names  for  the  Kangaroo 
(q.v.),  and  see  Paddy-melon. 

Pataka,    n.     Maori    word    for 


storehouse,  supported  on  a  post 
to  keep  off  rats.     See  Whata. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  c.  i.  p.  283  : 

"  We  landed  at  the  pataka,  or  stage." 

Patiki,  n.  the  Maori  name  for 
the  Flounder  (q.v.).  The  accent 
is  on  the  first  syllable  of  the 
word. 

1820.  {  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of  the 
Language  of  New  Zealand '  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  190: 

"  Patiki,  s.  a  fish  so  called." 

1844.     F.  Tuckett,  '  Diary,'  May  31  : 

"  A  fine  place  for  spearing  soles  or 
patike  (the  best  of  fish)." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  <Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  412: 

"  Patiki,  common  name  for  the  sole 
and  flat-fish  ;  the  latter  is  found  in 
rivers,  but  decreases  in  size  as  it  retires 
from  the  sea." 

1879.  Captain  Mair,  '  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xii.  art. 
xlvi.  p.  316: 

"  Large  patiki,  flat-fish,  are  occasion- 
ally speared  up  the  river." 

Patriot,  n.  Humorously  applied 
to  convicts. 

1796.  In  '  History  of  Australia,'  by  G. 
W.  Rusden  (1894),  p.  49  [Footnote] : 

"In  1796  the  Prologue  (erroneously 
imputed  to  a  convict  Barrington,  but 
believed  to  have  been  written  by  an 
officer)  declared 

'True  patriots  we,  for  be   it  under- 
stood 

We  left  our  country  for  our  country's 
good.' " 

Patter,  v.  to  eat.  Aboriginal 
word,  and  used  in  pigeon-English, 
given  by  Collins  in  his  vocab- 
ulary of  the  Port  Jackson  dialect. 
Threlkeld  says,  ta  is  the  root  of 
the  verb,  meaning  "to  eat." 

1833.  C.  Sturt,'  Southern  Australia,'  vol. 
ii.  c.  vii.  p.  223  : 

"  He  himself  did  not  patter  (eat)  any 
of  it." 

Patu,  n.  Maori  generic  term 
for  all  hand-striking  weapons. 
The  mere  (q.v.)  is  one  kind. 


344 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[PAU-PEA 


1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  82  : 

"  It  (fern-root)  was  soaked,  roasted, 
and  repeatedly  beaten  with  a  small 
club  (patu)  on  a  large  smooth  stone 
till  it  was  supple." 

Paua,  n.  the  Maori  name  for 
the  Mutton-fish  (q.v.).  Also  used 
as  the  name  for  Maori  fish- 
hooks, made  of  the  paua  shell ; 
the  same  word  being  adopted  for 
fish,  shell,  and  hook. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand '  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  191  : 

"  Pa"ua,  s.  a  shell-fish  so  called." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  'Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  416: 

"  Pawa  (Haliotis  iris\  or  mutton-fish. 
This  beautiful  shell  is  found  of  con- 
siderable size ;  it  is  used  for  the  manu- 
facture of  fish-hooks." 

1855.  Ibid.  p.  397: 

"  The  natives  always  tie  a  feather  or 
two  to  their  paua,  or  fish-hooks." 

1877.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  x.  art.  xix. 
p.  192: 

"  Elaborately  carved,  and  illumin- 
ated vi\\h.  paua  shell." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  ' Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  162  : 

"  Immense  piles  of  paua  shells 
{Haliotis  iris\  heaped  up  just  above 
the  shore,  show  how  largely  these  sub- 
stantial molluscs  were  consumed." 

Payable,  adj.  In  Australia, 
able  to  be  worked  at  a  profit : 
that  which  is  likely  to  pay  ;  not 
only,  as  in  England,  due  for  pay- 
ment. 

1884.  R.  L.  A.  Davies,  'Poems  and 
Literary  Remains,'  p.  38  : 

"  We  .  .  .  expect  to  strike  a  payable 
lead  on  a  hill  near  ...  A  shaft  is 
bottomed  there,  and  driving  is  com- 
menced to  find  the  bottom  of  the  dip." 

1890.   '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  15: 

"  Good  payable  stone  has  been 
struck." 

1894.  'The  Argus,'  March  28,  p.  5, 
col.  5  : 

"  Good  payable  reefs  have  been 
found  and  abandoned  through  ignor- 


ance   of  the    methods  necessary   to 
obtain  proper  results." 

Pea,  Coral,  n.     See  Coral  Pea. 

Pea,  Darling,  n.  See  Darling 
Pea. 

Pea,  Desert,  n.  See  Sturfs 
Desert  Pea. 

Pea,  Plat,  n.     See  Flat  Pea. 

Pea,  Glory,  n,.  another  name 
for  the  Clianthus  (q.v.). 

Pea,  Heart,  n.  i.q.  Balloon- Vine 
(q.v.). 

Pea-plant,  n.  The  term  is  ap- 
plied sometimes  to  any  one  of 
various  Australian  plants  of  the 
N.O.  Leguminosce. 

Peach-berry,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
berry,  Lissanthe  strigosa,  Smith, 
N.O.  Epacridea. 

Peach,  Native,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Quandong  (q.v.),  and  for 
Emu-Apple  (q.v.). 

1877.  F.  v.  Miiller,  '  Botanic  Teach- 
ings/ p.  42  : 

"  The  so-called  native  Peach-tree  of 
our  desert  tracts  is  a  true  Santalum,  S. 
acuminatum" 

Peacocking,  vb.  n.  Australian 
slang.  To  peacock  a  piece  of  coun- 
try means  to  pick  out  the  eyes  of 
the  land  by  selecting  or  buying 
up  the  choice  pieces  and  water- 
frontages,  so  that  the  adjoining 
territory  is  practically  useless  to 
any  one  else. 

1894.  w-  EPPS»  'Land  Systems  of 
Australasia,'  p.  28 : 

"When  the  immediate  advent  of 
selectors  to  a  run  became  probable,  the 
lessees  endeavoured  to  circumvent 
them  by  dummying  all  the  positions 
which  offered  the  best  means  of  block- 
ing the  selectors  from  getting  to  water. 
This  system,  commonly  known  as 
'  peacocking  '  .  .  ." 

Pear,  Native,  name  given  to  a 
timber-tree,  Xylomelum  pyriforme, 
Sm.,  N.O.  Proteacea  (called  also 


PEA-PEP] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


345 


Wooden  Pear),  and  to  Hakea  acicu- 
laris.  See  Hakea. 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  219  : 

"  The  pear-tree  is,  I  believe,  an  euca- 
lyptus, and  bears  a  pear  of  solid  wood, 
hard  as  heart  of  oak."  [It  is  not  a 
eucalypt.] 

Pear,  Wooden,  i.q.  Native  Pear. 
See  above. 

Pearl-Perch,  n.  a  rare  marine 
fish  of  New  South  Wales,  excel- 
lent for  food,  Glaucosoma  scapulare, 
Ramsay,  family  Perddce. 

Pedgery,  n.  i.q.  Pituri  (q.v.). 

Pee-wee,  n.  a  New  South 
Wales  name  for  the  Magpie  Lark 
(q.v.). 

Peg-out,  v.  tr.  to  mark  out  a 
gold-claim  under  the  Mining  Act, 
or  a  Free- Selection  (q.v.)  under 
the  Land  Act,  by  placing  pegs  at 
the  corners  of  the  land  selected. 
Used  also  metaphorically. 

1858.  W.  H.  Hall,  'Practical  Expe- 
riences at  the  Diggings  in  Victoria,'  p.  23  : 

"  I  selected  an  unoccupied  spot 
between  two  holes  .  .  .  pegged  out 
eight  square  feet,  paid  the  licence  fee." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  58: 

"He  was  in  high  hopes  that  he 
might  be  one  of  the  first  to  peg  out 
ground  on  the  goldfield." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,   'The  Miner's 
Right,'  c.  iii.  p.  32  : 

"The  pegging  out,  that  is,  the 
placing  of  four  stout  sticks,  one  at 
each  corner,  was  easy  enough." 

1891.  W.  Tilley,    '  Wild  West  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  8 : 

"  Making  their  way  to  Heemskirk, 
where  they  were  the  first  to  peg  out 
land  for  ten." 

Ibid.  Preface  : 

"The  writer  .  .  .  should  be  called 
on  to  defend  his  conduct  in  pegging 
out  an  additional  section  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  field  of  literature." 

Pelican,  n.  English  bird-name. 
The  pelicans  occur  in  nearly  all 
temperate  or  tropical  regions. 


The  Australian  species  is  Pelecanus 
conspiciilatuS)  Temm. 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Head  Station,'  p. 
256  [Title  of  chapter  39] : 

"Where  the  pelican  builds  her 
nest." 

Penguin,  n.  common  English 
bird-name.  The  species  in  Aus- 
tralia are — 

Crested  Penguin — 

Catarractes  chrysocome.  Lath. 
Fairy  P. — 

Eudyptula  undina,  Gould. 
Little  P.— 

E.  minor,  Forst. 

For  the  New  Zealand  species, 
see  the  quotation,  and  also 
Korora. 

1889.  Professor  Parker,  'Catalogue  of 
New  Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  119  : 

"The  Penguins  are  characteristic 
Southern  Hemisphere  sea-birds,  being 
represented  in  the  Northern  by  the 
Puffins.  They  are  flightless,  but  their 
wings  are  modified  into  powerful  fins 
or  flappers.  Among  the  most  interest- 
ing forms  are  the  following — the  King 
Penguin,  Aptenodytes  longirostris ; 
Rock  Hopper  P.,  Pygoscelis  tceniatus  ; 
Yellow-Crowned  P.,  Eitdyptes  antipo- 
dum;  Crested  P.,  E.  pachyrhynchus  _; 
Little  Blue  P.,  E.  minor  and  undina™ 

Pennyroyal,  Native,  n.  Mentha 
graciliS)  R.Br.,  N.O.  Labiate. 
Much  more  acrid  than  the  Euro- 
pean species  of  Mentha  ;  but  used 
widely  as  a  herbal  medicine. 
Very  common  in  all  the  colonies. 
See  also  Mint. 

Pepper,  Climbing,  n.  Piper 
novtz-hollandicz,  Miq,,  N.O.  Piper- 
acecz.  Called  also  Native  Pepper, 
and  Native  Pepper-vine.  A  tall 
plant  climbing  against  trees  in 
dense  forests. 

Peppermint,  or  Peppermint- 
tree,  n.  a  name  given  to  various 
Eucalypts,  from  the  aromatic 
nature  of  their  leaves  or  ex- 
tracted essence.  See  quotation 


346 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[PEP 


below  from  White,  1790.  There 
are  many  species,  and  various 
vernacular  names,  such  as  Brown 
Peppermint,  DandenongP.,  Narrow- 
leaved  P.,  White  P.,  etc.,  are 
given  in  various  parts  to  the 
same  species.  See  Maiden's 
note  on  Eucalyptus  amygdalina, 
under  Gum.  Other  vernacular 
names  of  different  species  are 
Bastard-Peppermint,  Peppermint- 
Box,  Pepper  mint- Gum. 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales '  (Appendix  by  Dr.  Smith  or  John 
Hunter),  pp.  226-27  : 

"  The  Peppermint  Tree,  Eucalyptus 
piperita.  .  .  .  The  name  of  peppermint- 
tree  has  been  given  to  this  plant  by 
Mr.  White  on  account  of  the  very 
great  resemblance  between  the  essen- 
tial oil  drawn  from  its  leaves  and  that 
obtained  from  the  Peppermint  (Mcntha 
piperita)  which  grows  in  England. 
This  oil  was  found  by  Mr.  White  to 
be  much  more  efficacious  in  removing 
all  cholicky  complaints  than  that  of 
the  English  Peppermint,  which  he 
attributes  to  its  being  less  pungent  and 
more  aromatic." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff, '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
c.  ii.  p.  23  : 

"  The  peppermint,  so  called  from  the 
leaves  imparting  to  the  taste  that 
flavour,  grows  everywhere  throughout 
the  island." 

1874.  Garnet  Walch, '  Head  over  Heels,' 
P-  75  = 

"Well,  mate,  it's   snug  here  by  the 
logs— 

That's    peppermint— burns     like    a 
match." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  30 : 

"  A  woody  gully  filled  with  pepper- 
mint and  stringy-bark  trees." 

1884.  R.  L.  A.  Davies,  '  Poems  and 
Literary  Remains,3  p.  231  : 

"The  peppermints  rose   like  pillars, 

with  funereal  branches  hung, 
Where  the  dirge   for    the  dead  is 

chanted, 
And  the  mourning  hymn  is  sung." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  '  Gum  Boughs,'  p. 
116: 


"  Down  among  the  roots  of  a  pepper- 
mint bush." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  439 : 

"It  {Eucalyptus  capitella,  Smith]  is 
one  of  the  numerous  '  peppermints '  of 
New  South  Wales  and  Victoria,  and  is 
noteworthy  as  being  the  first  eucalypt 
so  called,  at  any  rate  in  print." 

Pepper,  Native,  i.q.  Climbing 
Pepper  (see  above),  Piper  Nowz- 
Hoilandm,  Miq. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  198 : 

"'Native  Pepper.'  An  excellent  tonic 
to  the  mucous  membrane.  .  .  .  One  of 
the  largest  native  creepers,  the  root 
being  at  times  from  six  inches  to  a  foot 
in  diameter.  The  plant  climbs  like 
ivy  to  the  tops  of  the  tallest  trees,  and 
when  full-grown  weighs  many  tons,  so 
that  a  good  supply  of  the  drug  is 
readily  obtainable." 

Pepper-tree,  n.  The  name  is 
given  to  two  trees,  neither  of 
which  are  the  true  pepper  of 
commerce  (Piper].  They  are — (i) 
Schinus  molle,  which  is  a  native  of 
South  America,  of  the  Cashew 
family,  and  is  largely  cultivated 
for  ornament  and  shade  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  in  the  suburbs  and 
public  parks  and  gardens  of  all 
Australian  towns  where  it  has 
been  naturalised.  It  is  a  very 
fast  growing  evergreen,  with 
feathery  leaves  like  a  small  palm 
or  fern,  drooping  like  a  weeping- 
willow.  It  flowers  continuously, 
irrespective  of  season,  and  bears 
a  cluster  of  red-berries  or  drupes, 
strongly  pungent, —  whence  its 
name.  (2)  The  other  tree  is  in- 
digenous in  Australia  and  Tas- 
mania ;  it  is  Drimys  aromatica,  F. 
v.  M.,  formerly  called  Tasmania 
aromatica,  R.  Br. ,  N.  O.  Magnoliacea. 
In  New  Zealand  the  name  is  ap- 
plied to  Drvmis  axillaris,  Forst. 
(Maori,  Horopito;  q.v.). 

1830.   '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,'  p.  65  : 
"  A  thick  grove  of  the  pepper-shrub, 


PER] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


347 


Tasmania  fragrans  of  Smith.  It  grows 
in  a  close  thicket  to  the  height  of  from 
six  to  ten  feet.  When  in  blossom,  in 
the  spring  months  of  November  or 
December,  the  farina  of  the  flower  is 
so  pungent,  especially  if  shaken  about 
by  the  feet  of  horses  or  cattle,  that  it 
is  necessary  to  hold  a  handkerchief  to 
the  nose  in  order  to  avoid  continual 
sneezing." 

1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  '  Three  Expedi- 
tions into  the  Interior  of  Eastern  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  280 : 

"  We  also  found  the  aromatic  tree, 
Tasmania  aromatica.  .  .  .  The  leaves 
and  bark  of  this  tree  have  a  hot,  biting, 
cinnamon-like  taste,  on  which  account 
it  is  vulgarly  called  the  pepper-tree." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  231  : 

"  The  handsome  red-stemmed  shrub 
known  as  native  pepper.  .  .  .  Some- 
thing like  cayenne  and  allspice  mixed, 
.  .  .  the  aromatic  flavour  is  very 
pleasant.  I  have  known  people  who, 
having  first  adopted  its  use  for  want 
of  other  condiments,  continue  it  from 
preference." 

1888.  Cassell's  *  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iii.  p.  138  : 

"  Bright  green  pepper-trees  with 
their  coral  berries." 

Peragale,  n.  the  scientific  name 
of  the  genus  of  Australian  mar- 
supial animals  called  Rabbit- 
Bandicoots.  See  Bandicoot.  (Grk. 
Tnjpa,  a  bag  or  wallet,  and  yaXfj, 
a  weasel.) 

Perameles,  n.  scientific  name 
for  the  typical  genus  of  the  family 
of  Australian  marsupial  animals 
called  Bandicoots  (q.v.),  or  Bandi- 
coot-Rats. The  word  is  from 
Latin  pera  (word  borrowed  from 
the  Greek),  a  bag  or  wallet,  and 
meles  (a  word  used  by  Varro  and 
Pliny),  a  badger. 

Perch,  n.  This  English  fish-name 
is  applied  with  various  epithets  to 
many  fishes  in  Australia,  some  of 
the  true  family  Percidce,  others  of 
quite  different  families.  These 
fishes  have,  moreover,  other 


names  attached  to  them  in  differ- 
ent localities.  See  Black  Perch, 
Fresh-water  P. ,  Golden  P. ,  Magpie 
P.,  Murray  P.,  Pearl  P.,  Red 
P.,  Red  Gurnet  P.,  Rock  P.,  Sea 
P.,  Parrot  Fish,  Poddly,  Burra- 
mundi,  Mado,  and  Bidyan  Ruffe. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p. 31 : 

"  Lates  colonorum,  the  perch  of  the 
colonists  .  .  .  really  a  fresh- water  fish, 
but  .  .  .  often  brought  to  the  Sydney 
market  from  Broken  Bay  and  other 
salt-water  estuaries.  .  .  .  The  perch  of 
the  Ganges  and  other  East  Indian 
rivers  (L.  calcarifer]  enters  freely  into 
brackish  water,  and  extends  to  the 
rivers  of  Queensland."  [See  Burra- 
mundi.  L.  colonorum  is  called  the 
Gippsland  Perch,  in  Victoria.] 

1882.  Ibid.  p.  45 : 

"The  other  genus  (Chilodactylus]  is 
also  largely  represented  in  Tasmania 
and  Victoria,  one  species  being  com- 
monly imported  from  Hobart  Town  in 
a  smoked  and  dried  state  under  the 
name  of  '  perch.' " 

Perish,  doing  a,  modern  slang 
from  Western  Australia.  See 
quotation. 

1894.  '  The  Argus,'  March  28,  p.  5, 
col.  4: 

"  When  a  man  (or  party)  has  nearly 
died  through  want  of  water  he  is  said 
to  have  '  done  a  perish.' " 

Perpetual  Lease,  though  a 
misnomer,  is  a  statutory  expres- 
sion in  New  Zealand.  Under  the 
former  Land  Acts,  the  grantee  of 
a  perpetual  lease  took  a  term  of 
thirty  years,  with  a  right  of  re- 
newal at  a  revalued  rent,  subject 
to  conditions  as  to  improvement 
and  cultivation,  with  a  right  to 
purchase  the  freehold  after  six 
years'  occupation. 

Perriwinkle,  n.  See  quotation. 
The  most  popular  form  in  Mel- 
bourne is  Turbo  undulatus,  Chem- 
nitz. T.  constricta  is  also  called 
the  Native  Whelk. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 


348 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[PER-PHA 


and  Fisheries  of  New   South  Wales,'  p. 
122: 

"  Trochocochlea  constricta,  Lam.,  is 
used  as  a  substitute  for  the  British 
perriwinkle,  but  it  is  only  consumed 
to  a  very  small  extent." 

Perth  Herring,  i.  q.  Sardine 
(q.v.),  and  see  Herring. 

Petaurist,  n.  the  general  name 
for  a  Flying-Phalanger  (q.v.), 
Flying-Opossum  (q.v.),  Australian 
Fly  ing- Squirrel  (q.v.).  (Grk.  Trerav- 
pio-rrjs,  a  rope-dancer  or  tumbler). 
See  Petaurus. 

Petauroides,  n.  a  genus  closely 
allied  to  Petaurus  (q.v.),  contain- 
ing only  one  species,  the  Taguan 
Flying-Phalanger. 

Petaurus,  n.  the  scientific  name 
given  by  Shaw  in  1793  to  the 
Australian  genus  of  Petaurists 
(q.v.),  or  so-called  Fly  ing- Squirrels 
(q.v.),  or  Flying-Phalangers  (q.v.), 
or  Flying-Opossums.  The  name 
was  invented  by  zoologists  out  of 
Petaurist.  In  Greek,  Tre'ravpov  was 
the  perch  or  platform  from  which 
a  "rope-dancer"  stepped  on  to 
his  rope.  '  L.  &  S.'  say  probably 
from  Tre'Savpos,  Aeolic  for  fierewpos, 
high  in  air. 

Pething-pole,  «.  a  harpoon-like 
weapon  used  for  pething  (pith- 
ing) cattle  ;  that  is,  killing  them 
by  piercing  the  spinal  cord  (pith, 
or  provincial  peth). 

1886.  P.  Clarke,  '  New  Chum  in  Aus- 
tralia,'p.  184  ('  Century'): 

"  So  up  jumps  Tom  on  the  bar  over- 
head with  a  long  pething-pole,  like  an 
abnormally  long  and  heavy  alpen- 
stock, in  his  hand ;  he  selects  the 
beast  to  be  killed,  stands  over  it  in 
breathless  .  .  .  silence,  adjusts  his 
point  over  the  centre  of  the  vertebra, 
and  with  one  plunge  sends  the  cruel 
point  with  unerring  aim  into  the  spinal 
cord." 

Petrogale,  n.  the  scientific 
name  for  a  Rock-Wallaby  (q.v.). 


The  name  was  given  by  J.  E. 
Gray,  in  the  '  Magazine  of 
Natural  History  '  (vol.  i.  p.  583), 
1837.  (Grk.  TreVpa,  rock,  and 
,  a  weasel.) 


Pezoporus,  n.  scientific  name 
of  a  genus  of  Parrakeets  peculiar 
to  Australia,  of  which  one  species 
only  is  known,  P.  formosus,  the 
Ground  Parrakeet,  or  Swamp  Parra- 
keet.  From  Grk.  7re£o7ropo?,  "going 
on  foot."  It  differs  from  all  the 
other  psittaci  in  having  a  long 
hind  toe  like  that  of  a  lark,  and  is 
purely  terrestrial  in  its  habits. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  i.  pi.  46  : 

"  Pezopoms  Formosus,  111.,  Ground- 
parrakeet  ;  Swamp-parrakeet,  Colon- 
ists of  Van  Diemen's  Land  ;  Ground- 
parrakeet,  New  South  Wales  and 
Western  Australia." 

Phalanger,  n.  the  scientific 
name  for  the  animal  called  an 
Opossum  (q.v.)  in  Australia,  and 
including  also  the  Flying-squirrel 
(q.v.),  and  other  Marsupials.  See 
also  Flying-Phalanger.  The  word 
is  sometimes  used  instead  of 
Opossum,  where  precise  accuracy 
is  desired,  but  its  popular  use  in 
Australia  is  rare.  The  Phalangers 
are  chiefly  Australian,  but  range 
as  far  as  the  Celebes.  The  word  is 
from  the  Greek  <£aAay£,  one  mean- 
ing of  which  is  the  bone  between 
the  joints  of  the  fingers  or  toes. 
(The  toes  are  more  or  less  highly 
webbed  in  the  Phalanger.) 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,   'The   Miner's 
Right,'  p.  249  : 

"  The  cry  of  the  night-bird,  the  rustle 
of  the  phalangers  and  the  smaller  mar- 
supials, as  they  glided  through  the  wiry 
frozen  grass  or  climbed  the  clear  stems 
of  the  eucalypti." 

1891.  '  Guide   to   Zoological   Gardens, 
Melbourne  '  : 

"  A  pair  of  the  Short-headed  Pha- 
langer (Belideus  breviceps)  occupy  the 
next  division." 


PHA-PHE] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


349 


1894.  R.    Lydekker,    '  Marsupialia,'   p. 

"The  second  great  family  of  the 
herbivorous  Diprotodont  Marsupials 
is  typically  represented  by  the  creatures 
properly  known  as  phalangers,  which 
the  colonists  of  Australia  persist  in 
misnaming  opossums.  It  includes 
however  several  other  forms,  such  as 
the  Flying-Phalangers  [q-v.]  and  the 
Koala  [q.v.].» 

Phascolarctus,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  of  the  Koala 
(q.v.)  or  Native  Bear,  of  which 
there  is  only  one  species,  P. 
cinereus.  It  is,  of  course,  mar- 
supial. (Grk.  ^ao-KtuXos,  a  leather 
apron,  and  ap/cros,  a  bear.)  See 
Bear. 

Phascologale,  n.  contracted 
often  to  Phascogale  ;  the  scientific 
name  for  the  genus  of  little  mar- 
supials known  as  the  Kangaroo- 
Mouse  or  Pouched-Mouse  (q.v.). 
(Grk.  <£ao-Ko>Aos,  a  leather  apron, 
and  yaXi},  a  weasel.)  "  The  pretty 
little  animals  belonging  to  the 
genus  thus  designated,  range 
over  the  whole  of  Australia  and 
New  Guinea,  together  with  the 
adjacent  islands,  and  are  com- 
pletely arboreal  and  insectivorous 
in  their  habits.  The  [popular] 
name  of  Pouched-Mouse  is  far  from 
being  free  from  objection,  yet, 
since  the  scientific  names  of 
neither  this  genus  nor  the  genus 
Sminthopsis  lend  themselves 
readily  for  conversion  into  Eng- 
lish, we  are  compelled  to  use  the 
colonial  designation  as  the  ver- 
nacular names  of  both  genera. 
.  .  .  The  largest  of  the  thirteen 
known  species  does  not  exceed 
a  Common  Rat  in  size,  while  the 
majority  are  considerably  smaller." 
(R.  Lydekker,  *  Marsupialia,'  p. 
1 66.) 

I853-  J-  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  i.  p.  324: 

"The  phascogales  are  small  insec- 


tivorous animals  found  on  the  moun- 
tains and  in  the  dense  forest-parts  of 
the  island,  and  little  is  known  of  their 
habits." 

Phascolome,  and  Phascolo- 
mys,  n.  The  first  is  the  angli- 
cised form  of  the  second,  which 
is  the  scientific  name  of  the  genus 
called  by  the  aboriginal  name 
of  Wombat  (q.v.)  (Grk.  <£ao-/cu)A,os 
=  leathern  bag,  and  /xvs  = 
mouse.) 

Phasmid,  n.  the  name  for 
the  insects  of  the  genus  Phasma 
(Grk.  <£ao-/x,a  =  an  appearance), 
of  the  family  Phasmidce,  curious 
insects  not  confined  to  Australia, 
but  very  common  there.  The 
various  species  are  known  as 
Leaf-insects,  Walking-leaves,  Stick- 
caterpillars,  Walking-sticks,  Spectres, 
etc.,  from  the  extraordinary  illu- 
sion with  which  they  counterfeit 
the  appearance  of  the  twigs, 
branches,  or  leaves  of  the  vege- 
tation on  which  they  settle. 
Some  have  legs  only,  which  they 
can  hold  crooked  in  the  air  to 
imitate  twigs  ;  others  have  wings 
like  delicate  leaves,  or  they  are 
brilliant  green  and  covered  with 
thorns.  They  imitate  not  only 
the  colour  and  form  of  the  plant, 
but  its  action  or  motion  when 
swayed  slightly  by  the  wind. 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  209 : ' 

"A  span-long  Phasmid  then  he  knew, 
Stretching    its  fore-limbs    like    a 
branching  twig." 

Pheasant,  n.  This  common 
English  bird-name  is  applied  in 
Australia  to  two  birds,  viz.— 

(1)  The  Lyre-bird  (q.v.). 

(2)  The  Lowan  (q.v.),   and  see 
Turkey. 

For  Pheasant-fantail,  see  Fan- 
tail. 

1877  (before).  Australie,  'From  the 
Clyde  to  Braidwood, '  quoted  in  '  Australian 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[PHE-PIC 


Ballads  and  Rhymes'  (edition  Sladen,  p. 

10): 

"...  Echoing  notes 

Of  lyre-tailed  pheasants,  in  their  own 
rich  notes, 

Mocking  the   song  of   every    forest- 
bird." 

1885.  Wanderer,  '  Beauteous  Terrorist,' 
etc. ,  p.  60  : 
"  And  have    we  no    visions    pleasant 

Of  the  playful  lyre-tail'd  pheasant  ?  " 

Pheasant-Cuckoo,  n.  another 
name  for  the  Coucal  (q.v.),  Cent- 
ropus  phasianellus ,  Gould.  See 
also  Swamp-Pheasant. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  *  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  c.  vi.  p.  125  : 

"  I  shot  over  the  island  and  enjoyed 
some  very  fair  sport,  especially  with 
the  pheasant-cuckoo." 

Pheasant's  Mother,  n.  an  old 
name  of  an  Australian  bird.  See 
Orthonyx. 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  180: 

"That  remarkable  little  bird,  the 
4  Pheasant's  Mother '  of  the  colonists, 
or  Spine-tailed  Orthonyx  (Orthonyx 
spinicauda\  about  which  also  ornith- 
ologists have  some  difference  of 
opinion  respecting  its  situation  in  the 
natural  system.33 

Philander,  n.  an  old  scientific 
name,  now  abandoned,  for  certain 
species  of  the  Kangaroo  family. 
The  word  was  taken  from  the 
name  of  the  explorer,  Philander 
de  Bruyn.  See  quotation. 

1894.  R.  Lydekker, '  Marsupialia,'  p.  36 : 
"Aru  Island  Wallaby.  Macropus 
brunnii,  Cuvier  (1817).  Didelphys 
brunnii,  Schreber  (1778)  .  .  .  Distri- 
bution.— Aru  and  Kei  Islands.  This 
species  has  an  especial  interest  as 
being  the  first  member  of  the  Kanga- 
roo-family known  to  Europeans,  speci- 
mens having  been  seen  in  the  year 
1711  by  [Philander  de]  Bruyn  living  in 
the  gardens  of  the  Dutch  Governor  of 
Batavia.  They  were  originally  de- 
scribed under  the  name  of  Philander 
or  Filander.33 

Phormium,  n.  scientific  name 


of  the  genus  to  which  New  Zealand 
Flax  (P.  tenax]  belongs.  See 
Flax.  (Grk.  <£op/xiov,  dim.  of 
<j>opfj.6<s,  anything  plaited  of  reeds 
or  rushes.) 

Pialler,  v.  used  as  pigeon-Eng- 
lish, especially  in  Queensland  and 
New  South  Wales,  in  the  sense 
of  yabber,  to  speak. 

1834.  L.  E.  Threlkeld,  'Australian 
Grammar,'  p.  10  : 

[As  a  barbarism] "piyaller,  to  speak.3' 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Head  Station,'  p. 
314: 

"  Hester  seized  the  shrinking  black 
and  led  him  forward,  wildly  crying  that 
she  would  *  pialla ;  the  Great  Spirit,  so 
that  no  evil  should  befall  him.33 

Piccaninny,  and  Pickaninny, 
n.  a  little  child.  The  word  is 
certainly  not  Australian.  It 
comes  from  the  West  Indies 
(Cuban  piquinini,  little,  which  is 
from  the  Spanish  pequeno,  small, 
and  nino,  child).  The  English  who 
came  to  Australia,  having  heard 
the  word  applied  to  negro  chil- 
dren elsewhere,  applied  it  to  the 
children  of  the  aborigines.  After 
a  while  English  people  thought 
the  word  was  aboriginal  Aus- 
tralian, while  the  aborigines 
thought  it  was  correct  English. 
It  is  pigeon-English. 

1696.  D'Urfey's  '  Don  Quixote,'  pt.  iii. 
c.  v.  p.  41  (Stanford) : 

"  Dear  pinkaninny  [sic], 
If  half  a  guiny 
To  Love  wilt  win  ye.3' 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  12  : 

" '  I  tumble  down  pickaninny  here,3 
he  said,  meaning  that  he  was  bora 
there.33 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  103  : 

"  Two  women,  one  with  a  piccaninny 
at  her  back.35 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  520 : 

"  Bilge  introduced  several  old  war- 
riors .  .  .  adding  always  the  number 
of  piccaninies  that  each  of  them  had.': 


PIC-PIG] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


1890.  C.  Lumholtz, '  Among  Cannibals,' 

P-  305  : 

"  We  can  even  trace  words  which 
the  Europeans  have  imported  from  the 
natives  of  other  countries — for  example 
picaninny,  a  child.  This  word  is  said 
to  have  come  originally  from  the  ne- 
groes of  Africa,  through  white  immi- 
grants. In  America  the  children  of 
negroes  are  called  picaninny.  When 
the  white  men  came  to  Australia,  they 
applied  this  name  to  the  children  of 
the  natives  of  this  continent." 

Piccaninny,  used  as  adj.  and 
figuratively,  to  mean  little. 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Australia  Felix,' 
p.  104  : 

"  The  hut  would  be  attacked  before 
'piccininni  sun.'"  [Footnote]:  "About 
daylight  in  the  morning." 

1884.  J.  W.  Bull,  <  Early  Life  in  South 
Australia,'  p.  69  : 

[An  Englishman,  speaking  to 
blacks]  "would  produce  from  his 
pocket  one  of  his  pistols,  and  say, 
*  Picaninny  gun,  plenty  more.' " 

Pick-it-up,  n.  a  boys'  name 
for  the  Diamond  bird  (q.v.). 

1896.  G.  A.  Keartland,  'Home  Expe- 
dition in  Central  Australia, 'part  ii.  Zoology, 
Aves,  p.  69  : 

"  Pardalotus  ornatus  and  Pardalotus 
affinis  give  forth  a  treble  note  which 
has  secured  for  them  the  name  of 
'  Pick-it-up '  from  our  country  boys." 

Picnic,  n.  Besides  the  ordi- 
nary meaning  of  this  word,  there 
is  a  slang  Australian  use  denoting 
an  awkward  adventure,  an  un- 
pleasant experience,  a  trouble- 
some job.  In  America  the  slang 
use  is  "  an  easy  or  agreeable 
thing."  ( «  Standard.')  The  Aus- 
tralasian use  is  an  ironical  in- 
version of  this. 

1896.  Modern  : 

"  If  a  man's  horse  is  awkward  and 
gives  him  trouble,  he  will  say,  *  I  had 
a  picnic  with  that  horse,'  and  so  of 
any  misadventure  or  disagreeable  ex- 
perience in  travelling.  So  also  of  a 
troublesome  business  or  other  affair  ; 
a  nursemaid,  for  instance,  will  say,  '  I 


had  a  nke   picnic  with  Miss  Nora's 
hair.3 " 

Picton  Herring,  n.  a  name 
for  several  fishes  when  dried  (like 
" kipper"),  especially  for  the  Sea- 
Mullet,  or  Makawhiti  or  Aua  (q.  v. ) 
(Maori  names)  ;  and  for  the  New 
South  Wales  fish  called  Maray 
(q.v.). 

Pieman  Jolly-tail,  n.  See  folly - 
tail. 

Pig-Dog,  n.  a  dog  used  in 
hunting  wild  pigs. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  *  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  c.  ii.  p.  6  : 

"  The  pig-dogs  are  of  rather  a 
mongrel  breed,  partaking  largely  of  the 
bull-dog,  but  mixed  with  the  cross  of 
mastiff  and  greyhound,  which  forms 
the  New  South  Wales  kangaroo-dog  " 
[q.v.]. 

1877.  R.  Gillies,  « Transactions  of  New 
Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  x.  art.  xliii.  p. 
321  : 

"A  pig-dog  of  the  bull-terrier 
breed." 

Pigeon,  n.  The  Australian 
species  are — 

Bronze-wing  Pigeon  (q.v.) — 

Phaps  chalcoptera,  Lath. 
Brush  Bronze-wing  P. — 

P.  elegans,  Temm. 
Crested  P.— 

Ocyphaps  lophotes,  Temm. 
Flock  or  Harlequin  Bronze-wing 
(called  also  Squatter,  q.v.) — 

Phaps  histrionica,  Gould. 
Little-Green  P.— 

Chalcophapschrysochlora,  Wagl. 
Naked-eye  Partridge-P. — 

Geophaps  smithii,  Jard.  and  Selb. 
Nutmeg  P.— 

Carpophaga    spilorrhoa,    G.    R. 

Gray. 
Partridge-P.— 

Geophaps  scripta,  Temm. 
Pheasant-tailed  P.— 

Macropygia phasianella,  Temm. 
Plumed  P.— 

Lophophaps  plumifera,  Gould. 


352 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[PIG 


Red-plumed  Pigeon — 

Lop  hop  haps  ferruginea,     Gould. 
[He  gives  vernacular  "Rust- 
coloured."] 
Rock  P.— 

Petrophassa  albipennis,  Gould. 
Top-knot  P.— 

Lopholaimus  antarcticus,  Shaw. 
White-bellied  Plumed  P.— 

Lophophaps  leucogaster,  Gould. 
Wonga-wonga  P.  (q.v.) — 

Leucosarcia  picata,  Lath. 

See  also  Fruit-Pigeon^  Harlequin 
Pigeon,  Partridge- Pigeon,  Torres 
Straits  Pigeon.  For  New  Zea- 
land Pigeon,  see  Kuku. 

Pigeon-berry  Tree,  n.  i.q. 
Native  Mulberry.  See  Mulberry. 

Pig-face,  Pig-faces,  and  Pig's- 
face,  or  Pig's-faces.  Names 
given  to  an  indigenous  "  ice- 
plant,"  Mesembryanthemum  cequi- 
laterale,  Haw.,  N.O.  Ficoidecz, 
deriving  its  generic  name  from 
the  habit  of  expanding  its  flower 
about  noon. 

1834.  R°SSJ  'Van  Diemen's  Land  An- 
nual,' p.  133  : 

"  Mesembryanthemum  cequilaterale, 
pig  faces  ;  called  by  the  aborigines  by 
the  more  elegant  name  of  canagong. 
The  pulp  of  the  almost  shapeless,  but 
somewhat  ob-conical,  fleshy  seed  ves- 
sel of  this  plant,  is  sweetish  and 
saline  ;  it  is  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
long,  of  a  yellowish,  reddish,  or  green 
colour." 

1844.  Mrs.  Meredith,  *  Notes  and 
Sketches  of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  45  : 

"  Great  green  mat-like  plants  of  the 
pretty  Mesembryanthemum  cequi- 
laterale,  or  fig-marigold,  adorned  the 
hot  sandy  banks  by  the  road-side.  It 
bears  a  bright  purple  flower,  and  a 
five-sided  fruit,  called  by  the  children 
1  pig-faces.'" 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
p.  132  : 

"The  pig's  face  is  an  extremely 
common  production  of  the  Australian 
soil,  growing  like  a  thick  and  fleshy 
.grass,  with  its  three-sided  leaf  and 


star-shaped  pink  or  purple  flower, 
occupying  usually  a  rocky  or  dry  light 
soil." 

1879.  C.  W.  Schtirmann,  in  '  The  Native 
Tribes  of  South  Australia,'  p.  217  : 

"Though  this  country  is  almost 
entirely  destitute  of  indigenous  fruits 
of  any  value  to  an  European,  yet  there 
are  various  kinds  which  form  very 
valuable  and  extensive  articles  of  food 
for  the  aborigines  ;  the  most  abundant 
and  important  of  these  is  the  fruit  of  a 
species  of  cactus,  very  elegantly  styled 
pig's-faces  by  the  white  people,  but  by 
the  natives  called  karkalla.  The  size 
of  the  fruit  is  rather  less  than  that  of 
a  walnut,  and  it  has  a  thick  skin  of  a 
pale  reddish  colour,  by  compressing 
which,  the  glutinous  sweet  substance 
inside  slips  into  the  mouth." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  « Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  44 : 

"  Pig-faces.  It  was  the  canajong  of 
the  Tasmanian  aboriginal.  The  fleshy 
fruit  is  eaten  raw  by  the  aborigines  : 
the  leaves  are  eaten  baked." 

Pig-faced.  Lady,  n.  an  old  name 
in  Tasmania  for  the  Boar-fish 
(q.v.). 

Pig-fish,  n.  name  given  to  the 
fish  Agriopus  leucopcecilus,  Richards., 
inDunedin;  called  also  the  Leather- 
jacket  (q.v.).  In  Sydney  it  is  Cos- 
syphus  unimaculatus,  Giinth.,  a 
Wrasse,  closely  related  to  the 
Blue-groper.  In  Victoria,  Heter- 
odontus  phillipi,  Lace" p.,  the  Port 
Jackson  Shark.  See  Shark. 

Pig-footed  Bandicoot,  n.  name 
given  to  Chxropus  castanotis,  Gray, 
an  animal  about  the  size  of  a 
rabbit,  belonging  to  the  family 
Peramelidce,  which  includes  all 
the  bandicoots.  It  lives  in  the 
sandy,  dry  interior  of  the  con- 
tinent, making  a  small  nest  for 
itself  on  the  surface  of  the  ground 
out  of  grass  and  twigs.  The 
popular  name  is  derived  from  the 
fact  that  in  the  fore-feet  the 
second  and  third  toes  are  alone 
well  developed,  the  first  and  fifth 


PIG-PIM] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


353 


being  absent,  and  the  fourth  very 
rudimentary,  so  that  the  foot  has 
a  striking'  resemblance  to  that  of 
a  pig.  See  also  Bandicoot. 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  '  Expeditions  into 
Eastern  Australia,'  p.  131  : 

"  The  feet,  and  especially  the  fore 
feet,  were  singularly  formed,  the  latter 
resembling  those  of  a  hog." 

1893.  A.  R.  Wallace,  '  Australasia,' 
p.  68: 

"  Another  peculiar  form,  the  Chce- 
ropus,  or  pig-footed  bandicoot." 

Pigmeater,  n.  a  beast  only  fit 
for  pigs  to  eat :  one  that  will  not 
fatten. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  xiv.  p.  105  : 

"  Among  them  was  a  large  propor- 
tion of  bullocks,  which  declined  with 
fiendish  obstinacy  to  fatten.  They  were 
what  are  known  by  the  stock-riders  as 
'  ragers '  [q.v.]  or  '  pig-meaters.3  " 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  218  : 

" '  Pig-meaters  ! '  exclaimed  Ernest  ; 
'  what  kind  of  cattle  do  you  call  those  ? 
Do  bullocks  eat  pigs  in  this  country  ? ' 
'  No,  but  pigs  eat  them,  and  horses 
too,  and  a  very  good  way  of  getting 
rid  of  rubbish.3" 

Piharau,  n.  Maori  name  for 
Geotria  chilensis.  Gray,  a  New 
Zealand  Lamprey  (q.v.). 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  15  ' 

"  We  procured  an  abundant  supply 
of  piarau,  a  '  lamprey,3  which  is  taken 
in  large  numbers  in  this  river,  and 
some  others  in  the  neighbourhood, 
when  the  waters  are  swollen." 

Pihoihoi,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
New  Zealand  bird,  the  Ground- 
lark  (q.v.).  The  word  has  five 
syllables. 

Pike,  n.  name  applied  in 
Australia  and  Tasmania  to  two 
species  of  marine  fish — Sphyrcena 
obtusata,  Cuv.  and  Val. ;  S.  nova- 
hollandicz,  Gunth.  See  also  Sea- 
pike. 

Pilchard,    «.      The  fish  which 


visits  the  Australian  shores  period- 
cally,  in  shoals  larger  than  the 
Cornish  shoals,  is  Clupea  sagax, 

enyns,  the  same  as  theCalifornian 
Pilchard,  and  closely  related  to  the 

nglish  Pilchard,  which  is  Clupea 
bilchardus. 

Pilgrims,  Canterbury,  n.  The 
first  settlers  in  Canterbury,  New 
Zealand,  were  so  called  in  allusion 
to  the  pilgrims  to  the  shrine  of  St. 
Thomas  Becket.  Chaucer's 'Can- 
terbury Tales '  were  told  by  such 
pilgrims.  The  name  was  given 
probably  by  Mr.  William  Lyon, 
who  in  1851  wrote  the  *  Dream.' 
See  quotation,  1877. 

1865.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  20  : 

"  The  *  Pilgrims,3  as  the  first  comers 
are  always  called.  I  like  the  name ; 
it  is  so  pretty  and  suggestive." 

1877.  W.  Pratt,  '  Colonial  Experiences 
or  Incidents  of  Thirty-four  Years  in  New 
Zealand,'  p.  234  : 

"  In  the  4  Dream  of  a  Shagroon,' 
which  bore  the  date  Ko  Matinau,  April 
1851,  and  which  first  appeared  in  the 
*  Wellington  Spectator 3  of  May  7,  the 
term  '  Pilgrim 3  was  first  applied  to  the 
settlers  ;  it  was  also  predicted  in  it 
that  the  'Pilgrims 3 would  be  'smashed,3 
and  the  Shagroons  left  in  undisputed 
possession  of  the  country  for  their 
flocks  and  herds." 

Pilot-bird,  n.  This  name  is 
given  to  a  sea-bird  of  the  Carib- 
bean Islands.  In  Australia  it  is 
applied  to  Pycnoptilus  floccosus^ 
Gould. 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  March  25,  p.  4, 
col.  6  : 

"  Here,  close  together,  are  eggs  of 
the  lyre-bird  and  the  pilot-bird — the 
last  very  rare,  and  only  found  quite 
lately  in  the  Dandenong  Ranges, 
where  the  lyre-bird,  too,  has  its  home." 

Pimelea,  n.  scientific  name  for 
a  large  genus  of  shrubs  or  herbs, 
N.O.  ThymeleacecE.  There  are 
over  seventy  species,  all  con- 
fined to  Australia  and  New 

A    A 


354 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[PIM-PIN 


Zealand.  They  bear  terminal  or 
axillary  clusters  of  white,  rose, 
or  yellow  flowers,  and  being  very 
beautiful  plants,  are  frequently 
cultivated  in  conservatories.  A 
gardener's  name  for  some  of  the 
species  is  Rice-flower.  Several  of 
the  species,  especially  P.  axiflora, 
F.  v.  M.,  yield  excellent  fibre,  and 
are  among  the  plants  called  Kur- 
rajong  (q.v.)  ;  another  name  is 
Toughbark.  For  etymology,  see 
quotation,  1793. 

1793.  J.  E.  Smith,  '  Specimen  of  Botany 
of  New  Holland, 'p.  32: 

"  Gartner  .  .  .  adopted  the  name 
of  Pimelea  from  the  manuscripts  of 
Dr.  Solander.  It  is  derived  from 
TTi/ueX^,  fat,  but  is  rather  a  pleasantly 
sounding  than  a  very  apt  denomination, 
unless  there  may  be  anything  oily  in 
the  recent  fruit." 

Pimlico,  n.  another  name  for 
the  Friar-bird  (q.v.). 

Pin-bush,  n.  i.q.  Needle-bush 
(q.v.). 

Pinch-out,  v.  to  thin  out  and 
disappear  (of  gold-bearing).  This 
use  is  given  in  the  *  Standard,' 
but  without  quotations  ;  it  may 
be  American. 

1890.   '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  22  : 

"  Sometimes  100  to  200  tons  of  pay- 
able quartz  would  be  raised  from  one 
of  these  so-called  reefs,  when  they 
would  pinch  out,  and  it  would  be  found 
that  they  were  unconnected  with  other 
leaders  or  veins." 

Pine,  n.  The  Pines  are  widely 
distributed  in  Australasia,  and  in- 
clude some  of  the  noblest  species. 
The  name,  with  various  epithets, 
is  given  to  a  few  other  trees  be- 
sides those  of  the  Natural  Order 
Conifera ;  the  following  is  a  list 
of  the  various  Pines  in  Australasia. 
They  belong  to  the  Natural  Order 
Coniferce,  unless  otherwise  indi- 
cated— 
Black  Pine— 

Frenela  endlicheri,  Parlat. 


Frenela  robusta,  A.  Cunn. 

(Of  Otag9)— 
Podocarpus    ferruginea,      Don.  ; 

Maori  name,  Miro  (q.v.).; 
P.  spicata,  R.  Br. ;  Maori  name, 

Mat,  or  Matai  (q.v.). 
Celery-topped  P.  (q.v.) — 

(In  Australia) — 
Phyllocladus  rhomboidalis,    Rich, 

(In  New  Zealand) — 
P.  trichomanoides,  Don.  ;   Maori 

name,  Tanekaha  (q.v.) ; 
P.  glauca,  and 

P.  alptnus;  Maori  name,  Toatoa, 
and   often   also  called    Tane- 
kaha. 
Colonial  P.— 

Araucaria  cunninghamii,  Ait. 
Common  P. — 

Frenela  robusta,  A.  Cunn. 
Cypress  P. — 

Frenela  endlicheri,  Parlat. 

F.  rhomboidea,  Endl. 

F.  robusta  (var,  microcarpa),   A. 

Cunn. 
F.  robusta   (var.    verrucosd],    A. 

Cunn. 
Dark  P.— 

(In    Western     New     South 

Wales)— 

Frenela  robusta ,  A.  Cunn. 
Dundathu  P.— 

Dammara  robusta ,  F.  v.  M. 
Hoop  P.— 

Araucaria  cunninghamii,  Ait. 
Huon  P.  (q.v.) — 

Dacrydium  fra nklinii,  Hook. 
Illawarra  Mountain  P. — 

Frenela  rhomboidea,  Endl. 
Kauri  P.  (q.v.) — 

Agathis  australis,  Salis. 
Lachlan  P.— 

Frenela  robusta,  A.  Cunn. 
Light  P.— 

(Of    Western     New     South 

Wales)— 

Frenela  rhomboidea,  Endl. 
Macquarie  P. — 

Dacrydiiimfranklinii,  Hook, 


PIN-PIO] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


355 


Mahogany  Pine — 

Podocarpus    totara,    A.  Cunn.  ; 

Maori  name,  Totara,  (q.v.). 
Moreton  Bay  P. — 

Araucaria  cunninghamii,  Ait. 
Mountain  Cypress  P. — 

Frenela  parlatorii,  F.  v.  M. 
Murray  P. — 

Frenela  endlicheri^  Parlat. 
Murrumbidgee  P. — 

Frenela  robusta,  A.  Cunn. 
New  Caledonian  P. — 

(Of  New  Caledonia  and  the 

New  Hebrides) — 
Araucaria  cookii,  Cook. 
Norfolk  Island  P.— 

Araucaria  excels  a ,  Hook. 
Oyster  Bay  P.  (q.v.)— 
(In  Tasmania) — 
Frenela  rhomboidea^  Endl. 
Port  Macquarie  P. — 

Frenela  macleayana,  Parlat. 
Prickly  P.— 

(In  Queensland) — 
Flindersia    maculosa,     F.  v.  M., 
N.O.   Meliacece  ;    called   also 
Leopard  Tree  (q.v.). 
Queensland  Kauri  P. — 

Dammara  robusta,  F.  v.  M. 
Red  P.— 

(In  Australia) — 
Frenela  endlicheri,  Parlat. 

(In  New  Zealand) — 
Dacrydium  cupressinum.  Solan d  ; 

called  also  Rimu  (q.v.). 
Rock  P.— 

(In     Western     New    South 

Wales)— 
Frenela  robusta  (var.  verrucosa], 

A.  Cunn. 
Screw  P. — 

Pandanus    odoratissimus.    Linn., 
N.O.  Pandanece;  not  endemic 
in  Australia. 
Scrub  P.— 

Frenela  endlicheri,  Parlat. 
She  P.— 

(In  Queensland) — 
Podocarpus  data,  R.Br. 


Silver  P.— 

Dacrydium  colensoi,  Hook.  ;  i.q. 

Yellow  Pine. 
Stringy  Bark  P. — 

Frenela  parlatorei,  F.  v.  M. 
Toatoa  P. — 

Phyllodadus      alpinus.     Hook.  ; 

Maori  name,  Toatoa  (q.v.). 
White  P.— 

(In  Australia) — 
Frenela  robusta ,  A.  Cunn. 
F.  robusta  (var.   microcarpa),  A. 

Cunn. 

Podocarpus  elata,  R.  Br. 
(In  New  Zealand)— 
P.   dacryoideS)  A.  Rich.  ;  Maori 

name,  Kahikatea  (q.v.). 
Yellow  P.— 

Dacrydium      colensoi.        Hook.  ; 
Maori  name,  Manoao  (q.v.). 

1832.  J.  Bischoff, « Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
p.  180: 

"  The  Green  Forest  .  .  .  comprises 
myrtle,  sassafras,  celery-top  pine,  with 
a  little  stringy-bark." 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions/ vol.  i.  p.  51. 

"  On  the  little  hill  beside  the  river 
hung  pines  (Callitris  pyramidalis)  in 
great  abundance." 

Finer,  n.  In  Tasmania,  a  man 
employed  in  cutting  Huon  Pine. 

1891.  W.  Tilley,  « Wild  West  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  43  : 

"  The  King  River  is  only  navigable 
for  small  craft  .  .  Piners'  boats  some- 
times get  in." 

Pinkwood,  n.  a  name  for  a 
Tasmanian  wood  of  a  pale 
reddish  mahogany  colour,  Eu- 
cryphia  billardieri,  Sparrm.,  N.O. 
Saxifragecz,  and  peculiar  to  Tas- 
mania ;  also  called  Leatherwood  ; 
and  for  the  Wallaby-bush,  Beyera 
viscosa,  Miq.,  N.O.  Euphorbiacea, 
common  to  all  the  colonies  of 
Australasia. 

Piopio,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
thrush  of  New  Zealand,  Turnagra 
erassirostris,  Gmel.  See  Thrush. 


356 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[PIP-PIT 


Pipe,  n.  an  obsolete  word, 
explained  in  quotations. 

1836.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  105  : 

"These  were  the  days  of  'pipes.3 
Certain  supposed  home  truths  .  .  . 
were  indited  in  clear  and  legible  letters 
on  a  piece  of  paper  which  was  then 
rolled  up  in  the  form  of  a  pipe,  and 
being  held  together  by  twisting  at 
one  end  was  found  at  the  door  of  the 
person  intended  to  be  instructed  on  its 
first  opening  in  the  morning." 

1852.  J.  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  i.  p.  107  : 

"  Malice  or  humour  in  the  early  days 
expressed  itself  in  what  were  called 
pipes — a  ditty  either  taught  by  repeti- 
tion or  circulated  on  scraps  of  paper  : 
the  offences  of  official  men  were  thus 
hitched  into  rhyme.  These  pipes  were 
a  substitute  for  the  newspaper,  and  the 
fear  of  satire  checked  the  haughtiness 
of  power." 

Pipe-fish,  ;/.  common  fish- 
name.  The  species  present  in 
Australia  and  New  Zealand  is 
Ichthyocampus  jUum,  Gimth.,  family 
Syngnathida,  or  Pipe-fishes. 

Piper,  n.  an  Auckland  name  for 
the  Garfish  (q.v.).  The  name  is 
applied  to  other  fishes  in  the 
Northern  Hemisphere. 

1872.  Hutton  and  Hector,  'Fishes  of 
New  Zealand,'  p.  118: 

"Angling  for  garfish  in  Auckland 
Harbour,  where  it  is  known  as  the 
piper,  is  graphically  described  in 
'The  Field,'  London,  Nov.  25,  1871. 
.  .  .  the  pipers  are  'just  awfu'  can- 
nibals,' and  you  will  be  often  informed 
on  Auckland  wharf  that  'pipers  is 
deeth  on  piper.' " 

Pipi,  n.  Maori  name  of  a  shell- 
fish, sometimes  (erroneously) 
called  the  cockle,  Mezodesma 
novcz-zelandice. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand '  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  193  : 

"  Pipi,  s.  a  cockle." 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell,  '  Poenamo,'  p. 
107: 


"  With  most  deliciously  cooked  ku- 
meras,  potatoes  and  peppies  "  [sic]. 

Ibid.  p.  204 : 

"  The  dernier  ressort — fern-root,  fla- 
voured with  fish  and  pippies." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
P-25: 

"  Each  female  is  busily  employed  in 
scraping  the  potatoes  thoroughly  with 
pipi-shells." 

Piping-Crow,  n.  name  applied 
sometimes  to  the  Magpie  (q.v.). 

1845.  'Voyage  to  Port  Phillip,'  etc.,  p. 
53: 

"The    warbling    melops    and    the 

piping  crow, 

The  merry  forest  fill  with  joyous 
song." 

Pipit,  n.  another  name  for 
Ground-Lark  (q.v.). 

Pitau,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
Tree-fern.  In  Maori,  the  word 
means — (i)  Soft,  tender,  young 
shoots.  The  verb  pihi  means 
"  begin  to  grow  "  ;  'pi'  means 
"young  of  birds,"  also  "the 
flow  of  the  tide."  (2)  Centre- 
fronds  of  a  fern.  (3)  Name  of  a 
large  fern. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  c.  i.  p.  57  : 

"The  pitau,  or  tree-ferns,  growing 
like  a  palm-tree,  form  a  distinguishing 
ornament  of  the  New  Zealand  forest." 

Pitchi,  n.  name  given  to  a 
wooden  receptacle  hollowed  out 
of  a  solid  block  of  some  tree,  such 
as  the  Batswing  Coral  (Erythrina 
vespertio\  or  Mulga  (Acacia  aneura), 
and  carried  by  native  women  in 
various  parts  of  Australia  for  the 
purpose  of  collecting  food  in,  such 
as  grass  seed  or  bulbs,  and  some- 
times for  carrying  infants.  The 
shape  and  size  varies  much,  and 
the  more  concave  ones  are  used 
for  carrying  water  in.  The  origin 
of  the  word  is  obscure  ;  some 
think  it  aboriginal,  others  think 
it  a  corruption  of  the  English 
word  pitcher. 


PIT] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


357 


1896.  E.  C.  Stirling,  '  Home  Expedition 
in  Central  Australia,'  Anthropology,  pt. 
iv.  p.  99  : 

"  I  do  not  know  the  origin  of  the 
name  '  Pitchi,'  which  is  in  general  use 
by  the  whites  of  the  parts  traversed  by 
the  expedition,  for  the  wooden  vessels 
used  for  carrrying  food  and  water  and, 
occasionally,  infants." 

Pitta,  n.     The  name  is  Telugu 
for  the  Indian  Ant-thrush  ;  a  few 
species  are  confined  to  Australia ; 
they  are — 
Blue-breasted  Pitta— 

Pitta  macklotii,  Mull,  and  Schleg. 
Noisy  P. — 

P.  strepitans,  Temm. 
Rainbow  P. — 

P.  iris,  Gould. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,'  vol. 
iv.  pi.  I: 

"Pitta  strepitans,  Temm.,  Noisy 
Pitta.  There  are  also  Rainbow  Pitta, 
Pitta  iris,  and  Vigor's  Pitta,  P.  Mack- 
lotii. 

1869.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia' 
(Supplement): 

"  Pitta  Macklotii,  Mull,  and  Schleg." 

Pittosporum,  n.  a  genus  of 
plants  so  called  from  the  viscous 
pulp  which  envelops  the  seeds. 
(Grk.  TTtrra,  pitch,  and  cnropos, 
seed.)  There  are  about  fifty 
species,  which  are  found  in  Africa 
and  Asia,  but  chiefly  in  Austral- 
asia. They  are  handsome  ever- 
green shrubs,  and  some  grow  to 
a  great  height ;  the  white  flowers, 
being  very  fragrant,  have  been 
sometimes  likened  to  orange- 
blossoms,  and  the  rich  evergreen 
leaves  obtain  for  some  of  them 
the  name  of  Laurels.  They  are 
widely  cultivated  in  the  suburbs 
of  cities  as  ornamental  hedges. 
See  Mock-Orange,  Hedge-Laurel, 
Native  Laurel,  etc. 

Pituri,  or  Pitchery,  n.  Native 
name  for  Duboisia  hopwoodii,  F. 
v.  M.,  a  shrub  growing  in  the 
sand-hills  of  certain  districts  of 


Queensland,  New  South  Wales, 
and  Central  Australia.  The  leaves 
are  chewed  as  a  narcotic  by  the 
natives  of  many  parts,  and  form 
a  valuable  commodity  of  barter. 
In  some  parts  of  Central  Australia 
the  leaf  is  not  chewed,  but  is  only 
used  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
decoction  which  has  the  power  of 
stupefying  emus,  which  under  its 
influence  are  easily  captured  by 
the  natives.  Other  spellings  are 
Pitchiri,  Pedgery,  and  Bedgery. 
Perhaps  from  betcheri,  another 
form  of  boodjerrie,  good,  express- 
ing the  excellent  qualities  of  the 
plant.  Compare  Budgeri-gar. 

1863.  '  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society 
of  Van  Diemen's  Land,'  April,  p.  I  : 

"'  Pitcherry,' a  narcotic  plant  brought 
by  King,  the  explorer,  from  the  interior 
of  Australia,  where  it  is  used  by  the 
natives  to  produce  intoxication.  .  .  . 
In  appearance  it  resembled  the  stem 
and  leaves  of  a  small  plant  partly 
rubbed  into  a  coarse  powder.  .  .  .  On 
one  occasion  Mr.  King  swallowed  a 
small  pinch  of  the  powder,  and  de- 
scribed its  effects  as  being  almost 
identical  with  those  produced  by  a 
large  quantity  of  spirits." 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey, '  Synopsis  of  Queens- 
land Flora,'  p.  350 : 

"  Pitury  of  the  natives.  The  leaves 
are  used  by  the  natives  of  Central 
Australia  to  poison  emus,  and  is 
chewed  by  the  natives  as  the  white 
man  does  the  tobacco." 

1883.  G.  W.  Rusden,  '  History  of  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  IOI: 

"In  one  part  of  Central  Australia 
the  leaves  and  twigs  of  a  shrub  called 
pidgery  by  the  natives  are  dried  and 
preserved  in  closely  woven  bags.  .  .  . 
A  small  quantity  has  an  exhilarating 
effect,  and  pidgery  was  highly  prized." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz, '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  49: 

"The  leaves  contain  a  stimulant, 
which  possesses  qualities  similar  to 
those  of  tobacco  and  opium,  and  are 
chewed  by  several  tribes  in  the  interior 
of  Australia.  Pituri  is  highly  valued 
as  a  stimulant,  and  is  taken  for  barter 
far  and  wide." 


358 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[PIV-PIW 


1890.  A.  S.  Vogan,  'Black  Police,' 
p.  94: 

"  One  of  the  virtues  that  the  native 
drug  Pitchurie  is  supposed  to  possess 
when  used  by  the  old  men  is  the  open- 
ing up  of  this  past  life,  giving  them 
the  power  and  perquisites  of  seers." 

1893.  Mr.  Purcell,  'Lecture  before 
Geographical  Society,  Sydney,'  Jan. : 

"Mr.  Purcell  had  travelled  over 
nearly  the  whole  of  Queensland,  and 
had  only  seen  the  plant  growing  in  a 
very  limited  area  west  of  the  Mullyan 
River,  138th  meridian  of  east  long., 
and  on  the  ranges  between  the  23rd 
and  24th  parallel  of  south  latitude. 
He  had  often  questioned  the  Darling 
blacks  about  it,  and  they  always  re- 
plied by  pointing  towards  the  north- 
west. The  blacks  never,  if  they  could 
possibly  help  it,  allowed  white  men  to 
see  the  plant.  He  himself  had  not 
been  allowed  to  see  it  until  he  had 
been  initiated  into  some  of  the  peculiar 
rites  of  the  aborigines.  Mr.  Purcell 
showed  what  he  called  the  pitchery 
letter,  which  consisted  of  a  piece  of 
wood  covered  with  cabalistic  marks. 
This  letter  was  given  to  a  pitchery 
ambassador,  and  was  to  signify  that 
he  was  going  to  the  pitchery  country, 
and  must  bring  back  the  amount  of 
pitchery  indicated  on  the  stick.  The 
talisman  was  a  sure  passport,  and 
wherever  he  went  no  man  molested 
the  bearer.  This  pitchery  was  by  no 
means  plentiful.  It  grew  in  small 
clumps  on  the  top  of  sandy  ridges, 
and  would  not  grow  on  the  richer  soil 
beneath.  This  convinced  him  that  it 
never  grew  in  any  other  country  than 
Australia.  The  plant  was  cooked  by 
being  placed  in  an  excavation  in  which 
a  fire  had  been  burning.  It  then 
became  light  and  ready  for  transport. 
As  to  its  use  in  the  form  of  snuff,  it 
was  an  excellent  remedy  for  head- 
aches, and  chewed  it  stopped  all  crav- 
ing for  food.  It  had  been  used  with 
success  in  violent  cases  of  neuralgia, 
and  in  asthma  also  it  had  proved  very 
successful.  With  regard  to  its  sus- 
taining properties,  Mr.  Purcell  men- 
tioned the  case  of  a  blackboy  who 
had  travelled  120  miles  in  two  days, 
with  no  other  sustenance  than  a  chew 
of  pitchery." 


Pivot  City,  The,  a  nickname 
for  Geelong. 

i860.  W.  Kelly,  'Life  in  Victoria,'  vol. 
i.  p.  160  [Footnote]  : 

"  The  Pivot  City  is  a  sobriquet  in- 
vented by  the  citizens  to  symbolize  it 
as  the  point  on  which  the  fortunes  of 
the  colony  would  culminate  and  re- 
volve. They  also  invented  several 
other  original  terms — a  phraseology 
christened  by  the  Melbourne  press  as 
the  Geelongese  dialect." 

Piwakawaka,  n.  Maori  name 
for  the  Pied  Fantail  {Rhipidura 
flabellifera,  Gray). 

1835.  W.  Yate,  'Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  57: 

"  Piwakawaka,  or  tirakaraka.  This 
restless  little  bird  is  continually  on  the 
wing,  or  hopping  from  twig  to  twig." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  'Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  403  : 

"  Piwakawaka,  tirakaraka,  the  fan- 
tailed  fly-catcher,  a  pretty,  restless, 
lively  bird  ;  very  sociable,  and  fond  of 
displaying  its  beautiful  little  fan-tail. 
It  has  a  head  like  the  bullfinch,  with 
one  black-and-white  streak  under  the 
neck  coming  to  a  point  in  the  centre 
of  the  throat.  Wings  very  sharp  and 
pointed.  It  is  very  quick  and  expert 
in  catching  flies,  and  is  a  great  favour- 
ite, as  it  usually  follows  the  steps  of 
man.  It  was  sacred  to  Maui." 

1885.  A.  Reischek,  '  Transactions  of  the 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xviii.  art. 
xviii.  p.  IO2  : 

"  Rhipidura — fantail  (Piwakawaka). 
Every  one  admires  the  two  species  of 
these  fly-catchers,  and  their  graceful 
evolutions  in  catching  their  prey." 

1890.  C.  Colenso,  '  Transactions  of  the 
New  Zealand  Institute  :  Bush  Notes,'  vol. 
xxiii.  art.  Ivii.  p.  482  : 

"  During  this  extended  visit  of  mine 
to  the  woods,  I  have  noticed  the  piwa- 
kawaka,  or  fly-catcher  (Rhipidura  fla- 
bellifera). This  interesting  little  fly- 
catcher, with  its  monotonous  short  cry, 
always  seems  to  prefer  making  the 
acquaintance  of  man  in  the  forest 
solitudes." 

-.1895.  W.    S.    Roberts,  'Southland    in 
1856,'  p.  53 : 

"  The  pied  fantail,  piwakawaka  (Rhi- 
pidura flabellifera)  is  the  best  fly- 


PLA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


359 


catcher  New  Zealand  possesses,  but  it 
will  not  live  in  confinement.  It  is  always 
flitting  about  with  broadly  expanded 
tail  in  pursuit  of  flies.  It  frequently 
enters  a  house  and  soon  clears  a  room 
of  flies,  but  if  shut  in  all  night  it  frets 
itself  to  death  before  morning." 

Plain,  n.  In  Australian  use,  the 
word  not  only  implies  flatness, 
but  treelessness. 

1824.  Edward  Curr,  'Account  of  the 
Colony  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,'  p.  55  : 

"The  district  called  Macquarie 
Plains,  the  greater  part  of  which  rises 
into  hills  of  moderate  height,  with  open 
and  fertile  valleys  interspersed,  while 
the  plains  bear  a  strong  resemblance 
to  what  are  called  sheep  downs  in 
England." 

1848.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Tropical  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  136 : 

"The  country  was  grassy,  and  so 
open  as  almost  to  deserve  the  colonial 
name  of 'plain.'" 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  250 : 

"  Squatters  who  look  after  their  own 
runs  always  live  in  the  bush,  even 
though  their  sheep  are  pastured  on 
plains." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals,' 

P-  73  '• 

"One  day  an  egg  of  a  cassowary 
was  brought  to  me ;  this  bird,  although 
it  is  nearly  akin  to  the  ostrich  and 
emu,  does  not,  like  the  latter,  frequent 
the  open  plains,  but  the  thick  brush- 
wood. The  Australian  cassowary  is 
found  in  Northern  Queensland  from 
Herbert  river  northwards,  in  all  the 
large  vine-scrubs  on  the  banks  of  the 
rivers,  and  on  the  high  mountains  of 
the  coasts." 

Plain  Currant,  n.  a  wild  fruit, 
Grewia  polygama,  Roxb.,  N.O. 
TiliacecE. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  295  : 

"I  found  a  great  quantity  of  ripe 
Grewia  seeds,  and  on  eating  many  of 
them,  it  struck  me  that  their  slightly 
acidulous  taste,  if  imparted  to  water, 
would  make  a  very  good  drink  ;  I 
therefore  .  .  .  boiled  them  for  about 
an  hour  ;  the  beverage  .  .  .  was  the 
best  we  had  tasted  on  our  expedition." 


Plain  Wanderer,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian bird,  Pedionomns  torquatus, 
Gould. 

Plant,  v.  tr.  and  n.  common  in 
Australia  for  to  hide,  and  for  the 
thing  hidden  away.  As  remarked 
in  the  quotations,  the  word  is 
thieves'  English. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  59 : 

"A  number  of  the  slang  phrases 
current  in  St.  Giles's  Greek  bid  fair  to 
become  legitimatized  in  the  dictionary 
of  this  colony  :  plant,  swag,  pulling 
up,  and  other  epithets  of  the  Tom  and 
Jerry  school,  are  established — the  dross 
passing  here  as  genuine,  even  among 
all  ranks." 

1848.  Letter  by  Mrs.  Perry,  given  in 
'  Canon  Goodman's  Church  in  Victoria 
during  the  Episcopate  of  Bishop  Perry,'  p. 
78: 

"...  Shady  Creek,  where  he 
*  planted '  some  tea  and  sugar  for  his 
brother  on  his  return.  Do  you  know 
what  '  planting '  is  ?  It  is  hiding  the 
tea,  or  whatever  it  may  be,  in  the 
hollow  of  a  tree,  or  branch,  or  stone, 
where  no  one  is  likely  to  find  it,  but 
the  one  for  whom  it  is  meant." 

1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes,' 
p.  22  : 

"Some  refreshments  planted  there 
for  us  by  the  Major — for  that  is  the 
colonial  phrase,  borrowed  from  the 
slang  of  London  burglars  and  thieves, 
for  any  article  sent  forward  or  left 
behind  for  consumption  in  spots  only 
indicated  to  those  concerned — after 
the  manner  of  the  caches  of  the  French 
Canadian  trappers  on  the  American 
prairies.  To  'spring3  a  plant  is  to 
discover  and  pillage  it." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  36 : 

"  The  way  he  could  hide,  or,  as  it  is 
called  in  the  bush, 4  plant '  himself,  was 
something  wonderful." 

1889.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iv.  p.  178  : 

"The  gold  had  not  been  handed 
over  to  the  Commissioner  at  all,  but 
was  planted  somewhere  in  the  tent." 

1893.  '  The  Age,'  May  9,  p.  5,  col.  4  : 

"A  panic-smitten  lady  plants   her 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[PLA 


money."  [Title  of  short  article  giving 
an  account  of  an  old  lady  during  the 
bank  panic  concealing  her  money  in 
the  ground  and  being  unable  to  find 
it.] 

Plantain,  Native,  an  Australian 
fodder  plant,  Plantago  varia,  R. 
Br.,  N.O.  Plantaginece. 

Plant-Caterpillar,  n.  name 
given  in  Australasia  to  species  of 
caterpillars  which  are  attacked  by 
spores  of  certain  fungi ;  when 
chrysalating  in  the  earth  the 
fungus  grows  inside  the  body  of 
the  caterpillar,  kills  the  latter, 
and  then  forces  its  way  out  be- 
tween the  head  joints,  and  sends 
an  upgrowth  which  projects 
beyond  the  surface  of  the  ground 
and  gives  rise  to  fresh  spores. 
Many  examples  are  known,  of 
which  the  more  common  are — 
Cordyceps  robertsii,  Hook.,  in  New 
Zealand  ;  Cordyceps  gunnii,  Berk, 
in  Tasmania ;  Cordyceps  taylori, 
Berk,  in  Australia.  See  Aweto. 

1892.  M.  C.  Cooke,  « Vegetable  Wasps 
and  Plant  Worms,'  p.  139  : 

"The  New  Zealanders' name  for  this 
plant-caterpillar  is  'Hotete,'  'Aweto,' 
*  Weri,'  and  '  Anuhe.'  .  .  The  interior 
of  the  insect  becomes  completely  filled 
by  the  innerplant,orthallus  (mycelium) : 
after  which  the  growing  head  of  the 
outer  plant  or  fungus,  passing  to  a 
state  of  maturity,  usually  forces  its 
way  out  through  the  tissue  of  the  joint 
between  the  head  and  the  first  segment 
of  the  thorax  ...  it  is  stated  that  this 
caterpillar  settles  head  upward  to 
undergo  its  change,  when  the  vegetable 
developes  itself." 

Planter,  n.  a  cattle -thief,  so 
called  from  hiding  the  stolen 
cattle. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xxv.  p.  352  : 

"  What's  a  little  money  ...  if  your 
children  grow  up  duffers  [sc.  cattle- 
duffers,  q.v.]  and  planters  ?  " 

Platycercus,  n.  scientific  name 
of  a  genus  of  Parrakeets,  repre- 


sented by  many  species.  The 
word  is  from  the  shape  of  the 
tail.  (Grk.  TrXarv?,  broad,  and  /c€p/<os, 
tail.)  The  genus  is  distributed 
from  the  Malay  Archipelago  to 
the  Islands  of  the  Pacific.  The 
name  was  first  given  by  Vigors 
and  Horsfield  in  1825. 

See  Parrakeet  and  Rosella. 

Platypus,  n.  a  remarkable  Mono- 
treme  (q.v.),  in  shape  like  a  Mole, 
with  a  bill  like  a  Duck.  Hence  its 
other  names  of  Duck-bill  or  Duck- 
Mole.  It  has  received  various 
names — Platypus  anatinus,  Duck- 
billed Platypus,  Ornithorhynchus, 
Ornithorhynchus  paradoxus.  Para- 
doxus,  Water-mole,  etc.  (Grk. 
TrXorvs  =  broad,  7rovs  =  foot,  opviOos 
=  of  a  bird,  pvyx05  =  beak  or  bill.) 
The  name  Platypus  is  now  the 
name  by  which  it  is  always  popu- 
larly known  in  Australia,  but  see 
quotation  from  Lydekker  below 
(1894).  From  the  British  Museum 
Catalogue  of  Marsupials  and 
Monotremes  (1888),  it  will  be 
found  that  the  name  Platypus^ 
given  by  Shaw  in  1799,  had  been 
preoccupied  as  applied  to  a  beetle 
by  Herbst  in  1793.  It  was  there- 
fore replaced,  in  scientific  nomen- 
clature, by  the  name  Ornitho- 
rhynchus,  by  Blumenbach  in  1800. 
In  view  of  the  various  names, 
vernacular  and  scientific,  under 
which  it  is  mentioned  by  dif- 
ferent writers,  all  quotations 
referring  to  it  are  placed  under 
this  word,  Platypus.  The  habits 
and  description  of  the  animal 
appear  in  those  quotations.  From 
1882  to  1891  the  Platypus  figured 
on  five  of  the  postage  stamps  of 
Tasmania. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New- 
South  Wales,'  c.  xi.  p.  425  : 

"This  animal,  which  has  obtained 
the  name  of  Ornithorhynchus  para- 
doxus,  is  still  very  little  known." 


PLA] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


1802.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii. 
p.  335  : 

[List  of  Engravings.]  "  Ornitho- 
rhynchusparadoxus.  [At  p.  63]  :  Orni- 
thorhynchus  (an  amphibious  animal  of 
the  mole  kind)." 

1809.  G.  Shaw,  'Zoological  Lecturer,' 
vol.  i.  p.  78  : 

"  This  genus,  which  at  present  con- 
sists but  of  a  single  species  and  its 
supposed  varieties,  is  distinguished  by 
the  title  of  Platypus  or  Ornitho- 
rhynchus.  .  .  Its  English  generic  name 
of  duckbill  is  that  by  which  it  is  com- 
monly known." 

1815.  '  History  of  New  South  Wales' 
(1818),  p.  447  : 

"In  the  reaches  or  pools  of  the 
Campbell  River,  the  very  curious 
animal  called  the  paradox,  or  water- 
mole,  is  seen  in  great  numbers." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  325  : 

"  I  cannot  omit  to  mention  likewise 
the  OrnithorynchiiS)  that  remarkable 
animal  which  forms  a  link  between  the 
bird  and  beast,  having  a  bill  like  a 
duck  and  paws  webbed  similar  to  that 
bird,  but  legs  and  body  like  those  of  a 
quadruped,  covered  with  thick  coarse 
hair,  with  a  broad  tail  to  steer  by." 

1836.  C.  Darwin,  '  Naturalist's  Voyage,'- 
c.  xix.  p.  321  : 

"  Had  the  good  fortune  to  see  sever- 
al of  the  Ornithorhynchus  paradoxus. 
.  .  .  Certainly  it  is  a  most  extra- 
ordinary animal  ;  a  stuffed  specimen 
does  not  at  all  give  a  good  idea  of  the 
appearance  of  the  head  and  beak 
when  fresh,  the  latter  becoming  hard 
and  contracted." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
p.  131  : 

"The  specimen  which  has  excited 
the  greatest  astonishment  is  the  Orni- 
thorynchus  paradoxus^  which,  fitted  by 
a  series  of  contrivances  to  live  equally 
well  in  both  elements,  unites  in  itself 
the  habits  and  appearance  of  a  bird,  a 
quadruped,  and  a  reptile." 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip 
in  1849,'  p.  42  : 

"  Platypus,  water-mole  or  duckbill." 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  96 : 

"  The  Ornithorhynchtis  is  known  to 


the  colonists  by  the  name  of  the  water- 
mole,  from  some  resemblance  which  it 
is  supposed  to  bear  to  the  common 
European  mole  (Talpa  Europcea, 
Linn.). 

i860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  95  : 

"When  first  a  preserved  skin  was 
sent  to  England,  it  excited  great  dis- 
trust, being  considered  a  fraud  upon 
the  naturalist.  .  .  It  was  first  described 
and  figured  by  Shaw  in  the  year  1799, 
in  the  '  Naturalist's  Miscellany,'  vol.  x., 
by  the  name  of  Platyptis  anatinus,  or 
Duck-billed  Platypus,  and  it  was 
noticed  in  Collins's '  New  South  Wales,' 
2nd  ed.  [should  be  vol.  ii.  not  2nd 
ed.],  4to.  p.  62,  1802,  where  it  is 
named  Ornithorhynctis  paradoxus^ 
Blum.  .  .  There  is  a  rude  figure  given 
of  this  animal  in  Collins's  work." 

1884.  Marcus  Clarke,  '  Memorial  Vol- 
ume,' p.  177  : 

"  The  Platypus  Club  is  in  Camomile 
Street,  and  the  Platypi  are  very  haughty 
persons." 

1890.  '  Victorian  Statutes — the  Game- 
Act  '  (Third  Schedule) : 

[Close  Season.]  "Platypus.  The 
whole  year." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals,3 
p.  30: 

"In  the  Dee  river  ...  I  observed 
several  times  the  remarkable  platypus 
(Ornithorhynchus anatinus)  swimming 
rapidly  about  after  the  small  water- 
insects  and  vegetable  particles  which 
constitute  its  food.  It  shows  only  a 
part  of  its  back  above  water,  and  is 
so  quick  in  its  movements  that  it  fre- 
quently dives  under  water  before  the 
shot  can  reach  it." 

1891.  '  Guide    to    Zoological    Gardens, 
Melbourne' : 

"  In  the  next  division  the  platypus 
and  its  burrows  are  shown.  These 
curious  oviparous  animals  commence 
their  long  burrows  under  water,  and 
work  upwards  into  dry  ground.  The 
nest  is  constructed  in  a  little  chamber 
made  of  dry  leaves  and  grass,  and  is 
very  warm  and  comfortable  ;  there  is 
a  second  entrance  on  dry  ground. 
The  young  are  found  in  the  months  of 
September  and  October,  but  occasion- 
ally either  a  little  earlier  or  later; 
generally  two  or  three  at  a  time/'' 


362 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[PLO-PLU 


1892.  A.  Sutherland,  '  Elementary  Geo- 
graphy of  British  Colonies,'  p.  273  : 

"The  platypus  is  covered  with  fur 
like  an  otter,  and  has  four  webbed  feet, 
like  those  of  a  duck,  and  a  black  duck- 
like  bill.  It  makes  a  burrow  in  a  river 
bank,  but  with  an  opening  below  the 
level  of  the  water.  It  swims  and  dives 
in  quiet  shady  river-bends,  and  dis- 
appears on  hearing  the  least  noise." 

1894.  R.  Lydekker,  '  Marsupialia,'  p. 
233: 

"The  duck-bill  was  originally  de- 
scribed under  the  name  of  Platypus 
anatinus,  which  was  Anglicised  into 
duck-billed  platypus,  but  since  the 
generic  name  [Platypus]  had  been 
previously  employed  for  another  group 
of  animals,  it  had,  by  the  rules  of 
.zoological  nomenclature,  to  give  place 
to  the  later  Ornithorhynchus^  although 
Shaw's  specific  name  of  anatina  still 
holds  good.  On  these  grounds  it  is 
likewise  preferable  to  discard  the 
Anglicised  term  Duck-billed  Platypus 
in  favour  of  the  simpler  Duck-bill  or 
Duck-Mole." 

[Mr.  Lydekker  is  a  scientific 
Englishman,  who  has  not  lived  in 
Australia,  and  although  the  names 
of  Duck-bill  and  Duck-mole  are 
perhaps  preferable  for  more  exact 
scientific  use,  yet  by  long  usage 
the  name  Platypus  has  become  the 
ordinary  vernacular  name,  and  is 
the  one  by  which  the  animal  will 
always  be  known  in  Australian 
popular  language.] 

Plover,  n.  The  bird  called  the 
Plover  exists  all  over  the  world. 
The  species  present  in  Australia 
are — 

Black-breasted  Plover — 

Sarciophorus  pectoralis,  Cuv. 
Golden  P.— 

Charadrius  fulvus,  Gmel. 
Grey  P.— 

C.  helveticus,  Linn. 
Long-billed  Stone  P.— 

Esacus  magnirostris,  Geoff. 
Masked  P.— 

Lobivanellus  personatus,  Gould. 


Spur-winged  P. — 

Lobivanellus  lobatus,  Lath. 
Stone  P.— 

(Edicnemus  grallarius,  Lath. 

And  in  New  Zealand — Red- 
breasted  Plover,  Charadrius  ob- 
scurus,  Gmel.  (Maori  name,  Tutu- 
turiwhata] ;  Crook-billed,  Ana- 
rhynchus  frontalis,  Quoy  and 
Gaim.  The  authorities  vary  in 
the  vernacular  names  and  in  the 
scientific  classification.  See  also 
Sand-Plover  and  Wry-billed-Plover. 

Plum,  n.  sometimes  called  Acacia 
Plum,  a  timber  tree,  Eucryphia 
moorei,  F.  v.  M.,  N. O.  Saxifrages  ; 
called  also  Acacia  and  "  White 
Sally." 

Plum,  Black,  n.  the  fruit  of  the 
tree  Cargillia  aus  traits,  R.  Br., 
N.O.  Ebenacece. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  14  : 

"  The  fruits  are  of  the  size  of  a  large 
plum  and  of  a  dark  purple  colour. 
They  are  eaten  by  the  aboriginals." 

Plum,  Burdekin,  or  Sweet 
Plum,  n.  a  timber  tree,  Spondias 
pleiogyna,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Anacar- 
diacece.  Wood  like  American 
walnut. 

Plum,  Grey,  n.  ( i )  A  timber-tree. 
One  of  the  names  for  Cargillia 
pentamera,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Ebenacece. 
Wood  used  for  tool-handles.  (2) 
Provincial  name  for  the  Caper- 
Tree  (q.v.). 

Plum,  Native,  or  Wild  Plum,  n. 
another  name  for  the  Brush-Apple. 
See  Apple.  The  Native  Plum, 
peculiar  to  Tasmania,  and  called 
also  Port-Arthur  Plum,  is  Cenar- 
rhenes  nitida,  Lab.,  N.O.  Proteacecz. 

Plum,  Queensland,  n.  i.q.  Sweet 
Plum  (q.v.  infra). 

Plum,  Sour,  n.  another  name 
for  Emu- Apple  (q.v.). 

Plum,  Sweet,   n.  a  wild  fruit, 


PLU-POH] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


363 


Owenia   venosa,    F.    v.    M.,    N.  O. 
Meliacecz. 

1889.  J.    H.    Maiden,    'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  49  : 

"Queensland  Plum,  Sweet  Plum. 
This  plant  bears  a  fine  juicy  red  fruit 
with  a  large  stone.  ...  It  is  both 
palatable  and  refreshing." 

Plum,  White,  n.  local  name 
for  Acacia  (q.v.). 

Plum,  Wild,  n.  i.q.  Native  Plum 
(q.v.). 

Plum-tree,  n.  the  tree,  Buchan- 
ania  mangotdes,  F.  v.  M.,  N.Q. 

Anacardiacecz. 

Podargus,  n.  scientific  name  of 
a  genus  of  Australian  birds,  called 
the  Frogsmouth  (q.v.)  and  Mopoke. 
From  Grk.  TroSapyos,  swift  or  white- 
footed.  (Hector's  horse  in  the 

*  Iliad '    was    named    Podargus. — 

*  II.'  viii.  185.) 

1890.  '  Victorian  Statutes — Game  Act ' 
(Third  Schedule) : 

[Close  Season.]  "  Podargus  or  Mo- 
pokes,  the  whole  year." 

Poddly,  n.  a  New  Zealand  and 
Australian  fish,  Sebastes  percoides, 
Richards. ;  called  in  Victoria  Red- 
Gurnet  Perch.  The  name  is  applied 
in  England  to  a  different  fish. 

1872.  Hutton  and  Hector,  'Fishes  of 
New  Zealand,'  p.  108  : 

"  The  pohuia-karou  is  the  proper 
sea-perch  of  these  waters,  that  name 
having  been  applied  by  mistake  to  a 
small  wrasse,  which  is  generally  called 
the  spotty  or  poddly." 

Poddy,  n.  a  Victorian  name  for 
the  Sand-Mullet.  See  Mullet. 

Poe,  n.  same  as  Tui  (q.v.)  and 
Parson-bird  (q.v.).  The  name, 
which  was  not  the  Maori  name, 
did  not  endure. 

1777.  Cook's  '  Voyage  towards  the  South 
Pole  and  round  the  World '  [2nd  Voyage], 
vol.  i.  pp.  97,  98  : 

"Amongst  the  small  birds  I  must 
not  omit  to  particularise  the  wattle- 
bird,  poy-bird.  .  .  .  The  poy-bird  is 


less  than  the  wattle-bird  ;  the  feathers 
of  a  fine  mazarine  blue,  except  those  of 
its  neck,  which  are  of  a  most  beautiful 
silver-grey.  .  .  .  Under  its  throat  hang 
two  little  tufts  of  curled  snow-white 
feathers,  called  its  poles,  which  being 
the  Otaheitean  word  for  ear-rings 
occasioned  our  giving  that  name  to 
the  bird,  which  is  not  more  remark- 
able for  the  beauty  of  its  plumage  than 
for  the  sweetness  of  its  note."  [In  the 
illustration  given  it  is  spelt  poe-bird, 
and  in  the  list  of  plates  it  is  spelt  poii\ 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  in  : 

"This  bird  they  called  the  Wattle- 
bird,  and  also  the  Poy-bird,  from  its 
having  little  tufts  of  curled  hair  under 
its  throat,  which  they  called  poies, 
from  the  Otaheitan  word  for  ear-rings. 
The  sweetness  of  this  bird's  note  they 
described  as  extraordinary,  and  that 
its  flesh  was  delicious,  but  that  it  was  a 
shame  to  kill  it." 

Pohutukawa,  n.  Maori  name 
for  a  magnificent  New  Zealand 
tree,  Metrosideros  tomentosa^  A. 
Cunn.,  N.O.  Myrtacece^  called 
Christmas-tree  and  Fire-tree  by 
the  settlers.  There  is  a  Maori 
verb,  pohutu,  to  splash.  Kawa 
(n.)  is  a  sprig  of  any  kind  used  in 
religious  ceremonies ;  the  name 
would  thus  mean  Splashed  sprig. 
The  wood  of  the  tree  is  very 
durable,  and  a  concoction  of  the 
inner  bark  is  useful  in  dysentery. 

1835.  W.  Yate,  '  Some  Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  46 : 

"  Pohutukawa  (Callistemon  ellipti- 
cus).  This  is  a  tree  of  remarkably 
robust  habits  and  diffuse  irregular 
growth." 

1855.  G.  Grey,  « Polynesian  Mythology,' 
p.  142  : 

"  On  arrival  of  Arawa  canoe,  the  red 
flowers  of  the  pohutakawa  were  sub- 
stituted for  the  red  ornaments  in  the 
hair." 

1862.  'All  the  Year  Round,'  'From 
the  Black  Rocks  on  Friday,'  May  17, 
1862,  No.  160 : 

"In  the  clefts  of  the  rocks  were 
growing  shrubs,  with  here  and  there 
the  larger  growth  of  a  pohutukawa,  a 


364 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[POP 


large  crooked-limbed  evergreen  tree 
found  in  New  Zealand,  and  bearing, 
about  Christmas,  a  most  beautiful 
crimson  bloom.  The  boat-builders  in 
New  Zealand  use  the  crooked  limbs  of 
this  tree  for  the  knees  and  elbows  of 
their  boats." 

1873.  'Catalogue  of  Vienna  Exhibition' : 

"Pohutukawa  for  knees,  ribs,   and 

bent-pieces,  invaluable  to  ship-builder. 

It  surpasses  English  oak.    Confined  to 

Province  of  Auckland." 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  'Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  310: 

"  The  pohutukawa-tree(^/£/rayzV/<?rar 
tomentosa}  requires  an  exposed  situa- 
tion ...  is  crooked,  misshapen.  .  .  . 
The  natives  speak  of  it  (the  timber)  as 
very  durable." 

1886.  J.  A.  Froude,  '  Oceana,'  p.  308  : 

"  Low  down  on  the  shore  the  graceful 
native  Pokutukawa  [sic]  was  left  un- 
disturbed, the  finest  of  the  Rata  tribe — 
at  a  distance  like  an  ilex,  only  larger 
than  any  ilex  I  ever  saw,  the  branches 
twisted  into  the  most  fantastic  shapes, 
stretching  out  till  their  weight  bears 
them  to  the  ground  or  to  the  water. 
Pokutukawa,  in  Maori  language,  means 
'dipped  in  the  sea-spray.'  In  spring 
and  summer  it  bears  a  brilliant  crimson 
flower." 

Pointers,  n.  two  of  the  bullocks 
in  a  team.  See  quotation. 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  36 : 

"  Twelve  bullocks  is  the  usual  num- 
ber in  a  team,  the  two  polers  and  the 
leaders  being  steady  old  stagers  ;  the 
pair  next  to  the  pole  are  called  the 
'  pointers,'  and  are  also  required  to  be 
pretty  steady,  the  remainder  being 
called  the  'body  bullocks,'  and  it  is 
not  necessary  to  be  so  particular  about 
their  being  thoroughly  broken  in." 

Poison-berry  Tree,  n.  Pitto- 
sporum  phillyroides,  De  C.,  *N.O. 
Pittosporea. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  588  : 

"  Butter-Bush  of  Northern  Australia  ; 
Willow-Tree  of  York  Peninsula ;  Native 
Willow,  Poison-berry  Tree  (South  Aus- 
tralia). The  berries  are  not  poisonous 
— only  bitter." 


Poison-Bash,  n.  name  given  to 
a  genus  of  poisonous  Australian 
shrubs,  Gastrolobium  (q.v.). 

Out  of  the  thirty-three  described 
species  of  the  genus  GastroloUum, 
only  one  is  found  out  of  Western 
Australia  ;  G.  grandiflorum,  F.  v. 
M.,  is  the  poison-bush  of  the 
Queensland  interior  and  of  Cen- 
tral Australia.  The  name  is  also 
given  to  Swainsonia  Greyana^ 
Lindl.,  N.  O.  Leguminosce. 

The  Darling -Pea  (q.v.),  or 
Indigo -Plant  (q.v.),  has  similar 
poisonous  effects  to  the  Gastro- 
lobium. These  species  of  Gas- 
trolobium go  under  the  various 
names  of  Desert  Poison-Bush, 
York -Road  Poison -Bush,  Wall- 
flower; and  the  names  of  Ellan- 
gowan  Poison-Bush  (Queensland), 
and  Dogswood  Poison-Bush  (New 
South  Wales),  are  given  to 
Myoporum  deserti,  A.  Cunn.,  N.  O. 
Myoporinecz,  while  another  plant, 
Trema  aspera,  Blume.,  TV]  O.  Ur- 
ticacece,  is  called  Peach-leaved 
Poison-Bush. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  129  : 

"These  plants  are  dangerous  to 
stock,  and  are  hence  called  'Poison- 
Bushes.'  Large  numbers  of  cattle  are 
lost  annually  in  Western  Australia 
through  eating  them.  The  finest  and 
strongest  animals  are  the  first  victims  ; 
a  difficulty  of  breathing  is  perceptible 
for  a  few  minutes,  when  they  stagger, 
drop  down,  and  all  is  over  with  them. 
...  It  appears  to  be  that  the  poison 
enters  the  circulation,  and  altogether 
stops  the  action  of  the  lungs  and 
heart." 

Ibid.  p.  141  : 

"  This  plant  \S.  greyana]  is  reported 
to  cause  madness,  if  not  death  itself, 
to  horses.  The  poison  seems  to  act 
on  the  brain,  for  animals  affected  by 
it  refuse  to  cross  even  a  small  twig 
lying  in  their  path,  probably  imagining 
it  to  be  a  great  log.  Sometimes  the 
poor  creatures  attempt  to  climb  trees, 
or  commit  other  eccentricities." 


POI-POR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


365 


Poison  -  Tree,  or  Poisonous 
Tree,  n.  another  name  for  the 

Milky  Mangrove.  See  Mangrove. 
The  Scrub  Poison-Tree  is  Exsa- 
-caria  dallachyana,  Baill.,  N.  O. 
Euphorbiaceaz. 

Pomegranate,  Native,  n. 
another  name  for  the  Caper-tree 
<q.V.). 

Pomegranate,  Small  Native, 
n.  another  name  for  the  Native 
Orange.  See  Orange. 

Pongo,  n.  aboriginal  name  for 
the  Flying-Squirrel  (q.v.). 

1888.  RolfBoldrewood, '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  149  : 

"Then  an  old  'possum  would  sing 
out,  or  a  black-furred  flying-squirrel — 
pongos,  the  blacks  call  'em — would 
come  sailing  down  from  the  top  of  an 
ironbark  tree,  with  all  his  stern  sails 
spread,  as  the  sailors  say,  and  into  the 
branches  of  another,  looking  as  big  as 
an  eagle-hawk." 

Poor-Soldier,  or  Soldier-Bird 
(q.v.),  n.  another  name  for  the 
Friar-bird  (q.v.),  and  so  named 
from  its  cry. 

Poplar,  n.  In  Queensland,  a 
timber-tree,  Carumbium  populi- 
folium,  Reinw. ,  N.  O.  Euphorbiacece. 
In  Central  Australia,  the  Radish- 
tree  (q.v.). 

Poplar-Box,  n.     See  Box. 

Poplar-leaved  Gum,  n.  See 
Gum. 

Porangi,  adj.  Maori  word  for 
sad,  sorry,  or  sick  ;  cranky. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
"New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  137  : 

"  The  combatants  .  .  .  took  especial 
pains  to  tell  us  that  it  was  no  fault  of 
ours,  but  the  porangi  or  *  foolishness ' 
of  the  Maori." 

Ibid.  vol.  ii.  p.  238  : 

"  Watanui  said  E  Ahu  was  porangi, 
*  a  fool.'" 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  435  : 
"  'Twas  nothing — he  was  not  to  mind 
her — she 


Was     foolish — was    ' porangi"1 — and 

would  be 
Better  directly — and  her  tears  she 

dried." 

1882.  R.  C.  Barstow,  'Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xv.  art.  liii. 
p.  423  : 

"  A  man  who  told  such  marvellous 
stories  that  he  was  deemed  to  be 
porangi  or  insane." 

Porcupine,  Ant-eating,  i.q. 
Echidna  (q.v.). 

Porcupine-Bird,  n.  a  bird  in- 
habiting the  Porcupine-Grass  (q.v.) 
of  Central  Australia  ;  the  Striated 
Grass  Wren,  Amytis  striata,  Gould. 
See  Wren. 

1896.  G.  A.  Keartland,  '  Horne  Ex- 
pedition in  Central  Australia,'  Part  ii. 
Zoology,  Aves,  p.  79  : 

"  Amytis  Striata,  Gould.  Striated 
Wren.  .  .  .  They  are  found  almost 
throughout  Central  Australia  wherever 
the  porcupine  grass  abounds,  so  much 
so,  that  they  are  generally  known  as 
the  '  Porcupine  bird.' " 

Porcupine-Fish,  n.  name  given 
to  several  species  of  the  genus 
Diodon,  family  Gymnodontes,  poi- 
sonous fishes  ;  also  to  Dicotylich- 
thys  punctulatus,  Kaup.,  an  allied 
fish  in  which  the  spines  are  not 
erectile  as  in  Diodon,  but  are  stiff 
and  immovable.  Chilomycterusjacu- 
liferus,  Cuv.,  another  species,  has 
also  stiff  spines,  and  Atopomycterus 
nycthemerus,  Cuv.,  has  erectile 
spines.  See  Toad-fish  and  Globe- 
fish. 

Porcupine-Grass,  n.  the  name 
given  to  certain  species  of  Triodia, 
of  which  the  more  important  are 
T.  mitchelli^v^.,T.pungens,  R.  Br. , 
and  T.  irritans,  R.  Br.  This  grass 
forms  rounded  tussocks,  growing 
especially  on  the  sand-hills  of  the 
desert  parts  of  Australia,  which 
may  reach  the  size  of  nine  or  ten 
feet  in  diameter.  The  leaves 
when  dry  form  stiff,  sharp-pointed 
structures,  which  radiate  in  all 


366 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[FOR 


directions,  like  knitting-needles 
stuck  in  a  huge  pincushion.  In 
the  writings  of  the  early  Aus- 
tralian explorers  it  is  usually,  but 
erroneously,  called  Spinifex  (q.v.). 
The  aborigines  collect  the 
resinous  material  on  the  leaves 
of  T.  pungens,  and  use  it  for 
various  purposes,  such  as  that 
of  attaching  pieces  of  flint  to  the 
ends  of  their  yam-sticks  and  spear- 
throwers. 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  284: 

"It  \Triodid\  grows  in  tufts  like 
large  beehives,  or  piles  of  thrift  grass, 
and  the  leaves  project  out  rigidly  in  all 
directions,  just  like  chevaux-de-frise. 
Merely  brushing  by  will  cause  the 
points  to  strike  into  the  limbs,  and  a 
very  short  walk  in  such  country  soon 
covers  the  legs  with  blood.  .  .  .  Un- 
fortunately two  or  three  species  of  it 
extend  throughout  the  whole  continent, 
and  form  a  part  of  the  descriptions  in 
the  journal  of  every  explorer." 

1880  (before).  P.  J.  Holdsworth, 
*  Station-hunting  on  the  Warrego,'  quoted 
in  '  Australian  Ballads  and  Rhymes '  (ed. 
Sladen),  p.  115  : 

"  Throughout  that  night, 
Cool  dews  came  sallying  on  that  rain- 
starved  land, 
And  drenched  the  thick  rough  tufts  of 

bristly  grass, 
Which,  stemmed  like  quills  (and  thence 

termed  porcupine), 
Thrust  hardily  their  shoots  amid  the 

flints 
And  sharp-edged  stones." 

1889.  E.  Giles,  '  Australia  Twice  Tra- 
versed,' vol.  i.  p.  76  : 

"  No  porcupine,  but  real  green 
grass  made  up  a  really  pretty  picture, 
to  the  explorer  at  least." 

1889.  Cassell's  'Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iv.  p.  148  : 

"  These  were  covered  with  spinifex, 
or  porcupine-grass,  the  leaves  of  which 
are  needle-pointed." 

1896.  R.  Tate,  '  Home  Expedition  in 
Central  Australia,'  Botany,  p.  119  : 

"  In  the  Larapintine  Region  ...  a 
species  of  Triodia  ('porcupine  grass' 


or,  incorrectly,  '  spinifex '  of  explorers 
and  residents)  dominates  sand  ground 
and  the  sterile  slopes  and  tops  of  the 
sandstone  table-lands." 

Porcupine-grass  Ant,  n.  popu- 
lar name  given  to  Hypoclinea  fla- 
vipeS)  Kirby,  an  ant  making  its 
nest  round  the  root  of  the  Por- 
cupine grass  (Triodia  pungens), 
and  often  covering  the  leaves  of 
the  tussock  with  tunnels  of  sand- 
grains  fastened  together  by  re- 
sinous material  derived  from  the 
surface  of  the  leaves. 

1896.  Baldwin  Spencer,  'Home  Ex- 
pedition in  Central  Australia.' 

"  Watching  the  Porcupine-grass 
ants,  which  are  very  small  and  black 
bodies  with  yellowish  feet,  I  saw  them 
constantly  running  in  and  out  of 
these  chambers,  and  on  opening  the 
latter  found  that  they  were  always 
built  over  two  or  more  Coccidae 
attached  to  the  leaf  of  the  grass." 

Porcupine  -  Parrot,  n.  See 
quotation. 

1896.  G.  A.  Keartland,  '  Report  of  the 
Home  Expedition  in  Central  Australia,' 
Part  ii.  Zoology,  Aves,  p.  107  : 

"  Geopsittacus  occidentalis.  Western 
Ground  Parrakeet.  ...  As  they  fre- 
quent the  dense  porcupine  grass,  in 
which  they  hide  during  the  day,  a  good 
dog  is  necessary  to  find  them.  They 
are  locally  known  as  the  '  Porcupine 
Parrot.'" 

Poroporo,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
flowering  shrub  Solatium  aviculare, 
Forst.;  called  in  Australia,  Kanga- 
roo Apple.  Corrupted  into  Bully- 
bul  (q.v.). 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  'New  Zealand, 
the  Britain  of  the  South,'  p.  136  : 

"The  poroporo,  the  nicest  or  least 
nasty  of  the  wild  fruits,  is  a  sodden 
strawberry  flavoured  with  apple-peel ; 
but  if  rashly  tasted  an  hour  before  it 
is  ripe,  the  poroporo  is  an  alum  pill 
flavoured  with  strychnine." 

1880.  W.  Colenso,  'Transactions  New 
Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xiii.  art.  i.  p.  32 : 

"  The  large  berry  of  the  poro-poro 
(Solamim  aviculare)  was  also  eaten  ; 


POR-POS] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


367 


it  is  about  the  size  of  a  small  plum,  and 
when  ripe  it  is  not  unpleasant  eating, 
before  it  is  ripe  it  is  very  acrid.  This 
fruit  was  commonly  used  by  the  early 
colonists  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Wel- 
lington in  making  jam." 

Porphyrio,  n.  the  Sultana-bird, 
or  Sultana.  The  bird  exists  else- 
where. In  Australia  it  is  gener- 
ally called  the  Swamp-Hen  (q.v.). 

1875.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  213  : 
"The  crimson-billed  porphyrio,   that 

jerking  struts 
Among  the  cool  thick  rushes." 

1890.  'Victorian  Statutes — the  Game 
Act '  (Third  Schedule) : 

[Close  Season.]  "...  Land-rail,  all 
other  members  of  the  Rail  family, 
Porphyrio,  Coots,  £c.  From  the  First 
day  of  August  to  the  Twentieth  day  of 
December  following." 

Port- Arthur  Plum.  See  Plum, 

Native. 

Port-Jackson  Fig,  n.  See  Fig. 

Port-Jackson  Shark,  Hetero- 
dontus  phillipii,  Lac£p.,  family  Ces- 
traciontidce ;  called  also  the  Shell- 
grinder. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  10  : 

"The  Cestracion  or  Port  Jackson 
shark  (ffeterodontus)" 

Ibid.  p.  97  : 

"  It  was  supposed  that  Port  Jackson 
alone  had  this  shark  ...  It  has  since 
been  found  in  many  of  the  coast  bays 
of  Australia." 

Port-Jackson  Thrush,  n.  the 
best  known  bird  among  the  Aus- 
tralian Shrike-thrushes  (q.v.),  Collu- 
ricincla  harmonica,  Lath.;  called 
also  the  Austral  Thrush,  and  Har- 
monic Thrush  by  Latham.  It  is 
also  the  C.  cinerea  of  Vigors  and 
Horsfield  and  the  Turdus  harmoni- 
cus  of  Latham,  and  it  has  received 
various  other  scientific  and  ver- 
nacular names ;  Colonel  Legge 
has  now  assigned  to  it  the  name 
of  Grey  Shrike-Thrush.  Gould 


called  it  the  "  Harmonious  Col- 
luricincla." 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  157  : 

"  The  Port-Jackson  thrush,  of  which 
a  plate  is  annexed,  inhabits  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Port  Jackson.  The  top 
of  head  blueish-grey  ;  back  is  a  fine 
chocolate  brown  ;  wings  and  tail  lead- 
colour  ;  under  part  dusky  white.  .  .  . 
The  bill,  dull  yellow  ;  legs  brown." 

1822.  John  Latham,  'General  History 
of  Birds,'  vol.  v.  p.  124  : 

"  Austral  Thrush.  [A  full  description.] 
Inhabits  New  South  Wales." 

[Latham  describes  two  other  birds, 
the  Port  Jackson  Thrush  and  the  Har- 
monic Thrush,  and  he  uses  different 
scientific  names  for  them.  But  Gould, 
regarding  Latham's  specimens  as  all 
of  the  same  species,  takes  all  Latham's 
scientific  and  vernacular  names  as 
synonyms  for  the  same  bird.] 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  pi.  74  : 

"The  Colluricincla harmonica  is  one 
of  the  oldest  known  of  the  Australian 
birds,  having  been  described  in  La- 
tham's '  Index  Ornithologicus,'  figured 
in  White's  'Voyage'  and  included  in 
the  works  of  all  subsequent  writers." 

Port-Macquarie  Pine.  See 
Pine. 

Post  -  and  -  Rail  Tea,  slang 
name  for  strong  bush-tea  :  so 
called  because  large  bits  of  the 
tea,  or  supposed  tea,  float  about 
in  the  billy,  which  are  compared 
by  a  strong  imagination  to  the 
posts  and  rails  of  the  wooden 
fence  so  frequent  in  Australia. 

1851.  '  The  Australasian '  (a  Quarterly), 
p.  298  : 

"  Hyson-skin  and  post-and-rail  tea 
have  been  superseded  by  Mocha, 
claret,  and  cognac.'3 

1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes,' 
p.  163  : 

"  A  hot  beverage  in  a  tin  pot,  which 
richly  deserved  the  colonial  epithet  of 
'post-and-rail'  tea,  for  it  might  well 
have  been  a  decoction  of 'split  stuff,' 
or  'ironbark  shingles,' for  any  resem- 
blance it  bore  to  the  Chinese  plant." 


368 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[POT-POU 


1870.  T.  H.  Braim,  '  New  Homes,'  c.  i. 
p.  28: 

"  The  shepherd's  wife  kindly  gave 
us  the  invariable  mutton-chop  and 
damper  and  some  post-and-rail  tea." 

1883.  Keighley,  '  Who  are  you  ? '  p.  36 : 
*'  Then  took  a  drink  of  tea.  .  .  . 

Such  as  the  swagmen  in  our  goodly 
land 

Have  with  some  humour  named  the 
*  post-and-rail.' " 

Potato-Pern,  n.  a  fern  (Marattia 
fraxinea,  Smith)  with  a  large  part 
edible,  sc.  the  basal  scales  of  the 
frond.  Called  also  the  Horseshoe- 
fern. 

Potato,  Native,  n.  a  sort  of 
Yam,  Gastrodia  sesamoides,  R.  Br., 
N.O.  Orchidece. 

1834.  Ross,  'Van  Diemen's  Land 
Annual,'  p.  131 : 

"  Produces  bulb-tubers  growing  one 
out  of  another,  of  the  size,  and  nearly 
the  form,  of  kidney  potatoes ;  the  lower- 
most is  attached  by  a  bundle  of  thick 
fleshy  fibres  to  the  root  of  the  tree 
from  which  it  derives  its  nourishment. 
These  roots  are  roasted  and  eaten  by 
the  aborigines  ;  in  taste  they  resemble 
beet-root,  and  are  sometimes  called  in 
the  colony  native  potatoes." 

1857.  F.  R.  Nixon,  'Cruise  of  the 
Beacon,'  p.  27: 

"  And  the  tubers  of  several  plants  of 
.this  tribe  were  largely  consumed  by 
them,  particularly  those  of  Gastrodi 
sessamoides  [sic],  the  native  potato,  so 
called  by  the  colonists,  though  never 
tasted  by  them,  and  having  not  the 
most  remote  relation  to  the  plant  of 
that  name,  except  in  a  little  resem- 
blance of  the  tubers,  in  shape  and 
appearance,  to  the  kidney  potato." 

Potoroo,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  a  Kangaroo-Rat  (q.v.).  See 
also  Potorous  and  Roo. 

1790.  John  White,  '  Journal  of  a  Voyage 
to  New  South  Wales,'  p.  286  : 

"  The  Poto  Roo,  or  Kangaroo  Rat." 
[Figure  and  description.]  "It  is  of  a 
brownish  grey  colour,  something  like 
the  brown  or  grey  rabbit,  with  a  tinge 
of  a  greenish  yellow.  It  has  a  pouch 
<on  the  lower  part  of  its  belly." 


Potorous,  n.  the  scientific  name 
of  the  genus  of  the  Kangaroo-Rats 
(q.v.).  The  aboriginal  name  was 
Potoroo ;  see  Roo.  They  are  also 
called  Rat-Kangaroos. 

Pouched-Lion,  or  Marsupial 
Lion,  n.  a  large  extinct  Phalanger 
(q.v.),  Thylacoleo  carnifex,  Owen. 
The  popular  name  was  given 
under  the  idea,  derived  from  the 
presence  of  an  enormous  cutting- 
tooth,  that  the  animal  was  of 
fierce  carnivorous  habits.  But  it 
is  more  generally  regarded  as 
closely  allied  to  the  phalangers, 
who  are  almost  entirely  vege- 
tarians. 

Pouched-Mouse,  n.  the  ver- 
nacular name  adopted  for  species 
of  the  genera  Phascologale  (q.v.), 
Sminthopsis,  Dasyuroides  and  Ante- 
chinomys.  They  are  often  called 
Kangaroo-mice  (q.v.).  The  species 
are — 

Brush-tailed  Pouched-Mouse — 

Phascologale  penicillata,  Shaw. 
Chestnut-necked  P.-M. — 

P.  thorbeckiana,  Schl. 
Crest-tailed  P.-M. — 

P.  cristicauda,  Krefft. 
Fat-tailed  P.-M.— 

P.  macdonnellensis,  Spencer. 
Freckled  P.-M.— 

P.  apicalis,  Gray. 
Lesser-tailed  P.-M. — 

P.  calura,  Gould. 
Little  P.-M.— 

P.  minima,  Geoff. 
Long-tailed  P.-M.— 

P.  longicaudata,  Schleg. 
Orange-bellied  P.-M.— 

P.  doria,  Thomas. 
Pigmy  P.-M.— 

P.  minutissima,  Gould. 
Red-tailed  P.-M.— 

P.  wallatii,  Grey. 
Swainson's  P.-M. — 

P.  swainsoni,  Water. 


POU-PRl] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


369 


Yellow-footed  Pouched-Mouse — 
Phascologaleflavipes,  Water. 

The  Narrow-footed  Pouched-Mice 
belong  to  the  genus  Sminthopsis, 
and  differ  from  the  Phascologales 
in  being  entirely  terrestrial  in  their 
habits,  whereas  the  latter  are 
usually  arboreal ;  the  species  are — 

Common  Narrow-footed  Pouched- 
Mouse — 

Sminthopsis  murina,  Water. 
Finke  N.-f.  P.-M.— 

S.  larapinta,  Spencer. 
Sandhill  N.-f.  P.-M.— 

S.  psammophilus,  Spencer. 
Stripe-faced  N.-f.  P.-M.— 

S.  Virginia,  De  Tarrag. 
Thick-tailed  N.-f.  P.-M.— 

S.  crassicaudata,  Gould. 
White-footed  N.-f.  P.-M.— 

S.  leucopus,  Grey. 

The  third  genus,  Dasyuroi- 
des,  has  only  one  species — 
Byrne's  Pouched-Mouse,  D. 
byrnei,  Spencer. 

The  fourth  genus,  Antechinomys, 
has  only  one  known  species — the 
Long-legged  Jumping  Pouched-Mousey 
A.  laniger,  Gould. 

Pounamu,  or  Poenamu,  n.  the 
Maori  name  for  Nephrite,  Jade,  or 
Greenstone  (q.v.).  In  the  second 
spelling  the  e  is  hardly  sounded. 

1773-  Hawkesworth,  '  Cook's  Voyages,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  400 : 

"Two  Whennuas  or  islands  [after- 
wards called  New  Zealand]  which 
might  be  circumnavigated  in  a  few 
days,  and  which  he  called  Tovy  Poe- 
nammoo ;  the  literal  translation  of  this 
word  is  '  the  water  of  green  talc,'  and 
probably  if  we  had  understood  him 
better  we  should  have  found  that  Tovy 
Poenammoo  was  the  name  of  some 
particular  place  where  they  got  the 
green  talc  or  stone  of  which  they  make 
their  ornaments  and  tools,  and  not  a 
general  name  for  the  whole  southern 
district." 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  362 : 


"A  magnificent  Mere  punamu,  a 
battle-axe,  fifteen  inches  long,  and  cut 
out  of  the  most  beautiful,  transparent 
nephrite,  an  heirloom  of  his  illustrious 
ancestors,  which  he  kept  as  a  sacred 
relic." 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell  [Title  of  book 
describing  early  days  of  New  Zealand] : 

"  Poenamo." 

Pratincole,  n.  The  bird  called 
a  Pratincole  (inhabitant  of  mea- 
dows: 'Lat.pratuma.n&incola)  exists 
elsewhere,  and  more  often  under 
the  familiar  name  of  Chat.  The 
Australian  species  are — Glareola 
grallaria,  Temm.  ;  Oriental,  G. 
orientalis,  Leach. 

Pre-empt,  n.  a  slang  abbrevia- 
tion for  pre-emptive  right. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xxiv.  p.  322: 

"My  friend  has  the  run  and  the 
stock  and  the  pre-empts  all  in  his  own 
hands." 

Pretty- Faces,  n.  a  fancy  name 
for  a  small  kangaroo.  Not  very 
common. 

1887.  W.  S.  S.  Tyrwhitt,  'The  New 
Chum  in  the  Queensland  Bush,'  p.  145  : 

"  Kangaroos  are  of  several  different 
kinds.  First,  the  large  brown  variety, 
known  as  kangaroo  proper ;  next  the 
smaller  kind,  known  as  pretty  faces 
or  whip  tails,  which  are  rather  smaller 
and  of  a  grey  colour,  with  black  and 
white  on  the  face." 

Prickfoot,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
plant,  Eryngium  vesiculosum,  Lab., 
N.O.  Umbellifera. 

Prickly  Pern,  n.  Alsophila  aus- 
tralis,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Filices. 

1862.  W.  Archer, 'Products  of  Tasmania,' 
p.  41: 

"Prickly  fern-tree  (Alsophila  Aus- 
tralis,  Br.).  This  very  handsome  fern- 
tree  occasionally  attains  a  height  of 
thirty  feet.  It  is  not,  by  any  means, 
so  common  a  fern-tree  as  Dicksonia 
antarctica  (Lab.)." 

Prickly  Mimosa,  n.  See  Mi- 
mosa and  Prickly  Moses,  under 
Moses. 

B    B 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


PRI-PRO] 


1835.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  63  : 

"  Acacia  •verticillata.  Whorl  leaved 
Acacia,  or  Prickly  Mimosa,  so  called 
from  its  sharp  pointed  leaves  standing 
out  in  whorls  round  the  stem  like  the 
spokes  of  a  wheel." 

Prickly  Pine,  n.     See  Pine. 
Prickly  Wattle,  n.    See  Wattle. 

Primage,  n.  The  word  is  of 
old  commercial  use,  for  a  small 
sum  of  money  formerly  paid  to 
the  captain  or  master  of  the  ship, 
as  his  personal  perquisite,  over 
and  above  the  freight  charges 
paid  to  the  owners  or  agents,  by 
persons  sending  goods  in  a  ship. 
It  was  called  by  the  French  pot- 
de-vin  du  maitre^ — a  sort  of  pour- 
boire,  in  fact.  Now-a-days  the 
captain  has  no  concern  with  the 
freight  arrangements,  and  the 
word  in  this  sense  has  dis- 
appeared. It  has  re-appeared  in 
Australia  under  a  new  form.  In 
1893  the  Victorian  Parliament 
imposed  a  duty  of  one  per  cent, 
on  the  Prime^  as  the  Customs 
laws  call  the  first  entry  of  goods. 
This  tax  was  called  Primage^  and 
raised  such  an  outcry  among 
commercial  men  that  in  1895  it 
was  repealed. 

Primrose,  Native,  n.  The  name 
is  given  in  Tasmania  to  Goodenia 
geniculata,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Goodeniacece. 
There  are  many  species  of  Good- 
enia in  Australia,  and  they  contain 
a  tonic  bitter  which  has  not  been 
examined. 

Prion,  n.  a  sea-bird.  See  Dove- 
Petrel.  (Grk.  TrpiW,  a  saw.)  The 
sides  of  its  bill  are  like  the  teeth 
of  a  saw. 

1885.  W.  O.  Legge,  '  Australasian  Asso- 
ciation for  the  Advancement  of  Science' 
(Brisbane),  p.  448  : 

"The  name  Prion,  as  almost  uni- 
versally applied  elsewhere  to  the  Blue 


Petrels,   has  been  kept  [in  Australia] 
as  an  English  name." 

Prop,  v.  of  a  horse  :  to  stop 
suddenly. 

1870.  E.  B.  Kennedy,  « Four  Years  in 
Queensland,'  p.  194  : 

"  Another  man  used  to  teach  his 
horse  (which  was  free  from  vice)  to 
gallop  full  speed  up  to  the  verandah  of 
a  house,  and  when  almost  against  it, 
the  animal  would  stop  in  his  stride  (or 
prop),  when  the  rider  vaulted  lightly 
over  his  head  on  to  the  verandah." 

1880.  W.  Senior,  'Travel  and  Trout,' 
p.  52  : 

"  How  on  a  sudden  emergency  the 
sensible  animal  will  instantaneously 
check  his  impetuosity,  '  prop,'  and 
swing  round  at  a  tangent." 

1884.  Rolf   Boldrewood,     'Melbourne 
Memories/  c.  xxi.  p.  152  : 

"Traveller's  dam  had  an  ineradic- 
able taste  for  propping." 

1885.  H.     Finch-Hatton,     'Advance 
Australia,'  p.  153  : 

"  His  horse  propped  short,  and  sent 
him  flying  over  its  head." 

Prop,  n.  a  sudden  stop. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  xvi.  p.  115  : 

"  The  *  touchy '  mare  gave  so  sudden 
a  *  prop,'  accompanied  by  a  desperate 
plunge,  that  he  was  thrown." 

Prospect,  v.  to  search  for  gold. 
In  the  word,  and  in  all  its  deri- 
vatives, the  accent  is  thrown  back 
on  to  the  first  syllable.  This 
word,  in  such  frequent  use  in 
Australia,  is  generally  supposed 
to  be  of  Australian  origin,  but 
it  is  in  equal  use  in  the  mining 
districts  of  the  United  States  of 
America. 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  '  Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  IO  : 

"The  forest  seemed  alive  with 
scouts  '  prospecting.' " 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  '  New  Rush,'  pt.  i.  p. 
18: 

"  Behold  him,  along  with  his  partner 
set  out, 

To  prospect  the  unexplor'd  ranges 
about." 


PRO-PUN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


37i 


1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  The  Miner's 
Right,'  p.  46  : 

"  A  promising  place  for  prospecting. 
Yet  nowhere  did  I  see  the  shafts  and 
heaps  of  rock  or  gravel  which  tell  in  a 
gold  country  of  the  hasty  search  for 
the  precious  metal." 

1894.  '  The  Argus,'  March  10,  p.  4, 
col.  6  : 

"The  uses  of  the  tin  dish  require 
explanation.  It  is  for  prospecting. 
That  is  to  say,  to  wash  the  soil  in 
which  you  think  there  is  gold." 

Prospect,  n.  the  result  of  the 
first  or  test-dish  full  of  wash-dirt. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  The  Miner's 
Right,'  c.  v.  p.  54  : 

"  The  first  prospect,  the  first  pan  of 
alluvial  gold  drift,  was  sent  up  to  be 
tested." 

1890.   '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  17  : 

"  I  have  obtained  good  dish  pro- 
spects after  crudely  crushing  up  the 
quartz." 

Prospecting,  verbal  n.  and  adj. 
See  Prospect,  v. 

1890.    '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  16  : 

"  Prospecting  in  my  division  is  on 
the  increase." 

Ibid.  p.  13  : 

"  The  Egerton  Company  are  doing 
a  large  amount  of  prospecting  work." 

Prospecting  Claim  =  the  first 
claim  marked  in  a  gold-lead.  See 
Reward  Claim. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  The  Miner's 
Right,'  c.  v.  p.  53  : 

"  This,  however,  would  be  but  half 
the  size  of  the  premier  or  prospecting 
claim." 

Prospector,  n.  one  who 
searches  for  gold  on  a  new  field. 
See  Prospect^  v. 

1890.  '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  19: 

"  The  Government  prospectors  have 
also  been  very  successful." 

1891.  W.  Tilley,   « Wild  West  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  II  : 

"  He  incidentally  mentioned  his  gold 
find  to  another  prospector  .  .  The  last 
went  out  to  the  grounds  and  pro- 
spected, with  the  result  that  he  dis- 
covered the  first  payable  gold  on  the 


West  Coast,  for  which  he  obtained  a 
reward  claim." 

Pseudochirus,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  of  Ring-tailed 
Phalangers.  (See  Opossum^  They 
have  prehensile  tails,  by  which 
they  hold  in  climbing,  as  with 
a  hand.  (Grk.  i/reOSo-,  false,  and 
Xa'p,  hand.) 

Psophodes,  n.  scientific  name 
of  a  genus  of  birds  peculiar  to 
Australia,  and  represented  there 
by  two  species.  See  Coach-whip 
Bird.  The  name  comes  from  the 
bird's  peculiar  note.  (Grk.  j^o^>w8>;s, 
noisy.) 

Ptilonorhynchinae,  n.  pL  scien- 
tific name  assigned  to  the  Aus- 
tralian group  of  birds  called  the 
Bower-birds  (q.v.).  (Grk.  irriXov, 
a  feather,  pvyxos,  a  beak.) 

Pudding-ball,  n.  a  fish  ;  cor- 
ruption of  the  aboriginal  name  of 
it,  puddinba  (q.v.),  by  the  law  of 
Hobson-Jobson. 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  'Cooksland,'  p.   96  : 

"  The  species  of  fish  that  are  com- 
monest in  the  Bay  (Moreton)  are 
mullet,  bream,  puddinba  (a  native  word 
corrupted  by  the  colonists  into  pud- 
ding-ball) .  .  .  The  puddinba  is  like  a 
mullet  in  shape,  but  larger,  and  very 
fat  ;  it  is  esteemed  a  great  delicacy." 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 
407,  col.  4 : 

" '  Pudding-ball '  is  the  name  of  a 
fish.  It  has  nothing  to  do  with  pud- 
ding, nothing  with  any  of  the  various 
meanings  of  ball.  The  fish  is  not 
specially  round.  The  aboriginal  name 
was  'pudden-ba.'  Voild  tout." 

Pukeko,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
bird  Porphyrio  melanonotus,  the 
Swamp- Hen  (q.v.). 

1896.  'Otago  Witness,' June  n,  p.  51  : 

"  "Tvtopukakt  [sic]  flew  across  their 
path." 

Punga,  n.  the  trunk  of  the  tree- 
fern  that  is  known  as  Cyathea 
medullaris,  the  "  black  fern  "  of  the 
settlers.  It  has  an  edible  pith. 


372 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[PUN-PUS 


1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  115  : 

"  Some  of  the  trees  were  so  alarmed 
that  they  held  down  their  heads,  and 
have  never  been  able  to  hold  them  up 
since  ;  amongst  these  were  the  ponga 
(a  fern-tree)  and  the  kareao  (supple- 
jack), whose  tender  shoots  are  always 
bent." 

1888.  J.  White,  'Ancient  History  of 
Maori,'  vol.  iv.  p.  191  : 

"  When  Tara-ao  left  his  pa  and  fled 
from  the  vengeance  of  Karewa,  he  and 
his  people  were  hungry  and  cut  down 
ponga,  and  cooked  and  ate  them." 

1888.  J.  Adams,  '  Transactions  of  New 
Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xxi.  art.  ii.  p.  36: 

"  The  size  and  beauty  of  the  puriri, 
nikau,  and  ponga  (Cyatheamedullaris) 
are  worthy  of  notice." 

1892.  E.  S.   Brookes,    'Frontier  Life,' 

P-  139  : 

"  The  Survey  Department  graded  a 
zigzag  track  up  the  side  to  the  top, 
fixing  in  punga  steps,  so  that  horses 
could  climb  up." 

Punga-punga,  n.  Maori  name 
for  the  pollen  of  the  raupo  (q.v.). 

1880.  W.  Colenso,  *  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xiii.  art.  i. 
p.  28  : 

"Another  curious  article  of  vege- 
table food  was  the  punga-punga,  the 
yellow  pollen  of  the  raupo  flowers.  To 
use  it  as  food  it  is  mixed  with  water 
into  cakes  and  baked.  It  is  sweetish 
and  light,  and  reminds  one  strongly  of 
London  gingerbread." 

Puriri,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
New  Zealand  tree,  Vitex  littoralis, 
A.  Cunn.,  N.O.  Verbenacecz;  called 
also  New  Zealand  Oak,  New  Zea- 
land Teak,  and  Ironwood.  It  is 
very  hard. 

1842.  W.  R.  Wade,  'Journey  in  New 
Zealand '  (Hobart  Town),  p.  200  : 

"  Puriri,  misnamed  Vitex  littoralis^ 
as  it  is  not  found  near  the  sea-coast." 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  '  Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  311  : 

"  The  Puriri  Tree  ( Vitex  littoralis). 
The  stems  .  .  .  vary  from  straight  to 
every  imaginable  form  of  curved 
growth.  .  .  The  fruit,  which  is  like  a 
cherry,  is  a  favourite  food  of  the  wood- 
pigeon." 


1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  86  : 

"A  deep  ravine,  over  which  grey- 
stemmed  puriris  stretched  out  afar  their 
gnarled  trunks,  laden  with  deep  green 
foliage,  speckled  with  the  warm  gleam 
of  ruddy  blossoms." 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell,  '  Poenamo,'  p. 
102  : 

"The  darker,  crimped  and  var- 
nished leaf  of  the  puriri,  with  its  bright 
cherry-like  berry." 

1889.  T-  Kirk,   'Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  209: 

"  The  Puriri  ...  on  account  of  the 
strength  of  its  timber  it  is  sometimes 
termed  by  the  settlers  '  New  Zealand 
Oak,'  but  it  would  be  far  more  correct 
to  name  it  '  New  Zealand  Teak.' " 

Purple  Berry,  n.  Tasmanian 
name  for  Billardiera  longiflora^ 
Lab.,  N.O.  Pittosporea.  See  Pitto- 
sporum . 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  II  [Note]  : 

'•'"Billardiera  longiflora^  the  well- 
known  beautiful  climber,  with  pale 
greenish  bell-flowers  and  purple  fruit." 
[Also  pi.  i.] 

Purple  Broom,  n.  '  See  Broom. 

Purple  Coot,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Swamp-Hen  (q.v.). 

Purple  Pig,  n.  See  under  Fig- 
tree. 

Push,  n.  a  gang.  The  word 
is  of  late  very  common  in  Aus- 
tralia. It  was  once  a  prison 
term.  Barrere  and  Leland  quote 
from  M.  Davitt's  '  Leaves  from 
a  Prison  Diary,'  "the  upper  ten 
push."  In  Thieves'  English  it 
is — (i)  a  crowd;  (2)  an  association 
for  a  particular  robbery.  In 
Australia,  its  use  began  with  the 
larrikins  (q.v.),  and  spread,  until 
now  it  often  means  clique,  set, 
party,  and  even  jocularly  so  far 
as  "the  Government  House  Push." 

1890.  '  The  Argus,'  July  26,  p.  4,  col.  3  : 
'"Doolan's  push'  were  a   party  of 

larrikins   working   ...    in   a    potato 
paddock  near  by." 


PYR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


373 


1892.  A  topical  song  by  E.  J.  Lonnen 
began  : 

"  I've  chucked  up  my  Push  for  my 
Donah." 

1893.  'The  Australasian,'  June  24,  p. 
1165,  col.  4  : 

"  He  [the  young  clergyman]  is 
actually  a  member  of  every  *  push '  in 
his  neighbourhood,  and  the  effect  has 
been  not  to  degrade  the  pastor,  but  to 
sweeten  and  elevate  the  '  push.' " 

1893.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  June 
26,  p.  8,  col.  7  : 

"  For  a  long  time  past  the  '  push '  at 
Miller's  Point,  which  consists  of  young 
fellows  for  the  most  part  under  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  have  been  a  terrible 
source  of  annoyance,  and,  indeed,  of 
actual  danger.  A  few  years  ago  the 
police  by  resolute  dealings  with  the 
larrikin  pest  almost  put  it  down  in  the 
neighbourhood,  the  part  of  it  which 
was  left  being  thoroughly  cowed,  and 
consequently  afraid  to  make  any  dis- 
turbance. Within  the  past  eighteen 
months  or  two  years  the  old  'push' 
has  been  strengthened  by  the  addition 
of  youths  just  entering  on  manhood, 
who,  gradually  increasing  in  numbers, 
have  elbowed  their  predecessors  out 
of  the  field.  Day  by  day  the  new 


'push'  has  become  more  daring. 
From  charring  drunken  men  and  in- 
sulting defenceless  women,  the  com- 
pany has  taken  to  assault,  to  daylight 
robbery." 

1893.  '  The  Argus,' July  i,  p.  10,  col.  7  : 
"  The  Premier,  in  consultation  with 

the  inspector-general  of  the  police, 
has  made  arrangements  to  protect  life 
and  property  against  the  misconduct 
of  the  lawless  larrikin  'pushes'  now 
terrorising  Sydney." 

1894.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald '  (date 
lost)  : 

"The  word  larrikin  is  excellently 
descriptive  of  the  irresponsible,  mis- 
chievous, anti-social  creature  whose 
eccentric  action  is  the  outcome  of  too 
much  mutton.  This  immoral  will-o'- 
the-wisp,  seized  with  a  desire  to  jostle, 
or  thump,  or  smash,  combines  for  the 
occasion  with  others  like  himself,  and 
the  shouldering,  shoving  gang  is  well 
called  a  push." 

Pyrrholsemus,  n.  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  of  the  Austra- 
lian birds  called  the  Red-throats  ; 
from  Grk.  Trvppos,  "  flame- 
coloured,"  "red,"  and  Acu/x,os, 
"throat." 


374 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[QUA 


Q 


Quail,  n.  a  bird  which  exists 
under  some  form  all  over  the 
world.  The  Australian  species 
are — 

Black-breasted  Quail — 

Turnix  melanogaster,  Gould. 
Brown  Q. — 

Synoicus  australis,  Lath.  [Called 

also  Swamp-Quail.] 
Chestnut-backed  Q.— 

Turnix  castanotus,  Gould. 
Chestnut-bellied  Q.— 

Excalfatoria  australis,  Gould. 
Little  Q.— 

Turnix  velox,  Gould. 
Painted  Q. — 

T.   variuS)    Lath.      \Hczmipodius 

melinatus,  Gould.] 
Red-backed  Q.— 

T.  maculosa,  Gould. 
Red-chested  Q.— 

T.  pyrrhothorax,  Gould. 
Stubble  Q.— 

Coturnix  pectoralis,  Gould. 

In  New  Zealand  there  is  a 
single  species,  Coturnix  novfe- 
zelandia,  Quoy  and  Gaim. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes, '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  c.  vii.  p.  259  : 

"It  is  known  to  the  colonists  as  the 
painted  quail ;  and  has  been  called  by 
Mr.  Gould . .  .  Hcemipodiusmelinatus" 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  *  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
p.  298 : 

"  The  painted  quail,  and  the  brush 
quail,  the  largest  of  Australian  game- 
birds,  I  believe,  whirred  away  from 
beneath  their  horses'  feet." 

1862.   H.  C.  Kendall,  <  Poems,'  p.  67  : 

"  The    swamp    fowl    and  timorous 

quail  .  .  . 
Will  start  from  their  nests." 


1889.  Prof.  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  117  : 

"  This  group  also  is  represented  by 
a  single  species,  the  New  Zealand 
quail  (Coturnix'  Novce  -  Zelandice)^ 
belonging  to  a  widely  distributed 
genus.  It  was  formerly  very  abundant 
in  New  Zealand  ;  but  within  the  last 
fifteen  or  twenty  years  has  been  com- 
pletely exterminated,  and  is  now  only 
known  to  exist  on  the  Three  Kings 
Island,  north  of  Cape  Maria  Van 
Diemen." 

Quail-Hawk,  n,  name  given  to 
the  bird  Falco,  or  Harpa  novce- 
zelandice.  See  Hawk. 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 

P-  37: 

"  In  New  Zealand  the  courageous 
family  of  the  Raptores  is  very  feebly 
represented;  the  honourable  post  of 
head  of  the  family  in  all  fairness  must 
be  assigned  to  the  falcon,  which  is 
commonly  known  by  the  name  of  the 
quail-  or  sparrow-hawk,  not  that  it  is 
identical  with,  or  that  it  even  bears 
much  resemblance  to,  the  bold  robber 
of  the  woods  of  Great  Britain — 'the 
hardy  sperhauke  eke  the  quales  foe,' 
as  Chaucer  has  it." 

Quandong,  n.  (various  spell- 
ings) aboriginal  name  for — (i)  a 
tree,  Santalum  acuminatum,  De  C., 
S.  persicarium,  F.  v.  M.,  N.  O. 
Santalacece.  In  the  Southern 
Colonies  it  is  often  called  the 
Southern  Quandong,  and  the  tree 
is  called  the  Native  Peach-Tree 
(q.v.).  The  name  is  given  to 
another  large  scrub-tree,  El&o- 
carpus  grandiS)  F.  v.  M.,  N.O. 
Tiliacea.  The  fruit,  which  is  of 
a  blue  colour  and  is  eaten  by 
children,  is  also  called  the  Native 
Peach. 


QUA] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


375 


1839.  T-  L-  Mitchell,  'Three  Expe- 
ditions,' p.  135  : 

"  In  all  these  scrubs  on  the  Murray 
the  Fusanns  acuminatus  is  common, 
and  produces  the  quandang  nut  (or 
kernel)." 

1857.  W.  liowitt,  '  Tallangetta,'  vol.  i. 
p.  41  : 

"  Abundance  of  fig,  and  medlar  and 
quince  trees,  cherries,  loquots,  quon- 
dongs,  gooseberry,  strawberry,  and 
raspberry  trees." 

1867.  G.  G.  McCrae,  '  Balladeadro,'  p. 
10  : 
"Speed    thee,    Ganook,    with    these 

swift  spears — 

This  firebrand  weeping  fiery  tears  ; 
And   take   this   quandang's  double 

plum, 
'Twill  speak  alliance  tho'  'tis  dumb." 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Longleat  of  Koo- 
ralbyn,'  c.  xx.  p.  199  : 

"  They  came  upon  a  quantong-tree, 
and  pausing  beneath  it,  began  to  pick 
up  the  fallen  fruit.  .  .  .  There  were 
so  many  berries,  each  containing  a 
shapely  nut,  that  Honoria  might  string 
a  dozen  necklaces." 

1890.  Lyth,  'Golden  South,'  c.  ix.  p. 
79: 

"  I  have  forgotten  to  mention  the 
quandong,  a  shrub  bearing  a  fruit  the 
size  and  colour  of  cherries." 

(2)  The  fruit  of  this  tree,  and 
also  its  kernel. 

1885.    J.    Hood,    'Land  of  the  Fern,' 

P-  53  = 

"  She  had  gone  to  string  on  a  neck- 
let of  seeds  from  the  quongdong  tree.' 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Longleat  of  Koo- 
ralbyn,'  c.  xix.  p.  196  : 

"  Miss  Longleat  was  wild  after 
quantongs."  [Footnote]  :  "A  berry 
growing  in  the  scrub,  the  kernels  of 
which  are  strung  into  necklaces." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum   Boughs,' 
p.  9: 

"Another  fruit  of  fraudulent  type 
growing  on  the  plains  is  the  quan- 
dong. Something  in  shape  and  colour 
like  a  small  crab-apple,  it  is  fair 
enough  to  the  eye,  but  in  taste 
thoroughly  insipid." 

Quart-pot,     n.    a    tin     vessel 


originally  imported  as  a  measure, 
and  containing  an  exact  imperial 
quart.  It  had  no  lid,  but  a  side 
handle.  Before  1850  the  word 
Quart-pot,  for  a  kettle,  was  as 
universal  in  the  bush  as  "Billy" 
(q.v.)  is  now.  The  billy,  having 
a  lid  and  a  wire  handle  by  which 
to  suspend  it  over  the  fire, 
superseded  the  quart-pot  about 
1851.  In  addition  to  the  Billy, 
there  is  a  Quart-pot  still  in  use, 
especially  in  South  Australia  and 
the  back-blocks.  It  has  two  side- 
handles  working  in  sockets,  so  as 
to  fold  down  flat  when  travelling. 
The  lid  is  an  inverted  pannikin 
fitted  into  it,  and  is  used  as  a 
drinking-cup. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  43  : 

"  '  Look  out  there  ! '  he  continued  ; 
'quart-pot  corroborree,'  springing  up 
and  removing  with  one  hand  from  the 
fire  one  of  the  quart-pots,  which  was 
boiling  madly." 

Quart-pot  Tea,  n.  Explained 
in  quotations.  Cf.  Billy-tea. 

1878.  Mrs.  H.  Jones,  '  Long  Years  in 
Australia,'  p.  87  : 

"  Ralph,  taking  a  long  draught  of 
the  quart-pot  tea,  pronounced  that 
nothing  was  ever  like  it  made  in  tea- 
pots, and  Ethel  thought  it  excellent, 
excepting  that  the  tea-leaves  were 
troublesome." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  'Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  ill: 

" '  Quart-pot '  tea,  as  tea  made  in  the 
bush  is  always  called,  is  really  the 
proper  way  to  make  it.  ...  The  tea 
is  really  made  with  boiling  water, 
which  brings  out  its  full  flavour,  and 
it  is  drunk  before  it  has  time  to  draw 
too  much." 

Quartz,  n.  a  mineral ;  the  com- 
mon form  of  native  silica.  It  is 
abundantly  diffused  throughout 
the  world,  and  forms  the  common 
sand  of  the  sea-shore.  It  occurs 
as  veins  or  lodes  in  metamorphic 
rocks,  and  it  is  this  form  of  its 


376 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[QUA-QUE 


presence  in  Australia,  associated 
with  gold,  that  has  made  the 
word  of  such  daily  occurrence. 
In  fact,  the  word  Quartz,  in  Aus- 
tralian mining  parlance,  is  usually 
associated  with  the  idea  of  Gold- 
bearing  Stone,  unless  the  contrary 
be  stated.  Although  some  of  the 
following  compound  words  may 
be  used  elsewhere,  they  are  chiefly 
confined  to  Australia. 

1871.  C.  L.  Money,  'Knocking  About  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  21 : 

"  Quartz  is  the  mother  of  gold,  and 
wherever  there  is  an  abundance  of  it, 
gold  may  reasonably  be  expected  to 
exist  somewhere  in  the  neighbour- 
hood." 

1890.  '  The  Argus/  June  16,  p.  6.  col.  I : 

"Two  runaway  apprentices  from  a 
ship  are  said  to  have  first  crushed 
quartz." 

1890.  R.  A.  F.  Murray,  '  Reports  and 
Statistics  of  the  Mining  Department  [of 
Victoria]  for  the  Quarter  ending  3151 
December ' : 

"  The  quartz  here  is  very  white  and 
crystalline,  with  ferruginous,  clayey 
joints,  and — from  a  miner's  point  of 
view — of  most  unpromising  or  *  hungry3 
appearance." 

Quartz-battery,  n.  a  machine 
for  crushing  quartz,  and  so  ex- 
tracting gold. 

1890.  '  The  Argus,'  July  26,  p.  4,  col.  4: 
"There  was   a  row  [noise]  like  a 

quartz-battery." 

Quartz-blade,  n.  blade  of  a 
miner's  knife  used  for  picking 
lumps  of  gold  out  of  the  stone. 

1891.  '  The  Argus,'  Dec.  19,  p.  4,  col.  2 : 
"They  had  slashed  open  his  loins 

with  a  quartz-blade  knife." 

Quartz-crushing,  adj.  See 
Quartz. 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  'Miner's  Right/ 
c.  xxxix.  p.  341 : 

"The  dull  reverberating  clash  of 
the  quartz-crushing  batteries." 

Quartz-field,  n.  a  non-alluvial 
goldfield. 


1890.  '  The  Argus/  June  16,  p.  6,  col.  i  : 
"  Our  principal  quartz-field." 

Quartz-lodes,  and  Quartz- 
mining.  See  Quartz. 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields/  p.  32: 

"  He  chose  the  piece  which  the  New 
North  Clunes  now  occupy  for  quartz- 
mining  ;  but  the  quartz-lodes  were 
very  difficult  to  follow." 

Quartz-reefer,  n.  a  miner  en- 
gaged in  Quartz-reefing,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  one  digging  in 
alluvial.  See  above. 

Quartz-reefing,  n.  (i)  The 
operation  of  mining.  See  Reef, 
verb.  (2)  A  place  where  there  is 
gold  mixed  with  quartz. 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Over  the  Straits/ 
c.  iv.  p.  133: 

"You'd  best  go  to  a  quartz-reefin'. 
I've  been  surfacing  this  good  while  ; 
but  quartz-reefin's  the  payinest  game, 
now." 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  ' Miner's  Right/ 
c.  xxix.  p.  263 : 

"[He]  had  located  himself  in  a 
quartz-reefing  district." 

Queensland,  n.  a  colony  named 
after  the  Queen,  on  the  occasion  of 
its  separation  from  New  South 
Wales,  in  1859.  Dr.  J.  D.  Lang 
wanted  to  call  it  "  Cooksland," 
and  published  a  book  under  that 
title  in  1847.  Before  separation 
it  was  known  as  "the  Moreton 
Bay  District." 

Queensland  Asthma-Herb,  n. 
See  Asthma-Herb. 

Queensland  Bean,  n.  See 
Bean. 

Queensland  Beech,  n.  See 
Beech. 

Queensland  Ebony,  n.  See 
Ebony. 

Queensland  Hemp,  «.  See 
Hemp. 

Queensland  Kauri,  n.  another 


QUE-QUO] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


377 


name   for   Dundathu  Pine.      See 
Kauri  and  Pine. 

Queensland  Nut,  n.  a  wild 
fruit-tree,  Macadamia  ternifolia^ 
F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Proteacea. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  40: 

" '  Queensland  Nut.'  This  tree  bears 
an  edible  nut  of  excellent  flavour, 
relished  both  by  Aborigines  and  Euro- 
peans. As  it  forms  a  nutritious  article 
of  food  to  the  former,  timber-getters 
are  not  permitted  to  fell  the  trees.  It 
is  well  worth  extensive  cultivation,  for 
the  nuts  are  always  eagerly  bought." 

Queensland  Nutmeg,  n.  a 
timber  -  tree,  Myristica  insipida, 
R.  Br.,  N.O.  Myristicea.  Not  so 
strongly  aromatic  as  the  true 
nutmeg. 

Queensland  Plum,  n.  See 
Plum,  Sweet. 

Queensland  Poplar,  n.  See 
under  Poplar. 

Queensland  Sorrel,  n.  a  plant, 
Hibiscus  heterophyllus,  Vent.,  N.O. 
Malvaceae,  chewed  by  the  ab- 
origines, as  boys  chew  English 
Sorrel. 


Queenwood,  n.  a  timber-tree, 
Davidsoniapruriens,  F.  v.  M.,  N.  O. 
LeguminoscE. 

Quince,  Native,  n.  i.q.  Bitter- 
bark,  Emu-Apple,  and  Quinine- 
tree,  all  which  see. 

Quince,  Wild,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Black  Ash-tree.  See  Ash. 

Quinine-Tree,  n.  i.q.  Horse- 
radish Tree  (q.v.),  and  used  also 
for  the  Bitter-bark  or  Emu-Apple 
Tree  (q.v.). 

Quoll,  n.  the  aboriginal  name 
for  the  Native  Cat  (q.v.),  but  not 
now  in  use. 

1770.  J.  Banks,  'Journal,'  Aug.  26 
(edition  Hooker,  1896),  p.  301  : 

"  Another  animal  was  called  by  the 
natives  je-quoll;  it  is  about  the  size  of, 
and  something  like,  a  pole-cat,  of  a 
light  brown,  spotted  with  white  on  the 
back,  and  white  under  the  belly.  .  .  . 
I  took  only  one  individual." 

Ibid.  p.  323  : 

"  They  very  often  use  the  article  ge, 
which  seems  to  answer  to  our  English 
a,  as  ge  gurka — a  rope." 

[In  Glossary] : 

"  Gtirkd—z  rope." 


378 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[RAB-RAI 


R 


Babbiter,  n.  a  man  who  lives 
by  trapping  rabbits,  or  who  is 
employed  to  clear  stations  from 
them. 

1892.  E.  W.  Hornung,  'Under  Two 
Skies,'  p.  1 14  : 

"  He  would  give  him  a  billet.  He 
would  take  him  on  as  a  rabbiter,  and 
rig  him  out  with  a  tent,  camp  fixings, 
traps,  and  perhaps  even  a  dog  or  two." 

Babbit-rat,  n.  name  sometimes 
given  to  a  hapalote  (q.v.),  in  New 
South  Wales. 

Badish-Tree,  n.  an  Australian 
timber-tree,  Codonocarpus  cotini- 
folius,  F.  v.  M.,  N.  O.  Phyto- 
lacece  ;  called  also  Poplar  in 
Central  Australia. 

1894.  '  Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue — 
Economic  Woods,'  No.  61  : 

"  Raddish-Tree :  occurs  in  the 
Mallee-scrub  very  sparingly ;  attain- 
ing a  height  of  thirty  feet.  The 
poplar  of  the  Central  Australian  ex- 
plorers. Whole  tree  strong-scented." 

Bager,  n.  an  old  and  fierce 
bullock  or  cow,  that  always  be- 
gins to  rage  in  the  stock-yard. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  xiv.  p.  105  : 

"Amongst  them  was  a  large  pro- 
portion of  bullocks,  which  declined 
with  fiendish  obstinacy  to  fatten.  They 
were  what  are  known  by  the  stock- 
riders as  'ragers,3  or  '  pig-meaters 3 " 

[q-v.J 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  <  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xvi.  p.  196  : 

"Well,  say  a  hundred  off  for 
'ragers.'" 

Bail,  n.  common  English  bird- 
name.  There  are  many  varieties 
in  New  Zealand  and  Australia, 
especially  in  the  former  colony, 


and  the  authorities  differ  as  to 
whether  some  should  be  classed 
as  distinct  species.  Some  are 
common  to  Australasia,  others 
endemic  in  New  Zealand  or  Aus- 
tralia ;  their  distribution  in  this 
respect  is  marked  below  in  paren- 
theses. Several  species  receive 
more  than  one  vernacular  name, 
as  the  following  list  shows — 

Banded  Rail  (N.Z.  and  A.)— 

Rallus  philippensis ,  Linn. 
Chestnut-bellied  R.  (A.)— 

Eulabeornis  castaneiventris,  Gould. 
Dieffenbach's    R.    (see    quotation 
below) — 

Rallus  dieffenbachii,  Gray. 
Hutton's  R.  (N.Z.)— 

Cabalus  modes  tus,  Hutton. 
Land  R.  (N.Z.  and  A.)— 

Rallus  philippensis,  Linn. 
Marsh  R.  (Australasia)— 

Ortygometra    tabuensis,    Finsch. 

and  Hartl. 
Pectoral  R.  (N.Z.  and  A.)— 

Rallus  philippensis ,  Linn. 
Red-necked  R.  (A.)— 

Rallina  tricolor,  Gray. 
Slate-breasted  R.  (A.)— 

Hypotcenidia  brachipus,  Swains. 
Swainson's  R.  (N.Z.  and  A.)— 

Rallina  brachipus,  Swains. 
Swamp  R.  (Australasia) — 

Ortygometra    tabuensis,     Finsch. 

and  Hartl. 
Tabuan  R.  (Australasia) — 

O.  tabuensis,  Finsch.  and  Hartl. 
Weka  R.  (N.Z.     See  Weka.)— 

See  also  Takahe  and  Notornis. 

1888.  W.    L.    Buller,    'Birds    of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  121  : 

"Dieffenbach's     Rail.    .    .    .    This 


RAI-RAS] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


379 


beautiful  Rail  was  brought  from  the 
Chatham  Islands  by  Dr.  Dieffenbach 
in  1842,  and  named  by  Mr.  Gray  in 
compliment  to  this  enterprising  natur- 
alist. The  adult  specimen  in  the 
British  Museum,  from  which  my  de- 
scription was  taken,  is  unique,  and 
seems  likely  to  remain  so." 

1893.  Prof.  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  116  : 

"  Hutton's  rail,  the  third  of  the  en- 
demic rails  ...  is  confined  to  the 
Chatham  Islands." 

Rain-bird,  n.  The  name  is 
popularly  given  in  many  parts  of 
the  world  to  various  birds.  The 
Rain-bird  of  Queensland  and  the 
interior  is  the  Great  Cuckoo  or 
Channel-bill  (Scythrops  nov<z-hol- 
landiai)  Lath.,  q.v.). 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  283  : 

"  We  discovered  a  nest  of  full-fledged 
birds  of  the  Australian  Shrike  or  But- 
cher-bird, also  called  Rain-bird  by  the 
colonists  ( Vanga  destructor}.  They 
were  regarded  by  our  companions  as 
a  prize,  and  were  taken  accordingly  to 
be  caged,  and  instructed  in  the  art  of 
whistling  tunes,  in  which  they  are  great 
adepts." 

Rainbow-fish,  n.  a  New  Zea- 
land fish,  Heteroscharus  castelnaui, 
Macl. 

Rama-rama,  n.  Maori  name  for 
a  New  Zealand  shrub,  Myrtus  bull- 
ata.  Banks  and  Sol.  The  name 
is  used  in  the  North  Island.  It 
is  often  corrupted  into  Grama. 

Rangatira,  n.  Maori  word  for  a 
chief,  male  or  female  ;  a  master 
or  mistress  (Williams) ;  therefore 
an  aristocrat,  a  person  of  the 
gentle  class,  distinguished  from  a 
tau-rikarika,  a  nobody,  a  slave. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of  Lan- 
guage of  New  Zealand '  (Church  Mission- 
ary Society),  p.  200 : 

"  Ranga  tira,  a  gentleman  or  lady." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  c.  i.  p.  173  : 

"  I  took  care  to  tell  them  that  the 


rangatira,  or  'chief  missionaries,  would 
come  out  with  the  settlers." 

Ibid.  c.  ii.  p.  461  : 

"  Rangatira  is  Maori  for  ( chief,'  and 
Rangatira-tanga  is  therefore  truly  ren- 
dered '  chieftainship.' " 

1893.   'Otago  Witness,'  Dec.  21,  p.  n  : 

"  Te  Kooti  is  at  Puketapu  with  many 
Rangatiras  ;  he  is  a  great  warrior, — a 
fighting  chief.  They  say  he  has  beaten 
the  pakehas  "  (q.v.). 

Ranges,  n.  the  usual  word  in 
Australia  for  "mountains."  Com- 
pare the  use  of  "  tiers "  in  Tas- 
mania. 

Rangy,  adj.  mountainous. 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  89  : 

"  He  tramps  over  the  most  rangy  and 
inaccessible  regions  of  the  colonies." 

1883.  E.  M.  Curr,  'Recollections  of 
Squatting  in  Victoria'  (1841 — 1851),  p. 
46: 

"The  country  being  rangy,  some- 
what scrubby,  and  destitute  of  promi- 
nent features." 

Raspberry,  Wild,  or  Native,  n. 
Rubus  gunnianus.  Hook.,  N.O. 
Rosacecc  ;  peculiar  to  Tasmania, 
and  so  called  there.  In  Aus- 
tralia, the  species  is  Rubus  rosce- 
folius,  Smith.  See  also  Lawyer 
and  Blackberry. 

Raspberry-jam  Tree,  n.  name 
given  to  Acacia  acuminata,  Benth., 
especially  of  Western  Australia. 
Though  Maiden  does  not  give 
the  name,  he  says  ('  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  349),  "the  scent  of 
the  wood  is  comparable  to  that  of 
raspberries." 

1846.  L.  Leichhardt,  quoted  by  J.  D. 
Lang,  '  Cooksland,'  p.  328  : 

"Plains  with  groves  or  thickets  of 
the  raspberry-jam-tree." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  c.  iv.  p.  132  : 

"Raspberry-jam  .  .  .  acacia  .  .  . 
sweet-scented,  grown  on  good  ground." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  'His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  ii.  p.  68  : 

"  The  other  trees  besides  the  palm 


38° 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[RAS-RAT 


were  known  to  the  men  by  colonial 
appellations,  such  as  the  bloodwood 
and  the  raspberry-jam.  The  origin 
of  the  latter  name,  let  me  inform  my 
readers,  has  no  connection  whatever 
with  any  produce  from  the  tree." 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Feb.  15,  p. 
313: 

"  The  raspberry-jam-tree  is  so  called 
on  account  of  the  strong  aroma  of 
raspberries  given  out  when  a  portion 
is  broken." 

[On  the  same  page  is  an  illustration 
of  these  trees  growing  near  Perth, 
Western  Australia.] 

Rasp-pod,  n.  name  given  to  a 
large  Australian  tree,  Flindersia 
australis,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Meliacece. 

Rat,  n.  True  Rodents  are  re- 
presented in  Australia  and  Tas- 
mania by  six  genera;  viz.,  Mus, 
Conilurus  ( =  Hapalotis],  Xeromys, 
Hydromys^  Mastacomys,  Uromys, 
of  which  the  five  latter  are  con- 
fined to  the  Australian  Region. 

The  genus  Hydromys  contains 
the  Eastern  Water  Rat,  sometimes 
called  the  Beaver  Rat  (Hydromys 
chrysogaster,  Geoffrey),  and  the 
Western  Water  Rat  (H.  fulvola- 
vatus,  Gould). 

Conilurus  contains  the  Jerboa 
Rats  (q.v.). 

Xeromys  contains  a  single 
species,  confined  to  Queensland, 
and  called  Thomas'  Rat  (Xeromys 
myoides,  Thomas). 

Mastacomys  contains  one  species, 
the  Broad-toothed  Rat  (M.  fuscus, 
Thomas),  found  alive  only  in  Tas- 
mania, and  fossil  in  New  South 
Wales. 

Uromys  contains  two  species, 
the  Giant  Rat  ( U.  macropus.  Gray), 
and  the  Buff-footed  Rat  (U.  cervi- 
nipes,  Gould). 

Mus  contains  twenty  -  seven 
species,  widely  distributed  over 
the  Continent  and  Tasmania. 

1851.   '  Papers  and  Proceedings  of  the 


Royal   Society  of  Van    Diemen's  Land,' 
vol.  i.  p.  301  : 

"The  Secretary  read  the  following 
extracts  from  a  letter  of  the  Rev.  W. 
Colenso  to  Ronald  C.  Gunn,  Esq.,  of 
Launceston,  dated  Waitangi,  Hawke's 
Bay,  New  Zealand,  4th  September, 
1850: — 'I  have  procured  two  speci- 
mens of  the  ancient,  and  all  but  quite 
extinct,  New  Zealand  Rat,  which  until 
just  now  (and  notwithstanding  all  my 
endeavours,  backed,  too,  by  large 
rewards)  I  never  saw.  It  is  without 
doubt  a  true  Mus^  smaller  than  our 
English  black  rat  (Mus  Rattus\  and 
not  unlike  it.  This  little  animal  once 
inhabited  the  plains  and  Fagus  forests 
of  New  Zealand  in  countless  thousands, 
and  was  both  the  common  food  and 
great  delicacy  of  the  natives — and 
already  it  is  all  but  quite  classed 
among  the  things  which  were." 

1880.  A.  R.  Wallace,  'Island  Life,' 
P.  445  : 

"  The  Maoris  say  that  before  Euro- 
peans came  to  their  country  a  forest 
rat  abounded,  and  was  largely  used 
for  food  .  .  .  Several  specimens  have 
been  caught  .  .  .  which  have  been 
declared  by  the  natives  to  be  the  true 
Kiore  Maori — as  they  term  it;  but 
these  have  usually  proved  on  examina- 
tion to  be  either  the  European  black 
rat  or  some  of  the  native  Australian 
rats  .  .  .  but  within  the  last  few  years 
many  skulls  of  a  rat  have  been  obtained 
from  the  old  Maori  cooking-places  and 
from  a  cave  associated  with  moa  bones, 
and  Captain  Hutton,  who  has  examined 
them,  states  that  they  belong  to  a  true 
Mus,  but  differ  from  the  Mus  rattus." 

Rata,  n.  Maori  name  for  two 
New  Zealand  erect  or  sub-scand- 
ent  flowering  trees,  often  embrac- 
ing trunks  of  forest  trees  and 
strangling  them :  the  Northern 
'R.a.ta.,Metrosideros  robusta,  A.  Cunn., 
and  the  Southern  Rata,  M.  lucida, 
Menz.,  both  of  the  N.O.  Myrtacea. 
The  tree  called  by  the  Maoris  Aka, 
which  is  another  species  of  Metro- 
sederos  (M.  florida),  is  also  often 
confused  with  the  Rata  by  bush- 
men  and  settlers. 

In  Maori,  the  adj.  rata  means 


RAT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


red-hot,  and  there  may  be  a  refer- 
ence to  the  scarlet  appearance  of 
the  flower  in  full  bloom.  The 
timber  of  the  Rata  is  often  known 
as  Ironwood,  or  Ironbark.  The 
trees  rise  to  sixty  feet  in  height ; 
they  generally  begin  by  trailing 
downwards  from  the  seed  de- 
posited on  the  bark  of  some 
other  tree  near  its  top.  When 
the  trailing  branches  reach  the 
ground  they  take  root  there  and 
sprout  erect.  For  full  account  of 
the  habit  of  the  trees,  see  quota- 
tion 1867  (Hochstetter),  1879 
(Moseley),  and  1889  (Kirk). 

1843.  E.  Dieffenbach,  '  Travels  in  New 
Zealand,'  p.  224 : 

"  The  venerable  rata,  often  measur- 
ing forty  feet  in  circumference  and 
covered  with  scarlet  flowers — while  its 
stem  is  often  girt  with  a  creeper  be- 
longing to  the  same  family  (metro- 
sideros hypericifolia .?)." 

1848.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Leaf  from  the 
Natural  History  of  New  Zealand,'  p.  21  : 

"  Rata,  a  tree  ;  at  first  a  climber  ;  it 
throws  out  aerial  roots ;  clasps  the  tree 
it  clings  to  and  finally  kills  it,  becom- 
ing a  large  tree  (metrosideros  robusta). 
A  hard  but  not  durable  wood." 

1854.  w-  Colder,  '  Pigeons'  Parliament,' 
canto  i,  p.  14  : 

"  Unlike  the  neighbouring  rata  cast, 
And  tossing  high  its  heels  in  air." 
1867.  F.  Hochstetter,   'New  Zealand,' 
P-  135  : 

"The  Rata  (Metrosideros  robusta), 
the  trunk  of  which,  frequently  measur- 
ing forty  feet  in  circumference,  is  al- 
ways covered  with  all  sorts  of  parasiti- 
cal plants,   and  the  crown  of  which 
bears  bunches  of  scarlet  blossoms.' 
1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  264  : 
"  Nay,  not   the   Rata !    howsoe'er  it 

bloomed, 
Paling  the  crimson  sunset ;  for  you 

know. 
Its  twining  arms  and  shoots  together 

grow 

Around  the  trunk  it  clasps,  conjoin- 
ing slow 

Till  they  become  consolidate,  and 
show 


An  ever-thickening  sheath  that  kills 
at  last 

The  helpless  tree  round  which  it 
clings  so  fast." 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  'Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  310  : 

"The  Rata-Tree  (Metrosideros  ro- 
busta). This  magnificent  tree  .  .  . 
height  80  to  loo  feet  ...  a  clear  stem 
to  30  and  even  40  feet  .  .  .  very  beau- 
tiful crimson  polyandrous  flowers  .  .  . 
wood  red,  hard,  heavy,  close-grained, 
strong,  and  not  difficult  to  work." 

1879.  H.  N.  Moseley,  'Notes  of  a 
Naturalist  on  Challenger,'  p.  278  : 

"  One  of  the  most  remarkable  trees 
...  is  the  Rata.  .  .  .  This,  though  a 
Myrtaceous  plant,  has  all  the  habits  of 
the  Indian  figs,  reproducing  them  in 
the  closest  manner.  It  starts  from  a 
seed  dropped  in  the  fork  of  a  tree,  and 
grows  downward  to  reach  the  ground  ; 
then  taking  root  there,  and  gaining 
strength,  chokes  the  supporting  tree 
and  entirely  destroys  it,  forming  a 
large  trunk  by  fusion  of  its  many  stems. 
Nevertheless,  it  occasionally  grows 
directly  from  the  soil,  and  then  forms 
a  trunk  more  regular  in  form." 

1883.  F.  S.  Renwick,  '  Betrayed,'  p.  39  : 
"  That  bark  shall  speed  where  crimson 
ratas  gleam." 

1888.  Cassell's  'Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iii.  p.  210: 

"  The  foliage  of  many  of  the  large 
trees  is  quite  destroyed  by  the  crimson 
flowering  rata,  the  king  of  parasites, 
which  having  raised  itself  into  the 
upper  air  by  the  aid  of  some  unhappy 
pine,  insinuates  its  fatal  coils  about  its 
patron,  until  it  has  absorbed  trunk  and 
branch  into  itself,  and  so  gathered  suf- 
ficient strength  to  stand  unaided  like 
the  chief  of  forest  trees,  flaunting  in 
crimson  splendour." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,   '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  263 : 

"  It  is  invariably  erect,  never  climb- 
ing, although  bushmen  and  settlers 
frequently  state  that  it  climbs  the 
loftiest  trees,  and  sooner  or  later 
squeezes  them  to  death  in  its  iron 
clasp.  In  proof  of  this  they  assert 
that,  when  felling  huge  ratas,  they 
often  find  a  dead  tree  in  the  centre  of 
the  rata :  this  is  a  common  occur- 
rence, but  it  by  no  means  follows  that 


382 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[RAT-RAU 


this  species  is  a  climber.  This  error 
is  simply  due  to  imperfect  observation, 
which  has  led  careless  observers  to 
confuse  Metrosideros  florida  [the  Aka], 
which  is  a  true  climber,  with  M. 
robusta" 

1892.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Nov.  10  ['  Na- 
tive Trees '] : 

"Rata,  or  Ironwood.  It  would  be 
supposed  that  almost  every  colonist 
who  has  seen  the  rata  in  bloom  would 
desire  to  possess  a  plant." 

1893.  'The    Argus,'   Feb.   4   [Leading 
Article]  : 

"  The  critic  becomes  to  the  original 
author  what  the  New  Zealand  rata  is 
to  the  kauri.  That  insidious  vine 
winds  itself  round  the  supporting  trunk 
and  thrives  on  its  strength  and  at  its 
expense,  till  finally  it  buries  it  wholly 
from  sight  and  flaunts  itself  aloft,  a 
showy  and  apparently  independent 
tree." 

Rat-tail  Grass,  n.  name  given 
to — (i)  Ischamum  laxum,  R.  Br., 
N.O.  Graminece. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  92 : 

"  Rat-tail  Grass.  An  upright,  slender 
growing  grass  ;  found  throughout  the 
colony,  rather  coarse,  but  yielding  a 
fair  amount  of  feed,  which  is  readily 
eaten  by  cattle." 

(2)  Sporobohts  indicus,  R.  Br., 
N.O.  Graminece. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  109 : 

"  Rat-tail  Grass.  A  fine,  open,  pas- 
ture grass,  found  throughout  the 
colonies.  Its  numerous  penetrating 
roots  enable  it  to  resist  severe  drought. 
It  yields  a  fair  amount  of  fodder,  much 
relished  by  stock,  but  is  too  coarse  for 
sheep.  The  seeds  form  the  principal 
food  of  many  small  birds.  It  has  been 
suggested  as  a  paper-making  material." 

[See  Grass.] 

Raupo,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
New  Zealand  bulrush,  Typha  an- 
gustifolia,  Linn.  The  leaves  are 
used  for  building  native  houses. 
The  pollen,  called  Punga-Punga 
(q.v.),  was  collected  and  made 
into  bread  called  pua.  The  root 


was  also  eaten.  It  is  not  endemic 
in  New  Zealand,  but  is  known  in 
many  parts,  and  was  called  by  the 
aborigines  of  Australia,  Wonga, 
and  in  Europe  "  Asparagus  of  the 
Cossacks."  Other  names  for  it 
are  Bulrush,  Cafs  Tail,  Reed  Mace, 
and  Coopers  Flag. 

1827.  Augustus  Earle,  'Narrative  of 
Nine  Months'  Residence  in  New  Zealand,' 
'  New  Zealand  Reader,'  p.  67  : 

"Another  party  was  collecting  rushes, 
which  grow  plentifully  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, and  are  called  raupo." 

1833.  Henry  Williams's  Diary,  'Carle- 
ton's  Life,'  p.  151 : 

"  The  Europeans  were  near  us  in  a 
raupo  whare  [rush-house]." 

1835.  w-  Yate,  '  Account  of  New  Zea- 
land,' p.  205 : 

"To  engage  the  natives  to  build 
raupo,  that  is,  rush-houses." 

1842.  W.  R.  Wade,  '  A  Journey  in  the 
North   Island   of    New   Zealand,'     'New 
Zealand  Reader,'  p.  122: 

"  The  raupo,  the  reed-mace  of  New 
Zealand,  always  grows  in  swampy 
ground.  The  leaves  or  blades  when 
full  grown  are  cut  and  laid  out  to  dry, 
forming  the  common  building  material 
with  which  most  native  houses  are 
constructed." 

1843.  '  An  Ordinance  for  imposing  a  tax 
on  Raupo  Houses,  Session  II.  No.  xvii.  of 
the   former   Legislative   Council    of    New 
Zealand': 

[From  A.  Domett's  collection  of 
Ordinances,  1850.]  "Section  2.  ... 
there  shall  be  levied  in  respect  of 
every  building  constructed  wholly  or 
in  part  of  raupo,  nikau,  toitoi,  wiivi, 
kakaho,  straw  or  thatch  of  any  descrip- 
tion [  .  .  .  ^20]." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  *  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  c.  i.  p.  380: 

"These  [the  walls],  nine  feet  high 
and  six  inches  thick,  were  composed 
of  neatly  packed  bunches  of  raupo,  or 
bulrushes,  lined  inside  with  the  glazed 
reeds  of  the  tohe-tohe,  and  outside 
with  the  wiwi  or  fine  grass." 

1860.  R.  Donaldson,  '  Bush  Lays,'  p.  5  : 
"  Entangled  in  a  foul  morass, 

A  raupo  swamp,  one  name  we 
know." 


RAV-RED] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


1864.  F.  E.  Maning  (Pakeha  Maori), 
'  The  War  in  the  North,'  p.  16  : 

"Before  a  war  or  any  other  im- 
portant matter,  the  natives  used  to 
have  recourse  to  divination  by  means 
of  little  miniature  darts  made  of  rushes 
or  reeds,  or  often  of  the  leaf  of  the 
cooper's  flag  (raupo)." 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  308: 

"The  favourite  material  of  the 
Maoris  for  building  purposes  is  Raupo 
(Typha),  a  kind  of  flag  or  bulrush, 
which  grows  in  great  abundance  in 
swampy  places." 

1877-  Anon. ,  '  Colonial  Experiences,  or 
Incidents  of  Thirty- Four  Years  in  New 
Zealand,'  p.  10 : 

"It  was  thatched  with  raupo  or 
native  bulrush,  and  had  sides  and 
interior  partitions  of  the  same 
material." 

Raven,  n.  English  bird-name. 
The  Australian  species  is  Corvus 
coronoides,  Vig.  and  Hors. 

Razor-grinder,  n.  a  bird-name, 
Seisura  inquieta,  Lath.  Called  also 
Dishwasher  and  Restless  Fly-catcher, 
See  Fly -catcher. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  *  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  159 : 

"Neither  must  you  be  astonished 
on  hearing  the  razor-grinder  ply  his 
vocation  in  the  very  depths  of  our 
solitudes ;  for  here  he  is  a  flying 
instead  of  a  walking  animal." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  pi.  87 : 

'•'•Seisura  Inquieta,  Restless  Fly- 
catcher ;  the  Grinder  of  the  Colonists 
of  Swan  River  and  New  South 
Wales." 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  'Australia,'  p.  332: 

"The  razor-grinder,  fitly  so  called 
from  making  a  grinding  noise  as  it 
wavers  in  one  position  a  foot  or  two 
from  the  ground." 

Ready  up,  v.     See  quotation. 

1893.  '  The  Age,'  Nov.  25,  p.  13,  col.  2 : 
"Mr.  Purves :  A  statement  has 
been  made  that  is  very  serious.  It 
has  been  said  that  a  great  deal  has 
been  '  readied  up '  for  the  jury  by  the 
present  commissioners.  That  is  a 


charge  which,  if  true,  amounts  to 
embracery. 

"His  Honor:  I  do  not  know  what 
'  readying  up '  means. 

"Mr.  Purves:  It  is  a  colonial  ex- 
pression, meaning  that  something  is 
prepared  with  an  object.  If  you 'ready 
up '  a  racehorse,  you  are  preparing  to 
lose,  or  if  you  'ready  up'  a  pack  of 
cards,  you  prepare  it  for  dealing  certain 
suits." 

Red  Bass,  n.  a  fish  of  Moreton 
Bay  (q.v.),  Mesoprion  superbus, 
C  as  tin.,  family  Percida. 

Redberry,  n.  name  given  to 
Australian  plants  of  the  genus 
Rhagodia,  bearing  spikes  or 
panicles  of  red  berries.  Called 
also  Seaberry.  See  also  Saloop- 
bush. 

Red-bill,  n.  bird-name  given  to 
Estrelda  temporalis,  Lath.  It  is 
also  applied  to  the  Oyster-catchers 
(q.v.)  ;  and  sometimes  to  the 
Swamp-Hen  (q.v.). 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  345  : 

"  Lieut.  Flinders  taking  up  his  gun 
to  fire  at  two  red-bills  .  .  .  the  natives, 
alarmed,  ran  to  the  woods." 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Trans- 
actions of  the  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv. 

P-  259: 

" '  This  bird,'  says  Mr.  Caley,  *  which 
the  settlers  call  Red-bill,  is  gregarious, 
and  appears  at  times  in  very  large 
flocks.  I  have  killed  above  forty  at  a 
shot.' " 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iii.  pi.  82 : 

"  Estrelda  temporalis.  Red-eye- 
browed  Finch.  Red -Bill  of  the 
Colonists." 

Red  Bream,  n.  name  given  to 
the  Schnapper  when  one  year  old. 
See  Schnapper. 

Red  Cedar,  n.     See  Cedar. 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  434: 

"M'Leay  river,  New  South  Wales, 
Lat.  30°  40 '.  This  forest  was  found  to 
contain  large  quantities  of  red  cedar 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[RED 


(Cedrela  toona)and  white  cedar  (Melia 
azederacti),  which,  though  very  different 
from  what  is  known  as  cedar  at  home, 
is  a  valuable  wood,  and  in  much 
request  by  the  colonists." 

Red  Currant,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Native  Currant  of  Tas- 
mania, Coprosma  nitida,  Hook., 
N.  O.  Rubiacece.  See  Currant, 
Native. 

Red  Gum,  n.  (i)  A  tree.  See 
Gum.  The  two  words  are  fre- 
quently made  one  with  the  accent 
on  the  first  syllable ;  compare 
Blue- gum. 

(2)  A  medicinal  drug.  An  exuda- 
tion from  the  bark  of  Eucalyptus 
rostrata,  Schlecht,  and  other  trees ; 
see  quotation,  1793.  Sir  Ranald 
Martin  introduced  it  into  Euro- 
pean medical  practice. 

1790.  J.  White,  *  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales, 'p.  178: 

"At  the  heart  they  [the  trees]  are 
full  of  veins,  through  which  an  amazing, 
quantity  of  an  astringent  red  gum 
issues.  This  gum  I  have  found  very 
serviceable  in  an  obstinate  dysentery." 

Ibid.  p.  233 : 

"  A  very  powerfully  astringent  gum- 
resin,  of  a  red  colour,  much  resembling 
that  known  in  the  shops  as  Kino,  and, 
for  all  medical  purposes,  fully  as 
efficacious." 

1793.  J.  E.  Smith,  *  Specimen  of  Botany 
of  New  Holland,'  p.  10: 

"  This,  Mr.  White  informs  us,  is  one 

of  the  trees  (for  there  are  several,  it 

seems,  besides  the  Eucalyptus  resini- 

fera,  mentioned  in  his  Voyage,  p.  231) 

which  produce  the  red  gum." 

[The  tree  is  Ceratopetalum  gummi- 
ferum,  Smith,  called  by  him  Three- 
leaved  Red-gum  Tree.  It  is  now  called 
Officer  Plant  or  Christmas-bush  (q.v.).] 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  « His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  42 : 

"The  usual  red  gum  was  observed 
oozing  out  from  the  bark,  and  this 
attracted  their  notice,  as  it  did  that  of 
every  explorer  who  had  landed  upon 
the  continent.  This  gum  is  a  species 


of  kino,  and  possesses  powerful  astrin- 
gent, and  probably  staining,  qualities." 

Red  Gurnet-Perch,  n.  name 
given  in  Victoria  to  the  fish  Se- 
bastes  percoides,  Richards.,  family 
Scorpanida.  It  is  also  called 
Poddly  ;  Red  Gurnard,  or  Gurnet; 
and  in  New  Zealand,  Pohuikaroa. 
See  Perch  and  Gurnet. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  <  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales/  p.  48  : 

"  Sebastes  percoides,  a  fish  of  a 
closely  allied  genus  of  the  same  family 
[as  Scorpcena  cruenta,  the  red  rock- 
cod].  It  is  caught  at  times  in  Port 
Jackson,  but  has  no  local  name.  In 
Victoria  it  is  called  the  Red  Gurnet- 
perch." 

Redhead,  n.     See  Firetail. 

Red-knee,  n.  sometimes  called 
the  Red-kneed  Dottrel,  Charadrius 
rufiventris,  formerly  Erythrogonys 
cinctus,  Gould.  A  species  of  a 
genus  of  Australian  plovers. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
.  pi. 


vol.  vi.  pi.  21: 

"  Erythrogonys     Cine  t  us, 
Banded  Red-knee." 


Gould ; 


Red  Mulga,  n.  name  given  to 
a  species  of  Acacia,  A.  cyperophylla, 
F.  v.  M.,  owing  to  the  red  colour 
of  the  flakes  of  bark  which  peel 
off  the  stem.  See  Mulga. 

1896.  Baldwin  Spencer,  '  Home  Expedi- 
tion in  Central  Australia,'  Narrative,  pt. 
i.  p.  16 : 

"We  crossed  a  narrow  belt  of 
country  characterized  by  the  growth 
along  the  creek  sides  of  red  mulga. 
This  is  an  Acacia  (A.  cyperophylld) 
reaching  perhaps  a  height  of  twenty 
feet,  the  bark  of  which,  alone  amongst 
Acacias,  is  deciduous  and  peels  off, 
forming  little  deep  -  red  coloured 
flakes." 

Red  Mullet,  n.  New  South 
Wales,  Upeneoides  vlamingii,  Cuv. 
and  Val.,  and  Upeneus  porosus, 
Cuv.  and  Val.,  family  Mullidce. 
See  Mullet. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  38  : 


RED-REE] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


385 


"  The  name  of  this  family  is  a  source 
of  much  confusion.  It  is  derived  from 
the  Latin  word  miillus,  which  in  the 
form  of '  Mullet '  we  apply  to  the  well- 
known  fishes  of  quite  a  different 
family,  the  Mugilida.  Another  fish 
to  which  the  term  'Red-Mullet'  is 
-applied  is  of  the  family  Cottida  or 
Gurnards." 

Bed  Perch,  n.  name  given  in 
Tasmania  to  the  fish  Anthias 
rasor,  Richards.  ;  also  called  the 
Barber.  In  Australia,  it  is  Anthias 
longimanus,  Giinth. 

Red  Rock-Cod,  n.  name  given 
in  New  South  Wales  to  the  fish 
Scorpcena  cardinalis,  Richards. , 
family  Scorpcenidcz,  marine  fishes 
resembling  the  Sea-perches.  S. 
cardinalis  is  of  a  beautiful  scarlet 
colour. 

Red  -  streaked  Spider,  or 
Black-and-red  Spider,  an  Aus- 
tralasian spider  (Latrodectus  scelio, 
Thorel.),  called  in  New  Zealand 
the  Katipo  (q.v.). 

Red-throat,  n.  a  small  brown 
Australian  singing-bird,  with  a 
red  throat,  Pyrrholamus  brunneus, 
Gould. 

Reed-mace,  n.  See  Wonga  and 
Raupo. 

Reef,  n.  term  in  gold-mining  ; 
a  vein  of  auriferous  quartz. 
Called  by  the  Californian  miners 
a  vein,  or  lode,  or  ledge.  In 
Bendigo,  the  American  usage 
remains,  the  words  reef,  dyke,  and 
vein  being  used  as  synonymous, 
though  reef  is  the  most  common. 
(See  quotation,  1866.)  In  Ballarat, 
the  word  has  two  distinct  mean- 
ings, viz.  the  vein,  as  above,  and 
the  bed-rock  or  true-bottom.  (See 
quotations,  1869  and  1874.)  Out- 
side Australia,  a  reef  means  "  a 
chain  or  range  of  rocks  lying  at 
or  near  the  surface  of  the  water.' 
('Webster.') 


1858.  T.  McCombie,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  xiv.  p.  213  : 

"A  party  .  .  .  discovered  gold  in 
he  quartz-reefs  of  the  Pyrenees  [Vic- 
toria]." 

i860.  W.  Kelly,  'Life  in  Victoria,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  148  : 

"  If  experience  completely  estab- 
lishes the  fact,  at  least,  under  exist- 
ing systems,  that  the  best-paying  reefs 
are  those  that  are  largely  intersected 
with  fissures — more  inclined  to  come 
out  in  pebbles  than  in  blocks — or,  if  I 
might  coin  a  designation,  'rubble 
reefs,'  as  contradistinguished  from 
'  boulder  reefs,'  showing  at  the  same 
time  a  certain  degree  of  ignigenous 
discoloration  .  .  .  still,  where  there 
are  evidences  of  excessive  volcanic 
effect  .  .  .  the  reef  may  be  set  down 
as  poor  ..." 

1866.  A.  R.  Selwyn,  '  Exhibition  Essays, ' 
Notes  on  the  Physical  Geography,  Geology, 
and  Mineralogy  of  Victoria  : 

"  Quartz  occurs  throughout  the 
lower  palaeozoic  rocks  in  veins,  '  dykes  ' 
or  '  reefs,'  from  the  thickness  of  a 
thread  to  130  feet." 

1869.  R.  Brough  Smyth,  '  Goldfields  : 
Glossary,'  p.  619  : 

"  Reef.  The  term  is  applied  to  the 
up-turned  edges  of  the  palaeozoic  rocks. 
The  reef  is  composed  of  slate,  sand- 
stone, or  mudstone.  The  bed-rock 
anywhere  is  usually  called  the  reef.  A 
quartz-vein  ;  a  lode." 

1874.  Reginald  A.  F.  Murray,  *  Progress 
Report,  Geological  Survey,  Victoria,' vol. 
i.  p.  65  [Report  on  the  Mineral  Resources 
of  Ballarat]  : 

"  This  formation  is  the '  true  bottom,' 
'  bed  rock  '  or  '  reef,'  of  the  miners." 

1894.  'The  Argus,'  March  28,  p.  5, 
col.  5  : 

"In  looking  for  reefs  the  experi- 
enced miner  commences  on  the  top  of 
the  range  and  the  spurs,  for  the  reason 
that  storm-waters  have  carried  the  soil 
into  the  gullies  and  left  the  bed-rock 
exposed." 

Reef,  v.  to  work  at  a  reef. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood, '  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  iii.  p.  30 : 

"  The  University  graduate  .  .  .  was 
to  be  seen  patiently  sinking,  driving, 

c  C 


386 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[REG-RIB 


sluicing,  or  reefing,  as  the  case  might 
be." 

[See  also  Quartz-reefing.] 

Regent-bird,  n.  (i)  An  Austra- 
lian Bower-bird,  Sericulus  melinus, 
Lath.,  named  out  of  compli- 
ment to  the  Prince  Regent,  after- 
wards George  IV.  (therefore 
named  before  1820). 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  161: 

"  Mr.  Gilbert  observed  the  female  of 
the  Regent-bird." 

(2)  Mock  Regent-bird,  now  Meli- 
phaga  phrygia,  Lath. 

1848.  J.    Gould,    'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv.  pi.  48 : 

"  Zanthomyza  Phrygia,  Swains., 
Warty-faced  Honey-eater  [q.v.]  ;  Mock 
Regent-Bird,  Colonists  of  New  South 
Wales." 

Remittance-man,  n.  one  who 
derives  the  means  of  an  inglorious 
and  frequently  dissolute  exist- 
ence from  the  periodical  receipt 
of  money  sent  out  to  him  from 
Europe. 

1892.  R.  L.  Stevenson,  '  The  Wrecker/ 

P.  336= 

"  Remittance  men,  as  we  call  them 
here,  are  not  so  rare  in  my  experience  ; 
and  in  such  cases  I  act  upon  a 
system." 

Rewa-rewa,  n.  pronounced 
raywa,  Maori  name  for  the  New 
Zealand  tro.Q  Knightia  excelsa,  R.Br., 
JV.  O.  Proteacece,  the  Honey-suckle 
of  the  New  Zealand  settlers. 
Maori  verb,  rewa,  to  float.  The 
seed-vessel  is  just  like  a  Maori 
canoe. 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  'New  Zealand, 
the  Britain  of  the  South,'  vol.  i.  p.  143  : 

"Rewarewa  (honeysuckle),  a  hand- 
some flowering  tree  common  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  forests.  Wood  light 
and  free-working :  the  grain  hand- 
somely flowered  like  the  Baltic  oak." 

1878.  R.  C.  Barstow,  'On  the  Maori 
Canoe,'  '  Transactions  of  the  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  vol.  xi.  art.  iv.  p.  73  : 

"  Dry  rewareiva  wood  was  used  for 
the  charring." 


1880.  W.  Colenso,  'Traditions  of  the 
Maoris,'  '  Transactions  of  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  vol.  xiii.  p.  53  : 

"  The  boy  went  into  the  forest,  and 
brought  back  with  him  a  seed-pod  of 
the  rewarewa  tree  (Knightia  excelsa}. 
.  .  .  He  made  his  way  to  his  canoe, 
which  was  made  like  the  pod  of  the 
rewarewa  tree." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  129 : 

"Rewarewa,  a  lofty,  slender  tree, 
100  feet  high.  Wood  handsome,  mot- 
tled red  and  brown,  used  for  furniture 
and  shingles,  and  for  fencing,  as  it 
splits  easily.  It  is  a  most  valuable 
veneering  wood." 

Reward-Claim,  n.  the  Aus- 
tralian legal  term  for  the  large 
area  granted  as  a  "  reward"  to 
the  miner  who  first  discovers 
valuable  gold  in  a  new  district, 
and  reports  it  to  the  Warden  of 
the  Goldfields.  The  first  great 
discovery  of  gold  in  Coolgardie 
was  made  by  Bayley  in  1893,  and 
his  reward-claim,  sold  to  a  syndi- 
cate, was  known  as  "  Bayley 's 
Reward."  See  also  Prospecting 
Claim,  and  Claim. 

1891.  W.  Tilley,  'Wild  West  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  II  : 

"  Prospected  with  the  result  that  he 
discovered  the  first  payable  gold  on 
the  West  Coast,  for  which  he  obtained 
a  reward  claim." 

Rhipidura,  n.  scientific  name 
for  a  genus  of  Australasian  birds, 
called  Fantail  (q.v.).  They  are 
Fly-catchers.  The  word  is  from 
Grk.  pwrtSo's,  *  of  a  fan,'  and  ovpa, 
'  a  tail.' 

Ribbed  Fig,  n.     See  Fig. 

Ribbonwood,  n.  All  species  of 
Plagianthus  and  Hoheria  are  to  the 
colonists  Ribbonwood,  especially 
Plagianthus  betulinus,  A.  Cunn., 
and  Hoheria  populnea,  A.  Cunn., 
the  bark  of  which  is  used  for 
cordage,  and  was  once  used  for 
making  a  demulcent  drink.  Alpine 
Ribbon-wood,  Plagianthus  lyalli, 


RIB-RIF] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


387 


Hook.  Other  popular  names  are 
Houhere,  Horn  (Maori),  Lace-bark 
(q.v.),  and  Thousand-Jacket  (q.v.). 

Bibgrass,  n.  a  Tasmanian  name 
for  the  Native  Plantain.  See 
Plantain. 

Bice-flower,  n.  a  gardeners' 
name  for  the  cultivated  species  of 
Pimalea  (q.v.).  The  Rice-flowers 
are  beautiful  evergreens  about 
three  feet  high,  and  bear  rose- 
coloured,  white,  and  yellow 
blooms. 

Bice-shell,  n.  The  name  is  ap- 
plied elsewhere  to  various  shells  ; 
in  Australia  it  denotes  the  shell 
of  various  species  of  Truncatella, 
a  small  marine  mollusc,  so  called 
from  a  supposed  resemblance  to 
grains  of  rice,  and  used  for  neck- 
laces. 

Bichea,  n.  a  Tasmanian  Grass- 
tree  (q.v.),  Richea  pandamfolia, 
Hook.,  N.O.  Liliacece. 

1850.  '  Papers  and  Proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
May  8,  vol.  i.  p.  278  : 

"A  section  ...  of  the  stem  of  the 
graceful  palm-like  Richea  (^?&fetf/##- 
danifolia),  found  in  the  dense  forests 
between  Lake  St.  Clair  and  Macquarie 
Harbour,  where  it  attains  the  height  of 
40  to  50  feet  in  sheltered  positions, 
— the  venation,  markings,  and  rich 
yellow  colouring  of  which  were  much 
admired." 

1878.  Rev.  W.  W.  Spicer,  '  Handbook 
of  the  Plants  of  Tasmania,'  p.  125  : 

"  Richea  pandanifolia,  H.  Giant 
Grass  Tree.  Peculiar  to  Tasmania. 
Dense  forests  in  the  interior  and 
SW." 

Bidge-Myrtle,  n.     See  Myrtle. 

Bifle-bird,  n.  sometimes  called 
also  Rifleman  (q.v.)  ;  a  bird  of 
paradise.  The  male  is  of  a 
general  velvety  black,  something 
like  the  uniform  of  the  Rifle  Bri- 
gade. This  peculiarity,  no  doubt, 
gave  the  bird  its  name,  but,  on 


the  other  hand,  settlers  and  local 
naturalists  sometimes  asgribe  the 
name  to  the  resemblance  they 
hear  in  the  bird's  cry  to  the  noise 
of  a  rifle  being  fired  and  its  bullet 
striking  the  target.  The  Rifle- 
bird  is  more  famed  for  beauty  of 
plumage  than  any  other  Aus- 
tralian bird.  There  are  three 
species,  and  they  are  of  the  genus 
Ptilorhis,  nearly  related  to  the 
Birds  of  Paradise  of  New  Guinea, 
where  also  is  found  the  only  other 
known  species  of  Ptilorhis.  The 
chief  species  is  Ptilorhis  paradisea, 
Lath.,  the  other  two  species  were 
named  respectively,  after  the 
Queen  and  the  late  Prince  Con- 
sort, Victoria  and  Alberti,  but 
some  naturalists  have  given  them 
other  generic  names. 

As  to  the  name,  see  also  quota- 
tion, 1886.  See  Manucode. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  194  : 

"  We  saw  ...  a  rifle-bird." 

1886.  'Encyclopaedia  Britannica,'  vol. 
xx.  p.  553  : 

"  Rifleman  -  Bird,  or  Rifle  -  Bird, 
names  given  .  .  .  probably  because  in 
coloration  it  resembled  the  well-known 
uniform  of  the  rifle-regiments  of  the 
British  army,  while  in  its  long  and 
projecting  hypochondriac  plumes  and 
short  tail  a  further  likeness  might  be 
traced  to  the  hanging  pelisse  and  the 
jacket  formerly  worn  by  the  members 
of  those  corps."— [Footnote]  :  "  Curi- 
ously enough  its  English  name  seems 
to  be  first  mentioned  in  ornithological 
literature  by  Frenchmen — Lesson  and 
Garnot — in  1828,  who  say  (Voy. 
<-Coquille]  Zoologie,  p.  669)  that  it 
was  applied  '  pour  rappeler  que  ce  fut 
un  soldat  de  la  garnison  [of  New 
South  Wales]  qui  le  tua  le  premier,'— 
which  seems  to  be  an  insufficient 
reason,  though  the  statement  as  to  the 
bird's  first  murderer  may  be  true." 

1890.  C.  Lumho'ltz,  'Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  171: 

"It  was  an  Australian  bird  of  para- 
dise, the  celebrated  Rifle-bird  (Ptilorhis 
victori<z\  which,  according  to  Gould, 


388 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[RIF-RIN 


has  the  most  brilliant  plumage  of  all 
Australian  birds." 

Rifleman,  n.  a  bird  of  New 
Zealand,  Acanthidositta  chloris^ 
Buller;  Maori  name,  Titipounamu. 
See  quotation.  The  name  is  some- 
times applied  also  to  the  Rifle-bird 
(q.v.). 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  113: 

"Acanthidositta  chloris,  Buller. 
The  rifleman  is  the  smallest  of  our 
New  Zealand  birds.  It  is  very  gener- 
ally distributed." 

[Footnote]  :  "  This  has  hitherto  been 
written  Acanthisitta  ;  but  Professor 
Newton  has  drawn  my  attention  to  the 
fact  of  its  being  erroneous.  I  have 
therefore  adopted  the  more  classic 
form  of  Acanthidositta^  the  etymology 
of  which  is  aicavdtd,  —  crude  form  of 
,  and  <n'rra  =  sitta." 


1888.  W.  Smith,  '  Transactions  of  the 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xxi.  art.  xxi. 
p.  214: 

"  Acanthisitta  chloris  (Rifleman). 
The  feeble  note  of  this  diminutive 
bird  is  oftener  heard  in  the  bush  than 
the  bird  is  seen." 

Bight-of-Way,  n.  a  lane.  In 
England  the  word  indicates  a 
legal  right  to  use  a  particular 
passage.  In  Australia  it  is  used 
for  the  passage  or  lane  itself. 

1893.   «  The  Argus,'  Feb.  3  : 

"The  main  body  of  the  men  was 
located  in  the  right-of-way,  which  is 
overlooked  by  the  side  windows  of  the 
bureau." 

Rimu,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
New  Zealand  tree,  Dacrydium 
cupressinum,  N.O.  Conifers;  also 
called  Red-pine.  Rimu  is  generally 
used  in  North  Island;  Red-pine 
more  generally  in  the  South. 
See  Pine. 

1835.  W.  Yate,  'Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  40  : 

"  Rimu.  This  elegant  tree  comes  to 
its  greatest  perfection  in  shaded  woods, 
and  in  moist,  rich  soil." 


1872.  A.  Domett,  'Ranolf,'  p.  117  : 

"  He  lay 
Couched  in  a  rimu-tree  one  day." 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  ' Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  306 : 

"  The  Rimu  Tree.  Height,  eighty  to 
100  feet,  fully  forty  to  fifty  feet  clear  of 
branches  .  .  .  moderately  hard  .  .  . 
planes  up  smoothly,  takes  a  good 
polish,  would  be  useful  to  the  cabinet- 
maker." 

1879.  Clement  Bunbury,  'Fraser's 
Magazine,' June,  p.  761: 

"Some  of  the  trees,  especially  the 
rimu,  a  species  of  yew,  here  called  a 
pine,  were  of  immense  size  and  age." 

Ring,  v.  tr.  (i)  To  cut  the 
bark  of  a  tree  round  the  trunk 
so  as  to  kill  it.  The  word  is 
common  in  the  same  sense  in 
English  forestry  and  horticulture, 
and  only  seems  Australasian  from 
its  more  frequent  use,  owing  to 
the  widespread  practice  of  clear- 
ing the  primeval  forests  and 
generally  destroying  trees. 
"Ringed"  is  the  correct  past 
participle,  but  "rung"  is  now 
commonly  used. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  c.  x.  p.  315  : 

"  What  they  call  ringing  the  trees  ; 
that  is  to  say,  they  cut  off  a  large  cir- 
cular band  of  bark,  which,  destroying 
the  trees,  renders  them  easier  to  be 
felled." 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  56 : 

"  The  gum-trees,  ringed  and  ragged, 
from  the  mazy  margins  rise." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  c.  xx.  p.  312  : 

"Trees  to  be  'rung.'  The  ringing 
of  trees  consists  of  cutting  the  bark 
through  all  round,  so  that  the  tree 
cease  to  suck  up  the  strength  of  the 
earth  for  its  nutrition,  and  shall  die." 

1883.  E.  M.  Curr,  'Recollections  of 
Squatting  in  Victoria'  (1841 — 1851),  p.  8i: 

"  Altogether,  fences  and  tree-ringing 
have  not  improved  the  scene." 

1889.  CasselPs  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iv.  p.  58 : 

"The  trees   are  'rung,'  that   there 


RIN] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


389 


may  be  more  pasture  for  the   sheep 
and  cattle." 

(2)  To  make  cattle  move  in  a 
circle.     [Though  specifically  used 
of  cattle  in  Australia,  the  word  has 
a    similar  use  in   England  as   in 
Tennyson's  '  Geraint  and  Enid  '— 

..."  My  followers  ring  him  round: 
He  sits  unarmed."— Line  336.] 

1874.  W.  H.  Rank  en,  '  Dominion  of  Aus- 
tralia,' c.  vi.  p.  in  : 

"  They  are  generally  *  ringed,'  that 
is,  their  galop  is  directed  into  a  circular 
course  by  the  men  surrounding  them." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  126  : 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  you'll  have  to 
ring  them.  Pass  the  word  round  for 
all  hands  to  follow  one  another  in  a 
circle,  at  a  little  distance  apart." 

(3)  To  move  round  in  a  circle. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  p.  20  : 

"The  cattle  were  uneasy  and 
'  ringed '  all  night." 

(4)  To  make  the  top  score  at  a 
shearing-shed."     See  Ringer. 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  'Man  from 
Snowy  River,'  p.  136  : 

"  The  man  that  '  rung '  the  Tubbo 
shed  is  not  the  ringer  here." 

Ring-bark,  v.  tr.  Same  meaning 
as  Ring  (i). 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  204  : 

"  The  selector  in  a  timbered  country, 
without  troubling  himself  about  cause 
and  effect,  is  aware  that  if  he  destroys 
the  tree  the  grass  will  grow,  and 
therefore  he  '  ring-barks  '  his  timber." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz, 'Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  9: 

"  Our  way  led  us  through  a  large 
but  not  dense  wood  of  leafless  gum- 
trees.  My  companion  told  me  that 
the  forest  was  dead  as  a  result  of 
1  ring-barking.'  To  get  the  grass  to 
grow  better,  the  settler  removes  a 
band  of  bark  near  the  root  of  the 
tree.  In  a  country  where  cattle-raising 
is  carried  on  to  so  great  an  extent, 
this  may  be  very  practical,  but  it 
certainly  does  not  beautify  the  land- 


scape. The  trees  die  at  once  after  this 
treatment,  and  it  is  a  sad  and  repulsive 
sight  to  see  these  withered  giants,  as  if 
in  despair,  stretching  their  white  bark- 
less  branches  towards  the  sky." 

1893.  '  Thumbnail  Sketches  of  Australian 
Life,'  p.  232  : 

"  We  were  going  through  ring- 
barked  country.  You  don't  know  what 
that  is  ?  Well,  those  giant  gum- 
trees  absorb  all  the  moisture  and  keep 
the  grass  very  poor,  so  the  squatters 
kill  them  by  ring-barking — that  is, 
they  have  a  ring  described  round  the 
trunk  of  each  tree  by  cutting  off  a 
couple  of  feet  of  bark.  Presently  the 
leaves  fall  off;  then  the  rest  of  the 
bark  follows,  and  eventually  the  tree 
becomes  nothing  but  a  strange  lofty 
monument  of  dry  timber." 

Ring-dollar,  n.  See  quotation ; 
and  see  Dump  and  Holy  Dollar. 

1870.  T.  H.  Braim,  '  New  Homes,'  c. 
iii.  p.  131  : 

"The  Spanish  dollar  was  much 
used.  A  circular  piece  was  struck 
out  of  the  centre  about  the  size  of  a 
shilling  .  .  .  and  the  rest  of  the  dollar, 
called  from  the  circular  piece  taken 
out  a  '  ring-dollar,'  was  valued  at  four 
shillings." 

Ring-eye,  n.  one  of  the  many 
names  for  the  birds  of  the  genus 
Zoster  ops  (q.v.). 

Ringer,  n.  a  sheep  -  shearing 
term.  See  quotations.  Mr.  Hor- 
nung's  explanation  of  the  origin 
(quotation,  1894)  is  probably  right. 
See  Rings. 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  Sept.  20,  p.  13, 
col.  6  : 

"  A  '  ringer '  being  the  man  who  by 
his  superior  skill  and  expertness  *  tops 
the  score ' — that  is,  shears  the  highest 
number  of  sheep  per  day." 

1893.  '  The  Herald '  (Melbourne),  Dec. 
23,  p.  6,  col.  i  : 

"Whence  came  the  term  'ringer,' 
as  applied  to  the  quickest  shearer,  I 
don't  know.  It  might  possibly  have 
some  association  with  a  man  who  can 
get  quoits  on  to  the  peg,  and  again,  it 
might  not,  as  was  remarked  just  now 
by  my  mate,  who  is  camped  with  me." 


390 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[RIN-ROB 


1894.  E-  W-  Hornung,  '  Boss  of  Tar- 
oomba,'  p.  101  : 

"  They  call  him  the  ringer  of  the 
shed.  That  means  the  fastest  shearer 
— the  man  who  runs  rings  round  the 
rest,  eh  ?  " 

1894.  '  Geelong  Grammar  School  Quar- 
terly,' April,  p.  26  : 

"  Another  favourite  [school]  phrase  is 
a  *  regular  ringer.'  Great  excellence  is 
implied  by  this  expression." 

1896.    A.    B.     Paterson,     *  Man    from 
Snowy  River,'  p.  162  : 
"The  Shearers  sat   in  the   firelight, 

hearty  and  hale  and  strong, 
After  the  hard  day's  shearing,  pass- 
ing the  joke  along  : 
The  'ringer'  that  shore  a  hundred,  as 

they  never  were  shorn  before, 
And  the  novice  who  toiling  bravely 
had  tommyhawked  half  a  score." 

Ring-neck,  n.  the  equivalent 
of  Jackaroo  (q.v.).  A  term  used 
in  the  back  blocks  in  reference  to 
the  white  collar  not  infrequently 
worn  by  a.  Jackaroo  on  his  first  ap- 
pearance and  when  unaccustomed 
to  the  life  of  the  bush.  The  term 
is  derived  from  the  supposed  re- 
semblance of  the  collar  to  the 
light-coloured  band  round  the 
neck  of  the  Ring-neck  Parrakeet. 

Rings,  to  run  round :  to  beat 
out  and  out.  A  picturesque  bit 
of  Australian  slang.  One  runner 
runs  straight  to  the  goal,  the 
other  is  so  much  better  that  he 
can  run  round  and  round  his  com- 
petitor, and  yet  reach  the  goal 
first. 

1891.  'The  Argus,'  Oct.  10,  p.  13, 
col.  3  : 

"  Considine  could  run  rings  round 
the  lot  of  them." 

1897.  « The  Argus,'  Jan.  15,  p.  6,  col.  5: 

"As  athletes  the  cocoons  can  run 
rings  round  the  beans  ;  they  can  jump 
out  of  a  tumbler." 

Ring-tail,  or  Ring-tailed 
Opossum,  «.  See  Pseudochirus  and 
Opossum. 

Rinka-sporum,  «.  a  mis-spelt 


name  for  the  Australian  varieties 
of  the  tribe  of  Rhyncosporea%  N.  O. 
Cyperacece.  This  tribe  includes 
twenty-one  genera,  of  which 
Rhynchospora  (the  type),  Scfuenust 
Cladium,  and  Remirea  are  widely 
distributed,  and  the  others  are 
chiefly  small  genera  of  the 
Southern  Hemisphere,  especially 
Australia.  ('  Century.') 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,' 

P-  93: 

"  Rinka-sporum,  a  mass  of  white 
bloom." 

Riro-riro,  n.  a  bird.  Maori 
name  for  the  Grey-Warbler  of 
New  Zealand,  Gerygoneflaviventris, 
Gray.  See  Gerygone. 

1888.  W.    L.    Buller,   'Birds  of   New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  44  : 

[A  full  description.] 

1889.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iv.  p.  163  : 

"  A  little  wren  managed  to  squeeze 
itself  through,  and  it  flew  off  to  Kur- 
angai-tuku,  and  cried,  *  Kurangai- 
tuku,  the  man  is  riro,  riro,  riro  !' — that 
is,  gone,  gone,  gone.  And  to  this  day 
the  bird  is  known  as  the  riro-riro." 

River-Oak.     See  Oak. 

Roa,  ;/.  another  Maori  name 
for  the  largest  or  Broivn  Kiwi 
(q.v.).  In  Maori  the  word  roa 
means  long  or  big.  * 

Roaring  Horsetails,  n.  a  slang 
name  for  the  Aurora  Australis. 

Robin,  n.  The  name,  in  con- 
sequence of  their  external  resem- 
blance to  the  familiar  English 
bird,  is  applied,  in  Australia,  to 
species  of  the  various  genera  as 
follows  : — 

Ashy-fronted  Fly- Robin — 

Heteromyias  cinereifrons,  Ramsay. 

Buff-sided  R.— 

Pcecilodryas  cerviniventris,  Gould. 

Dusky  R.— 

Amaurodryas  vittata,  Quoy  and 
Gaim. 


ROB] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


Flame-breasted  Robin — 

Petroica  phcenicea,  Gould. 
Hooded  R.— 

Melanodryas    bicolor,    Vig-.    and 

Hors. 
Pied  R.— 

M.  picata,  Gould. 
Pink-breasted  R. — 

Erythrodryas  rhodinogaster,  Drap. 
Red-capped  R.— 

Petroica     goodenovii,    Vig.    and 

Hors. 
Red-throated  R.— 

P.  ramsayi,  Sharp. 
Rose-breasted  R.— 

Erythrodryas  rosea,  Gould. 
Scarlet-breasted  R.— 

Petroica  leggii,  Sharp. 
Scrub  R.— 

Drymodes  brunneopygia,  Gould. 
White-browed  R.— 

P&ctlodryas  superciliosa,  Gould. 
White-faced  Scrub-R.— 

Drymodes  superciliaris,  Gould. 

The  New  Zealand  species  are — 

Chatham  Island  Robin — 

Miro  tr aver  si,  Duller. 
North  Island  R.— 

M.  australis,  Sparrm. 
South  Island  R.— 

M.  albifrons,  Gmel. 

Gould's  enumeration  of  the 
species  is  given  below.  [See  quo- 
tations, 1848,  1869.] 

See  also  Shrike-Robin,  Scrub- 
Robin,  and  Satin-Robin. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  '  Trans- 
actions of  the  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv. 
p.  242  : 

"'This  bird,'  Mr.  Caley  says,  'is 
called  yellow-robin  by  the  colonists. 
It  is  an  inhabitant  of  bushes.' " 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia, 'vol. 
iii : 

Plate 
Petroica  superciliosa,  Gould,  White- 

eyebrowed  Robin        9 

Drymodes    britnneopygia,     Gould, 

Scrub  Robin 10 

Eopsaltria      leticogaster,      Gould, 

White-bellied  Robin 13 


1864.  R.  L.  A.  Davies,  'Poems  and 
Literary  Remains,'  p.  263  : 

"  Very  soon  comes  a  robin.  ...  In 
the  bush  no  matter  where  you  pitch, 
the  robin  always  comes  about,  and 
when  any  other  of  his  tribe  comes 
about,  he  bristles  up  his  feathers,  and 
fights  for  his  crumbs.  .  .  .  He  is  not 
at  all  pretty,  like  the  Australian  or 
European  robin,  but  a  little  sober 
black  and  grey  bird,  with  long  legs, 
and  a  heavy  paunch  and  big  head  ; 
like  a  Quaker,  grave,  but  cheerful  and 
spry  withal."  [This  is  the  Robin  of 
New  Zealand.] 

1866.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  93  : 

"The  New  Zealand  robin  was  an- 
nounced, and  I  could  see  only  a  fat 
little  ball  of  a  bird,  with  a  yellowish- 
white  breast." 

1869.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia' 
[Supplement] : 

Drymodes  superciliaris.,  Gould,  East- 
ern Scrub  Robin. 

Petroica  cerviniventris,  Gould,   Buff- 
sided  Robin. 

Eopsaltria  capito,  Gould,  Large-head- 
ed Robin. 
E.  leucura,  Gould,  White-tailed  Robin. 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  239  : 
"The  large  red-breasted  robin,  kins- 
man true 

Of  England's  delicate  high-bred  bird 
of  home." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  123  : 

"  The  Robin  is  certainly  more  bril- 
liantly beautiful  than  his  English 
namesake.  .  .  .  Black,  red  and  white 
are  the  colours  of  his  dress,  worn  with 
perfect  taste.  The  black  is  shining 
jet,  the  red,  fire,  and  the  white,  snow. 
There  is  a  little  white  spot  on  his  tiny 
black-velvet  cap,  a  white  bar  across 
his  pretty  white  wings,  and  his  breast 
is  a  living  flame  of  rosy,  vivid  scarlet." 

1888.  CasselPs  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  235  : 

"  Here,  too,  the  '  careful  robin  eyes 
the  delver's  toil,'  and  as  he  snatches 
the  worm  from  the  gardener's  furrow, 
he  turns  to  us  a  crimson-scarlet  breast 
that  gleams  in  the  sun  beside  the 
golden  buttercups  like  a  living  coal. 
The  hues  of  his  English  cousin  would 
pale  beside  him  ineffectual." 


392 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[ROC 


1896.    '  The  Melburnian,'  Aug.   28,  p. 

54  = 

"  The  flame-breasted  robin  no  longer 
lingers  showing  us  his  brilliant  breast 
while  he  sings  out  the  cold  grey  after- 
noons in  his  tiny  treble.  He  has  gone 
with  departing  winter/3 

Rock-Cod,  n.  called  also  Red- 
Cod  in  New  Zealand,  Pseudophycis 
barbatus,  Giinth.,  family  Gadidce. 
In  New  Zealand  the  ^/»<?-CW(q.y.) 

is  also  called  Rock-Cod.  Species 
of  the  allied  genus  Lotella  are  also 
called  Rock -Cod  in  New  South 
Wales.  See  Beardy  and  Ling. 

1883.  '  Royal  Commission  on  the 
Fisheries  of  Tasmania/  p.  40  : 

"  A  variety  known  to  fishermen  as 
the  deep-water,  or  Cape-cod.  ...  It 
would  appear  that  the  latter  is  simply 
the  mature  form  of  the  'rock-cod,' 
which  enters  the  upper  waters  of  estu- 
aries in  vast  numbers  during  the 
month  of  May.  .  .  The  rock-cod 
rarely  exceeds  2^  Ibs.  weight." 

Rocket,  Native,  a  Tasmanian 
name  for  Epacris lamiginosa.  Lab., 
N.O.  Epacridece.  See  Epacris. 

Rock  Lily,  n.     See  under  Lily. 

Rock-Ling,  n.  a  marine  fish. 
The  Australian  R.is  Genypterus  aus- 
tralis,  Castln.,  family  Ophidiidce. 
The  European  R.  belongs  to  the 
genera  Ones  and  Rhinonemus, 
formerly  Motella.  Of  the  genus 
Genypterus^  Giinther  says  they 
have  an  excellent  flesh,  like  cod, 
well  adapted  for  curing.  At 
the  Cape  they  are  known  by  the 
name  of  "  Klipvisch,"  and  in  New 
Zealand  as  Ling^  or  Cloudy -Bay 
Cod. 

Rock-Native,  or  Native,  n.  a 
name  given  to  the  fish  called  a 
Schnapper  when  it  has  ceased  to 
"  school."  See  Schnapper. 

Rock-Parrakeet,  n.  an  Austral- 
ian Grass-Parrakeet(c{.v.},  Euphema 
petrophila,  Gould.  It  gets  its  name 
from  its  habitat,  the  rocks  and 
crags. 


Rock-Pebbler,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Black-tailed  Parrakeet.  See 
Parrakeet. 

Rock-Perch,  ;/.  the  name  given 
in  Melbourne  to  the  fish  Glyphido- 
don  victories, ,  Giinth.,  family  Poma- 
centridce,  or  Coral-fishes.  It  is  not 
a  true  Perch. 

Rock-shelter,  n.  a  natural 
cave-dwelling  of  the  aborigines. 
See  Gibber- Guny ah. 

1891.  R.  Etheridge,  jun.,  in  'Records 
of  the  Australian  Museum,'  vol.  i.  No. 
viii.  p.  171  (' Notes  on  Rock  Shelters  or 
Gibba-gunyahs  at  Deewhy  Lagoon ')  : 

"...  The  Shelters  are  of  the  usual 
type  seen  throughout  the  Port  Jack- 
son district,  recesses  in  the  escarp- 
ment, overhung  by  thick,  more  or  less 
tabular  masses  of  rock,  in  some  cases 
dry  and  habitable,  in  others  wet  and 
apparently  never  used  by  the  Aborig- 
ines." 

Rock- Wallaby,  ;/.  the  popular 
name  for  any  animal  of  the  genus 
Petrogale   (q.v.).      There   are   six 
species — 
Brush-tailed  Rock-Wallaby— 

Petrogale penicillata^  Gray. 
Little  R.-W.— 

P.  concinna^  Gould. 
Plain-coloured  R.-W.— 

P.  inornata,  Gould. 
Rock-W.,  or   West  -  Australian 
R.-W.— 

P.  lateralis,  Gould. 
Short-eared  R.-W.— 

P.  brachyotis,  Gould. 
Yellow-footed  R.-W.— 

P.  xanthopus.  Gray. 

See  Wallaby. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne- 
Memories,'  c.  viii.  p.  58  : 

"  A  light,  active  chap,  spinning  over 
the  stones  like  a  rock  wallaby." 

1888.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  119: 

"  They  rode  and  rode,  but  Warrigal 
was  gone  like  a  rock  wallaby." 

1894.   R.    Lydekker,    '  Marsupialia,'   p. 

43  : 

"  The  Rock-Wallabies  are  confined. 


ROG-ROO] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


393' 


to  the  mainland  of  Australia,  on  which 
they  are  generally  distributed,  but  are 
unknown  in  Tasmania.  Although 
closely  allied  to  the  true  Wallabies, 
their  habits  are  markedly  distinct,  the 
Rock-Wallabies  frequenting  rugged, 
rocky  districts,  instead  of  the  open 
plains." 

Roger  Gough,  n.  an  absurd 
name  given  to  (the  tree  Baloghia 
lucida,  Endl.,  N.O.  Euphorbiacece. 

1889.  J.    H.    Maiden,    '  Useful    Native 
Plants,'  p.  382  : 

"  Scrub,  or  brush  bloodwood,  called 
also  *  Roger  Gough.' " 

1896.  '  The  Australasian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 
407,  col.  5  : 

"Who  were  Messrs.  James  Don- 
nelly, James  Low,  and  Roger  Gough 
that  their  names  should  have  been 
bestowed  on  trees  ?  Were  they  growers 
or  buyers  of  timber?  Was  the  first 
of  the  list  any  relative  of  the  Minne- 
sota lawyer  who  holds  strange  views 
about  a  great  cryptogram  in  Shake- 
speare's plays  ?  Was  the  last  of  the 
three  any  relative  of  the  eminent 
soldier  who  won  the  battles  of  Sobraon 
and  Ferozeshah  ?  Or,  as  is  more  pro- 
bable, were  the  names  mere  corrup- 
tions of  aboriginal  words  now  lost  ?  " 

Roll  up,  v.  intr.  to  gather,  to 

assemble. 

1887.  J.  Farrell,  *  How  he  died,'  p.  26  : 
"  The  miners  all  rolled  up  to  see  the 

fun." 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  'Miner's Right,' 
c.  xx.  p.  185  : 

"  At  the  Warraluen  and  other  gold 
towns,  time  after  time  the  ominous 
words  'roll  up'  had  sounded  forth, 
generally  followed  by  the  gathering  of 
a  mighty  crowd." 

Roll-up,  n.  a  meeting.  See 
preceding  verb. 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  'Miner's Right,' 
c.  xxxv.  p.  308  : 

"  Making  as  much  noise  as  if  you'd 
hired  the  bell-man  for  a  roll-up  ?  " 

Roly-poly  Grass,  or  Roley- 
poley,  n.  name  given  to  Panicum 
macr actinium )  Benth.,  N.O.  Gra- 
minecR  ;  and  also  to  Salsola  Kali, 
Linn.,  N.O.  Salsolacece.  See  Grass. 


1859.  D.  Bunce,  'Travels  with  Dr.  Leich- 
hardt  in  Australia,'  pp.  167-8  : 

"Very  common  to  these  plains,  was 
a  large-growing  salsolaceous  plant,  be- 
longing to  the  Chenopodeaceae,  of 
Jussieu.  These  weeds  grow  in  the 
form  of  a  large  ball.  ...  No  sooner 
were  a  few  of  these  balls  (or,  as  we 
were  in  the  habit  of  calling  them, 
'  rolly-poleys ;)  taken  up  with  the 
current  of  air,  than  the  mules  began 
to  kick  and  buck.  .  .  ." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  ii.  p.  468  : 

"A  salsolaceous  plant  growing  in 
the  form  of  a  ball  several  feet  high.  In 
the  dry  season  it  withers,  and  is  easily 
broken  off  and  rolled  about  by  the 
winds,  whence  it  is  called  roley-poley 
by  the  settlers." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  100 : 

"Roly-Poly  Grass.  This  species 
produces  immense  dry  and  spreading 
panicles  ;  it  is  perennial,  and  seeds  in 
November  and  December.  It  is  a 
somewhat  straggling  species,  growing 
in  detached  tufts,  on  sand-hills  and 
sandy  soil,  and  much  relished  by 
stock." 

1896.  Baldwin  Spencer,  '  Home  Expedi- 
tion in  Central  Australia, 'Narrative,  p.  13? 

"  On  the  loamy  flats,  and  even  gibber 
plains,  the  most  noticeable  plant  is 
Salsola  kali,  popularly  known  as  the 
Rolly-polly.  It  is,  when  mature,  one 
of  the  characteristically  prickly  plants 
of  the  Lower  Steppes,  and  forms  great 
spherical  masses  perhaps  a  yard  or 
more  in  diameter." 

Roman  -  Lamp  Shell,  name 
given  in  Tasmania  to  a  brachiopod 
mollusc,  Waldheimia  flavescens, 
Lamarck. 

Roo,  a  termination,  treated  ear- 
lier as  the  name  of  an  animal.  It 
is  the  termination  of  potoroo\ 
wallaroo,  kangaroo.  See  especially 
the  last.  It  may  be  added  that 
it  is  very  rare  for  aboriginal 
words  to  begin  with  the  letter  *  r.' 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 


394 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[ROP-ROS 


Wales  '  [Observations  at  the  end,  by  Mr. 
John  Hunter,  the  celebrated  surgeon] : 

Plate'p.  272 — A  kangaroo.  Descrip- 
tion of  teeth. 

Plate  p.  278— Wha  Tapoua  Roo, 
about  the  size  of  a  Racoon  [probably  an 
opossum]. 

Plate  p.  286— A  Poto  Roo  or  Kan- 
garoo-Rat. 

Plate  p.  288— Hepoona  Roo. 

Rope,  v.  tr.  to  catch  a  horse  or 
bullock  with  a  noosed  rope.  It 
•comes  from  the  Western  United 
States,  where  it  has  superseded 
the  original  Spanish  word  lassot 
still  used  in  California. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  xxi.  p.  150 : 

"  You  could  '  rope '  .  .  .  any  Clifton 
colt  or  filly,  back  them  in  three  days, 
and  within  a  week  ride  a  journey." 

Ropeable,  adj.  (i)  Of  cattle  ; 
so  wild  and  intractable  as  to  be 
capable  of  subjection  only  by 
being  roped.  See  preceding 
word. 

(2)  By  transference:  intractable, 
angry,  out  of  temper. 

1891.  'The  Argus,'  Oct.  10,  p.  13, 
col.  4: 

"The  service  has  shown  itself  so 
'ropeable'  heretofore  that  one  ex- 
periences now  a  kind  of  chastened 
satisfaction  in  seeing  it  roped  and 
dragged  captive  at  Sir .  Frederick's 
saddle-bow." 

1896.  Modern.     In  school-boy  slang  : 

"You  must  not  chaff  him,  he  gets 
so  ropeable." 

Roping-pole,  n.  a  long  pole 
used  for  casting  a  rope  over 
an  animal's  head  in  the  stock- 
yard. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  iv.  p.  44: 

"  I  happened  to  knock  down  the 
superintendent  with  a  roping-pole." 

1895.  A.  B.  Paterson,  '  Man  from  Snowy 
River/  p.  125 : 
"  I'm  travelling  down  the  Castlereagh 

and  I'm  a  station-hand, 
I'm  handy  with  the  ropin'-pole,  I'm 
handy  with  the  brand, 


And  I  can  ride  a  rowdy  colt,  or 
swing  the  axe  all  day, 

But  there's  no  demand  for  a  station- 
hand  along  the  Castlereagh." 

Rosary-shell,  n.  In  Europe, 
the  name  is  applied  to  any  marine 
gastropod  shell  of  the  genus 
Monodonta.  In  Australia,  it  is 
applied  to  the  shell  of  Nerita 
atratci)  Lamarck,  a  marine  mol- 
lusc of  small  size  and  black  colour 
used  for  necklaces,  bracelets,  and 
in  place  of  the  ''beads"  of  a 
rosary. 

Rose,  11.  name  given  to  the 
Australian  shrub,  Boronia  serru- 
lata,  Sm.,  N.  O.  Rutacece.  It  has 
bright  green  leaves  and  very 
fragrant  rose-coloured  flowers. 

Rose-Apple,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Sweet  Plum.  See  under 
Plum. 

Rose-bush,  a  timber-tree, 
Eupomatia  laurina,  R.  Br.,  N,  O. 
Anonacece. 

Rose-hill,  n.  The  name  is 
given  by  Gould  as  applied  to  two 
Parrakeets — 

(1)  Platycercus  eximius,  Vig.  and 
Hors.,  called  by  the  Colonists  of 
New  South  Wales,  and  by  Gould, 
the  Rose-hill  Parrakeet. 

(2)  Platycercus  icterotis,  Wagl., 
called  by  the  Colonists  of  Swan 
River,  Western  Australia,  the  Rose- 
hill,   and    by   Gould    the   Earl  of 
Derby's  Parrakeet. 

The  modern  name  for  both 
these  birds  is  Rosella  (q.v.), 
though  it  is  more  specifically  con- 
fined to  the  first.  '  Rose-hill9  was 
the  name  of  the  Governor's  re- 
sidence at  Parramatta,  near  Syd- 
ney, in  the  early  days  of  the  set- 
tlement of  New  South  Wales,  and 
the  name  Rosella  is  a  settler's 
corruption  of  Rose-hitler,  though 
the  erroneous  etymology  from  the 


ROS-ROU] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


395 


Latin  rosella  (sc.  *  a  little  rose ') 
is  that  generally  given.  The 
word  Rosella,  however,  is  not  a 
scientific  name,  and  does  not 
appear  as  the  name  of  any  genus 
or  species  ;  it  is  vernacular  only, 
and  no  settler  or  bushman  is  likely 
to  have  gone  to  the  Latin  to  form 
it. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  v.  pi.  27  : 

"  Platycerctis  eximius,  Vig.  &  Hors. 
Rose-hill Parrakeet ;  Colonists  of  New 
South  Wales." 

Ibid.  vol.  v.  pi.  29  : 

"  Platycercus  icterotis,  Wagl.  The 
Earl  of  Derby's  Parrakeet ;  Rose-hill 
of  the  Colonists  [of  Swan  River]." 

Rosella,  n.  (i)  A  bird,  Platycer- 
cus eximius,  the  Rosehill  (q.v.). 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt, '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  80 : 

"  The  common  white  cockatoo,  and 
the  Moreton  Bay  Rosella  parrot,  were 
very  numerous." 

1884.  R.  L.  A.  Davies,  'Poems  and 
Literary  Remains,'  p.  99  : 

"  Saw  the  bright  rosellas  fly, 
With  breasts  that  glowed  like  sunsets 

In  the  fiery  western  sky." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  June  7,  p.  13, 
col.  5 : 

"The  solitudes  where  the  lorikeets 
and  rosellas  chatter." 

1896.  'The  Melburnian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 
60 : 

"As  [the  race]  sweeps  past  the 
Stand  every  year  in  a  close  bright 
mass  the  colours,  of  the  different  clubs, 
are  as  dazzling  and  gay  in  the  sun  as 
a  brilliant  flight  of  galahs  and  rosellas." 

(2)  In  Northern  Australia,  it  is 
a  slang  name  for  a  European  who 
works  bared  to  the  waist,  which 
some,  by  a  gradual  process  of 
discarding  clothing,  acquire  the 
power  of  doing.  The  scorching 
of  the  skin  by  the  sun  produces  a 
colour  which  probably  suggested 
a  comparison  with  the  bright 
scarlet  of  the  parrakeet  so  named. 

Rosemary,  n.  name   given   to 


the    shrub     Westringia     dampieri, 
R.Br.,^V.<9.  Labiate. 

1703.  W.  Dampier,  '  Voyage  to  New 
Holland,'  vol.  iii.  p.  138  : 

"There  grow  here  2  or  3  sorts  of 
Shrubs,  one  just  like  Rosemary  ;  and 
therefore  I  call'd  this  Rosemary  Island. 
It  grew  in  great  plenty  here,  but  had 
no  smell."  [This  island  is  in  or  near 
Shark's  Bay.] 

Rosemary,  Golden,  n.  name 
given  in  Tasmania  to  the  plant 
Oxylobium  ellipticum,  R.  Br.,  N.  O. 
Leguminosce. 

Rosemary,  Wild,  a  slender 
Australian  timber-tree,  Cassinia 
lavis,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Composite. 

Rose,  Native,  n.  i.q.  Bauer  a 
(q.v.). 

Rosewood,  name  given  to  the 
timber  of  three  trees,  (i)  Acacia 
glaucescens,  Willd.,  JV.O.  Legu- 
minosce, ;  called  also  Brigalow, 
Mountain  Brigalow,  and  Myall. 

( 2  )  Dysoxylon  fraserianum, 
Benth.,  N.O.  Meliacea ;  called 
also  Pencil  Cedar. 

(3)  Eremophila  mitchelli,  Benth. 
N.  O.    Myoporince;  called  also  San- 
dalwood. 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  i.  p.  203 : 

"  One  or  two  trees  of  a  warmer 
green,  of  what  they  call  '  rosewood,' 
I  believe  gave  a  fine  effect,  relieving 
the  sober  greyish  green  of  the  pendent 
acacia." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Ex- 
pedition,' p.  4: 

"  The  Rosewood  Acacia  of  Moreton 
Bay." 

Rough,  or  Roughy,  or  Ruffy, 
or  Ruffie,  n.  a  Victorian  fish,  Ar- 
ripis  georgianus,  Cuv.  and  Val., 
family  Percidce.  Arripis  is  the 
genus  of  the  Australian  fish  called 
Salmon,  or  Salmon-trout,  A. 
salar,  Giinth.  See  Salmon. 

1875.  'Spectator'  (Melbourne),  June 
19,  1881  : 

"  Common  fish,  such  as  trout,  ruffies 
mullet  .  .  and  others." 


396 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[ROU-RUN 


1890.     '  Victorian    Statutes— Fisheries, 
Second  Schedule  '  [Close  Season]  : 
"  Rough,  or  Roughy." 


Rough  Fig,  ». 

tree. 


See  under  Fig- 


See 


Rough-leaved    Fig,    n. 
under  fig-tree. 

Round,  v.  trans.,  contraction  of 
the  verb  to  round-up,  to  bring  a 
scattered  herd  together  ;  used  in 
all  grazing  districts,  and  com- 
mon in  the  Western  United 
States. 

The  Argus>'  June  23>  P-    lls 


1894. 

col.  4: 

"A  friend  of  mine  who  has  spent 
many  a  night  rounding  the  mob  on 
lonely  Queensland  cattle  camps  where 
hostile  blacks  were  as  thick  as  dingoes 
has  a  peculiar  aversion  to  one  plain 
covered  with  dead  gums,  because  the 
curlews  always  made  him  feel  miser- 
able when  crossing  it  at  night." 

Round  Yam,  n.  i.q.  Burdekin 
Vine.  See  under  Vine. 

Rouseabout,  n.  a  station-hand 
put  on  to  any  work,  a  Jack  of  all 
work,  an  *  odd  man.'  The  form 
'  roustabout  '  is  sometimes  used, 
but  the  latter  is  rather  an  Ameri- 
can word  (Western  States),  in  the 
sense  of  a  labourer  on  a  river 
boat,  a  deck-hand  who  assists  in 
loading  and  unloading. 

1887.  J.  Farrell,  '  How  he  died,'  p.  19  : 

"  It  may  be  the  rouseabout  swiper 

who  rode  for  the  doctor  that 

night, 

Is  in  Heaven  with  the  hosts  of  the 

Blest,  robed  and  sceptred,  and 

splendid  with  light." 

1890.    'The  Argus,'   Sept.    20,  p.    13, 

col.  6  : 

"The  'rouseabouts'  are  another 
class  of  men  engaged  in  shearing 
time,  whose  work  is  to  draft  the  sheep, 
fill  the  pens  for  the  shearers,  and  do 
the  branding.  .  .  .  The  shearers  hold 
themselves  as  the  aristocrats  of  the 
shed  ;  and  never  associate  with  the 
rouseabouts. 


1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia/  p.  58: 

"  While  we  sat  there,  a  rouseabout 
came  to  the  door.  '  Mountain  Jim's 
back,'  he  said.  There  was  no  'sir' 
in  the  remark  of  this  lowest  of  station- 
hands  to  his  master." 

1894.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald '  (date 
lost): 

"  A  rougher  person  —  perhaps  a 
happier  —  is  the  rouseabout,  who 
makes  himself  useful  in  the  shearing- 
shed.  He  is  clearly  a  man  of  action. 
He  is  sometimes  with  less  elegance, 
and  one  would  say  less  correctly, 
spoken  of  as  a  roustabout." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  wide,'  p.  98  [Title  of  poem,  '  Middle- 
ton's  Rouseabout ']  : 

"  Flourishing  beard  and  sandy, 
Tall  and  robust  and  stout ; 
This  is  the  picture  of  Andy, 
Middleton's  Rouseabout." 

Rowdy,  adj.  troublesome. 
Common  slang,  but  unusual  as 
applied  to  a  bullock  or  a  horse. 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  69 : 

"  Branding  or  securing  a  trouble- 
some or,  colonially,  a  'rowdy'  bullock." 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  'Man  from  Snowy 
River/ p.  125: 

"  And  I  can  ride  a  rowdy  colt,  or 
swing  the  axe  all  day." 

Rua,  n.  Maori  word  (used  in 
North  Island)  for  a  pit,  cave  or 
hole.  A  place  for  storing  roots, 
such  as  potatoes,  etc.  Formerly 
some  of  these  rua  had  carved 
entrances. 

Rufly  or  Ruffle,  n.  a  fish.  See 
Rough  or  Roughy. 

Run,  n.  (i)  Tract  of  land  over 
which  sheep  or  cattle  may  graze. 
It  is  curious  that  what  in  England 
is  called  a  sheep-ze>#/£,  in  Australia 
is  a  sheep-run.  In  the  Western 
United  States  it  is  a  sheep-ranch. 
Originally  the  squatter,  or  sheep- 
farmer,  did  not  own  the  land.  It 
was  unfenced,  and  he  simply  had 
the  right  of  grazing  or  "  running  " 


RUN-RUS] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


397 


his  sheep  or  cattle  on  it.  Subse- 
quently, in  many  cases,  he  pur- 
chased the  freehold,  and  the  word 
is  now  applied  to  a  large  station- 
property,  fenced  or  unfenced.  (See 
quotation,  1883.) 

1826.  Goldie,  in  Bischoff's  'Van  Die- 
men's  Land'  (1832),  p.  157  : 

"  It  is  generally  speaking  a  good 
sheep-run." 

1828.  Report  of  Van  Diemen's  Land 
Company,  in  Bischoff's  '  Van  Diemen's 
Land'  (1832),  p.  117: 

"A  narrow  slip  of  good  sheep-run 
down  the  west  coast." 

1844.  ' Port  Philip  Patriot,'  July  8,  p. 
4,  col.  3  : 

"The  thousand  runs  stated  as  the 
number  in  Port  Phillip  under  the  new 
regulations  will  cost  £12,800,000." 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  367  : 

"  '  Runs,'  land  claimed  by  the  squat- 
ter as  sheep-walks,  open,  as  nature  left 
them,  without  any  improvement  from 
the  squatter." 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  78  : 
"  The  runs  of  the  Narran  wide-dotted 
with  sheep, 

And  loud  with  the  lowing  of  cattle." 

1864.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Colony  of  Vic- 
toria,' p.  273  : 

"  Here  then  is  a  squatting  domain  of 
the  old  unhedged  stamp.  The  station 
or  the  '  run,'  as  these  squatting  areas 
are  called,  borders  upon  the  Darling, 
along  which  river  it  possesses  a  frontage 
of  thirty-five  lineal  miles,  with  a  back 
area  of  800  square  miles." 

1868.  J.  Bonwick,  'John  Batman, 
Founder  of  Victoria,'  p.  34  : 

"The  desire  of  some  to  turn  Van 
Diemen's  Land  into  a  large  squatter's 
run,  by  the  passing  of  the  Impounding 
Act,  was  the  immediate  cause,  he  told 
us,  of  his  taking  up  the  project  of  a 
poor  man's  country  elsewhere." 

1870.  '  A,'  '  Studies  in  Rhyme,'  p.  26  : 
41  Of  squatters'  runs  we've  oft  been 
told, 

The  People's  Lands  impairing." 

1883.  G.  W.  Rusden,  '  History  of  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  73  [Note]  : 

"  A  run  is  the  general  term  for  the 
tract  of  country  on  which  Australians 


keep  their  stock,   or    allow  them   to 
1  run.3" 

(2)  The  bower  of  the  Boiwr- 
bird  (q.v.). 

1840.  '  Proceedings  of  the  Zoological 
Society, 'p.  94: 

"  They  are  used  by  the  birds  as  a 
playing-house,  or  'run,' as  it  is  termed, 
and  are  used  by  the  males  to  attract 
the  females." 

Run-about,  n.  and  adj.  Run- 
abouts are  cattle  left  to  graze  at 
will,  and  the  runabout-yard,  is  the 
enclosure  for  homing  them. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xviii.  p.  218  : 

"'Open  that  gate,  Piambook,'  said 
Ernest  gravely,  pointing  to  the  one 
which  led  into  the  *  run-about '  yard." 

Run-hunting,  exploring  for  a 
new  run.  See  Run. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  xix.  p.  238  : 

"  What  do  you  say  if  I  go  run-hunting 
with  you  ?  " 

Running-Postman,  n.  a  Tas- 
manian  plant,  i.q.  Coral-Pea.  See 

Kennedya. 

Ruru,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
New  Zealand  bird,  the  More- 
pork,  Athene  novce-zelandia,  Gmel. 
(q.V.). 

1883.  F.  S.  Ren  wick,  'Betrayed,'  p.  45: 
"  The  ruru's  voice  re-echoes,  deso- 
late." 

Rush,  v.  (i)  Of  cattle :  to 
charge  a  man.  Contraction  for  to 
rush- at. 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  122  : 

"When  not  instigated  by  terror, 
wild  cattle  will  seldom  attack  the 
traveller ;  even  of  those  which  run  at 
him,  or  '  rush,'  as  it  is  termed,  few  will 
really  toss  or  gore,  or  even  knock  him 
down." 

(2)    To  attack  sheep;    i.e.    to 

cause  them  to  rush  about  or  away. 

1855.  G.  C.  Mimdy,  'Our  Antipodes,' 

P-  153 : 

"Sometimes  at   night  this   animal 


398 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[RUS 


[the  dingo]  will  leap  into  the  fold 
amongst  the  timid  animals  [sheep]  and 
so  'rush'  them — that  is,  cause  them  to 
break  out  and  disperse  through  the 
bush." 

(3)  To  break  through  a  barrier 
(of  men  or  materials).     Contrac- 
tion for  to  rush  past  or  through; 
e.g.   to    rush  a  cordon  of  police- 
men ;  to  rush  a  fence  (i.e.  to  break- 
down or  climb-over  it). 

(4)  To   take   possession  of,  or 
seize   upon,    either    by   force    or 
before  the  appointed  time.     Com- 
pare Jump. 

1896.  Modern: 

"  Those  who  had  no  tickets  broke 
through  and  rushed  all  the  seats.'1 

"  The  dancers  becoming  very  hungry 
did  not  stand  on  ceremony,  but  rushed 
the  supper." 

(5)  To  flood  with  gold-seekers. 
1887.  H.  H.  Hayter,  '  Christmas  Adven- 
ture,' p.  3  : 

"The  Bald  Hill  had  just  been 
rushed,  and  therefore  I  decided  to  take 
up  a  claim." 

Rush,  n.  (i)  The  hurrying  off 
of  diggers  to  a  new  field. 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,' p.  86: 

"  We  had  a  long  conversation  on  the 
1  rush,'  as  it  was  termed.' 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  'New  Rush,'  pt.  i., 
p.  19 : 

"  Arouse  you,  my  comrades,  for  rush  is 
the  word, 

Advance  to  the  strife  with  a  pick  for 
a  sword." 

1890.   'The  Argus,'  June  13,  p.  6,  col.  2  : 

"Fell  Timber  Creek,  where  a  new 
rush  had  set  in." 


(2)  A  place  where  gold  is  found, 
and    to    which     consequently    a 
crowd  of  diggers  "  rush." 

1855.  William  Howitt,  '  Land,  Labour 
and  Gold  ;  or  Two  Years  in  Victoria,'  vol. 
i.  p.  172  : 

"  It  is  a  common  practice  for  them 
to  mark  out  one  or  more  claims  in  each 
new  rush,  so  as  to  make  sure  if  it  turn 
out  well.  But  only  one  claim  at  a  time 
is  legal  and  tenable.  This  practice  is 
called  shepherding." 

1875.  '  Spectator '  (Melbourne),  May  22, 
p.  34,  col.  i  : 

"  The  Palmer  River  rush  is  a  perfect 
swindle." 

1875.  Wood  and  Lapham,  '  Waiting  for 
Mail,'  p.  34  : 

"  Off  we  set  to  the  Dunstan  rush, 
just  broken  out." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,    '  Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  92  : 

"  Morinish  was  a  worked-out  rush 
close  to  Rockhampton,  where  the  first 
attempt  at  gold-digging  had  been  made 
in  Queensland." 

(3)  A  stampede  of  cattle. 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,    'Bush    Life    in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  102  : 

"A  confused  whirl  of  dark  forms 
swept  before  him,  and  the  camp,  so  full 
of  life  a  minute  ago,  is  desolate.  It 
was  '  a  rush,'  a  stampede." 

Rush-broom,  n.  Australian 
name  for  the  indigenous  shrub 
Viminaria  denudata,  Sin.,  JV.O. 
Leguminosa.  The  flowers  are 
orange-yellow.  In  England,  it  is 
cultivated  in  greenhouses. 


Rusty  Fig,  n. 

tree. 


See  under  Fig- 


SAD-SAL] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


399 


S 


Saddle,  Colonial,  n. 

1885.  H.  Finch- Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  53  : 

"  The  colonial  saddle  is  a  shapeless, 
cumbersome  fabric,  made  of  rough 
leather,  with  a  high  pommel  and 
cantle,  and  huge  knee-pads,  weighing 
on  an  average  twenty  pounds.  The 
greatest  care  is  necessary  to  prevent 
such  a  diabolical  machine  from  giving 
a  horse  a  sore  back." 

[Mr.  Finch-Hatton's  epithet  is 
exaggerated.  The  saddle  is  well 
adapted  to  its  peculiar  local  pur- 
poses. The  projecting  knee-pads, 
especially,  save  the  rider  from 
fractured  knee-caps  when  gallop- 
ing among  closely  timbered  scrub. 
The  ordinary  English  saddle  is 
similarly  varied  by  exaggeration 
of  different  parts  to  suit  special 
requirements,  as  e.g.  in  the  mili- 
tary saddle,  with  its  enormous 
pommel ;  the  diminutive  racing 
saddle,  to  meet  handicappers' 
"bottom- weights,"  etc.  The 
mediaeval  saddle  had  its  turret- 
like  cantle  for  the  armoured 
spearman.] 

Saddle-Back,  n.  a  bird  of  the 
North  Island  of  New  Zealand, 
Creadion  carunculatus.  Cab.  See 
also  Jack-bird  and  Creadion. 

1868.  '  Transactions  of  the  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  Essay  on  Ornithology,  by  W. 
Buller,  vol.  i.  p.  5  : 

"  The  Saddle-back  (Creadion  carun- 
culatus)  of  the  North  is  represented  in 
the  South  by  C.  cinereus,  a  closely 
allied  species.'' 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open/ 
p.  64: 

"  It  is  the  sharp,  quick  call  of  the 
saddle-back." 


1886.  A.  Reischek,  'Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xix.  art. 
xxiii.  p.  102  : 

"  The  bird  derives  its  popular  name 
from  a  peculiarity  in  the  distribution 
of  its  two  strongly  contrasting  colours, 
uniform  black,  back  and  shoulders 
ferruginous,  the  shoulders  of  the  wings 
forming  a  saddle.  In  structure  it  re- 
sembles the  starling  (Sturmda)  ;  it  has 
also  the  wedge  bill." 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  18  : 

"Creadion  Carunculatus.  This  bird 
derives  its  popular  name  from  a  pecu- 
liarity in  the  distribution  of  its  too 
strongly  contrasted  colours,  black  and 
ferruginous,  the  latter  of  which  covers 
the  back,  forms  a  sharply  -  defined 
margin  across  the  shoulders,  and 
sweeps  over  the  wings  in  a  manner 
suggestive  of  saddle-flaps." 

Sagg,  n.  the  name  given  in 
Tasmania  to  the  plant  Xerotes 
longifolia,  R.Br.,  N.O.Juncecz,  and 
also  to  the  White  Iris,  Diplarhena 
morcea. 

Saliferous,  adj.  salt-bearing. 
See  Salt-bush.  The  word  is  used 
in  geology  in  ordinary  English, 
but  the  botanical  application  is 
Australian. 

1890.  E.  W.  Hornung,  'A  Bride  from 
the  Bush,'  p.  277  : 

"  You  have  only  to  cover  the  desert 
with  pale-green  saliferous  bushes,  no 
higher  than  a  man's  knee." 

Sallee,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  many  varieties  of  the  Acacia 
(q.v.). 

Sally,  Sallow,  n.  corruptions 
of  the  aboriginal  word  Sallee 
(q.v.).  There  are  many  varieties? 
e.g.  Black-Sally,  White-Sally,  etc. 


4oo 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SAL 


Salmon,  n.  The  English  Salmon 
is  being  acclimatised  with  diffi- 
culty in  Tasmania  and  New  Zea- 
land ;the  Trout  more  successfully. 
But  in  all  Australian,  New  Zea- 
land, and  Tasmanian  waters  there 
is  a  marine  fish  which  is  called 
Salmon  ;  it  is  not  the  true  Salmon 
of  the  Old  World,  but  Arripis 
salar,  Giinth.,  and  called  in  New 
Zealand  by  the  Maori  name 
Kahawai.  The  fish  is  often  called 
also  Salmon-Trout.  The  young  is 
called  Samson-fish  (q.v.). 

1798.  D.  Collins,  'Account  of  the 
English  Colony  of  New  South  Wales,'  p. 
136: 

[Sept.  1790.]  "  Near  four  thousand 
of  a  fish,  named  by  us,  from  its  shape 
only,  the  Salmon,  being  taken  at  two 
hauls  of  the  seine.  Each  fish  weighed 
on  an  average  about  five  pounds." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  93  : 

"The  kawai  has  somewhat  of  the 
habits  of  the  salmon,  entering  during 
spring  and  summer  into  the  bays, 
rivers,  and  fresh-water  creeks  in  large 
shoals." 

1880.  Giinther, '  Study  of  Fishes,'  p.  393  : 

"Arripis  salar,  South  Australia. 
Three  species  are  known,  from  the 
coasts  of  Southern  Australia  and  New 
Zealand.  They  are  named  by  the 
colonists  Salmon  or  Trout,  from  their 
elegant  form  and  lively  habits,  and 
from  the  sport  they  afford  to  the 
angler." 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  35  : 

"Arripis  salar,  Giinth.,  is  in  the 
adult  state  the  salmon  of  the  Austra- 
lian fishermen,  and  their  salmon 
trout  is  the  young.  .  .  .  The  most 
common  of  all  Victorian  fishes  .  .  . 
does  not  resemble  the  true  salmon  in 
any  important  respect  ...  It  is  the 
A.  truttacens  of  Cuvier  and  Valen- 
ciennes." 

Salmon-Trout,  n.  i.q.  Salmon 
(q.v.). 

Saloop-bush,  n.  name  given  to 
an  erect  soft-stemmed  bush,  Rha- 


godia hastata,  R.  Br.,  N.O.  Salsol- 
acecz,  one  of  the  Australian  Red- 
berries,  two  to  three  feet  high. 
See  Redberry  and  Salt-bush. 

Salsolaceous,  adj.  belongs  to 
the  natural  order  Salsolacea.  The 
shrubs  of  the  order  are  not  pecu- 
liar to  Australia,  but  are  com- 
moner there  than  elsewhere. 

1837.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  906  : 

"  Passing  tufts  of  samphire  and 
salsolaceous  plants." 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  '  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
c.  xlii.  ('  Century') : 

"It  is  getting  hopeless  now  .  .  . 
sand  and  nothing  but  sand.  The  sal- 
solaceous plants,  so  long  the  only 
vegetation  we  have  seen,  are  gone." 

Salt-bush,  n.  and  adj.  the  wild 
alkaline  herb  or  shrub,  growing 
on  the  interior  plains  of  Australia, 
on  which  horses  and  sheep  feed, 
of  the  N.O.  Salsolacea.  The 
genera  are  Atriplex,  Kochia,  and 
Rhagodia.  Of  the  large  growth, 
A.  nummularium,  Lindl.,  and  of 
the  dwarf  species,  A.  vesicarium, 
Reward,  and  A.  halimoides,  Lindl., 
are  the  commonest.  Some  species 
bear  the  additional  names  of  Cab- 
bage Salt-bush,  Old-Man  Salt-bush, 
Small  Salt-bush,  Blue-bush,  Cotton- 
bush,  Saloop-bush,  etc.  Some 
varieties  are  very  rich  in  salt. 
Rhagodia  par abolica,  R.Br.,  for  in- 
stance, according  to  Mr.  Stephen- 
son,  who  accompanied  Sir  T. 
Mitchell  in  one  of  his  expeditions, 
yields  as  much  as  two  ounces  of 
salt  by  boiling  two  pounds  of 
leaves. 

1870.  T.  H.  Braim, '  New  Homes,'  c.  ii. 
p.  89: 

"  This  inland  salt-bush  country  suits 
the  settler's  purpose  well." 

1889.  Cassell's '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iv.  p.  144 : 

"The  ground  is  covered  with  the 
sage-coloured  salt-bush  all  the  year 
round,  but  in  the  winter  it  blooms  with 
flowers." 


SAM-SAN] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


401 


1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  xxi.  p.  262  : 

"  How  glorious  it  will  be  to  see  them 
pitching  into  that  lovely  salt-bush  by 
the  lake." 

1892.  E.  W.  Hornung,  '  Under  Two 
Skies,'  p.  II  : 

"  The  surrounding  miles  of  salt-bush 
plains  and  low  monotonous  scrub 
oppressed  her  when  she  wandered 
abroad.  There  was  not  one  picturesque 
patch  on  the  whole  dreary  run." 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  'Man  from 
Snowy  River,'  p.  92  : 

"  Over  the  miles  of  the  salt-bush  plain — 
The  shining  plain  that  is  said  to  be 
The  dried-up  bed  of  an  inland  sea. 

For  those  that  love  it  and  under- 
stand, 

The  salt -bush  plain  is  a  wonder- 
land." 

Samson-fish,  n.  name  given  in 
Sydney  to  Seriola  hippos •,  Giinth., 
family  Carangidcz ;  and  in  Mel- 
bourne to  the  young  of  Arripis 
salar,  Richards.,  family  Percida. 
See  Salmon. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  «  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  60  : 

"  The  samson-fish  (Seriola  hippos, 
Giinth.)  is  occasionally  caught  .  .  . 
The  great  strength  of  these  fishes  is 
remarkable,  and  which  probably  is  the 
cause  that  gave  it  the  name  of  Samson- 
fish,  as  sailors  or  shipwrights  give  to 
the  name  of  a  strong  post  resting  on 
the  keelson  of  a  ship,  and  supporting 
the  upper  beam,  and  bearing  all  the 
weight  of  the  deck  cargo  near  the  hold, 
Samson-post." 

Sandalwood,  n.  The  name  is 
given  to  many  Australian  trees 
from  the  strong  scent  of  their 
timber.  They  are — 

Of  the  N.O.  Santalacea— 

Exocarposlatifolia,  R.Br. ;  called 

Scrub-  Sandalwood. 
Fusanus  spicatus,  R.Br.  ;    called 

Fragrant  Sandalwood. 
Santalum  lanceolatum,  R.Br. 
S.  obtusifolium,  R.Br. 


Santalum  persicarium,  F.  v.  M.  ; 

called  Native  Sandalwood. 
Of  the  N.O.  Myoporina— 

Eremophila  mitchelli,  Benth.  ; 
called  also  Rosewood  and 
Bastard-Sandalwood. 

E.  sturtii,  R.Br.  ;  called  curi- 
ously the  Scentless  Sandalwood. 

Myoporum  platycarpum,    R.Br.; 

called  also  Dogwood  (q.v.). 
Of  the  N.O.  Apocynece— 

Alyxia  buxifolia,  R.Br.  ;  called 
Native  Sandalwood  in  Tas- 
mania. 

Sandfly-bush,  n.  Australian 
name  for  the  indigenous  tree 
Zieria  smithii,  Andr.,  N.O.  Ru- 
tacea.  Called  also  Turmeric,  and 
in  Tasmania,  Stinkwood. 

Sand-Lark,  n.  name  given  in 
Australia  to  the  Red-capped  Dot- 
trel, Charadrius  ruficapilla,  Temm. 

1867.  W.  Richardson,  '  Tasmanian 
Poems,'  pref.  p.  xi  : 

"The    nimble  sand -lark    learns    his 
pretty  note." 

Sandpiper,  n.  About  twenty 
species  of  this  familiar  sea-bird 
exist.  It  belongs  especially  to 
the  Northern  Hemisphere,  but  it 
performs  such  extensive  migra- 
tions that  in  the  northern  winter 
it  is  dispersed  all  over  the  world. 
('Century.')  The  species  observed 
in  Australia  are — 

Bartram's  Sandpiper — 

Tringa  bar tr ami. 
Common  S. — 

Actitis  hypoleucos,  Linn. 
Great  S.— 

Tringa  crassirostris,  Temm.  and 

Schleg. 
Grey-rumped  S. — 

T.  brevisses. 

Sandplover,  n.  a  bird  of  New 
Zealand.  According  to  Professor 
Parker,  only  two  genera  of  this 
common  bird  are  to  be  found  in 

D  D 


402 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SAN-SAR 


New  Zealand.  There  is  no  bird 
bearing  the  name  in  Australia. 
See  Plover  and  Wry-billed  Plover. 

1889.  Prof.  Parker,  « Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  116  : 

"  But  two  genera  of  the  group  [Wad- 
ing Birds]  are  found  only  in  New 
Zealand,  the  Sandplover  and  the 
curious  Wry-billed  Plover." 

Sand-stay,  n.  a  characteristic 
name  for  the  Coast  Tea-Tree,  Lepto- 
spermum  Itzvigatum,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O. 
MyrtacecB.  See  Tea-Tree. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  642 : 

"  Sandstay.  Coast  Tea-Tree.  This 
shrub  is  the  most  effectual  of  all 
for  arresting  the  progress  of  drift- 
sand  in  a  warm  climate.  It  is  most 
easily  raised  by  simply  scattering  in 
autumn  the  seeds  on  the  sand,  and 
covering  them  loosely  with  boughs,  or, 
better  still,  by  spreading  lopped-off 
branches  of  the  shrub  itself,  bearing 
ripe  seed,  on  the  sand.  (Mueller.)  " 

Sandy,  n.  a  Tasmanian  fish, 
Uphritis  iirvillii,  Cuv.  and  Val., 
family  Trachinidce ;  also  called 
the  Fresh-water  Flathead.  See 
Flathead. 

Sandy-blight,  n.  a  kind  of  oph- 
thalmia common  in  Australia,  in 
which  the  eye  feels  as  if  full  of 
sand.  Called  also  shortly,  Blight. 

Shakspeare  has  sand-blind  (M. 
of  V.  II.  ii.  31)  ;  Launcelot  says — 

"  O  heavens,  this  is  my  true-be- 
gotten father !  who,  being  more  than 
sand-blind,  high-gravel  blind,  knows 
me  not." 

On  this,  the  American  commen- 
tator, Mr.  Rolfe,  notes — 

"  Sand-blind.  Dim  of  sight  ;  as  if 
there  were  sand  in  the  eye,  or  perhaps 
floating  before  it.  It  means  something 
more  than  purblind." 

"As  if  there  were  sand  in  the 
eye," — an  admirable  description 
of  the  Australian  Sandy-blight. 

1869.  J.  F.  Blanche,  'The  Prince's 
Visit,'  p.  20  : 

"  The  Prince  was  suff 'ring  from  the 
sandy  blight." 


1870.  E.  B.  Kennedy,  '  Four  Years  in 
Queensland,'  p.  46  : 

"Sandy-blight  occurs  generally  in 
sandy  districts  in  the  North  Kennedy  ; 
it  may  be  avoided  by  ordinary  care, 
and  washing  the  eyes  after  a  hot  ride 
through  sandy  country.  It  is  a  species 
of  mild  ophthalmia." 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  <  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  78  : 

"He  had  pretty  near  lost  his  eye- 
sight with  the  sandy  blight,  which 
made  him  put  his  head  forward  when 
he  spoke,  as  if  he  took  you  for  some 
one  else,  or  was  looking  for  what  he 
couldn't  find." 

Sarcophile,  and  Sarcophilus,  n. 
the  scientific  name  of  the  genus 
of  carnivorous  marsupial  animals 
of  which  the  Tasmanian  Devil 
(q.v.)  is  the  only  known  living 
species.  (Grk.  o-ap/cos,  flesh,  and 
/,  to  love.) 


Sardine,  n.  name  given  in 
Australia  to  a  fresh-water  fish, 
Chatoessus  erebi,  Richards.,  of  the 
herring  tribe,  occurring  in  West 
and  North-West  Australia,  and 
in  Queensland  rivers,  and  which 
is  called  in  the  Brisbane  river  the 
Sardine.  It  is  the  Bony  Bream  of 
the  New  South  Wales  rivers,  and 
the  Perth  Herring  of  Western 
Australia. 

Sarsaparilla,  Australian  or 
Native,  n.  (i)  An  ornamental 
climbing  shrub,  Hardenbergia 
monophylla,  Benth.,  N.O.  Legumt- 
nosa.  Formerly  called  Kennedy  a 
(q.v.).  (2)  Smilax  glycyphylla, 
Smith,  N.  O.  Liliacea. 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey,  '  Synopsis  of 
Queensland  Flora,'  p.  114: 

"  Native  Sarsaparilla.  The  roots  of 
this  beautiful  purple-flowered  twiner 
(Hardenbergia  monophylla}  are  used 
by  bushmen  as  a  substitute  for  the 
true  Sarsaparilla,  which  is  obtained 
from  a  widely  different  plant." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  189  : 

"  Commonly,    but    wrongly,    called 


SAS-SAT] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


403 


*  Native  Sarsaparilla.'  The  roots  are 
sometimes  used  by  bushmen  as  a 
substitute  for  the  true  sarsaparilla 
(Smilax\  but  its  virtues  are  purely 
imaginary.  It  is  a  common  thing  in 
the  streets  of  Sydney,  to  see  persons 
with  large  bundles  of  the  leaves  on 
their  shoulders,  doubtless  under  the 
impression  that  they  have  the  leaves 
of  the  true  Sarsaparilla,  Smilax  glycy- 
P/iylla." 

1896.  '  The  Argus,'  Sept.  8,  p.  7,  col.  I : 
"  He  will  see,  too,  the  purple  of  the 
sarsaparilla  on  the  hill-sides,  and  the 
golden  bloom  of  the  wattle  on  the  flats, 
forming  a  beautiful  contrast  in  tint. 
Old  diggers  consider  the  presence  of 
sarsaparilla  and  the  ironbark  tree  as 
indicative  of  the  existence  of  golden 
wealth  below.  Whether  these  can  be 
accepted  as  indicators  in  the  vegetable 
kingdom  of  gold  below  is  questionable, 
but  it  is  nevertheless  a  fact  that  the 
sarsaparilla  and  the  ironbark  tree  are 
common  on  most  of  Victoria's  gold- 
fields." 

Sassafras,  n.  corruption  of 
Saxafras,  which  is  from  Saxi- 
frage. By  origin,  the  word  means 
"stone-breaking,"  from  its  medic- 
inal qualities.  The  true  Sassafras 
(S.  officinale)  is  the  only  species  of 
the  genus.  It  is  a  North-American 
tree,  about  forty  feet  high,  but  the 
name  has  been  given  to  various 
trees  in  many  parts  of  the  world, 
from  the  similarity,  either  of  their 
appearance  or  of  the  real  or  sup- 
posed medicinal  properties  of 
their  bark. 

In  Australia,  the  name  is  given 
to— 

Atherosperma  moschatum,  Labill., 
N.  O.  Monimiacecz  ;  called 
Native  Sassafras,  from  the 
odour  of  its  bark,  due  to  an 
essential  oil  closely  resemb- 
ling true  Sassafras  in  odour. 
(Maiden.) 

Beilschmiedia  obtusifolia,  Benth., 
N.O.Lauracece;  called  Queens- 
land Sassafras,  a  large  and 
handsome  tree. 


Cryptocarya  glaucescens,  R.Br., 
N.  O.  LauracecR  ;  the  Sassafras 
of  the  early  days  of  New 
South  Wales,  and  now  called 
Black  Sassafras. 

Daphnandra  micrantha,  Benth., 
N.  O.  Monimiacece;  called  also 
Satinwood,  and  Light  Yellow- 
wood. 

Doryphora  sassafras,  Endl.,  N.O. 
Monimiacecz. 

Grey  Sassafras  is  the  Moreton- 
Bay  Laurel.  See  Laurel. 

The  New  Zealand  Sassafras 
is  Laurelia  novce-zelandia. 

1834.  Ross,  'Van  Diemen's  Land  An- 
nual,' p.  134: 

"The  leaves  of  these  have  been 
used  as  substitutes  for  tea  in  the 
colony,  as  have  also  the  leaves  and 
bark  of  Cryptocarya  glaucescens,  the 
Australian  sassafras." 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  ii.  p.  166  : 

"  The  beautiful  Tasmanian  sassa- 
fras-tree is  also  a  dweller  in  some 
parts  of  our  fern-tree  valleys.  .  .  .  The 
flowers  are  white  and  fragrant,  the 
leaves  large  and  bright  green,  and  the 
bark  has  a  most  aromatic  scent,  be- 
sides being,  in  a  decoction,  an  excel- 
lent tonic  medicine.  .  .  .  The  sawyers 
and  other  bushmen  familiar  with  the 
tree  call  it  indiscriminately  *  saucifax,7 
'  sarserfrax,'  and  '  satisfaction.' " 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  '  Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  206  : 

"  A  Tasmanian  timber.  Height,  40 
ft. ;  dia.,  14  in.  Found  on  low,  marshy 
ground.  Used  for  sashes  and  door- 
frames." 

1894.  '  Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue — 
Economic  Woods,'  No.  36  : 

"  Atherosperma  moschatum,  Victor- 
ian sassafras-tree,  N.O.  Monimiacece" 

Satin-bird,  n.  another  name  for 
the  Satin  Bower-bird.  See  Bower- 
bird. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  '  Trans- 
actions of  Linnsean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p. 
264: 

"The  natives  call  it  Cowry,  the 
colonists  Satin-Bird." 


404 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SAT-SCiT 


Satin-Robin,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
name  for  the  Satin  Fly-catcher, 
Myiagra  nitida,  Gould. 

Satin-Sparrow,  n.  Same7  as 
Satin-Robin  (q.v.). 

Satinwood,  n.  a  name  applied 
to  two  Australian  trees  from  the 
nature  of  their  timber — Xantho- 
xylum  brachyacanthum,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Rutacece,  called  also  Thorny 
Yellow-wood ;  Daphnandra  mic- 
rantha,  Benth.,  N.O.  Monimiacece^ 
called  also  Light  Yellow-wood  and 
Sassafras  (q.v.). 

Saw-fish,  n.  a  species  of  Ray, 
Pristis  zysron,  Bleek,  the  Australa- 
sian representative  of  the  Pristidce 
family,  or  Saw-fishes,  Rays  of  a 
shark-like  form,  with  long,  flat 
snouts,  armed  along  each  edge 
with  strong  teeth. 

1851.  '  Papers  and  Proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
vol.  i.  p.  223  [J.  E.  Bicheno,  June  8,  1850, 
in  epist.] : 

"  Last  week  an  old  fisherman  brought 
me  a  fine  specimen  of  a  Saw-fish,  caught 
in  the  Derwent.  It  turned  out  to  be 
the  Pristis  cirrhatus, — a  rare  and 
curious  species,  confined  to  the  Aus- 
tralian seas,  and  first  described  by  Dr. 
Latham  in  the  year  1793." 

Sawyer,  n.  (i)  Name  applied  by 
bushmen  in  New  Zealand  to  the 
insect  Weta  (q.v.).  (2)  A  trunk 
embedded  in  the  mud  so  as  to 
move  with  the  current — hence 
the  name  :  a  snag  is  fixed.  (An 
American  use  of  the  word.)  See 
also  Snag. 

1873.  J.  B.  Stephens,  'Black  Gin,'  p. 
22: 

"  By  Fitzroy's  rugged  crags, 
Its  *  sawyers '  and  its  snags, 
He  roamed." 

Sceloglaux,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  the  genus  containing  the 
New  Zealand  bird  called  the 
Laughing  Owl  (see  \mderjackass). 
The  name  was  given  by  Kaup  in 


1848 ;  the  bird  had  been  pre- 
viously classed  as  Athene  by  Gray 
in  1844.  It  is  now  nearly  extinct. 
Kaup  also  gave  the  name  of  Spi- 
loglaux  to  the  New  Zealand  Owl 
at  the  same  date.  The  words  are 
from  the  Greek  yAav£,  an  owl, 
o-Tu'A.09,  a  spot,  and  o-Ke'Aos,  a  leg. 

Scent -wood,  a  Tasmanian 
evergreen  shrub,  Alyxia  buxifolia^ 
R.Br.,  N.O.  Apocynea,  of  the 
dogbane  family. 

Schnapper,  n.  or  Snapper,  a 
fish  abundant  in  all  Australasian 
waters,  Pagrus  unicolor,  Cuv.  and 
Val.  The  latter  spelling  was  the 
original  form  of  the  word  (one 
that  snaps).  It  was  gradually 
changed  by  the  fishermen,  per- 
haps of  Dutch  origin,  to  Schnap- 
per,  the  form  now  general.  The 
name  Snapper  is  older  than  the 
settlement  of  Australia,  but  it  is 
not  used  for  the  same  fish. 
'  O.E.D.,'  s.v.  Cavally,  quotes  : 

1657.   R.  Ligon,  '  Barbadoes/  p.  12  : 

"Fish  ...  of  various  kinds  .  .  , 
Snappers,  grey  and  red ;  Cavallos, 
Carpians,  etc." 

The  young  are  called  Cock- 
schnapper  (q.v. )  ;  at  a  year  old  they 
are  called  Red-Bream;  at  two 
years  old,  Squire;  at  three, 
School- Schnapper  ;  when  they  cease 
to  "  school"  and  swim  solitary 
they  are  called  Natives  and  Rock- 
Natives.  Being  the  standard  by 
which  the  "  catch"  is  measured, 
the  full-grown  Schnappers  are  also 
called  Count-fish  (q.v.).  In  New 
Zealand,  the  Tamure  (q.v.)  is  also 
called  Schnapper>  and  the  name 
Red-Schnapper  is  given  to  Anthias 
richardsoni,  Giinth.,  or  Scorpis 
hectori)  Hutton.  See  quotation, 
1882. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  68  : 

"  King-fish,  mullet,  mackarel,  rock- 
cod,  whiting,  snapper,  bream,  flat- 


SCH-SCR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


405 


heads,  and  various  other  descriptions 
of  fishes,  are  all  found  plentifully 
about." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in 
Australia/  vol.  i.  p.  261  : 

"  The  kangaroos  are  numerous  and 
large,  and  the  finest  snappers  I  have 
ever  heard  of  are  caught  off  this  point, 
weighing  sometimes  as  much  as  thirty 
pounds." 

[The  point  referred  to  is  that  now 
called  Schnapper  Point,  at  Mornington, 
in  Victoria.] 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  39  : 

"  The  genus  Pagrus,  or  as  we  term 
it  in  the  vernacular,  'schnapper,'  a 
word  of  Dutch  origin  .  .  .  The  schnap- 
per  or  snapper.  The  schftapper 
(Pagrus  um 'color ;  Cuv.  and  Val.)  is  the 
most  valuable  of  Australian  fishes,  not 
for  its  superior  excellence  .  .  .  but  for 
the  abundant  and  regular  supply  .  .  . 
At  a  still  greater  age  the  schnapper 
seems  to  cease  to  school  and  becomes 
what  is  known  as  the  'native'  and 
'  rock-native,'  a  solitary  and  sometimes 
enormously  large  fish." 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 
407,  col.  5 : 

"  The  fish,  snapper,  is  so  called  be- 
cause it  snapped.  The  spelling  with 
'  ch '  is  a  curious  after-thought,  sug- 
gestive of  alcohol.  The  name  cannot 
come  from  schnapps." 

School-Schnapper,  n.  a  fish. 
A  name  given  to  the  Schnapper 
when  three  years  old.  See 
Schnapper. 

Scorpion,  «.  another  name  for 
the  New  South  Wales  fish  Penta- 
roge  marmorata,  Cuv.  and  Val. ; 
called  also  the  Fortescue.  (q.v.), 
and  the  Cobbler. 

Scotchman,  n.  a  New  Zealand 
name  for  a  smaller  kind  of  the 
grass  called  Spaniard  (q.v.). 

1895.  W.  S.  Roberts,  '  Southland  in 
1856,' p.  39: 

"  As  we  neared  the  hills  speargrass 
of  the  smaller  kind,  known  as  '  Scotch- 
men,' abounded,  and  although  not  so 
strong  and  sharp -pointed  as  the 
'  Spaniard,'  would  not  have  made  a 
comfortable  seat." 


1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  28.  p. 
407.  col.  5 : 

".  .  .  national  appellations  are  not 
satisfactory.  It  seems  uncivil  to  a 
whole  nation  —  another  injustice  to 
Ireland — to  call  a  bramble  a  wild 
Irishman,  or  a  pointed  grass,  with  the 
edges  very  sharp  and  the  point  like  a 
bayonet,  a  Spaniard.  One  could  not 
but  be  amused  to  find  the  name  Scotch- 
man applied  to  a  smaller  kind  of 
Spaniard/"' 

Scribbly-Gum,  n.  also  called 
White-Gum,  Eucalyptus  hcemas- 
toma,  Sm.,  N.O.  Myrtacece.  See 
Gum. 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey,  '  Synopsis  of 
Queensland  Flora,'  p.  174  : 

"Scribbly  or  White-Gum.  As  regards 
timber  this  is  the  most  worthless  of 
the  Queensland  species.  A  tree,  often 
large,  with  a  white,  smooth,  deciduous 
bark,  always  marked  by  an  insect  in  a 
scribbly  manner." 

Scrub,  n.  country  overgrown 
with  thick  bushes.  Henry  Kings- 
ley's  explanation  (1859),  that  the 
word  means  shrubbery,  is  singu- 
larly misleading,  the  English 
word  conveying  an  idea  of 
smallness  and  order  compared 
with  the  size  and  confusion  of 
the  Australian  use.  Yet  he  is 
etymologically  correct,  for  Scrobb 
is  Old  English  (Anglo-Saxon) 
for  shrub  ;  but  the  use  had  dis- 
appeared in  England. 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  'Southern  Australia,' 
vol.  i.  c.  i.  p.  21  : 

"  We  encamped  about  noon  in  some 
scrub." 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  '  Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  i.  p.  213  : 

"A  number  of  gins  and  children 
remained  on  the  borders  of  the  scrub, 
half  a  mile  off." 

1844.  J.  A.  Moore,  '  Tasmanian  Rhym- 
ings  '  (1860),  p.  13  : 

"  Here  Nature's  gifts,  with  those  of 

man  combined, 

Hath  [sic]  from  a  scrub  a  Paradise 
defined." 


406 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SCR 


1848.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Australia  Felix,' 
p.  24: 

"The  colonial  term  scrub,  of  fre- 
quent and  convenient  use  in  the 
description  of  Australian  scenery,  is 
applicable  to  dense  assemblages  of 
harsh  wild  shrubbery,  tea-tree,  and 
other  of  the  smaller  and  crowded 
timber  of  the  country,  and  somewhat 
analogous  to  the  term  jungle." 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  '  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  155  [Footnote] : 

"  Scrub.  I  have  used,  and  shall  use, 
this  word  so  often  that  some  explana- 
tion is  due  to  the  English  reader.  I 
can  give  no  better  definition  of  it  than 
by  saying  that  it  means  *  shrubbery.' " 
1864.  J.  McDouall  Stuart,  '  Exploration 
in  Australia,'  p.  153  : 

"At  four  miles  arrived  on  the  top, 
through  a  very  thick  scrub  of  mulga." 
1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  c.  v.  p.  78  : 

"  Woods  which  are  open  and  pass- 
able— passable  at  any  rate  for  men  on 
horseback — are  called  bush.  When 
the  undergrowth  becomes  thick  and 
matted,  so  as  to  be  impregnable 
without  an  axe,  it  is  scrub." 

[Impregnability  is  not  a  necessary 
point  of  the  definition.  There  is 
"light"  scrub,  and  "heavy"  or  "thick" 
scrub.] 

1883.  G.  W.  Rusden,  '  History  of  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  67  [Note] : 

"Scrub  was  a  colonial  term  for 
dense  undergrowth,  like  that  of  the 
mallee-scrub." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Australian  Life,' 
p.  7: 

"Where  ...  a  belt  of  scrub  lies 
green,  glossy,  and  impenetrable  as 
Indian  jungle."  (p.  8)  :  "  The  nearest 
scrub,  in  the  thickets  of  which  the 
Blacks  could  always  find  an  impene- 
trable stronghold." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  36  : 

"  A  most  magnificent  forest  of  trees, 
called  in  Australia  a  *  scrub,'  to 
distinguish  it  from  open  timbered 
country." 

1890.  J.  McCarthy  and  R.  M.  Praed, 
'  Ladies'  Gallery,'  p.  252  : 

"  Why,  I've  been  alone  in  the  scrub 
— in  the  desert,  I  mean;  you  wil1 
understand  that  better." 


1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals,' 
P-  374 : 

"  One  more  prominent  feature  in 
Australian  vegetation  are  the  large 
expanses  of  the  so-called  'scrub'  of 
the  colonists.  This  is  a  dense  covering 
of  low  bushes,  varying  in  composition 
in  different  districts,  and  named  ac- 
cording to  the  predominating  element." 

1893.  A.    R.    Wallace,     'Australasia,' 
vol.  i.  p.  46  : 

"Just  as  Tartary  is  characterised  by 
its  steppes,  America  by  its  prairies, 
and  Africa  by  its  deserts,  so  Australia 
has  one  feature  peculiar  to  itself,  and 
that  is  its  '  scrubs.'  .  .  .  One  of  the 
most  common  terms  used  by  explorers 
is  'Mallee'  scrub,  so  called  from  its 
being  composed  of  dwarf  species  of 
Eucalyptus  called  the  '  Mallee '  by  the 
Natives.  .  .  .  Still  more  dreaded  by 
the  explorer  is  the  '  Mulga '  scrub,  con- 
sisting chiefly  of  dwarf  acacias.'' 

1894.  E.  Favenc,  '  Tales  of  the  Austral 
Tropics,'  p.  3  : 

"  Even  more  desolate  than  the  usual 
dreary-looking  scrub  of  the  interior 
of  Australia."  [p.  6]:  "The  sea  of 
scrub." 

1896.    A.    B.     Paterson,    'Man    from 
Snowy  River,'  p.  25  : 
"Born  and  bred  on   the  mountain- 
side, 

He   could  race  through  scrub  like 
a  kangaroo." 

Scrub,  adj.  and  in  composition. 
The  word  scrub  occurs  constantly 
in  composition.  See  the  following 
words. 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,' 
p.  113  : 

"  We  gathered  the  wild  raspberries, 
and  mingling  them  with  gee-bongs, 
and  scrub-berries,  set  forth  a  dessert." 

Scrub-bird,  n.  name  given  to 
two  Australian  birds,  of  the  genus 
Atrichia.  (Grk.  arpixos  =  without 
hair.)  They  are  the  Noisy  Scrub- 
bird,  Atrichia  clamosa,  Gould,  and 
the  Rufous  S.-b.,  A.  rufescens, 
Ramsay. 

1869.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
'  Supplement,'  pi.  26  : 

"The  Scrub-bird  creeps  mouse-like 


SCR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


407 


over  the  bark,  or  sits  on  a  dripping 
stem  and  mocks  all  surrounding  notes." 

Scrub-cattle,  n.  escaped  cattle 
that  run  wild  in  the  scrub  >  used 
as  a  collective  plural  of  Scrubber 
(q.v.). 

i860.  A.  L.  Gordon,  '  The  Sick  Stock- 
rider' [in  'Bush-Ballads,'  1876],  p.  8  : 

"'Twas  merry  'mid  the  blackwoods, 

when  we  spied  the  station  roofs, 

To  wheel  the  wild  scrub-cattle  at 

the  yard, 
With  a  running  fire  of  stock-whips 

and  a  fiery  run  of  hoofs, 
Oh !  the  hardest  day  was  never 
then  too  hard." 

Scrub-Crab,  n.  a  Queensland 
fruit.  The  large  dark  purple  fruit, 
tw.o  inches  in  diameter,  of  Sidero- 
ocylon  australe,  Benth.  and  Hook., 
N.  O.  Saponacea  ;  a  tall  tree. 

Scrub-dangler,  n.  a  wild  bul- 
lock. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrevvood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xvi.  p.  193  : 

"  He  is  one  of  those  infernal  scrub- 
danglers  from  the  Lachlan,  come  across 
to  get  a  feed." 

Scrub-fowl,  n.  name  applied 
to  birds  of  the  genus  Megapodius. 

See  Megapode. 

Scrub-Gum,  n.     See  Gum. 
Scrub-hen,  i.q.  Scrub-fowl. 

Scrub-Ironwood,  n.  See  Iron- 
wood. 

Scrub-Myrtle,  n.     See  Myrtle. 
Scrub-Oak,  n.     See  Oak. 
Scrub-Pine,  n.     See  Pine. 

Scrub-Poison-tree,    n.        See 

Poison-tree. 

Scrub-rider,  n.  a  man  who 
rides  through  the  scrub  in  search 
of  Scrub-cattle  (q.v.). 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,4  Bush  Life  in  Queens- 
land,' vol.  i.  p.  278  : 

"  A  favourite  plan  among  the  bold 
scrub-riders." 

Scrub-Robin,    n.    the    modern 


name  for  any  bird  of  the  genus 
Drymodes. 

1848.  J.  Gould, '  Birds  of  Australia, '  vol. 
iii.  pi.  10 : 

"  Drymodes  Brunneopygia,  Gould, 
Scrub-Robin.  I  discovered  this  singu- 
lar bird  in  the  great  Murray  Scrub  in 
South  [sc.  Southern]  Australia,  where 
it  was  tolerably  abundant.  I  have 
never  seen  it  from  any  other  part  of  the 
country,  and  it  is  doubtless  confined  to 
such  portions  of  Australia  as  are 
clothed  with  a  similar  character  of 
vegetation.'' 

1895.  W.  O.  Legge,  'Australasian  As- 
sociation for  the  Advancement  of  Science ' 
(Brisbane),  p.  447 : 

"As  regards  portions  of  Gould's 
English  nomenclatures,  such  as  his 
general  term  *  Robin '  for  the  genera 
Petroica,  Pcecilodryas,  Eopsaltria^  it 
was  found  that  by  retaining  the  term 
'  Robin '  for  the  best  known  member 
of  the  group  (Petroica\  and  applying  a 
qualifying  noun  to  the  allied  genera, 
such  titles  as  Tree-robin,  Scrub-robin, 
and  Shrike-robin  were  easily  evolved." 

Scrub-Sandalwood,  n.  See 
Sandalwood. 

Scrub-Tit,  n.     See  Tit. 

Scrub-tree,  n.  any  tree  that 
grows  in  the  scrub. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  219  : 

"Almost  all  the  Scrub-trees  of  the 
Condamine  and  Kent's  Lagoon  were 
still  to  be  seen  at  the  Burdekin." 

Scrub-Turkey,  n.  an  Australian 
bird,  Leipoa  ocellata,  Gould  ;  ab- 
original name,  the  Lowan  (q.v.). 
See  Turkey. 

Scrub- Vine,  n.  called  also 
Native  Rose.  See  Bauera  (q.v.). 

Scrub- Wren,  n.   any  little  bird 
of  the  Australian  genus  Sericornis. 
The  species  are — 
Brown  Scrub-Wren — 

Sericornis  humilis^  Gould. 
Buff-breasted  S.-W.— 

S.  l&vigaster,  Gould. 
Collared  S.-W.— 

S.  gutter  alts y  Gould, 


4o8 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SCR-SCY 


Large-billed  Scrub-Wren — 

Sericornis  magnirostris,  Gould. 
Little  S.-W.— 

£.  minimus,  Gould. 
Spotted  S.-W. — 

S.  maculatus,  Gould. 
Spotted-throated  S.-W.— 

S.  osculans,  Gould. 
White-browed  S.-W.— 

S.frontalis,  Vig.  &  Hors. 
Yellow-throated  S.-W.— 

S.  citreogularis,  Gould. 

Scrubber,  n.  (i)  a  bullock  that 
has  taken  to  the  scrub  and  so  be- 
come wild.  See  Scrub-cattle.  Also 
formerly  used  for  a  wild  horse, 
now  called  a  Brumby  (q.v.). 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  '  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
c.  xxix  : 

"The  captain  was  getting  in  the 
scrubbers,  cattle  which  had  been  left 
to  run  wild  through  in  the  mountains." 

1874.  W.  H.  L.  Ranken,  '  Dominion  of 
Australia,'  c.  vi.  p.  no : 

"  There  are  few  field-sports  anywhere 
.  .  .  equal  to  '  hunting  scrubbers.' " 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,'  Bush  Life  in  Queens- 
land,' vol.  i.  p.  93  : 

"  Out  flew  the  ancient  scrubber,  in- 
stinctively making  towards  his  own 
wild  domain." 

1887.  W.   S.  S.   Tyrwhitt,    'The  New 
Chum  in  the  Queensland  Bush,'  p.  151 : 

"  There  are  also  wild  cattle,  which 
are  either  cattle  run  wild  or  descend- 
ants of  such.  They  are  commonly 
called  '  scrubbers,'  because  they  live  in 
the  larger  scrubs." 

1888.  RolfBoldrewood, '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  405  : 

"  Here  I  am  boxed  up,  like  a  scrub- 
ber in  a  pound,  year  after  year." 

1893.  '  The  Argus,'  April  29,  p.  4,  col. 
4  ('  Getting  in  the  Scrubbers') : 

"The  scrubbers,  unseen  of  men, 
would  stay  in  their  fastnesses  all  day 
chewing  the  cud  they  had  laid  up  the 
night  before,  and  when  the  sun  went 
down  and  the  strident  laugh  of  the 
giant  kingfisher  had  given  place  to  the 
insidious  air-piercing  note  of  the  large- 
mouthed  podargus,  the  scrub  would 
give  up  its  inhabitants." 


(2)  A    starved-looking    or    ill- 
bred  animal. 

(3)  The  word  is  sometimes  ap- 
plied  to   mankind   in    the    slang 
sense   of  an    "  outsider."     It    is 
used    in     University     circles    as, 
equivalent  to  the  Oxford  "  smug," 
a  man  who   will  not  join  in  the 
life  of  the  place.     See  also  Bush- 
scrubber. 

1868.  'Colonial  Monthly,'  vol.  ii.  p. 
141  [art.  '  Peggy's  Christening']  : 

" '  I  can  answer  for  it,  that  they  are 
scrubbers — to  use  a  bush  phrase — 
have  never  been  brought  within  the 
pale  of  any  church.' 

'"Never  been  christened?'  asked 
the  priest. 

"  '  Have  no  notion  of  it — scrubbers, 
sir — never  been  branded.' " 

Scrubby,  adj.  belonging  to,  or 
resembling  scrub. 

1802.  Jas.  Flemming,  'Journal  of  the 
Exploration  of  C.  Grimes '  [at  Port  Phillip, 
Australia],  ed.  by  J.  J.  Shillinglaw,  1879, 
Melbourne,  p.  17  : 

"The  land  appeared  barren,  a 
scrubby  brush."  [p.  22]  :  "  The  trees 
low  and  scrubby." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  19  : 

"To-day  I  ...  passed  a  scrubby 
ironbark  forest." 

1849.  J.  P.  Townsend,  '  Rambles  in 
New  South  Wales,'  p.  216  : 

"  A  scrubby  country  is  a  stockman's 
abhorrence,  as  there  he  cannot  ride,  at 
least  at  any  pace." 

1868.  J.  A.  B.,  'Meta,'  c.  i.  p.  9 : 
"  'Twere  madness  to  attempt  to  chase,, 

In  such  a  wild  and  scrubby  place, 

Australia's  savage  steer." 

Scrubdom,  n.  the  land  of  scrub, 
1889.    C.    A.    Sherard,    '  Daughter    of 
South,'  p.  29  : 

"  My  forefathers  reigned  in  this  scrub- 
dom  of  old." 

Scythrops,  n.  scientific  name 
for  a  genus  of  birds  belonging  to 
the  Cuculida,  or  Cuckoos  (from 
Grk.  o-KvOpwTTOQ  =  angry-looking). 
The  only  species  known  is 
peculiar  to  Australia,  where  it  is, 


SFA-SET] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


409 


called  the  Channel-Bill,  a  name 
given  by  Latham  ('General  His- 
tory of  Birds,'  vol.  ii.).  White 
(1790)  calls  it  the  Anomalous  Horn- 
Mil  ('Journal  1790,'  pi.  at  p. 
142). 

Sea-Berry,  n.     See  Red-berry. 

Sea- Dragon,  n.  any  Australian 
fish  of  any  one  of  the  three  species 
of  the  genus  Phyllopteryx,  family 
Syngnathidce.  The  name  of  the 
genus  comes  from  the  Greek 
<jf>vAXov  =  a  leaf,  and  Trrepv^  =  a 
wing.  This  genus  is  said  by 
Giinther  to  be  exclusively  Aus- 
tralian. ' '  Protective  resemblance 
attains  its  highest  degree  of  de- 
velopment," he  says,  in  this 
genus.  "  Not  only  their  colour 
closely  assimilates  that  of  the 
particular  kind  of  sea-weed  which 
they  frequent,  but  the  append- 
ages of  their  spines  seem  to  be 
merely  part  of  the  fucus  to  which 
they  are  attached.  They  attain  a 
length  of  twelve  inches."  ('Study 
of  Fishes,'  p.  683.)  The  name,  in 
England,  is  given  to  other  and 
different  fishes.  The  species  P. 
foliatus  is  called  the  Superb  Dragon 
(q.v.),  from  the  beauty  of  its 
colours. 

Sea-Perch,  n.  a  name  applied 
to  different  fishes — in  Sydney,  to 
the  Morwong  (q.  v. )  and  Bull's-eye 
(q.v.) ;  in  New  Zealand,  to  Se- 
bastes  percoides,  called  Pohuiakawa 
(q.v.) ;  in  Melbourne,  to  Red- 
Gurnard  (q.v.).  See  Red  Gurnet- 
Perch. 

Sea-Pig,  n.  a  small  whale,  the 
Dugong.  See  under  Dugong-oiL 

1853.  S.  Sidney,  'Three  Colonies  of 
Australia,'  p.  267  : 

"  The  aborigines  eagerly  pursue  the 
dugong,  a  species  of  small  whale, 
generally  known  to  the  colonists  as 
the  sea-pig." 

Sea-Pike,   n.   a    fish   of   New 


South  Wales,  Lanioperca  mordax, 
Gimth.,  of  the  family  Sphyrcenidce* 
The  name  belongs  to  the  Sydney 
fish-market. 

Select,  v.  i.q.  Free-select  (q.v.). 

Selection,  n.  i.q.  Free-selection 
(q.v.). 

Selector,  n.  i.q.  Free-selector 
(q.v.). 

Sergeant  Baker,  n.  name  given 
to  a  fish  of  New  South  Wales, 
Aulopus  purpurissatus,  Richards., 
family  Scopelidce. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  82  : 

"  The  Sergeant  Baker  in  all  proba- 
bility got  its  local  appellation  in  the 
early  history  of  the  colony  (New  South 
Wales),  as  it  was  called  after  a  sergeant 
of  that  name  in  one  of  the  first  detach- 
ments of  a  regiment ;  so  were  also  two 
fruits  of  the  Geebong  tribe  (Persoonia)  ; 
one  was  called  Major  Buller,  and  the 
other  Major  Groce,  and  this  latter 
again  further  corrupted  into  Major 
Grocer." 

Settler's  Clock  (also  Hawkes- 
bury  Clock),  n.  another  name  for 
the  bird  called  the  Laughing-Jack- 
ass.  SQQ  Jackass. 

1896.  F.  G.  Aflalo,  '  Natural  History  of 
Australia,'  p.  114  : 

"  From  its  habit  of  starting  its  dis- 
cordant pasan  somewhere  near  sunrise 
and,  after  keeping  comparatively  quiet 
all  through  the  hotter  hours,  cackling 
a  'requiem  to  the  day's  decline,'  the 
bird  has  been  called  the  Settler's  clock. 
It  may  be  remarked,  however,  that 
this  by  no  means  takes  place  with  the 
methodical  precision  that  romancers 
write  of  in  their  letters  home." 

Settlers'  Matches,  n.  name 
occasionally  applied  to  the  long- 
pendulous  strips  of  bark  which 
hang  from  the  Eucalypts  and 
other  trees,  during  decortication, 
and  which,  becoming  exceedingly 
dry,  are  readily  ignited  and  used 
as  kindling  wood. 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SET-SHA 


1896.  H.  Lawson,    'When  the  World 
was  Wide, 'p.  84: 
"  In  the  silence  of  the  darkness  and 

the  playing  of  the  breeze, 
That  we  heard  the  settlers'  matches 
rustle  softly  in  the  trees." 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  June  13,  p. 
1133,  col.  I  : 

"  Re  settlers'  matches,  torches,  the 
blacks  in  the  South-east  of  South 
Australia  always  used  the  bark  of  the 
sheoak  to  carry  from  one  camp  to 
another  ;  it  would  last  and  keep  alight 
for  a  long  time  and  show  a  good  light 
to  travel  by  when  they  had  no  fire.  A 
fire  could  always  be  lighted  with  two 
grass  trees,  a  small  fork,  and  a  bit  of 
dry  grass.  I  have  often  started  a  fire 
with  them  myself." 

Settler's  Twine,  n.  a  fibre 
plant,  Gymnostachys  anceps,  R.Br., 
JV.O.  Aroidecz  ;  called  also  Travel- 
lers' Grass.  Much  used  by  farmers 
as  cord  or  string  where  strength 
is  required. 

Shag,  n.  common  English  bird- 
name  for  a  Cormorant  (q.v.). 
Gould,  fifty  years  ago,  enumer- 
ates the  following  as  Australian 
species,  in  his  *  Birds  of  Australia ' 
(vol.  vii.) — 

Plate 

Phalacrocorax  Carboidts,  Gould, 
Australian  Cormorant,  Black 
Shag,  Colonists  of  W.A 66 

P.  Hypoleucus,  Pied  C.,  Black  and 
White  Shag,  Colonists  of  W.  A.  68 

P.  Melanoleucus,  Vieill.,  Pied  C., 
Little  Shag,  Colonists  of  W.A.  70 

P.  Pnnctatus,  Spotted  C.,  Crested 
Shag  (Cook),  Spotted  Shag 
(Latham)  71 

P.  Leucogaster,  Gould,  White- 
breasted  C 69 

P.  Stictocephalus.  Bp.,  Little  Black 
C 67 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  185  : 

"Shags  started  from  dead  trees 
lying  half  immersed." 

Shagroon,7z.  When  the  province 
of  Canterbury,  in  New  Zealand, 
was  first  settled,  the  men  who 
came  from  England  were  called 


Pilgrims,  all  others  Skagroons, 
probably  a  modification  of  the 
Irish  word  Shaughraun. 

1877.  W.  Pratt,   '  Colonial  Experiences 
of  Incidents  of  Thirty-four  Years  in  New 
Zealand,'  p.  234 : 

"In  the  'Dream  of  a  Shagroon,' 
which  bore  the  date  Ko  Matinau,  April 
1851,  and  which  first  appeared  in  the 
'  Wellington  Spectator'  of  May  7,  the 
term  *  Pilgrim  '  was  first  applied  to  the 
settlers;  it  was  also  predicted  in  it 
that  the  'Pilgrims'  would  be  'smashed' 
and  the  Shagroons  left  in  undisputed 
possession  of  the  country  for  their 
flocks  and  herds." 

Shake,  v.  tr.  to  steal.  Very 
common  Australian  slang,  espe- 
cially amongst  school-boys  and 
bushmen.  It  was  originally 
Thieves'  English. 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  ii.  p.  9  : 

"  The  tent  of  a  surgeon  was  '  shook/ 
as  they  style  it — that  is,  robbed,  during 
his  absence  in  the  daytime." 

1878.  'The  Australian,'  vol.  i.  p.  418  : 
"  Crimean  shirts,  blankets,  and  all 

they  '  shake,' 

Which  I'm  told  's  another  name 
for  'take.'" 

Shamrock,  Australian,  n.  a 
perennial,  fragrant,  clover-like 
plant,  Trigonella  suavissima,  Lindl. , 
N.O.  Legumtnosce;  excellent  as 
forage.  Called  also  Menindie 
Clover  (aboriginal  name,  Calombd}. 
See  Clover. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  143  : 

"  It  is  the  '  Australian  shamrock '  of 
Mitchell." 

Shamrock,  Native,  n.  a  forage 
plant,  Lotus  australis,  Andr. ,  N.  O. 
Leguminosa.  Called  Native  Sham- 
rock in  Tasmania. 

Shanghai,  n.  a  catapult.  Some 
say  because  used  against  China- 
men. The  reason  seems  in- 
adequate. 

1863.  'The  Leader,'  Oct.  24,  p.  17, 
col.  I: 


SHA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


411 


"Turn,  turn  thy  shanghay  dread 

aside, 
Nor  touch  that  little  bird." 

1875.  'Spectator'  (Melbourne),  May  15, 
p.  22,  col.  i: 

"  The  lads  had  with  them  a  couple 
of  pistols,  powder,  shot,  bullets,  and  a 
shanghai." 

1875.  Ibid.  July  17,  p.  123,  col.  3 : 

"  The  shanghai,  which,  as  a  secret 
instrument  of  mischief,  is  only  less 
dangerous  than  the  air-gun." 

1884.  'Police  Offences  Act,New  Zealand,' 
sec.  4,  subsec.  23  : 

"  Rolls  any  cask,  beats  any  carpet, 
flies  any  kite,  uses  any  bows  and 
arrows,  or  catapult,  or  shanghai,  or 
plays  at  any  game  to  the  annoyance 
of  any  person  in  any  public  place." 

1893.  'The  Age,'  Sept.  15,  p.  6,  col.  7  : 

"The  magistrate  who  presided  on 
the  Carlton  bench  yesterday,  has  a 
decided  objection  to  the  use  of 
shanghais,  and  in  dealing  with  three 
little  boys,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  but 
eleven  or  twelve  years  of  age,  charged 
with  the  use  of  these  weapons  in  the 
Prince's  Park,  denounced  their  conduct 
in  very  strong  terms.  He  said  that 
he  looked  upon  this  crime  as  one  of 
the  worst  that  a  lad  could  be  guilty  of, 
and  if  he  had  his  own  way  in  the 
matter  he  would  order  each  of  them  to 
be  lashed." 

1895.  C.  French,  Letter  to  'Argus,' 
Nov.  29 : 

"Wood  swallows  are  somewhat 
sluggish  and  slow  in  their  flight,  and 
thus  fall  an  easy  prey  to  either  the 
gun  or  the  murderous  and  detestable 
<  shanghai.'" 

Shanghai-shot,  n.  a  short  dis- 
tance, a  stone's-throw. 

1874.  Garnet  Walch,  ' Head  over  Heels ' 
[Introduction  to  Tottlepot  Poems]: 

"  His  parents  .  .  .  residing  little  more 
than  a  Shanghai-shot  from  Romeo 
Lane,  Melbourne." 

Shanty,  n.  (i)  a  hastily  erected 
wooden  house  ;  (2)  a  public-house, 
especially  unlicensed  :  a  sly-grog 
shop.  The  word  is  by  origin 
Keltic  (Irish).  In  the  first  sense, 
its  use  is  Canadian  or  American  ; 


in  the  last,  Australian.  In  Barrere 
and  Leland  it  is  said  that  circus 
and  showmen  always  call  a  public- 
house  a  shanty. 

1875.  '  Spectator '  (Melbourne),  June  26, 
p.  91,  col.  i: 

"  These  buildings,  little  better  than 
shanties,  are  found  in  ...  numbers." 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  '  Victoria  in  1880,' 
p.  9: 

"We  read  of  the  veriest  shanties 
letting  for  £2  per  week." 

1880.  W.   Senior,  'Travel  and  Trout, 

P-  I5  '• 

"He  becomes  a  land-owner,  and 
puts  up  a  slab-shanty." 

1880.  G.  N.  Oakley,  in  'Victoria  in 
1880,'  p.  114 : 

"  The  left-hand  track,  past  shanties 

soaked  in  grog, 
Leads  to  the  gaol." 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,  « Old  Colonials,'  p. 
103: 

"  The  faint  glimmering  light  which 
indicates  the  proximity  of  the  grog 
shanty  is  hailed  with  delight." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  221: 

"  I  have  seen  a  sober  man  driven 
perfectly  mad  for  the  time  being,  by 
two  glasses  of  so-called  rum,  supplied 
to  him  at  one  of  these  shanties." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood, '  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  vi.  p.  64 : 

"  Any  attempt  to  limit  the  licensing 
produced  ...  a  crop  of  shanties,  or 
sly-grog  shops." 

1890.   '  The  Argus,'  Aug.  9,  p.  4,  col.  2  : 

"  The  old  woman  thought  that  we 
were  on  gold,  and  would  lamb  down 
at  the  finish  in  her  shanty." 

Shanty-Keeper,  n.  keeper  of  a 
sly-grog  shop. 

1875.  Wood  and  Lapham,  '  Waiting  for 
Mail,'  p.  45  : 

"  Mrs.  Smith  was  a  shanty-keeper's 
wife." 

1887.  J.  Farrell,  '  How  he  died,'  p.  72  : 

<J  The  shanty-keeper  saw  the  enter- 
ing strangers." 

Shantywards,  adv. 
1890.  'The  Argus,'  Aug.  2,  p.  13,  col.  4: 
"  Looking .  .  .  over  the  fence  shanty- 
wards." 


412 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SHA-SHE 


Shark,  n.  Some  of  the  Austral- 
asian species  are  identical  with 
those  of  Europe.  Varieties  and 
names  which  differ  are — 

Blue  Shark  (New  South  Wales)— 
Carcharias    macloti,    Mull,    and 

Heule. 

Hammer  S.  (N.  S.  W.)— 
Zygczna  malleus,  Shaw. 
One-finned  S.  (N.  S.  W.)— 

Notidanus  indicus,  Cuv. 
Port  Jackson  S.  (q.v.)— 

Heterodontus   phillipii,     Lace"p.  ; 
called  also  the  Shell-grinder. 
Saw-fish  S.— 

Pristiophorus  drratus,  Lath. 
School  S.  (N.  S.  W.)— 

Galeus  australis,    Macl.  ;   called 

also  Tope  (q.v.). 
Shovel-nosed  S.  (N.  S.  W.)— 
Rhinobattts     granulatus,     Cuv.  ; 
also  called  the  Blind-Shark, 
or  Sand-Shark. 
Tiger  S.  (N.  S.  W.)— 

Galeocerdo  rayneri,  Macdon.  and 

Barr. 
White  S.— 

Carcharodon  rondeletii,  Mull,  and 
Heule ;  called  also  the  White- 
Pointer. 

The    Sharks   of  New  Zealand 
are — 

Black  Shark— 

Carcharodon  melanopterus  (Maori 

name  Keremai). 
Brown  S. — 

Scymnus  lichia. 
Great  S.— 

Carcharias  maso. 
Hammer-head  S. — 

Zygana    malleus    (Maori  name, 

Mangopare). 
Port-eagle  S. — 

Lamna  cornutica 
Spinous  S. — 

Echinorhinus  spinosus. 
Tiger  S.— 

Scymnus  sp.  (Maori  name,  Make). 


See  also  Blue- Pointer,  Whaler, 
and  Wobbegong. 

Shearer's  Joy,  n.  a  name  given 
to  colonial  beer. 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  22  : 

"It  was  the  habit  afterwards  among 
the  seven  to  say  that  the  officers  of 
the  Eliza  Jane  had  been  indulging  in 
shearer's  joy." 

She-Beech,  n.     See  Beech. 

Shed,  n.  The  word  generally 
signifies  the  Woolshed  (q.v.).  A 
large,  substantial,  and  often  ex- 
pensive building. 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  143  : 

"  There's  20  hungry  beggars  wild  for 
any  job  this  year, 

An'  50  might  be  at  the  shed  while  I 
am  lyin'  here." 

1896.  c  Melbourne  Argus,'  April  30,  p. 
2,  col.  5  : 

"There  is  a  substantial  and  com- 
fortable homestead,  and  ample  shed 
accommodation." 

Sheep-pest,  «.  a  common  Aus- 
tralian weed,  Accena  ovina,  Cunn., 
N.O.  Rosacecz,  found  in  all  the 
colonies  ;  so  called  because  its 
fruit  adheres  by  hooked  spines  to 
the  wool  of  sheep. 

Sheep-run,  n.     See  Run. 

Sheep-sick,  n.  Used  of  pastures 
exhausted  for  carrying  sheep. 
Compare  English  screw-sick, 
paint-sick,  nail-sick,  wheat-sick, 
etc. 

1895.  '  Leader,'  August  3,  p.  6,  col.  I  : 

"  It  is  the  opinion  of  many  practical 
men  that  certain  country  in  which 
severe  losses  have  occurred  in  recent 
years  has  been  too  long  carrying 
sheep,  and  that  the  land  has  become 
what  is  termed  '  sheep  sick,'  and  from 
this  point  of  view  it  certainly  appears 
that  a  course  of  better  management  is 
most  desirable." 

Sheep-wash  (used  as  verb),  to 
wash  sheep.  The  word  is  also 
used  as  a  noun,  in  its  ordinary 


SHE] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


413 


English  senses  of  (i)  a  lotion  for 
washing  sheep  ;  (2)  the  washing 
of  sheep  preparatory  to  shearing; 
(3)  the  place  where  the  sheep  are 
washed,  also  called  the  '  sheep- 
dip.' 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  184  : 

"He  can't  dig  or  sheep-wash  or 
plough  there? 

Sheldrake,  or  Shieldrake,  n. 
the  common  English  name  of 
ducks  of  the  genera  Tadorna  and 
Casarca.  The  Australian  species 
are — Casarca  tadornoides  Jard., 
commonly  called  the  Mountain 
Duck;  and  the  White-headed  S., 
Tadorna  radjah,  Garnot. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  217  : 

"Charley  shot  the  sheldrake  of 
Port  Essington  (Tadorna  RajaK}." 

Shell-grinder,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Port-Jackson  Shark  (q.v.). 

She-Oak,  n.  (i)  A  tree  of  the 
genus  Casuarina  (q.v.).  The  tim- 
ber, which  is  very  hard  and  makes 
good  fuel,  was  thought  to  re- 
semble oak.  See  Oak,  and  quot- 
ation from  Captain  Cook.  The 
prefix  she  is  used  in  Australia  to 
indicate  an  inferiority  of  timber 
in  respect  of  texture,  colour,  or 
other  character  ;  e.  g.  She-beech, 
She-pine.  The  reason  for  He-oak 
is  given  in  quotation  1835.  Bull- 
oak,  Marsh-oak,  Swamp-oak,  were 
invented  to  represent  variations 
of  the  Casuarina.  Except  in  its 
timber,  the  She-oak  is  not  in  the 
least  like  an  oak-tree  (Quercus). 
The  spelling  in  quotation  1792 
makes  for  this  simple  explanation, 
which,  like  that  of  Beef-eater  in 
English,  and  Mopoke  in  Austral- 
English,  was  too  simple;  and  other 
spellings,  e.g.  Shea-oak,  were  intro- 
duced, to  suggest  a  different  ety- 
mology. Shiak  (quotation,  1853) 
seems  to  claim  an  aboriginal 


origin    (more     directly    claimed, 
quotation,     1895),    but    no     such 
aboriginal  word  is  found   in  the 
vocabularies.     In  quotations  1835, 
1859,    a    different    origin    is    as- 
signed, and  a  private  correspond- 
ent,   whose    father   was    one    of 
the  first  to   be  born   of  English 
parents   in    New    South    Wales, 
says   that    English    officers   who 
had  served  in  Canada  had  named 
the    tree    after    one     that     they 
had    known     there.      A     higher 
authority,  Sir  Joseph  D.  Hooker 
(see    quotation,    1860),   says,    "  I 
believe  adapted  from  the  North- 
American  Shcack."     This  origin, 
if     true,     is     very     interesting ; 
but    Sir    Joseph    Hooker,    in    a 
letter  dated  Jan.  26,  1897,  writes 
that  his  authority  was  Mr.  Gunn 
(see  quotation,  1835).   Thatwriter, 
however,    it   will    be    seen,    only 
puts  "is  said  to  be."     To  prove 
the    American    origin,   we    must 
find    the   American   tree.       It   is 
not  in  the  'Century,'  nor  in  the 
large   *  Webster,'    nor   in    '  Funk 
and     WagnalPs    Standard,'    nor 
in     either     of    two     dictionaries 
of  Americanisms.      Dr.   Dawson, 
director  of  the  Geological  Survey 
of    Canada,    who    is    thoroughly 
acquainted  with  Indian  folk-lore 
and  languages,  and  Mr.  Fowler, 
Professor  of   Botany  in  Queen's 
University,    Kingston,    say    that 
there  is  no  such  Indian  word. 

1792.  G.  Thompson,  in  '  Historical 
Records  of  New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii. 
(1893),  p.  799: 

"There  are  two  kinds  of  oak,  called 
the  he  and  the  she  oak,  but  not  to  be 
compared  with  English  oak,  and  a 
kind  of  pine  and  mahogany,  so  heavy 
that  scarce  either  of  them  will  swim." 

1802.  D.  Collins,  *  Account  of  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  166  (Bass'  diary 
at  Port  Dalrymple,  Tasmania,  Nov.  1798) : 

"  The  She  oaks  were  more  inclined 
to  spread  than  grow  tall." 


414 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SHE 


1834.  Ross,    '  Van  Diemen's  Land  An- 
nual,3 p.  134 : 

"  Casuarina  tondosa,  the  she-oak. 
The  young  fruit  and  young  shoots 
afford  an  agreeable  acid  by  chewing, 
which  allays  thirst." 

1835.  Ross,  'Hobart-town  Almanack,' 
p.  75  [Article  said  by  Sir  Joseph  Hooker 
(Jan.    26,    1897)   to    be  by   Mr.    Ronald 
Gunn] : 

"  Casuarina  torulosa  ?  She-oak.  C. 
stricta?  He-oak.  C.  tenuissima? 
Marsh-oak.  The  name  of  the  first  of 
these  is  said  to  be  a  corruption  of 
Sheac,  the  name  of  an  American  tree, 
producing  the  beef  wood,  like  our  She- 
oak.  The  second  species  has  obtained 
the  name  of  He-oak  in  contradistinc- 
tion of  She-oak,  as  if  they  constituted 
one  dioecious  plant,  the  one  male  and 
the  other  female,  whereas  they  are 
perfectly  distinct  species." 

1842.   '  Western  Australia,'  p.  80  : 
"The     Shea-oak  (a  corruption    of 
sneak,  the  native  name  for  this,  or  a 
similar  tree,  in  Van  Diemen's  Land) 
is  used  chiefly  for  shingles." 

1845.   R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  91  : 
"Then    to    cut    down  the  timber, 
gum,  box,  she-oak,  and  wattle-trees, 
was  an  Herculean  task." 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  ' Phillipsland,'  p.  95  : 
"  They  are  generally  a  variety  of 
Casuarina,  commonly  called  she-oak 
by  the  colonists,  and  the  sighing  of 
the  wind  among  the  sail-needle-like 
leaves,  that  constitute  their  vegetation, 
produces  a  melancholy  sound." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,    '  Our  Antipodes ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  219 : 

"  Most  of  the  trees  of  this  colony 
owe  their  names  to  the  sawyers  who 
first  tested  their  qualities  ;  and  who 
were  guided  by  the  colour  and  char- 
acter of  the  wood,  knowing  and  caring 
nothing  about  botanical  relations.  Thus 
the  swamp-oak  and  she-oak  have  rather 
the  exterior  of  the  larch  than  any  quer- 
cine  aspect." 

1853.  S.    Sidney,    'Three  Colonies   of 
Australia,'  p.  277  : 

"A  dull  scene,  sprinkled  with,fune- 
real  shiak  or  '  she-oak  trees.' " 

Ibid.  p.  367  : 

"Groves  of  shea-oaks,  eucalyptus 
and  mimosa." 


1857.  \V.  Howitt,  '  Tallangetta,'  voL  L 
p.  24: 

"  Trees  of  a  peculiar  character — the 
Casuarinas  or  Shiacks — part  of  which, 
with  their  more  rigid  and  outstretched 
branches,  resemble  pine-trees,  and 
others,  with  theirs  drooping  grace- 
fully, resembling  large  trees  of  bloom." 

1859.  D.  Bunce,  '  Australasiatic  Remin- 
iscences,' p.  33  : 

"  The  trees  forming  the  most  inter- 
esting groups  were  the  Casuarina 
torulosa,  she-oak,  and  C.  stricta,  he- 
oak.  .  .  .  The  name  of  the  first  is 
said  to  have  been  derived  from 
'sheeac,'  the  name  of  an  American 
tree  producing  the  beef- wood  like  our 
she-oak.  C.  stricta,  or  he-oak,  has 
been  named  in  contradistinction  to 
the  sexes,  as  if  they  constituted  one 
dicecious  plant,  whereas  they  are  two 
perfectly  distinct  species." 

1860.  J.   D.  Hooker,    'Botany  of  the 
Antarctic  Voyage,'  part   iii.   [Flora    Tas- 
mania e],  p.  348  : 

"  Casuarina  suberosa.  This  is  an 
erect  species,  growing  1 5  feet  high.  .  . 
It  is  well  known  as  the '  He-oak/ in  con- 
tradistinction to  the  C.  quadrivalvis^ 
or  *  She-oak,'  a  name,  I  believe,  adapted 
from  the  North  American  Sheack ' : 
though  more  nearly  allied  botanically 
to  the  Northern  Oaks  than  any  Tas- 
manian  genus  except  Fagus,  they  have 
nothing  to  do  with  that  genus  in  habit 
or  appearance,  nor  with  the  Canadian 
'  Sheack.' " 

1864.  J.  McDouall  Stuart,  'Explorations 
in  Australia,'  p.  150  : 

"Within  the  last  mile  or  two  we 
have  passed  a  few  patches  of  Shea- 
oak,  growing  large,  having  a  very 
rough  and  thick  bark,  nearly  black. 
They  have  a  dismal  appearance." 

1868.  J.      Bonwick,    'John     Batman, 
Founder  of  Victoria,'  p.  103  : 

"  Even  Batman's  hill,  the  memorial 
of  his  ancient  encampment,  has  been 
levelled  ;  and  the  she-oaks  upon  that 
grassy  mound  no  longer  sigh  in  the 
breeze  a  dirge  for  the  hero  of  explora- 
tion." 

1869.  'The    Argus,'    May    25,    p.    5, 
col.  2 : 

"  The  she-oak  trees,  of  which  there 
are  large  quantities  in  the  sandy  soil 
of  the  salt-bush  country,  proved  very 


SHE-SHI] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


415- 


serviceable  during  the  late  drought. 
Some  of  the  settlers  caused  thousands 
of  she-oaks  to  be  stripped  of  their 
boughs,  and  it  was  a  sight  to  see  some 
of  the  famishing  cattle  rushing  after 
the  men  who  were  employed  in  thus 
supplying  the  poor  animals  with  the 
means  of  sustaining  life.  The  cattle 
ate  the  boughs  and  the  bark  with  the 
greatest  avidity,  and  the  bushman's 
axe  as  it  felled  the  she-oak  was  music 
to  their  ears." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  'Advance 
Australia,'  p.  258  : 

"  She-oaks  are  scraggy-looking  poles 
of  trees,  rather  like  fir-trees." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  203  : 

"  The  rough  bark  of  the  she-oak  and 
its  soft  sappy  wood  .  .  ." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  June  14,  p.  4, 
col.  2  : 

"  I  came  to  a  little  clump  of  she- 
oaks,  moaning  like  living  things." 

1895.  'Notes  and  Queries,'  Aug.  3,  p. 
87: 

"  The  process  followed  by  the  Aus- 
tralian colonists  when  they  converted 
a  native  word  for  the  casuarina  trees 
into  'she-oak.'" 

1896.  H.    Lawson,    '  When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  204  : 

"  The  creek  went  down  with  a  broken 

song, 

'"Neath  the  she-oaks  high  ; 
The  waters  carried  the  song  along, 
And  the  oaks  a  sigh." 

(2)  Slang  name  for  colonial 
beer. 

1888.  Cassell's  'Picturesque  Austral- 
asia,' vol.  iii.  p.  83  : 

"  Their  drivers  had  completed  their 
regulation  half-score  of '  long-sleevers ' 
of  *  she-oak.' " 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Miner's 
Right,'  c.  vi.  p.  59  : 

"Then  have  a  glass  of  beer — it's 
only  she-oak,  but  there's  nothing 
wrong  about  it." 

She-Oak  nets,  nets  placed  on 
each  side  of  a  gangway  from  a 
ship  to  the  pier,  to  prevent  sailors 
who  have  been  indulging  in  she- 
oak  (beer)  falling  into  the  water. 


Shepherd,  v.  (i)  to  guard  a 
mining  claim  and  do  a  little  work 
on  it,  so  as  to  preserve  legal 
rights. 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  135  : 

"  Few  of  their  claims  however  are 
actually   'bottomed,'   for  the    owners 
merely  watch  their  more  active  con- 
temporaries."    (Footnote):    "This   is 
termed  '  shepherding '  a  claim." 
1890.   '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  1 1  : 
"All  the  ground   ...    is   held  in 
blocks  which  are  being  merely  shep- 
herded." 

(2)  By  transference  from  (i). 
To  follow  or  hang  about  a  person 
in  the  hopes  of  getting  something 
out  of  him.  Compare  similar  use 
of  shadow. 
1896.  Modern  : 

"  The  robbers  knowing  he  had  so 
much  coin  about  him,  determined  to 
shepherd  him  till  an  opportunity  oc- 
curred of  robbery  with  impunity." 

Shepherd,  n.  a  miner  who 
holds  a  claim  but  does  not  work 
it. 

188-.  '  Argus '  (date  lost)  : 
"The  term  'jumper,'  being  one  of 
reproach,  brought  quite  a  yell  from  the 
supporters  of  the  motion.  Dr.  Quick 
retorted  with  a  declaration  that  the 
Grand  Junction  Company  were  all 
'shepherds,'  and  that  'shepherds'  are 
the  worse  of  the  two  classes.  The 
'jumpers'  sat  in  one  gallery  and 
certain  representatives  or  deputy 
'  shepherds '  in  the  other.  Names 
are  deceitful.  .  .  .  The  Maldon  jumpers 
were  headed  by  quite  a  venerable 
gentleman,  whom  no  one  could  sus- 
pect of  violent  exercise  nor  of  regret- 
table designs  upon  the  properties  of 
his  neighbours.  And  the  shepherds 
in  the  other  gallery,  instead  of  being 
light-hearted  beings  with  pipes  and 
crooks — a  la  Watteau  and  Pope — 
looked  unutterable  things  at  the  indi- 
viduals who  had  cast  sheep's  eyes  on 
their  holding." 

Shicer,  «.  (i)  An  unproductive 
claim  or  mine :  a  duffer.  From 
the  German  scheissen. 


416 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[SHI-SHO 


1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  135  : 

"  A  claim  without  gold  is  termed  a 
'shicer.'" 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Over  the  Straits/ 
c.  ix.  p.  256  : 

"  It's  a  long  sight  better  nor  bottom- 
ing a  shicer." 

1863.  *  Victorian  Hansard,'  May  10, 
vol.  ix.  p.  571  : 

"  Mr.  Howard  asked  whether  the 
member  for  Collingwood  knew  the 
meaning  of  the  word  'shicer.'  Mr. 
Don  replied  in  the  affirmative.  He 
was  not  an  exquisite,  like  the  hon. 
member  (laughter),  and  he  had  worked 
on  the  goldfields,  and  he  had  always 
understood  a  shicer  to  be  a  hole  with 
no  gold." 

1870.  S.  Lemaitre,  'Songs  of  Goldfields,' 
P-  15: 

"  Remember  when  you  first  came 

up 
Like  shicers,  innocent  of  gold." 

1894.  'The  Argus,'  March  10,  p.  4, 
col.  7: 

"  There  are  plenty  of  creeks  in  this 
country  that  have  only  so  far  been 
scratched — a  hole  sunk  here  and  there 
and  abandoned.  No  luck,  no  per- 
severance ;  and  so  the  place  has  been 
set  down  as  a  duffer,  or,  as  the  old 
diggers'  more  expressive  term  had  it, 
a 'shicer.'" 

(2)  Slang.  By  transference 
from  (i).  A  man  who  does  not 
pay  his  debts  of  honour. 

1896.   Modern: 

"  Don't  take  his  bet,  he's  a  i-egular 
shicer." 

Shingle-splitting,  vb.  n.  obsolete 
Tasmanian  slang. 

1830.  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,'  p. 
89: 

"When  a  man  gets  behindhand 
with  his  creditors  in  Hobart  Town,  and 
rusticates  in  the  country  in  order  to 
avoid  the  unseasonable  calls  of  the 
Sheriff's  little  gentleman,  that  delights 
to  stand  at  a  corner  where  four  streets 
.meet,  so  as  the  better  to  watch  the 
motions  of  his  prey,  he  is  said  to  be 
shingle-splitting." 

Shirallee,  n.  slang  term  for  a 
swag  or  bundle  of  blankets. 


Shout,  v.  to  stand  treat,  (i)  Of 
drink.  (2)  By  transference,  of 
other  things.  The  successful 
digger  used  to  call  passers-by  to 
drink  at  his  expense.  The 
origin  may  also  be  from  noisy 
bar-rooms,  or  crowded  bar- 
parlours,  where  the  man  who 
was  to  pay  for  the  liquor  or  re- 
freshment called  or  shouted  for 
the  waiter  or  barman.  When 
many  men  drink  together  the 
waiter  of  course  looks  for  pay- 
ment from  the  man  who  first 
calls  or  shouts  out  for  him  to  give 
him  the  order.  Or  is  "pay  the 
shout"  a  variant  of  "pay  the 
shot,"  or  tavern  reckoning?  In 
its  first  sense  the  word  has 
reached  the  United  States,  and  is 
freely  employed  there. 

1859.  H-  Kingsley,  '  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
P-  335 : 

"  And  so  I  shouted  for  him  and  he 
shouted  for  me." 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  80  : 

"Gentlemen  required  a  great  deal 
of  attendance,  did  not  'shout'  (the 
slang  term  for  ordering  grog)  every 
quarter  of  an  hour,  and  therefore 
spent  comparatively  nothing." 

1867.  A.  L.  Gordon,  '  Sea-Spray '  (Cre- 
dat  Judaeus),  p.  1 39 : 

"You  may  shout  some  cheroots,  if 

you  like  ;  no  champagne 
For  this  child." 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,  '  Old  Colonials,'  p. 
268: 

"This  'shouting,'  as  'treating'  is 
termed  in  the  colonies,  is  the  curse 
of  the  Northern  goldfields.  If  you 
buy  a  horse  you  must  shout,  the 
vendor  must  shout,  and  the  bystanders 
who  have  been  shouted  to  [more 
usual,  for]  must  shout  in  their  turn." 

1885.  D.  Sladen,  'In  Cornwall,  etc.,'  p. 
156  [Title,  '  The  Sigh  of  the  Shouter']: 

"  Give  me  the  wealth  I  have  squan- 
dered in  'shouting.'" 

1887.  J.  F.  Hogan,  '  The  Irish  in  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  149: 

"  Drinking  is  quite  a  common  prac- 


SHO-SHR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


417 


lice,  and  what  is  familiarly  known  as 
'shouting'  was  at  one  time  almost 
universal,  though  of  late  years  this 
peculiarly  dangerous  evil  has  been 
considerably  diminished  in  extent.  To 

*  shout'  in  a  public-house  means  to  in- 
sist on  everybody  present,  friends  and 
strangers  alike,  drinking  at  the  shouter's 
expense,   and  as  no  member  of  the 
party  will  allow  himself  to  be  outdone 
in  this  reckless    sort   of   hospitality, 
each  one  *  shouts '  in  succession,  with 
the  result  that  before  long  they  are 
all  overcome  by  intoxication." 

1891.  W.  Tilley,  'Wild  West  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  30 : 

"  Some  heavy  drinking  is  indulged 
in  through  the  '  shouting '  system, 
which  is  the  rule." 

1893.  E.  W.  Hornung,  '  Tiny  Luttrell,' 
vol.  ii.  c.  xv.  p.  98: 

"To  insist  on  'shouting'  Ruth  a 
penny  chair  overlooking  the  orna- 
mental water  in  St.  James's  Park." 
{p.  99) :  "  You  shall  not  be  late,  be- 
cause I'll  shout  a  hansom  too." 

Shout,  n.  a  free  drink. 
1864.   H.  Simcox,  '  Outward  Bound,'  p. 
8i: 

"  The  arms  are  left  and  off  they  go, 
And  many  a  shout  they're  treated 
to." 

1874.  Garnet  Walch,  'Head  over 
Heels,' p.  83: 

"I  ...  gave  the  boys  round  a 
spread  an'  a  shout." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields/ p.  78: 

"Two  lucky  diggers  laid  a  wager 
which  of  them  should  treat  the  as- 
sembled company  with  the  largest 

*  shout.'" 

Shoveller,  n.  the  English  name 
for  the  duck  Spatula  clypeata, 
Linn.,  a  species  also  present  in 
Australia.  The  other  Australian 
species  is  Spatula  rhynchotis,  Lath., 
ajso  called  Blue-wing. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  vii.  pi.  12: 

"  Spatula  Rhynchotis,  Australian 
Shoveller." 

Shovel-nose,  n.  a  New  South 
Wales  species  of  Ray-fish,  Rhino- 


batus  bougainvillei,  Cuv.  ;  called 
also  the  Blind  Shark,  and  Sand 
Shark.  In  the  Northern  Hemi- 
sphere, the  name  is  given  to  three 
different  sharks  and  a  sturgeon. 

Shrike,  n.  a  bird-name,  gener- 
ally used  in  Australia  in  com- 
position. See  Crow-Shrike,  Cuckoo- 
Shrike,  Shrike-Robin,  Shrike-Thrush, 
and  Shrike-Tit. 

Shrike-Robin,  n.  a  genus  of 
Australasian  Shrikes,  Eopsaltria 
(q.v.).  The  species  are — 

Grey-breasted  Shrike-Robin — 

Eopsaltria    gularis,    Quoy    and 

Gaim. 
Large-headed  S.-R. — 

E.  capito,  Gould. 
Little  S.-R.— 

E.  nana,  Mull. 
White-breasted  S.-R.— 

E.  georgiana,  Quoy  and  Gaim. 
Yellow-breasted  S.-R. — 

E.  australis,  Lath. 

1895.  W.  O.  Legge,  'Australasian  As- 
sociation for  the  Advancement  of  Science ' 
(Brisbane),  p.  447  : 

"As  regards  portions  of  Gould's 
English  nomenclatures,  such  as  his 
general  term  '  Robin '  for  the  genera 
Petroica,  Pcecilodryas,  Eopsaltria,  it 
was  found  that  by  retaining  the  term 
'  Robin '  for  the  best  known  member 
of  the  group  (Petroica},  and  applying  a 
qualifying  noun  to  the  allied  genera, 
such  titles  as  Tree-robin,  Scrub-robin, 
and  Shrike-robin  were  easily  evolved." 

Shrike-Thrush,  n.  a  genus  of 
Australasian  Shrikes,  Collyriocincla 
(q.v.).  The  species  are — 

Bower's  Shrike-Thrush— 

Collyriocincla  boweri,  Ramsay. 
Brown  S.-T. — 

C.  brunnea,  Gould. 
Buff-bellied  S.-T.— 

C.  rufiventris,  Gould. 
Grey  S.-T.— 

C.  harmonica,  Lath. ;  called  also 
Port  Jackson  Thrush  (q.v.). 

E  E 


4i8 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SHR-SIL 


Little  Shrike-Thrush— 

Collyriocincla  parvula,  Gould. 
Pale-bellied  S.-T.— 

C.  pallidirostris,  Sharpe. 
Rufous-breasted  S.-T. — 

C.  rufigaster,  Gould. 
Whistling  S.-T.— 

C.  rectirostris,  Jard.  and  Selb.; 
see  Duke  Willy. 

1896.    'The  Melburnian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 

54: 

"  With  gathering  shadows  the  spot- 
ted thrush  of  England  gives  forth  from 
the  top-most  pine  branch  his  full  and 
varied  notes ;  notes  which  no  Aus- 
tralian bird  can  challenge,  not  even 
the  shrike-thrush  on  the  hill  side, 
piping  hard  to  rival  his  song  every 
bright  spring  morning." 

Shrike-Tit,  n.  a  genus  of  Aus- 
tralian Shrikes,  Falcunculus  (q.v.). 
The  species  are — Falcunculus  fron- 
tatus,  Lath.  ;  White-bellied  S.-T., 
F.  leucogaster,  Gould. 

1890.  'Victorian  Statutes— Game  Act' 
(Third  Schedule): 

"Shrike-tit.  [Close  season.]  From 
the  ist  day  of  August  to  the  2oth  day 
of  December  next  following  in  each 
year." 

Shrimp,  n.  The  only  true 
shrimp (Crangori)  which  Australian 
waters  are  known  to  possess  is 
found  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Vincent, 
South  Australia.(Tenison-Woods.) 
In  Tasmania,  the  Prawn  (Penozus 
spp.)  is  called  a  Shrimp. 

1883.  '  Royal  Commission,  Report  on 
Fisheries  of  Tasmania/  p.  9: 

"The  prawn  (Penoeus  sp.),  locally 
known  among  fishermen  as  the  shrimp, 
abounds  all  around  our  coasts." 

Sida-weed,  n.  i.q.  Queensland 
Hemp.  See  Hemp. 

Signed  Servant,  n.  obsolete 
contraction  for  Assigned  Servant 
(q.v.). 

Silky-Oak,  n.  a  tree,  often  tall, 
Grevillea  robusta,  Cunn.,  N.  O. 
Proteacece,  producing  a  useful 
timber  in  demand  for  various 


purposes, 
and  Oak. 


See 


llea)  Maple, 


Silver,  or  Silver-fish,  n.  a  Tas- 
manian  name  for  Caranx  georgia- 
nus,  Cuv.  and  Val.,  family  Caran- 
gida,  the  White  or  Silver  Trevalfy. 
See  Trevalfy. 

1875.  '  Spectator'  (Melbourne),  June  19, 
1881  : 

"  Common  fish  such  as  ...  garfish, 
strangers,  silvers,  and  others." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  252  [Footnote]  : 

"  To  convey  anything  like  a  correct 
idea  of  this  extremely  beautiful  fish,  it 
should  be  *  laid  in '  with  a  ground  of 
burnished  silver,  and  the  delicate  tints 
added.  The  skin  is  scaleless,  and  like 
satin,  embossed  all  over  in  little  raised 
freckles,  and  with  symmetrical  dark 
lines,  resembling  the  veining  of  a  leaf. 
In  quality  they  are  a  good  deal  like 
mullet." 

Silver-Belly,  n.  name  given  (i) 
in  New  South  Wales,  to  the  fish 
Silver-Bream  (q.v.);  (2)  in  Tas- 
mania,'to  various  species  of  Atheri- 
nida. 

Silver-Bream,  or  White- 
Bream,  n.  a  New  South  Wales 
fish,  Gerres  ovatus,  Giinth.,  family 
Percidcz ;  also  called  Silver-Belly 
(q.v.).  For  another  use,  see 
Trevalfy. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales/  p.  43  : 

"  Mr.  Hill,  in  the  series  of  essays 
already  referred  to,  speaks  of  a  silver- 
bream  or  white-bream.  It  is  probable 
he  refers  to  Gerres  ovatus,  a  common 
fish  of  very  compressed  form,  and  very 
protractile  mouth.  They  probably 
never  enter  fresh- water.  ...  It  is 
necessary  to  cook  the  silver-belly,  as  it 
is  often  called,  perfectly  fresh." 

Silver-Eye,  n.  a  bird-name. 
Same  as  Wax-eye,  White-eye,  or 
Blight-bird  (q.v.). 

1888.  W.  L.  Bullet,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  77 : 

"  Zoster  ops  c&rulescens,  Lath.  I 
have  myself  arrived  at  the  conclusion 
that  the  Silver-eye,  although  identical 


SIL-SKl] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


419 


with  the  Australian  bird,  is  in  reality 
an  indigenous  species." 

1888.  James  Thomas,  '  To  a  Silver  Eye : ' 
'Australian  Poets  1788—1888'  (edition 
Sladen),  p.  550: 

"Thou  merry  little  silver -eye, 

In  yonder  trailing  vine, 
I,  passing  by  this  morning,  spied 
That  ivy-built  nest  of  thine." 

Silver  Jew-fish,  n.  a  New  South 
Wales  name  for  the  young1  of  the 
fish  called  Teraglin,  or  of  the 
true  Jew-fish  (q.v.)  ;  it  is  uncertain 
which. 

Silver-leaf  Boree,  n.  i.q.  Borte 
(q.v.). 

Silver-Perch,  n.  a  fresh-water 
fish,  i.q.  Bidyan  Ruffe  (q.v.). 

Silver-tail,  n.  a  bush  term  for  a 
"  swell  "  :  a  man  who  goes  to  the 
manager's  house,  not  to  the  men's 
hut.  See  Hut. 

1890.  A.  J.  Vogan,  '  The  Black  Police,' 
p.  116: 

"A  select  circle  of  long -limbed 
members  of  those  upper  circles  who 
belong  to  the  genus  termed  in  Aus- 
tralian parlance  '  silver-tailed,'  in  dis- 
tinction to  the  'copper-tailed'  demo- 
cratic classes." 

Silver-Trevally,  n.  See  Tre- 
vally. 

Sittella,  n.  an  Australian  genus 
of  small  creeping-birds,  called 
also  Tree-Runners  (q.v.).  Sittella 
is  the  Latin  diminutive  of  sitta, 
which  is  from  the  Greek  o-trn},  a 
woodpecker,  whose  habits  the 
Tree-runners  or  Sittellcz  have. 
Gould's  enumeration  of  the  species 
is  given  in  quotation. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv.  : 

"  Sittella  chrysoptera.  Orange- 
winged  Sittella ;  S.  leucocephala^ 
Gould,  White-headed  S.  ;  S.  leucop- 
tera,  Gould,  White-winged  S. ;  S. 
ptleata,  Gould,  Black-capped  S.  ; 
S.  tenuirostris,  Gould,  Slender-billed  S. 

1869.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia' 
(Supplement)  : 


"Sittella  Striata,  Gould,  Striated 
Sittella." 

1875.  Gould  and  Sharpe,  <  Birds  of  New 
Guinea,'  vol.  iii.  pi.  28  : 

"  Sittella  albata,  Pied  Sittella." 

1890.  'Victorian  Statutes— Game  Act' 
(Third  Schedule)  : 

"  Sittellas.  [Close  season.]  From 
the  first  day  of  August  to  the  2oth  day 
of  December  next  following  in  each 
year." 

1896.  F.  G.  Aflalo,  « Natural  History  of 
Australia,'  p.  136 : 

"  Four  species  of  Sitilla  [sic]  which, 
except  that  they  do  not  lay  their  eggs 
in  hollow  trees,  bear  some  resemblance 
to  our  nuthatch." 

Skate,  n.  The  New  Zealand 
fish  called  a  Skate  is  Raja  nasuta, 
a  different  species  of  the  same 
genus  as  the  European  Skate. 

Skipjack,  or  Skipjack-Pike,  n. 
This  fish,  Temnodon  saltator,  Cuv. 
and   Val.,    is  the    same    as    the 
British  and  American  fish  of  that 
name.     It   is  called  Tailor  (q.v. 
in    Sydney.     The  name    Skipjaa 
used   also    to    be    given    by    the 
whalers   to    the   Australian    fish 
Trevally  (q.v.). 

1872.  Hutton  and  Hector,  '  Fishes  of 
New  Zealand,'  p.  in  : 

"It  is  quoted  by  Richardson  that 
this  fish  [trevally],  which  he  says  is  the 
skipjack  of  the  sealers,  used  to  be  a 
staple  article  of  food  with  the  natives." 

Skipper,  i.q.  Hopping-fish  (q.v.). 

Skirr,  n.  imitative. 

1884.  Marcus  Clarke,  'Memorial  Vol- 
ume,' p.  127  : 

"  How  many  nights  have  I  listened 
to  the  skirr  of  the  wild  cats." 

Skirting,  n.  generally  used  in 
the  plural.  In  sheep-shearing,  the 
inferior  parts  of  the  wool  taken 
from  the  extremities. 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  Sept.  20,  p.  13, 
col.  7  : 

"At  the  'skirting-table'  we  will 
stand  for  a  little  while,  and  watch 
while  the  fleece  just  brought  in  is 
opened  out  by  the  'roller,'  and  the 
inferior  portions  removed." 


420 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SKU-SLI 


Skullbanker,  or  Scowbanker, 
n.  a  slang  name  in  Australia  for 
a  loafer,  a  tramp. 

1866.  A.  Michie,  '  Retrospects  and  Pro- 
spects of  the  Colony,'  p.  9  : 

"  A  skull-banker  is  a  species  of  the 
genus  loafer — half  highwayman,  half 
beggar.  He  is  a  haunter  of  stations, 
and  lives  on  the  squatters,  amongst 
whom  he  makes  a  circuit,  affecting  to 
seek  work  and  determining  not  to 
find  it." 

Slab,  n.  In  English,  the  word 
slab,  as  applied  to  timber,  means 
* '  an  outside  piece  taken  from  a 
log  in  sawing  it  into  boards, 
planks,  etc."  ('  Webster.')  In 
Australia,  the  word  is  very  com- 
mon, and  denotes  a  piece  of 
timber,  two  or  three  inches  thick  : 
a  coarse  plank,  axe-hewn,  not 
sawn.  Used  for  the  walls  of 
rough  houses. 

1844.  '  Port   Phillip   Patriot,'  July   25, 
p.  3,  col.  5  : 

"A  substantial  slab  building  with 
verandah." 

1845.  '  Voyage  to  Port  Phillip,'  p.  52  : 
"His  slab-built  hut,   with    roof  of 

bark." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  *  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  c.  ix.  p.  266  : 

"  The  house  in  which  this  modern 
Robinson  Crusoe  dwelt  was  what  is 
called  a  Slab  Hut,  formed  of  rough 
boards  and  thatched  with  grass." 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Over  the  Straits,' 
c.  iv.  p.  130  : 

"A  bare,  rough,  barn-like  edifice 
built  of  slabs." 

1869.  J.  Townend,  '  Reminiscences  of 
Australia,'  p.  155  : 

"  We  passed  through  Studley  Park, 
with  here  and  there  a  slab  house  or 
tent." 

1874.  G.  Walch,  <  Head  over  Heels,' 
p.  81  : 

"  The  moonlight  .  .  .  poured  on  the 
hut,  slabs  an'  roof." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  <  Australian  Life,' 
p.  8: 

"  The  hut  was  built  of  logs  and  slabs." 
[P-  73]  :  "  The  usual  bush-hut  of  slabs 
and  bark."  [p.  144] :  "  The  neigh- 


bours congregated  in  the  rough  hut  of 
unplaned  slabs." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  The  Miner's 
Right,'  c.  vi.  p.  6 1  : 

"  Slab  huts  of  split  heavy  boards, 
Australian  fashion,  placed  vertically." 

Slab,  v.  tr.  mining  term :  to 
keep  up  the  sides  of  a  shaft  with 
timber  slabs. 

1871.  J.  J.  Simpson,   'Recitations,'  p. 
24: 

"  So  dig  away,  drive  away,  slab  and 
bail." 

Sleepy  Lizard,  i.q.  Blue-tongued 
Lizard  (q.v.). 

Slip-panel.  Same  as  Slip-rail 
(q.v.).  See  also  Panel. 

1893.  '  The  Australasian,'  Aug.  12,  p. 
302,  col.  i  : 

"  Take  him  round  by  the  water-hole 
and  wait  for  me  at  the  slip-panels." 

Slip-rail,  n.  part  of  a  fence  so 
fitted  that  it  can  be  removed  so 
as  to  serve  as  a  gate.  Used  also 
for  the  gateway  thus  formed. 
Generally  in  the  plural.  Same  as 
Slip-panel. 

1870.  A.  L.  Gordon,  '  Bush  Ballads— 
From  the  Wreck,'  p.  24  : 

"  Down  with  the  slip-rails  :  stand 
back." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  43  : 

"  He  [a  horse]  would  let  down  the 
slip-rails  when  shut  into  the  stock- 
yard, even  if  they  were  pegged,  draw- 
ing the  pegs  out  with  his  teeth." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,' 
p.  79: 

"  Many  men  rode  through  the  slip- 
rails  and  turned  out  their  horses." 

1891.  Canon  Goodman,  '  Church  in  Vic- 
toria during  Episcopate  of  Bishop  Perry,' 
p.  98: 

"Some  careless  person  had  neglected 
to  replace  the  slip-rails  of  the  paddock 
into  which  his  horses  had  been  turned 
the  previous  evening." 

1896.  H.  Lawson,  '  When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  104  : 

"  Then  loudly  she  screamed  :  it  was 
only  to  drown 

The  treacherous  clatter  of  slip-rails 
let  down." 


SLO-SNA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


421 


Sloth,  Native,  i.q.  Native  Bear. 
See  Bear,  and  Koala. 

Slusher,  or  Slushy,  n.  cook's 
assistant  at  shearing-time  on  a 
station. 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  Sept.  20,  p.  13, 
col.  6  : 

" '  Sundays  are  the  most  trying  days 
of  all,'  say  the  cuisiniers,  '  for  then  they 
have  nothing  to  do  but  to  growl.'  This 
man's  assistant  is  called  'the  slusher.' 

1896.    A.    B.    Paterson,     '  Man    from 

Snowy  River,'  p.  162  : 

"  The  tarboy,  the  cook,  and  the  slushy, 
the  sweeper  that  swept  the  board, 

The  picker-up,  and  the  penner,  with 

the  rest  of  the  shearing  horde." 
1896.  '  The  Field,'  Jan.  18,  p.  83,  col.  i : 
"  He  employs   as    many   '  slushies ' 

as  he  thinks  necessary,  paying  them 

generally  £\  per  week." 

Slush-lamp,  n.  a  lamp  made 
by  filling  an  old  tin  with  fat 
and  putting  a  rag  in  for  wick. 
The  word,  though  not  exclusively 
Australian,  is  more  common  in 
the  Australian  bush  than  else- 
where. Compare  English  slush- 
horn^  horn  for  holding  grease  ; 
slush-pot^  pot  for  holding  grease, 
etc. 

1883.  J.  Keighley,  '  Who  are  You  ? '  p. 
45: 

"The  slush-lamp  shone  with  a 
smoky  light." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  Sept.  20,  p.  13, 
col.  6  : 

"Occasionally  the  men  will  give 
Christy  Minstrel  concerts,  when  they 
illuminate  the  wool-shed  with  slush- 
lamps,  and  invite  all  on  the  station." 

Smelt,  n.  name  given,  in  Mel- 
bourne, to  the  fish  Clupea  vittata, 
Castln.,  family  Clupeidcz,  or  Her- 
rings (q.v.) ;  in  New  Zealand  and 
Tasmania,  to  Retropinna  richard- 
soniiy  Gill,  family  Salmonidce.  Its 
young  are  called  Whitebait  (q.v.). 
The  Derwent  Smelt  is  a  Tasmanian 
fish,  Haplochiton  sealii,  family  Hap- 
lochitonidce,  fishes  with  an  adipose 


fin  which  represent  the  salmonoids 
in  the  Southern  Hemisphere  ; 
Prototroctes  is  the  only  other  genus 
of  the  family  known  (see  Gray- 
ling). Haplochiton  is  also  found 
in  the  cold  latitudes  of  South 
America. 

Sminthopsis,  n.  the  scientific 
name  for  the  genus  of  Narrow- 
footed  Pouched  Mice,  which,  like  the 
English  field-mice,  are  entirely 
terrestrial  in  their  habits.  See 
Pouched  Mouse.  In  Homer's  '  Iliad,' 
Bk.  I.  ver.  39,  3/u,iv0€vs  is  an 
epithet  of  Apollo.  It  is  explained 
as  "mouse-killer,"  from  cr/xiV0os,  a 
field-mouse,  said  to  be  a  Cretan 
word. 

Smoke,  v.  (slang).  See  quota- 
tion. 

1893.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  June 
26,  p.  8,  col.  8 : 

"  He  said  to  the  larrikins,  *  You  have 
done  for  him  now ;  you  have  killed 
him.'  '  What ! '  said  one  of  them, 
'do  not  say  we  were  here.  Let  us 
smoke.'  '  Smoke,'  it  may  be  explained, 
is  the  slang  for  the  '  push '  to  get  away 
as  fast  as  possible." 

Smooth  Holly,  n.     See  Holly. 

Snailey,  n.  bullock  with  horn 
slightly  curled. 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  ix.  p.  68  : 

"  Snaileys  and  poleys,  old  and  young, 
coarse  and  fine,  they  were  a  mixed 
herd  in  every  sense." 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  133  : 

"  There's  a  snaily  Wallanbah  bullock 
I  haven't  seen  this  two  years." 

Snake,  n.  The  Australian  land 
snakes  belong  principally  to  the 
four  families,  Typhlopidce^  Boida, 
Colubrida,  and  Elapidce.  The 
proportion  of  venomous  to  non- 
venomous  species  increases  from 
north  to  south,  the  five  species 
known  in  Tasmania  being  all 
venomous.  The  smallest  forms, 
such  as  the  "blind "  or  "  worm  " 


422 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SNA 


snakes,  are  only  a  few  inches  in 
length,  while  the  largest  Python 
may  reach  a  length  of  perhaps 
eighteen  feet. 

Various  popular  names  have 
been  given  to  different  species  in 
different  colonies,  the  same  name 
being  unfortunately  not  infre- 
quently applied  to  quite  distinct 
species.  The  more  common  forms 
are  as  follows  : — 

Black  Snake.  Name  applied  in 
Australia  to  Pseudechis  porphyria- 
tus,  Shaw,  which  is  more  common 
in  the  warmer  parts,  and  com- 
paratively rare  in  the  south  of 
Victoria,  and  not  found  in  Tas- 
mania. In  the  latter  the  name  is 
sometimes  given  to  dark-coloured 
varieties  of  Hoplocephalus  curtus, 
and  in  Victoria  to  those  of  H. 
superbus.  The  characteristic  col- 
our is  black  or  black-brown  above 
and  reddish  beneath,  but  it  can 
be  at  once  distinguished  from 
specimens  of  H.  superbus^  which 
not  infrequently  have  this  colour, 
by  the  presence  of  a  double  series 
of  plates  at  the  hinder  end,  and  a 
single  series  at  the  anterior  end 
of  the  tail,  whereas  in  the  other 
species  named  there  is  only  a 
single  row  along  the  whole  length 
of  the  tail  underneath. 

1799.  D.  Collins,  'Account  of  New 
South  Wales'  (edition  1802),  vol.  ii.  p.  189 
[Bass  Diary  at  the  Derwent,  Tasmania]  : 

"The  most  formidable  among  the 
reptiles  was  the  black  snake  with 
venomous  fangs."  [This  refers  to 
some  species  of  Hoplocephalus,  and 
not  to  the  Australian  Black  Snake, 
which  does  not  occur  in  Tasmania.] 

Black  and  white  ringed  Snake. 
Name  applied  to  Vermicella  annu- 
lata,  Gray,  the  characteristic  col- 
ouration of  which  consists  of  a 
series  of  alternating  dark  and 
light  rings.  It  is  found  especi- 
ally in  the  dry,  warmer  parts  of 
the  interior. 


Brown  Snake.  Name  given  to 
three  species  of  the  genus  Die- 
menia — (i)  the  Common  Brown 
Snake,  D.  superciliosa,  Fischer  ; 
(2)  the  small-scaled  Brown  Snake, 
D.  microlepidota,  McCoy  ;  and  (3) 
the  shield-fronted  Brown  Snake, 
D.  aspidorhyncha,  McCoy.  All  are 
venomous,  and  the  commonest  is 
the  first,  which  is  usually  known 
as  the  Brown  Snake. 

1890.  A.  H.  S.  Lucas,  '  Handbook  of  the 
Australasian  Association  for  the  Advance- 
ment of  Science,'  Melbourne,  p.  71  : 

"The  most  abundant  of  these  are 
the  tiger  snake,  Hoplocephalus  curtus, 
the  most  widespread,  active,  and  dan- 
gerous of  them  all  :  the  brown  snake, 
Diemenia  superciliosa^  pretty  generally 
distributed." 

Carpet  Snake.  Name  applied  in 
Australia  to  Python  variegata^ 
Gray,  a  non-venomous  snake 
reaching  a  length  of  ten  feet. 
The  name  has  reference  to  the 
carpet-like  pattern  on  the  scales. 
The  animal  crushes  its  prey  to 
death,  and  can  hang  from  branches 
by  means  of  its  prehensile  tail. 
In  Tasmania,  the  name  is  unfor- 
tunately applied  to  a  venom- 
ous snake,  Hoplocephalus  curtus, 
Schlegel. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' c.  i.  p.  1 6  : 

"  Brown  brought  a  carpet  snake  and 
a  brown  snake  with  yellow  belly." 

1878.  F.  McCoy,  'Prodromus  of  the 
Zoology  of  Victoria,'  Decade  ii.  pi.  13  : 

"  The  pattern  has  some  resemblance 
to  some  of  the  commoner  sorts  of 
Kidderminster  carpets,  as  suggested  by 
the  popular  name  of  Carpet  Snake  .  .  . 
the  name  ...  is,  unfortunately,  ap- 
plied to  the  poisonous  Tiger  Snake  in 
Tasmania,  producing  some  confusion." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Canni- 
bals,' p.  294 : 

"  One  of  the  snakes  most  common 
is  the  Australian  python  (Morelia 
variegata))  the  largest  snake  found  in 
Australia,  which  here  in  Northern 


SNA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


423 


Queensland  may  even  attain  a  length 
of  more  than  twenty  feet.5' 

Copper-head  Snake.  Name  applied 
in  Australia  to  Hoplocephalus  super- 
bus^  Giinth.,  a  venomous  snake 
which  is  very  common  in  Tas- 
mania, where  it  is  often  called  the 
Diamond  Snake  (q.v.).  In  Victoria, 
it  is  often  confused  with  the  Black 
Snake ;  unlike  the  latter,  it  is 
more  common  in  the  south  than 
in  the  north.  It  derives  its  popu- 
lar name  from  the  colour  of  the 
head. 

1885.  F.  McCoy,  'Prodromus  of  the 
Natural  History  of  Victoria/  Decade  i. 
pi.  2: 

"In  Tasmania  the  name  Diamond 
snake  is  unfortunately  given  to  this 
species,  for  that  name  properly  belongs 
to  a  perfectly  harmless  snake  of  New 
South  Wales,  so  that  the  numerous 
experiments  made  in  Tasmania  to  test 
the  value  of  some  pretended  antidotes, 
were  supposed  in  London  to  have  been 
made  with  the  true  Diamond  snake, 
instead  of,  as  was  the  case,  with  this 
very  poisonous  kind.  ...  I  have 
adopted  the  popular  name  'copper- 
head '  for  this  snake  from  a  well-known 
vendor  of  a  supposed  antidote  for 
snake-bites." 

1896.  'The  Melburnian,'  Aug.  28, 
P-  54: 

"Those  heather  lands  round  Caul- 
field  and  Oakleigh  where  the  copper- 
head snake  basks,  coiled  on  the  warm 
silver  sand." 

Death-adder ;  also  called  Deaf- 
adder.  An  Australian  snake, 
Acanthophis  antarctica.  It  is  usu- 
ally found  in  hot  sandy  districts, 
and  is  supposed  to  be  the  most 
venomous  of  the  Australian 
snakes.  Large  specimens  reach 
a  length  of  upwards  of  three  feet, 
the  body  having  a  diameter  of 
about  two  inches  :  at  the  end  of 
the  tail  is  a  short  spine  popularly 
known  as  the  animal's  "  sting." 

1878.     F.  McCoy,   'Prodromus  of  the 
Zoology  of  Victoria,'  Decade  ii.  pi.  12  : 
"The  popular  name   seems  to  be 


indifferently  Death  Adder  or  Deaf 
Adder.  The  harmless  horny  spine  at 
the  end  of  the  tail  is  its  most  danger- 
ous weapon,  in  the  popular  belief.'' 

Diamond-Snake.  Name  applied 
in  New  South  Wales  and  Queens- 
land to  Python  spilotes,  Lacep.,  a 
non-venomous  snake  reaching  a 
large  size.  In  Tasmania  the  same 
name  is  given  to  Hoplocephalus 
superbus.  Gray,  a  venomous  snake 
more  properly  called  the  Copper- 
head Snake. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  78  : 

"Charley  killed  a  diamond  snake, 
larger  than  any  he  had  ever  seen 
before." 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip,' 
c.  iii.  p.  43  : 

"The  diamond  snake  is  that  most 
dreaded  by  the  natives." 

1869.  G.  Krefft,  '  The  Snakes  of  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  29  : 

"  Diamond  snakes  are  found  in  al- 
most every  kind  of  country  that  offers 
them  sufficient  shelter." 

1895.  G.  Metcalfe,  'Australian  Zoology,' 
p.  27: 

"As  a  rule,  diamond  snakes  have 
almost  every  scale  of  the  body  marked 
with  a  yellow  spot  in  the  centre.  .  .  . 
The  abdominal  plates  are  yellow,  and 
more  or  less  blotched  with  black,  and 
many  species  .  .  .  have  a  number  of 
diamond-shaped  yellow  spots  upon 
the  body,  formed  by  a  few  of  the 
lighter  scales,  and  hence  their  name 
has  probably  arisen." 

Green  Tree-Snake.  Name  given, 
owing  to  its  colour,  to  the  com- 
monest Australian  tree-snake, 
Dendrophis  punctulata.  Gray.  It 
is  a  non-venomous  form,  feeding 
on  frogs,  young  birds,  and  eggs, 
and  rarely  exceeds  the  length  of 
six  feet. 

1869.  G.  Krefft,  « The  Snakes  of  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  24  : 

"  Young  and  half  grown  Tree  Snakes 
are  olive-green  above  and  light  brown 
below  .  .  .  when  angry,  the  body  of 
this  serpent  expands  in  a  vertical 
direction,  whilst  all  venomous  snakes 


424 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SNB 


flatten  their  necks  horizontally.  The 
green  Tree  snake,  in  a  state  of  excite- 
ment is  strongly  suggestive  of  one  of 
the  popular  toys  of  childhood." 

Little  Whip-Snake.  Name  applied 
to  a  small  venomous  species  of 
snake,  Hoplocephalus  flagellum, 
McCoy.  Common  in  parts  of 
Victoria,  but  not  exceeding  a  foot 
in  length. 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  '  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
vol.  ii.  c.  xxvii.  p.  190 : 

"  He  wished  it  had  been  a  whip- 
snake  instead  of  a  magpie." 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Longleat  of  Koor- 
albyn,'  c.  xx.  p.  199  : 

"A  whip-snake  .  .  .  reared  itself 
upon  its  lithe  body,  and  made  a  dart 
at  Barrington's  arm." 

1890.  Lyth,  'Golden  South,'  c.  iii.  p. 
24: 

"I  saw  a  large  'whip-snake'  lying 
on  the  path." 

Tiger-Snake.  Name  applied  in 
Australia  and  Tasmania  to  Hoplo- 
cephalus curlus,  Schlegel,  but  this 
species  is  often  also  known  in  the 
latter  as  the  Carpet  Snake  (q.v.). 
The  popular  name  is  derived  from 
the  cross-banded  colouring  along 
the  body,  and  also  from  its  ac- 
tivity. It  varies  much  in  colour 
from  a  dark  olive  green  to  a  light 
yellowish  brown,  the  darker  cross 
bands  being  sometimes  almost 
indistinguishable.  It  may  reach 
a  length  of  four  feet,  and  is 
viviparous,  producing  about 
thirty  young  ones  in  January  or 
February. 

1875.  'The  Spectator'  (Melbourne), 
Aug.  21,  p.  190,  col.  i  : 

"On  Tuesday  a  tiger-snake  was 
seen  opposite  the  door  of  the  Sand- 
ridge  police  court." 

1885.  F-  McCoy,  '  Prodromus  of  the 
Zoology  of  Victoria,'  Decade  i.  pi.  3  : 

"  This  species,  which  goes  under  the 
colonial  name  in  Victoria  of  Tiger 
snake,  from  its  tawny  cross  banded 
colouring  and  ferocity,  is  well  known 
to  frequently  inflict  bites  rapidly  fatal 
to  men  and  dogs.  ...  In  Tasmania 


this  is  popularly  called '  Carpet  snake,' 
a  name  which  properly  belongs  to  the 
harmless  snake  so  called  on  the  main- 
land." 

Two-hooded Furina- Snake.  Name 
applied  to  a  small,  venomous 
snake,  Furina  bicuculata^  McCoy. 

1879.  F.  McCoy,  'Prodromus  of  the 
Zoology  ofVictoria,'  Decade  iii.  pi.  32  : 

"  Furina  bicuculata  (McCoy).  The 
Two-hooded  Furina-snake.  .  .  .  This 
rare  and  beautiful  little  snake  is  a 
clear  example  of  the  genus  Furina." 

White-lipped-Snake.  Name  given 
to  a  small  venomous  species  of 
whip-snake^  Hoplocephalus  coronoides, 
Gimth.,  found  in  Tasmania  and 
Victoria,  and  reaching  a  length 
of  about  eighteen  inches. 

1890.  A.  H.  S.  Lucas, '  Handbook  of  the 
Australasian  Association  for  the  Advance- 
ment of  Science,'  Melbourne,  p.  71  : 

"  Whip  snakes,  H.flagellum  and  H. 
coronoides" 

Worm-Snake.  Name  given  to 
various  species  of  the  genus  Typh- 
lops,  comprising  small,  non-venom- 
ous, smooth,  round-bodied  snakes, 
which  burrow  in  warm  sandy  soil, 
and  feed  upon  insects  such  as, 
ants.  The  eyes  are  covefed  over 
by  translucent  plates,  and  the  tail 
scarcely  tapering  at  all,  and  some- 
times having  two  black  spots, 
gives  the  animal  the  appearance 
of  having  a  head  at  each  end. 
The  commoner  forms  are  the 
Blackish  Worm-Snake  (Typhlops 
nigrescent.  Gray),  and  SchlegeVs 
Worm-Snake  (T.  polygrammicus* 
Schlegel). 

1881.  F.  McCoy,  'Prodromus  of  the 
Zoology  ofVictoria,'  Decade  vi.  pi.  103  : 

"The  'Blackish  Worm  snake'  is 
not  uncommon  in  the  northern  warmer 
parts  of  the  colony.  .  .  .  These  worm 
snakes  are  perfectly  harmless,  although, 
like  the  Slow- Worms  and  their  allies 
in  other  countries,  they  are  popularly 
supposed  to  be  very  poisonous." 

Sneeze-weed,  Myriogyne  minu- 
ta.  Less.,  Cotula  or  Centipeda 


SNI-SOA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


42 


cunninghamii)  De  C.,  and  many 
other  botanical  synonyms.  A 
valuable  specific  for  Sandy-Blight 
(q.v.). 

1877.  F.  v.  Muller, '  Botanic  Teachings,' 
p.  58 : 

"  The  Sneeze- weed  (Cotula  or  Centi- 
peda  Cunninghamii).  A  dwarf,  erect, 
odorous  herb  .  .  .  can  be  converted 
into  snuff." 

1886.  Dr.  Woolls,  in  '  Sydney  Morning 
Herald,'  Dec.  25  (quoted  by  Maiden) : 

"Dr.  Jockel  is,  I  believe,  the  first 
medical  man  in  Australia  who  has 
proved  the  value  of  Myriogyne  in  a 
case  of  ophthalmia.  This  weed,  grow- 
ing as  it  does  on  the  banks  of  rivers 
and  creeks,  and  in  moist  places,  is 
common  in  all  the  Australian  colonies 
and  Tasmania,  and  it  may  be  regarded 
as  almost  co-extensive  with  the  disease 
it  is  designed  to  relieve." 

Snipe,  n.  The  species  of  Snipe 
known  in  Australia  are — Scolopax 
australis,  Lath.;  Painted  S.,  Rhyn- 
chcea  australis,  Gould.  This  bird 
breeds  in  Japan  and  winters  in 
Australia.  The  name  is  also 
used  as  in  the  quotation. 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  210 : 

"Along  the  shore  are  flocks  of  a 
species  of  bird  which  some  sportsmen 
and  the  game-sellers  in  the  city  are 
pleased  to  call  snipe.  They  are  pro- 
bably tringa,  a  branch  of  the  sea- 
plover  family." 

Snook,  n.  The  name  is  applied 
in  the  Old  World  to  various  fishes, 
including  the  Garfish  (q.v.).  At 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  it  is 
applied  to  Thy r sites  atun,  Cuv. 
and  Val.,  and  this  name  for  the 
same  fish  has  extended  to  New 
Zealand,  where  (as  in  all  the 
other  colonies)  it  is  more  gener- 
ally called  the  Barracouta  (q.v.). 
Under  the  word  Cavally,  'O.E.D.' 
quotes — 

1697.   Dampier,  '  Voyage,'  vol.  i : 
"The    chiefest    fish     are    bonetas, 
snooks,   cavallys." 


Snook  is  an  old  name,  but  it 
is  doubtful  whether  it  is  used  in 
the  Old  World  for  the  same  fish. 
Castelnau  says  it  is  the  snook 
of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

1872.  Hutton  and  Hector,  'Fishes  of 
New  Zealand,'  p.  14,  under  '  Thyrsites 
Atun,  Barracoota': 

"This  is,  I  believe,  the  fish  called 
snoek  in  Cape  Colony." 

1880.  Gunther, '  Study  of  Fishes,'  p.  436 : 

"  Th.  atun  from  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  South  Australia,  New  Zealand, 
and  Chili,  is  preserved,  pickled  or 
smoked.  In  New  Zealand  it  is  called 
'  barracuda J  or  '  snoek/  and  exported 
from  the  colony  into  Mauritius  and 
Batavia  as  a  regular  article  of  com- 
merce." 

Snowberry,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
name  for  the  Wax-duster  (q.v.). 

Snow-Grass,  n.  Poa  ccespitosa^, 
G.  Forst.,  another  name  for 
Wiry-grass  (q.v.).  See  also  Gras^ 

1875.  Wood  and  Lapham,  '  Waiting  for 
the  Mail,'  p.  31: 

"  Tethering  my  good  old  horse  to  a 
tussock  of  snow-grass." 

Snow-line,  n.  In  pastoralists' 
language  of  New  Zealand,  "above 
the  snow-line"  is  land  covered  by 
snow  in  winter,  but  free  in 
summer. 

Soak,  or  Soakage,  n.  a  West- 
ern and  Central  Australian  term- 
See  quotation. 

1895.  'The  Australasian,'  Sept.  7,  p.. 
461,  col.  i: 

"'Inquirer.' — The  term  soak  in 
Western  Australia,  as  used  on  maps 
and  plans,  signifies  a  depression  hold- 
ing moisture  after  rain.  It  is  also 
given  to  damp  or  swampy  spots  round 
the  base  of  granite  rocks.  Wells  sunk 
on  soaks  yield  water  for  some  time 
after  rain.  All  soaks  are  of  a  tem- 
porary character." 

Soak-hole,  n\  an  enclosed  place 
in  a  stream  in  which  sheep  are 
washed. 


426 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SOL-SOU 


1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  82  : 

"Parallel  poles,  resting  on  forks 
driven  into  the  bed  of  the  water-hole, 
were  run  out  on  the  surface  of  the 
stream,  forming  square  soak-holes,  a 
long,  narrow  lane  leading  to  the  dry 
land." 

Soldier,  or  Soldier -Ant,  n. 
"  one  of  that  section  of  a  colony 
of  some  kinds  of  ants  which  does 
the  fighting,  takes  slaves,  etc." 
{'Century  Diet.')  In  Australia, 
the  large  red  ants  are  called 
Soldier-Ants.  Compare  Bulldog- 
Ant. 

1854.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'The  Australian 
Emigrant,'  p.  59  : 

"It  was  a  red  ant,  upwards  of  an 
inch  in  length — '  that's  a  soldier,  and 
he  prods  hard  too.' " 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  p.  308 : 

"  The  pain  caused  by  a  wound  from 
this  grass-seed  is  exactly  like  that  from 
the  bite  of  a  soldier-ant." 

Soldier-bird,  or  Poor  Soldier, 
or  Old-Soldier  bird,  n.  another 
name  for  the  Friar-bird  (q.v.). 

1859.  D.  Bunce,  '  Australasiatic  Remin- 
iscences,' p.  62 : 

"  The  notes  peculiar  to  the  Orni- 
thorhynchus  paradoxus,  or  platypus, 
wattle-bird,  and  leather-head,  or  old 
soldier  bird,  added  in  no  small  degree 
to  the  novelties.  .  .  .  The  wattle-bird 
has  been  not  inaptly  termed  the  'what's 
o'clock,' — the  leather-head  the  'stop 
where-you-are.'" 

[Mr.  Bunce's  observations  are  curi- 
ously confused.  The  '  Soldier-bird '  is 
also  called  'Four  o'clock,'  but  it  is 
difficult  to  say  what  'wattle  bird'  is 
called  'what's  o'clock ';— the  'notes'  of 
the  platypus  must  be  indeed  '  peculiar.5] 

1896.  Mrs.  Langloh  Parker,  '  Australian 
Legendary  Tales,'  p.  108  [Title  of  Tale]  : 
"  Deegeenboyah  the  Soldier-bird." 

Sole,  n.  The  name  is  given  to 
various  Australian  fishes.  In 
Sydney,  to  Synaptura  nigra,  Macl. ; 
in  Melbourne,  to  Rhombosoka  bas- 
sensis,  Castln.  ;  in  New  Zealand, 


to  Rhombosoka  monopus,  Giinth., 
and  Peltorhamphus  nova-zelandice, 
Giinth.  ;  in  Tasmania,  to  Ammo- 
tretis  rostratus,  Giinth.,  family 
Pkuronectidce.  Rhombosoka  mono- 
pus  is  called  the  Flounder,  in 
Tasmania.  See  also  Lemon-Sole. 

Solomon's  Seal,  n.  Not  the 
Old  World  plant,  which  is  of  the 
genus  Polygonatum,  but  the  Tas- 
manian  name  for  Drymophila  cya- 
nocarpa,  R.Br.,  N.  O.  Liliacece  ; 
also  called  Turquoise  Berry. 

Sonny,  n.  a  common  nomina- 
tive of  address  to  any  little  boy. 
In  Australia,  the  word  is  not  in- 
frequently pronounced  as  in  the 
quotation.  The  form  of  the  word 
came  from  America. 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  '  Man  from  Snowy 
River,'  p.  10 : 

"  But  maybe  you're  only  a  Johnnie, 
And  don't  know  a  horse  from  a 

hoe? 
Weel,  weel,   don't   get    angry,  my 

Sonny, 

But,  really,  a  young  'un   should 
know." 

Sool,  v.  Used  colloquially — (i) 
to  excite  a  dog  or  set  him  on  ;  (2) 
to  worry,  as  of  a  dog.  Common 
in  the  phrase  "Sool  him,  boy!" 
Shakspeare  uses  "tarre  him  on" 
in  the  first  sense. 

Shakspeare,  '  King  John,'  IV.  i.  117  : 
"  And  like  a  dog  that  is  compelled  to 
fight, 

Snatch  at  his  master  that  doth  tarre 
him  on." 

1896.  Mrs.  Langloh  Parker,  '  Australian 
Legendary  Tales,'  p.  90  : 

"  She  went  quickly  towards  her 
camp,  calling  softly,  '  Birree  gougou,' 
which  meant  '  Sool  'em,  sool  'em,'  and 
was  the  signal  for  the  dogs  to  come 
out." 

Sorrel,      Queensland.         See 

Queensland  Sorrel. 

Sour-Grourd, ;/.  Same  as  Baobab 
(q.v.).j 


SOU-SPE] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


427 


Sour-Plum,  n.  the  Emu-apple. 
See  Apple. 

South  Australia,  n.  the  name 
of  a  colony,  established  in  1836, 
with  Adelaide  as  its  capital.  It  is 
not  a  good  name,  for  it  is  not  the 
most  southerly  colony,  and  the 
"Northern  Territory"  forms  a 
part  of  South  Australia.  Central 
Australia  would  be  a  better  name, 
but  not  wholly  satisfactory,  for 
by  Central  Australia  is  now  meant 
the  central  part  of  the  colony  of 
South  Australia.  The  name  Cen- 
tralia  has  been  proposed  as  a 
change. 

Southern  Cross,  n.  The  con- 
stellation of  the  Southern  Cross  is 
of  course  visible  in  places  farther 
north  than  Australia,  but  it  has 
come  to  be  regarded  as  the  astro- 
nomical emblem  of  Australasia ; 
e.g.  the  phrase  "beneath  the 
Southern  Cross  "  is  common  for 
"  in  Australia  or  New  Zealand." 

1863.  S.  Butler,  '  First  Year  in  Canter- 
bury  Settlement,'  p.  13  : 

"  The  southern  cross  is  a  very  great 
delusion.  It  isn't  a  cross.  It  is  a  kite, 
a  kite  upside  down,  an  irregular  kite 
upside  down,  with  only  three  respect- 
able stars  and  one  very  poor  and  very 
much  out  of  place.  Near  it,  however, 
is  a  truly  mysterious  and  interesting 
object  called  the  coal  sack  :  it  is  a 
black  patch  in  the  sky  distinctly  darker 
than  all  the  rest  of  the  heavens.  No 
star  shines  through  it.  The  proper 
name  for  it  is  the  black  Magellan 
cloud." 

1868.  Mrs.  Riddell, '  Lay  of  Far  South,' 
P-  4: 
"  Yet  do  I  not  regret  the  loss, 

Thou  hast  thy  gleaming  Southern 
Cross." 

'    1887.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Longleat  of  Koor- 
albyn,'  c.  iv.  p.  35  : 

"  The  Southern  Cross  rose  gem-like 
above  the  horizon." 

Spade-press,  n.  a  make-shift 
wool-press  in  which  the  fleeces 
are  rammed  down  with  a  spade. 


1890.   Rolf  Boldrewood,   'Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xvii.  p.  202  : 

"  The  spade-press — that  friendly  ad- 
junct of  the  pioneer  squatter's  humble 
wool-shed." 

Spaniard,  n.  a  prickly  bushy 
grass  of  New  Zealand,  Aciphylla 
colensoL 

1857.  '  Paul's  Letters  from  Canterbury,' 
p.  108: 

"  The  country  through  which  I  have 
passed  has  been  most  savage,  one  mass 
of  Spaniards." 

1862.  J.  Von  Haast,  '  Geology  of  West- 
land,'  p.  25  : 

"  Groves  of  large  specimens  of  Dis- 
caria  toumatoo,  the  Wild  Irishman  of 
the  settlers,  formed  with  the  gigantic 
Aciphylla  Colensoi,  the  Spaniard  or 
Bayonet-grass,  an  often  impenetrable 
thicket." 

1863.  S.  Butler,  '  First  Year  of  Canter- 
bury Settlement,'  p.  67  : 

"  The  Spaniard  (spear-grass  or  bay- 
onet-grass) 'piked  us  intil  the  bane,' 
and  I  assure  you  we  were  hard  set  to 
make  any  headway  at  all." 

1875.  Lady  Barker,  '  Station  Amuse- 
ments in  New  Zealand,'  p.  35  : 

"  The  least  touch  of  this  green  bay- 
onet draws  blood,  and  a  fall  into  a 
Spaniard  is  a  thing  to  be  remembered 
all  one's  life." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  'Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  287  : 

"  Carefully  avoiding  contact  with  the 
long-armed  leaves  of  Spaniards  (Aci- 
phylla}, which  here  attain  the  larger 
dimensions,  carrying  flower-spikes  up 
to  six  feet  long." 

1890.  'Transactions  of  the  New  Zea- 
land Institute,'  vol.  xxiii.  p.  197  : 

"  Here  were  rats  which  lived  under 
the  dead  leaves  of  the  prickly  '  Span- 
iard] and  possibly  fed  on  the  roots. 
The  Spaniard  leaves  forked  into  stift 
upright  ringers  about  I  in.  wide,  ending 
in  an  exceedingly  stiff  pricking  point." 

1896.   '  Otago  Witness,'  May  7,  p.  48  : 

"  Prickly  as  the  points  of  the  Span- 
iard." 

Spear-grass,  n.  name  given  to 
several  grasses  whose  spear-like 
seeds  spoil  the  wool  of  sheep,  but 
which  are  yet  excellent  forage 


428 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SPE-SPH 


plants.  They  are — (i)  all  the 
species  of  Stipa ;  (2)  Heteropogon 
contortus,  Rcem.  and  Schult.,  and 
others  (see  quotations) ;  (3)  and 
in  New  Zealand,  one  or  two  plants 
of  the  umbelliferous  genus  Aci- 
phylla  ;  also  called  Spaniard  (q.v.). 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  44 : 

"Very  disagreeable,  however,  was 
the  abundance  of  burr  and  of  a  spear- 
grass  (Aristzda)." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  ii.  p.  463  [Note]  : 

"  On  the  south  coast  there  is  a  grass 
seed  which  has  similar  properties. 
The  seeds  are  sharp  and  covered  with 
fine  barbs,  and  once  they  penetrate  the 
skin  they  will  work  their  way  onwards. 
They  catch  in  the  wool  of  sheep,  and 
in  a  short  time  reach  the  intestines. 
Very  often  I  have  been  shown  the 
omentum  of  a  dead  sheep  where  the 
grass  seeds  were  projecting  like  a  pave- 
ment of  pegs.  The  settlers  call  it 
spear-grass,  and  it  is,  I  believe,  a 
species  of  Anthistiria" 

1874.  W.  H.  L.  Ranken,  '  Dominion  of 
Australia,'  c.  v.  p.  86  : 

"Sheep  in  paddocks  cannot  be  so 
well  kept  clear  of  spear-grass." 

1889.  J.    H.    Maiden,    '  Useful    Native 
Plants,'  p.  90 : 

"  Heteropogon  contortus,  Spear- 
Grass.  A  splendid  grass  for  a  cattle- 
run,  as  it  produces  a  great  amount  of 
feed,  but  is  dreaded  by  the  sheep- 
owner  on  account  of  its  spear-like 
seeds." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz, '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  23: 

"A  nocuous  kind  of  grass,  namely 
the  dreaded  spear-grass  (Andropogon 
COfttortus\  which  grows  on  the  coast, 
and  which  rendered  sheep-raising 
impossible." 

Spear-Lily,  n.     See  Lily. 

Spearwood,  the  wood  of  three 
trees  so  called,  because  the  ab- 
origines made  their  spears  from 
it — Acacia  doratoxylon,  A.  Cunn., 
A.  homalophylla,  A.  Cunn.,  both 
N.  O.  Leguminoscz  ;  and  Eucalyptus 


doratoxylon,  F.  v.  M.,  N.  O.    Myr- 
tacecz. 

Speedwell,  Native,  n.  The 
English  Speedwell  is  a  Veronica. 
There  is  a  Tasmanian  species, 
Veronica  formosa,  R.Br.,  N.O~ 
Scrophulariacece. 

Spell,  n.  In  England,  a  turn  at 
work  or  duty ;  in  Australasia, 
always  a  period  of  rest  from  duty. 
It  is  quite  possible  that  etymo- 
logically  Spell  is  connected  with 
Ger.  spielen,  in  which  case  the 
Australasian  use  is  the  more  cor- 
rect. See  *  Skeat's  Etymological 
Dictionary.' 

1865.  J.  O.  Tucker,  'Australian  Story,' 
c.  i.  p.  84  : 

"  The  only  recompense  was  ...  to 
light  his  pipe  and  have  a  *  spell.' " 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  84 : 

"Having  a  spell — what  we  should 
call  a  short  holiday." 

Spell,  v.  to  rest. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  p.  42  : 

"  In  order  to  spell  the  oars,  we  landed 
at  a  point  on  the  east  side." 

1880.  G.  N.  Oakley,  in  'Victoria  in 
1 880,' p.  114: 

"  He  '  spelled '  upon  the  ground  ;  a 

hollow  gum 
Bore  up  his  ample  back  and  bade 

him  rest ; 
And  creaked  no  warning  when  he 

sat  upon 
A  war-ant's  nest." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xxiv.  p.  328: 

"  There's  a  hundred  and  fifty  stock- 
horses  there,  spelling  for  next  winter's 
work." 

1896.  Baldwin  Spencer,  'Home  Ex- 
pedition in  Central  Australia,'  Narrative, 
p.  48: 

"We  camped  beside  a  water-pool 
containing  plenty  of  fish,  and  here  we 
spelled  for  a  day  to  allow  some  of  us 
to  go  on  and  photograph  Chamber's 
Pillar." 

Sphemira,   n.    scientific   name 


SPl] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


429 


for  a  genus  of  Australian  birds 
called  t\\Q Bristle-Birds  (c^,v.).  From 
Grk.  o-^v,  "a  wedge,"  and  ovpa, 
"a  tail."  The  name  was  given 
by  Sir  Frederick  McCoy. 

Spider,  n.     See  Katipo. 

Spider-Orchis,  «.  name  given  in 
Tasmania  to  the  Orchid  Caladenia 
pulcherrima,  F.  v.  M. 

Spiloglaux,  n.     See  Sceloglaux. 

Spinach,  Australian,  n.  name 
applied  to  species  of  Chenopodium, 
N.O.  Salsolacecz  ;  called  also  fat- 
hen.  The  name  is  also  applied  to 
various  wild  pot  herbs. 

Spinach,  New  Zealand,  n. 
Tetragonia  expansa,  Murr.,  N.O. 
Ficoidece  ;  called  also  Iceplant,  in 
Tasmania.  It  is  a  trailing  Fig- 
marigold,  and  was  discovered  in 
New  Zealand  by  Captain  Cook, 
though  it  is  also  found  in  Japan 
and  South  America.  Its  top 
leaves  are  eaten  as  spinach,  and 
Cook  introduced  it  to  England, 
where  it  is  also  known  as  Summer 
Spinach. 

Spine-bill,  n.  an  Australian 
"  Honey-eater,"  but  not  now  so 
classed.  There  are  two  species — 

The  Slender  Spine-bill— 

Acanthorhynchus  tenuirostris, 
Gould  ;  inhabiting  Australia 
and  Tasmania,  and  called 
Cobbler's  Awl  in  the  latter 
colony. 
White-eyebrowed  S. — 

A.     super ciliosus,     Gould  ;      of 
Western  Australia. 

Though  related  to  the  genus 
Myzomela,  the  pattern  of  their 
colouration  differs  widely. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv.  pi.  6 1  : 

"  Acanthorhynckus  tenuirostris. 
Slender-billed  Spine-bill.  Cobbler's  Awl, 
Colonists  of  Van  Diemen's  Land." 


Ibid.  pi.  62  : 

"  A  canthorhynckus  super ciliostis, 
Gould.  White-eyebrowed  Spine-bill." 

Spinetail,  n.  an  Australian  bird, 
Orthonyx  spinicauda  ;  called  also 
Pheasanfs  Mother  (q.v.),  Log-runner 
(q.v.).  The  name  is  used  else- 
where for  different  birds.  See 
Orthonyx. 

Spinifex,  n.  a  grass  known 
in  India,  China,  and  the  Pacific, 
but  especially  common  on  Austra- 
lasian shores.  The  word  means, 
literally,  thorn-making,  but  it  is 
not  classical  Latin.  "  The  aggre- 
gated flowers  form  large  clusters, 
and  their  radiating  heads,  be- 
coming detached  at  maturity,  are 
carried  by  the  wind  along  the 
sand,  propelled  by  their  elastic 
spines  and  dropping  their  seeds 
as  they  roll."  (Mueller.)  This 
peculiarity  gains  for  the  Hairy 
Spinifex  (Spinifex  hirsutus,  Labill.) 
the  additional  name  of  Spiny 
Rolling  Grass.  See  also  quota- 
tion, 1877.  This  chief  species 
(S.  hirsutus)  is  present  on  the 
shores  of  nearly  all  Australasia, 
and  has  various  synonyms — S. 
sericeus,  Raoul. ;  S.  inermis,  Banks 
and  Sol. ;  Ixalum  inerme,  Forst. ;  S. 
fragilis,  R.  B. ,  etc.  It  is  a  "  coarse, 
rambling,  much-branched,  rigid, 
spinous,  silky  or  woolly,  peren- 
nial grass,  with  habitats  near  the 
sea  on  sandhills,  or  saline  soils 
more  inland."  (Buchanan.) 

The  Desert  Spinifex  of  the  early 
explorers,  and  of  many  subse- 
quent writers,  is  not  a  true 
Spinifex,  but  a  Fescue ;  it  is  pro- 
perly called  Porcupine  Grass  (q.v.), 
and  is  a  species  of  Triodia.  The 
quotations,  1846,  1887,  1890,  and 
1893,  involve  this  error. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  c.  vi.  p.  209  : 

"In  the  valley  was  a  little  sandy 
soil,  nourishing  the  Spinifex." 


430 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SPI-SPO 


1877.  Baron  von  Mueller,  '  Botanic 
Teachings,'  p.  125  : 

"The  Desert  Spinifex  of  our  colonists 
is  a  Fescue,  but  a  true  Spinifex  occu- 
pies our  sand-shores  ;  .  .  .  the  heads 
are  so  buoyant  as  to  float  lightly  on 
the  water,  and  while  their  uppermost 
spiny  rays  act  as  sails,  they  are  carried 
across  narrow  inlets,  to  continue  the 
process  of  embarking." 

1887.  J.  Bonwick,  ' Romance  of  Wool 
Trade,'  p.  239  : 

"  Though  grasses  are  sadly  conspicu- 
ous by  their  absence,  saline  plants,  so 
nutritious  for  stock,  occur  amidst  the 
real  deserts  of  Spinifex." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals,' 

P-  43  : 

"On  the  broad  sandy  heights  .  .  . 
the  so-called  spinifex  is  found  in  great 
abundance.  This  grass  ( Triodia  irri- 
tans)  is  the  traveller's  torment,  and 
makes  the  plains,  which  it  sometimes 
covers  for  hundreds  of  miles,  almost 
impassable.  Its  blades,  which  have 
points  as  sharp  as  needles,  often  prick 
the  horses'  legs  till  they  bleed." 

1893.  A.  F.  Calvert,  'English  Illus- 
trated Magazine,'  Feb.,  p.  325  : 

"  They  evidently  preferred  that  kind 
of  watercress  to  the  leaves  of  the  hor- 
rid, prickly  Spinifex,  so  omnipresent  in 
the  north-western  district." 

1896.  R.  Tate,  'Home  Expedition  in 
Central  Australia,'  Botany,  p.  119  : 

"A  species  of  Triodia  ('porcupine 
grass,'  or  incorrectly  '  spinifex J  of  ex- 
plorers and  residents)  dominates  sandy 
ground  and  the  sterile  slopes  and  tops 
of  the  sandstone  table-lands." 

Spiny-Lizard,  n.  i.q.  Mountain 
Devil  (q.v.). 

Split-stuff,  n.  timber  sawn  into 
lengths  and  then  split. 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  i.  p.  159  : 

"'Sawed  stuff;  and  'split  stuff,5  by 
which  is  meant  timber  which  is  sawn 
into  regular  forms  and  thicknesses,  as 
flooring  boards,  joints,  battens,  &c., 
and  that  which  is  split  into  '  posts  and 
rails,'  slabs,  or  paling.  Some  of  the 
species  of  eucalyptus,  or  gum-trees, 
are  peculiarly  adapted  for  splitting. 
The  peppermint-tree  (Eucalyptus  pipe- 
rita)  and  the  '  Stringy  Bark '  are  re- 


markable for  the  perfectly  straight 
grain  which  they  often  exhibit,  and 
are  split  with  surprising  evenness  and 
regularity  into  paling  and  boards  for 
'weather-boarding'  houses  and  other 
purposes,  in  lengths  of  six  or  eight 
feet  by  one  foot  wide,  and  half  or  one- 
third  of  an  inch  thick.  .  .  .  Any  curve 
in  a  tree  renders  it  unfit  for  splitting, 
but  the  crooked-grained  wood  is  best 
for  sawing.  .  .  .  All  houses  in  the 
colony,  with  few  exceptions,  are  roofed 
with  split  shingles." 

Splitter,  n.  a  wood-cutter,  cut- 
ting timber  in  the  bush,  and 
splitting  it  into  posts  and  rails, 
palings  or  shingles.  See  quota- 
tion under  Split-stuff. 

1845.   R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  105  : 

"There  were  two  splitters  located 
near  us  ...  they  had  a  licence  to  split 
timber  on  the  crown  lands." 

1870.  A.  L.  Gordon,  'Bush  Ballads- 
Wolf  and  Hound,' p.  32: 
"At  the  splitter's  tent  I  had  seen  the 
track 

Of  horse  hoofs,  fresh  on  the  sward." 

Spoonbill,     n.      a     bird-name 
widely    used.        The    Australian 
species  are — 
Royal  Spoonbill — 

Platalea  regia. 
Yellow-billed  S.— 

P.  flavipes. 

P.  regia  has  a  fine  crest  in  the 
breeding  season ;  hence  the  name. 

1863.    M.    K.    Beveridge,    'Gatherings 
among  Gum-trees,'  p.  79  : 
"The  sun  is  sinking  in  the  western 

sky, 

And    ibises   and   spoonbills    thither 
fly." 

Spotted-tree.  Same  as  Leopard- 
tree  (q.v.). 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  216 : 

"  Spotted  or  Leopard  Tree.  The 
gum  from  this  tree  forms  good  adhesive 
mucilage.  It  reminds  one  strongly 
of  East- India  gum-arabic  of  good 
quality.  During  the  summer  months 
large  masses,  of  a  clear  amber- 
colour,  exude  from  the  stem  and 


SPO-SQU] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


431 


branches.  It  has  a  very  pleasant 
taste,  is  eaten  by  the  aboriginals,  and 
forms  a  very  common  bushman's 
remedy  in  diarrhoea." 

Spotted-Orchis,  n.  Tasmanian 
name  for  the  Orchid  Dipodium 
punctatum,  R.Br. 

Spotting,  n.  New  Zealand 
equivalent  for  the  Australian 
" picking  the  eyes  out,"  and  "  pea- 
cocking." Under  Free-selection 
(q.v.),  the  squatter  spotted  his 
run,  purchasing  choice  spots. 

Spotty,  n.  a  New  Zealand  fish, 
a  Wrass,  Labrichthys  bothryocosmus, 
Richards.  ;  also  called  Poddly 
(q.v.),  and  Kelp-fish  (q.v.). 

1878.  P.  Thomson,  '  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xi.  art.  lii.  p. 
384: 

"Wrasse,  parrot-fish,  and  spotties 
are  often  in  the  market.  There  are 
two  kinds  of  spotties,  a  big  and  a  little. 
The  wrasse  and  the  parrot-fish  are 
mostly  caught  outside  amongst  the 
kelp,  and  these,  with  the  spotty,  are 
indiscriminately  called  kelp-fish  by 
the  fishermen." 

Sprag,  n.  In  gold-mining.  See 
quotation.  The  word  is  used  in 
England,  applied  to  coal-mining. 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  '  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  iii.  p.  23 : 

"A  'sprag,'  being  a  stout  piece  of 
hard  wood,  was  inserted  between  the 
rope  and  the  iron  roller  on  which  the 
rope  ran." 

Squat,  v.  to  be  a  squatter  (q.v.) 
in  any  of  the  senses  of  that  word. 

1846.  Feb.  n,  'Speech  by  Rev.  J.  D. 
Lang,'  quoted  in  '  Phillipsland,'  p.  410  : 

"In  whatever  direction  one  moves 
out  of  Melbourne,  whether  north,  east, 
or  west,  all  he  sees  or  hears  is  merely 
a  repetition  of  this  colonial  note — *  I 
squat,  thou  squattest,  he  squats  ;  we 
squat,  ye  or  you  squat,  they  squat.'  .  .  . 
Exeunt  omnes.  'They  are  all  gone 
out  a-squatting.3 " 

1846.  T.  H.  Braim,  'History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  236 : 

"The  regulations  .  .  .  put  an  end 
to  squatting  within  the  boundaries  of 


location,  and  reduced  it  to  a  system 
without  the  boundaries." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  «  Our  Antipodes ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  136  : 

"The  Speaker  squats  equally  and 
alternately  on  the  woolsack  of  the 
House  and  at  his  wool-stations  on  the 
Murrumbidgee.  One  may  squat  on 
a  large  or  small  scale,  squat  directly 
or  indirectly,  squat  in  person  or  by 
proxy." 

1854.  W.  Colder,  «  Pigeons'  Parliament,' 
p.  68: 

"  Some  spot, 
Found  here  and  there,  where  cotters 

squat 
With  self-permission." 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  119: 

"  Squatting,  in  its  first  phase,  was 
confined  to  the  region  round  about 
Sydney  ;  it  was  not  until  the  pass 
through  the  Blue  Mountains  was  dis- 
covered that  the  flocks  and  herds  of 
the  colonists  began  to  expand." 

Squattage,  n.  a  squatter's 
station.  The  word  can  hardly  be 
said  to  have  prevailed. 

1864.  W.  Westgarth,  'Colony  of  Vic- 
toria,' p.  272  : 

"  The  great  Riverine  district,  which 
is  one  vast  series  of  squattages  .  .  . 
the  toil  and  solitude  of  a  day's  journey 
between  the  homesteads  of  adjacent 
squattages." 

Squatter,  n.  (i)  One  who  squats; 
that  is,  settles  on  land  without  a 
title  or  licence.  This  is  an  Eng- 
lish use. 

1835.  T.  A.  Murray  (Evidence  before 
Legislative  Council  of  New  South  Wales 
on  Police  and  Gaols) : 

"  There  are  several  parties  of 
squatters  in  my  neighbourhood.  I 
detected,  not  long  since,  three  men 
at  one  of  their  stations  in  the  act  of 
slaughtering  one  of  my  own  cattle.  I 
have  strong  reason  to  suspect  that 
these  people  are,  in  general,  illicit 
sellers  of  spirits." 

1835.  W.  H.  Button  (Evidence  before 
same  Committee)  : 

"These  persons  (squatters)  are  al- 
most invariably  the  instigators  and 
promoters  of  crime,  receivers  of  stolen 


432 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SQU 


property,  illegal  vendors  of  spirits, 
and  harbourers  of  runaways,  bush- 
rangers, and  vagrants." 

1843.  Rev.  W.  Pridden,  '  Australia : 
Its  History  and  Present  Condition,'  pp. 

332-3  : 

"  The  squatters,  as  they  are  called, 
are  men  who  occupy  with  their  cattle, 
or  their  habitations,  those  spots  on  the 
confines  of  a  colony  or  estate  which 
have  not  yet  become  any  person's 
private  property.  By  the  natural  in- 
crease of  their  flocks  and  herds,  many 
of  these  squatters  have  enriched  them- 
selves ;  and  having  been  allowed  to 
enjoy  the  advantages  of  as  much  pas- 
ture as  they  wanted  in  the  bush,  with- 
out paying  any  rent  for  it  to  the  govern- 
ment, ttyey  have  removed  elsewhere 
when  the  spot  was  sold,  and  have  not 
unfrequently  gained  enough  to  pur- 
chase that  or  some  other  property. 
Thus  .  .  .  the  squatter  has  been  con- 
verted into  a  respectable  settler.  But 
this  is  too  bright  a  picture  to  form  an 
average  specimen.  .  .  .  Unfortunately, 
many  of  these  squatters  have  been 
persons  originally  of  depraved  and 
lawless  habits,  and  they  have  made 
their  residence  at  the  very  outskirts  of 
civilization  a  means  of  carrying  on  all 
manner  of  mischief.  Or  sometimes 
they  choose  spots  of  waste  land  near 
a  high  road  .  .  .  there  the  squatters 
knock  up  what  is  called  a 'hut.'  In 
such  places  stolen  goods  are  easily 
disposed  of,  spirits  and  tobacco  are 
procured  in  return." 

Ibid.  p.  334: 

"  The  rich  proprietors  have  a  great 
aversion  to  the  class  of  squatters,  and 
not  unreasonably,  yet  they  are  thus, 
many  of  them,  squatters  themselves, 
only  on  a  much  larger  scale.  .  .  ." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  c.  ix.  p.  260  : 

"  This  capital  of  Australia  Felix  had 
for  a  long  time  been  known  to  some 
squatters  from  Tasmania." 

1846.  T.  H.  Braim,  *  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  235  : 

"A  set  of  men  who  were  to  be 
found  upon  the  borders  of  every  large 
estate,  and  who  were  known  by  the 
name  of  squatters.  These  were  ticket- 
of-leave  holders,  or  freedmen  who 
erected  a  hut  on  waste  land  near  a 


great  public  road,  or  on  the  outskirts 
of  an  estate." 

1897.  Australian  Steam  Navigation 
Company,  'Guide  Book,'  p.  29: 

"  Nowaday  squatters  may  be  inter- 
ested and  possibly  shocked  on  learning 
that  in  March,  1836,  a  petition  was 
being  largely  signed  for  the  prevention 
of '  squatting,  through  which  so  much 
crime  was  daily  occurring,'  inasmuch 
as  'squatting'  was  but  another  term 
for  sly  grog  selling,  receiving  stolen 
property,  and  harbouring  bushrangers 
and  assigned  servants.  The  term 
'  squatter/  as  applied  to  the  class  it 
now  designates — without  which  where 
would  Australia  now  be  ? — was  not  in 
vogue  till  1842." 

(2)  A  pastoral  tenant  of  the 
Crown,  often  renting  from  the 
Crown  vast  tracts  of  land  for 
pasturage  at  an  almost  nominal 
sum.  The  term  is  still  frequently, 
but  incorrectly,  used  for  a  man 
rearing  and  running  stock  on 
freehold  land.  Pastoralist  is  now 
the  more  favoured  term. 

1840.  F.  P.  Labilliere,  'Early  History 
of  the  Colony  of  Victoria'  (edition  1878), 
vol.  ii.  p.  189 : 

"  In  a  memorandum  of  December 
igth,  1840,  'on  the  disposal  of  Lands  in 
the  Australian  Provinces,'  Sir  George 
Gipps  informs  the  Secretary  of  State 
on  the  subject,  and  states  that, — 'A 
very  large  proportion  of  the  land 
which  is  to  form  the  new  district  of 
Port  Phillip  is  already  in  the  licensed 
occupation  of  the  Squatters  of  New 
South  Wales,  a  class  of  persons  whom 
it  would  be  wrong  to  confound  with 
those  who  bear  the  same  name  in 
America,  and  who  are  generally  per- 
sons of  mean  repute  and  of  small 
means,  who  have  taken  unauthorized 
possession  of  patches  of  land.  Among 
the  Squatters  of  New  South  Wales  are 
the  wealthiest  of  the  land,  occupying, 
with  the  permission  of  the  Govern- 
ment, thousands  and  tens  of  thousands 
of  acres.  Young  men  of  good  families 
and  connexions  in  England,  officers  of 
the  army  and  navy,  graduates  of  Ox- 
ford and  Cambridge,  are  also  in  no 
small  number  amongst  them.' " 


SQU] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


433 


1844.  ' Port  Phillip  Patriot,'  July  8,  p. 
3,  col.  3  : 

"The  petitioner  has  already  con- 
signed the  whole  country  to  the  class 
squatter  in  perpetuity." 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  'Australia,'  p.  165  : 
"The   squatters  of  Australia  Felix 

will  meet  on  horseback,  upon  Bat- 
man's Hill,  on  the  ist  of  June,  for 
the  purpose  of  forming  a  Mutual 
Protection  Society.  From  the  Murray 
to  the  sea-beach,  from  the  Snowy 
Mountains  to  the  Glenelg,  let  no 
squatter  be  absent." 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  366  : 

"'Squatters.'  A  word  not  to  be 
found  in  *  Johnson's  Dictionary ' ;  of 
Canadian  extraction,  literally  to  sit 
on  the  haunches  :  in  Australia  a  term 
applied  to  the  sheep  farmers  generally ; 
from  their  being  obliged  frequently  to 
adopt  that  position." 

1847.  L.    Leichhardt,    '  Overland   Ex- 
pedition '  (Introd.),  p.  15  : 

"  We  were  received  with  the  greatest 
kindness  by  my  friends  the  '  squatters,' 
a  class  principally  composed  of  young 
men  of  good  education,  gentlemanly 
habits,  and  high  principles." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Australia  Felix,' 
p.  168: 

"The  Port  Phillip  squatters,  as 
occupants  of  the  territory  of  New 
South  Wales,  were  afterwards  required 
to  take  out  an  annual  depasturing 
licence  in  terms  of  a  Colonial  Act 
passed  at  Sydney."  (p.  246):  "The 
modern  squatters,  the  aristocratic 
portion  of  the  colonial  community." 

1851.   'Australasian,' p.  298: 

"  In  1840  the  migratory  flockmaster 
had  become  a  settled  squatter.  A 
wretched  slab  hut  is  now  his  home  ; 
for  furniture  he  has  a  rough  bush- 
made  table,  and  two  or  three  uncouth 
stools." 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  '  Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  128  : 

"  The  term  squatter  was  applied  in 
the  first  instance  to  signify,  as  in 
America,  such  as  erected  huts  on 
unsold  land.  It  thus  came  to  be 
applied  to  all  who  did  not  live  on 
their  own  land,  to  whom  the  original 
and  more  expressive  name  of  settler 
continued  to  be  applied.  When  the 


owners  of  stock  became  influential 
from  their  education  and  wealth,  it 
was  thought  due  to  them  to  change 
this  term  for  one  more  suitable  to 
their  circumstances,  as  they  now  in- 
cluded in  their  order  nearly  every 
man  of  mark  or  wealth  in  Australia. 
The  Government  suggested  the  term 
'tenants  of  the  Crown,'  the  press 
hinted  at  *  licensed  graziers,'  and  both 
terms  were  in  partial  use,  but  such  is 
the  prejudice  in  favour  of  what  is 
already  established,  that  both  were 
soon  disused,  and  the  original  term 
finally  adopted." 

1862.  G.  T.  Lloyd,  '  Thirty-three  Years 
in  Tasmania  and  Victoria,'  p.  478  : 

"The  term  'squatter'  ...  is  thus 
derived  : — A  flock-master  settling  in 
Australia  could  drive  his  stock  to,  and 
occupy,  any  tract  of  country,  which, 
from  its  extent  and  pastoral  capabili- 
ties, might  meet  his  comprehensive 
views  ;  always  provided,  that  such 
lands  had  not  been  already  appropri- 
ated. .  .  .  Early  flock -masters  were 
always  confirmed  in  their  selection  of 
lands,  according  to  the  quantity  of 
stock  they  possessed.  .  .  .  The  Vic- 
torian Squatter  who  can  number  but 
five  or  six  thousand  sheep  is  held  to 
be  a  man  of  no  account.  .  .  .  Those 
only,  who  can  command  the  shearing 
of  from  ten  to  forty  thousand  fleeces 
annually,  are  estimated  as  worthy  of 
any  note." 

1866.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  47  : 

"  The  squatters  (as  owners  of  sheep- 
stations  are  called)." 

1868.  J.  Bonwick,  'John  Batman, 
Founder  of  Victoria,'  p.  94  : 

"  In  the  language  of  the  times, 
Messrs.  Evans,  Lancey,  and  subse- 
quently J.  P.  Fawkner,  were  squatters. 
That  term  is  somewhat  singular  as 
applied  to  the  latter,  who  asserts  that 
he  founded  the  colony  to  prevent  its 
getting  into  the  hands  of  the  squatters. 
The  term  was  then  applied  to  all  who 
placed  themselves  upon  public  lands 
without  licence." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  265  : 

"  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  all 
the  early  success  of  Australia  was  due 
to  the  squatters  of  New  South  Wales, 

F    F 


434 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[SQU 


who  followed   the   steps  of   Captain 
Me  Arthur." 

1878.   '  The  Australian,'  vol.  i.  p.  532  : 

"  I  have  been  a  super,  a  small  free- 
holder, and  a  middling-sized  squatter, 
at  different  times." 

1889.  Rev.  J.  H.  Zillmann,  'Australian 
Life,'  p.  165  : 

"  The  Squatters  are  the  large  lease- 
holders and  landed  proprietors  of  the 
colony,  whose  cry  has  always  been 
that  the  country  was  unfit  for  agricul- 
tural settlement,  and  only  adapted  for 
the  pastoral  pursuits  in  which  they 
were  engaged.  ...  It  is  true  the  old 
squatter  has  been  well-nigh  exter- 
minated." 

1893.  J.  F.  Hogan,  *  Robert  Lowe,'  p. 
36: 

"  The  pastoral  enterprise  of  the 
adventurous  squatters.  Originally 
unrecognized  trespassers  on  Crown 
lands.  .  .  ." 

(3)  Applied  as  a  nickname  to  a 
kind  of  Bronze-wing  Pigeon  (q.v.). 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  122  : 

"On  the  plains  you  find  different 
kinds  of  pigeons,  the  squatters  being 
most  common — plump,  dust-coloured 
little  fellows,  crouching  down  to  the 
ground  quite  motionless  as  you  pass. 
I  have  frequently  killed  them  with  my 
stock-whip." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  114  : 

"  Gentle  little  squatter-pigeons  cooed 
lovingly  in  answer  to  their  mates  on 
all  sides." 

Squatterarchy,  n.  squatters 
collectively. 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Longleat  of  Koo- 
ralbyn,'  c.  iii.  p.  25  : 

"The  squatterarchy  of  the  Koorong 
rose  up  in  a  body  and  named  its 
hero,  martyr." 

Squatterdom,  n.  the  state  of 
being  a  squatter,  or  collective 
word  for  squatters  ;  the  squatter- 
party. 

1866  (circiter).  '  Political  parody ' : 

"  The  speaker  then  apologised,  the 

Members  cried,  Hear,  Hear  ; 

And  e'en  the  ranks  of  squatterdom 

could  scarce  forbear  to  cheer." 


1868.  J.  Bonwick,  'John  Batman, 
Founder  of  Victoria,'  p.  94  : 

"Writes  to  another  at  a  distance 
upon  the  subject  of  squatterdom." 

Squatting,  adj. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Ex- 
pedition '  (Introd.),  p.  13  : 

"  During  my  recent  excursions 
through  the  squatting  districts,  I  had 
accustomed  myself  to  a  comparatively 
wild  life." 

1847.  J.  D.  Lang,  '  Cooksland,'  p.  268  : 

"  The  large  extent  of  land  occupied 
by  each  Squatting  Station." 

1890.   '  The  Argus,'  June  7,  p.  4,  col.  2  : 

"  A  gathering  of  the  squatting  and 
bush  life  of  Australia." 

Squattocracy,  n.  squatters 
collectively. 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  '  Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  118: 

"  Throughout  the  Colony  generally, 
English  are  the  most  numerous,  then 
the  Scotch,  then  the  Irish,  amongst 
the  squattocracy." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  59  : 

"  The  howl  for  the  abolition  of  the 
squattocracy  had  not  yet  been  fostered 
under  the  malign  influence  of  short- 
sighted politicians." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Head  Station,'  p. 
35  ('Century'): 

"  The  bloated  squattocracy  re- 
presents Australian  conservatism." 

1890.  E.  W.  Hornung,  '  A  Bride  from 
the  Bush,'  p.  243  : 

"  The  hearty,  hospitable  manner  of 
the  colonial  *  squatocracy.' " 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  iv.  p.  42  : 

"  He  trusted  to  pass  into  the  ranks 
of  the  Squatocracy." 

Squattocratic,  adj.  connected 
with  previous  word. 

1854.  '  Melbourne  Morning  Herald,' 
Feb.  18,  p.  4,  col.  5  : 

"  Squattocratic  Impudence."  [A 
heading.] 

Squeaker,  n.  a  vernacular  name 
applied  to  various  birds  from  their 
cries.  See  quotations. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  pi.  45  : 


SQU-STA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


435 


"  Strep  era  Anaphonensis,  Grey 
Crow-shrike  ;  Squeaker  of  the  Colon- 
ists." 

1855.  W.  Blandowski,  '  Transactions  of 
Philosophical  Society,  Victoria,'  vol.  i.  p. 

63: 

"The  Squeaker  (Strepera  anapho- 
nensis)  is  a  shy  and  solitary  bird, 
living  entirely  on  the  flats,  and  is  re- 
markable on  account  of  its  frequenting 
only  the  same  locality.  He  is  hence 
easily  distinguished  from  the  Gymnor- 
hina  tibicen,  whose  shrill  and  piping 
voice  is  so  well  known  on  all  the  high 
lands." 

1896.  A.  J.  North,  '  List  of  Insectivor- 
ous Birds  of  New  South  Wales,'  part  i. 
p.  I  : 

"  A  local  name  is  often  more  apt  to 
mislead  and  confuse  than  to  assist  one 
in  recognizing  the  particular  species  on 
which  it  is  bestowed.  This  is  chiefly 
due  to  the  same  local  name  being 
applied  to  two  or  more  species.  For 
instance,  Corcorax  melanorhamphus, 
Xerophila  leucopsis^  and  Myzantha 
garrula  are  all  locally  known  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  Colony  by  the  name  of 
1  Squeaker.3 " 

Squid,  n.  a  marine  animal.  The 
Australian  species  is  Sepioteuthis 
australis,  Quoy  and  Gaim. 

1883.  '  Report  of  the  Royal  Commission 
on  the  Fisheries  of  Tasmania,'  p.  xi : 

"  None  of  the  Squid  family  seems  to 
"be  sought  after,  although  certain  kinds 
are  somewhat  abundant  in  our  waters. 
It  is  stated  by  the  New  South  Wales 
Fisheries  Enquiry  Commission,  1880, 
that  '  the  cephalopods  might  be  made 
a  source  of  a  considerable  profit 
for  exportation  to  Japan  and  China. 
In  both  these  countries  all  animal 
substances  of  a  gelatinous  character 
are  in  great  request,  and  none  more 
than  those  of  the  cuttle-fish  tribe  ;  the 
squid  (Sepioteuthis  australis)  is  highly 
appreciated,  and  in  consequence  is 
highly  prized.  The  cuttle-fish  (sepia] 
is  of  rather  inferior  quality,  and  the 
star-fish  of  the  fishermen  (octopus)  not 
used  at  all.'" 

1892.  R.  L.  Stevenson,  '  The  Wrecker, 

P.  345  : 

"  You  can't  fill  up  all  these  retainers 
on  tinned  salmon  for  nothing ;  bu 
whenever  I  could  get  it,  I  would  give 


em  squid.  Squid's  good  for  natives, 
but  I  don't  care  for  it,  do  you? — or 
shark  either." 

Squire,  n.  name  given  to  the 
ish  called  Schnapper  at  two  years 
old.  See  Schnapper. 

Squirrel,  n.  See  Flying- 
Squirrel. 

Stamper,  or  Stamphead,  n. ' '  A 
cast-iron  weight,  or  head,  fixed  on 
to  a  shank  or  lifter,  and  used  for 
stamping  or  reducing  quartz  to  a 
fine  sand."  (Brough  Smyth, 
'Glossary.')  The  word  is  used 
elsewhere  as  a  term  in  machinery. 
In  Australia,  it  signifies  the  ap- 
pliance above  described.  The 
form  stamphead  is  the  earlier  one. 
The  shorter  word  stamper  is  now 
the  more  usual. 

1869.  J.  F.  Blanche,  « Prince's  Visit,'  p. 

25: 

"  For  steam  and  stampers  now  are 
all  the  rage."  , 

1880.  A.  Sutherland,  'Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  76 : 

"The  battery  was  to  have  eight 
stampers." 

1890.   '  Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  1 1  : 

"  This,  with  the  old  battery,  brings 
the  number  of  stampers  up  to  sixty." 

Ibid.  p.  15  : 

"  A  battery  of  twenty  -  six  stamp- 
heads." 

Star  of  Bethlehem.  The  Old 
World  plant  is  Omithogalum  um- 
bellatum  ;  the  name  is  given  in 
Australia  to  Chamas cilia  corymbosa, 
and  in  Tasmania  to  Burchardia 
umbellata,  R.  Br.,  both  of  the 
Liliacecz. 

Star-fern,  n.  name  given  in 
Victoria  to  Gleichenia  flabellata, 
R.  Br.;  called  also  Fan-fern.  See 

Fern. 

Starling,  n.  English  bird-name. 
The  Australian  species  is  the 
Shining  Starling^  Calornis  metal- 
lica.  The  common  English  star- 
ling is  also  acclimatised. 


436 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[STA-STE 


Start,  n.  The  young  Australian 
has  a  fine  contempt  for  the  English 
word  to  begin,  which  he  never  uses 
where  he  can  find  any  substitute. 
He  says  commence  or  start,  and  he 
always  uses  commence  followed  by 
the  infinitive  instead  of  by  the 
verbal  noun,  as  "The  dog  com- 
menced to  bark." 

1896.  Modern  talk  in  the  train  : 
"  The  horse  started  to  stop,  and  the 
backers  commenced  to  hoot." 

Station,  n.  originally  the  house 
with  the  necessary  buildings  and 
home-premises  of  a  sheep-run, 
and  still  used  in  that  sense  ;  but 
now  more  generally  signifying 
the  run  and  all  that  goes  with  it. 
Stations  are  distinguished  as 
Sheep-stations  and  Cattle-stations. 

1833.  C.  Sturt,'  Southern  Australia,'  vol. 
i.  (Introd.): 

"  They  .  .  .  will  only  be  occupied  as 
distant  stock-stations." 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  120 : 

"Their  [squatters']  huts  or  houses, 
gardens,  paddocks,  etc.,  form  what  is 
termed  a  station,  while  the  range  of 
country  over  which  their  flocks  and 
herds  roam  is  termed  a  run." 

1868.  J.  Bon  wick,  'John  Batman, 
Founder  of  Victoria,'  p.  35  : 

u  The  lecturer  assured  his  audience 
that  he  came  here  to  prevent  this 
country  being  a  squatting  station." 

1870.  A.  L.  Gordon,  'Bush  Ballads,' 
p.  17: 

"  The  sturdy  station-children  pull  the 
bush  flowers  on  my  grave." 

1890.  E.  D.  Cleland,  'The  White 
Kangaroo,'  p.  4 : 

"  Station — the  term  applied  in  the 
colonies  to  the  homesteads  of  the 
sheep-farmers  or  squatters." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood, '  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xviii.  p.  171  : 

"  Men  who  in  their  youth  had  been 
peaceful  stockmen  and  station- 
labourers." 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  '  Man  from  Snowy 
River,'  p.  125  : 

"  I'm  travellin3  down  the  Castlereagh 
and  I'm  a  station-hand, 


I'm  handy  with  the  ropin'  pole,  I'm 
handy  with  the  brand, 

And  I  can  ride  a  rowdy  colt,  or 
swing  the  axe  all  day, 

But  there's  no  demand  for  a  station- 
hand  along  the  Castlereagh." 

Station-jack,  n.  a  form  of  bush 
cookery. 

1853.  '  The  Emigrant's  Guide  to  Aus- 
tralia.' [Article  on  Bush-Cookery,  from 
an  unpublished  MS.  by  Mrs.  Chisholm], 
pp.  ui-12  : 

"  The  great  art  of  bush-cookery  con- 
sists in  giving  a  variety  out  of  salt  beef 
and  flour  ...  let  the  Sunday  share 
be  soaked  on  the  Saturday,  and  beat 
it  well  .  .  .  take  the  .  .  .  flour  and 
work  it  into  a  paste  ;  then  put  the  beef 
into  it,  boil  it,  and  you  will  have  a  very 
nice  pudding,  known  in  the  bush  as 
'  Station-jack:  " 

Stavewood,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Flindosy  Beech.  See 
Beech. 

Stay-a-while,  ;/.  a  tangled 
bush;  sometimes  called  Wait-a- 
while (q.v.). 

Steamer,  n.  obsolete  name  for 
a  colonial  dish.  See  quotation. 

1820.  Lieut.  C.  Jeffreys,  R.N.,  'Geo- 
graphical and  Descriptive  Delineations  of 
the  Island  of  Van  Dieman's  Land,'  p.  69  : 

"  Their  meal  consisted  of  the  hind- 
quarters of  a  kangaroo  cut  into  mince- 
meat, stewed  in  its  own  gravy,  with  a 
few  rashers  of  salt  pork  ;  this  dish  is 
commonly  called  a  steamer." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  309  : 

"  Our  largest  animals  are  the  Kan- 
garoos .  .  .  making  most  delicious 
stews  and  steaks,  the  favourite  dish 
being  what  is  called  a  steamer,  com- 
posed of  steaks  and  chopped  tail,  (with 
a  few  slices  of  salt  pork,)  stewed  with 
a  very  small  quantity  of  water  for  a 
couple  of  hours  in  a  close  vessel." 

Stewart  Islander,  n.  name  given 
to  the  oyster,  Ostrea  chilocnsis, 
Sowerby  ;  so  called  because  it  is 
specially  abundant  on  Stewart 
Island  off  the  south  coast  of  New 
Zealand.  The  Stewart  Island 


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AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


437 


forms  are  mud  oysters,  those  of 
Sydney  Cove  growing1  on  rock. 
See  Oyster. 

Stick-Caterpillar,  n.  See  Phas- 
mid. 

Stick-up,  v.  tr.  (i)  The  regular 
word  for  the  action  of  bush- 
rangers stopping  passers-by  on 
the  highway  and  robbing  them. 

(2)  In  the  case  of  a  bank  or  a 
station,  simply  to  rob. 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  c.  xiii.  p.  502  : 

"  It  was  only  the  previous  night  that 
he  had  been  '  stuck  up '  with  a  pistol 
at  his  head." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  ii.  p.  187  : 

"  Unless  the  mail  came  well  armed, 
a  very  few  men  could  'stick  it  up,' 
without  any  trouble  or  danger." 

1857.  'Melbourne  Punch,'  Feb.  19,  p. 
26,  col.  I  : 

"  I  have  been  stuck  up,  trampled  in 
the  mud." 

1869.  J.  Townend,  '  Reminiscences  of 
Australia,'  p.  140  : 

"  Five  or  six  bushrangers  took  up  a 
position  about  a  mile  from  town,  and 
(to  use  a  colonial  phrase)  'stuck  up' 
every  person  that  passed." 

1869.  Mrs.  W.  M.  Howell,  '  The  Dig- 
gings  and  the  Bush,'  p.  93  : 

"The  escort  has  been  'stuck  up,' 
and  the  robbers  have  taken  notes  to 
the  value  of  ,£700,  and  two  thousand 
ounces  of  gold." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton, « Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  253  : 

"  We  had  a  revolver  apiece  in  case 
of  being  '  stuck  up '  on  the  road." 

1888.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  « Robbery 
under  Arms,'  p.  168  : 

"We  could  make  more  money  in 
one  night  by  '  sticking  up '  a  coach  or 
a  bank  than  in  any  other  way  in  a 
year  .  .  .  Any  one  who  has  been 
stuck  up  himself  knows  that  there's 
not  much  chance  of  doing  much  in  the 
resisting  line."  [The  operation  is  then 
explained  fully.] 

1890.  Lyth,  'Golden  South,'  c.  viii. 
p.  68: 

"  Accounts  of  bushrangers  '  sticking 


up'  stations,  travellers,  and  banks 
were  very  frequent." 

1893.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug. 
26,  p.  4.  col.  6  : 

"The  game  of  sticking  up  hotels 
used  to  be  in  the  old  days  a  popular 
one,  and  from  the  necessary  openness 
of  the  premises  the  practice  was  easy 
to  carry  out." 

(3)  Humorously   applied    to    a 
collector      or     a      beggar.         In 
'  Twenty  -  five  Years  of  St.   An- 
drews '  (vol.  ii.  p.  87),  A.  K.  H.  B. 
tells  a  story  of  a  church  dignitary, 
who  was  always  collecting  money 
for   church    building.       When   a 
ghost  appeared  at  Glamis  Castle, 
addressing  the  ghost,  the  clergy- 
man began — that  "he  was   most 
anxious    to    raise    money   for   a 
church  he  was  erecting ;  that  he 
had    a   bad   cold   and   could   not 
well  get  out  of  bed  ;  but  that  his 
collecting-book  was  on  the  dress- 
ing-table, and  he  would  be  *  ex- 
tremely  obliged'  for  a  subscrip- 
tion."    An  Australian  \vould  have 
said  he  "  stuck  up  "  the  ghost  for 
a  subscription. 

1890.  E.  W.  Hornung,  'A  Bride  from 
the  Bush,'  p.  297  : 

"You  never  get  stuck  up  for  cop- 
pers in  the  streets  of  the  towns." 

(4)  Bring  a  kangaroo  to  bay. 
1884.  Rolf    Boldrewood,     'Melbourne 

Memories,'  c.  iii.  p.  24  : 

"  We  knew  that  she  had  '  stuck  up ' 
or  brought  to  bay  a  large  forester." 

1888.  D.    Macdonald,    *  Gum   Boughs,' 

P-  15: 

"The  fiercest  fighter  I  ever  saw 
*  stuck  up '  against  a  red  gum-tree." 

(5)  Simply  to  stop. 

1863.  S.  Butler,  'First  Year  in  Canter- 
bury Settlement,'  p.  68  : 

"  This  [waterfall]  '  stuck  us  up,'  as 
they  say  here  concerning  any  diffi- 
culty." 

1890.  '  The  Argus,'  June  7,  p.  4,  col.  2  : 

"We  are  stuck  up  for  an  hour  or 
more,  and  can  get  a  good  feed  over 
there." 


438 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[STI 


(6)  To  pose,  to  puzzle. 

1896.  Modern : 

"  I  was  stuck  up  for  an  answer." 
"  That  last  riddle  stuck  him  up.35 

1897.  '  The  Australasian,'  Jan.  2,  p.  33, 
col.  i  : 

"  The  professor  seems  to  have  stuck 
up  any  number  of  candidates  with  the 
demand  that  they  should  'construct 
one  simple  sentence  out  of  all  the 
following.' " 

Sticker-up,  n.  sc.  a  bushranger. 

1879.  W.  J.  Barry,  '  Up  and  Down,' 
p.  197: 

"  They  had  only  just  been  liberated 
from  gaol,  and  were  the  stickers-up, 
or  highwaymen  mentioned." 

Sticker-up 2,  n.  a  term  of  early 
bush  cookery,  the  method,  ex- 
plained in  first  quotation,  being 
borrowed  from  the  aborigines. 

1830.  'Hobart  Town  Almanack,'  p. 
112  : 

"Which  he  cooked  in  the  mode 
called  in  colonial  phrase  a  sticker  up. 
A  straight  twig  being  cut  as  a  spit,  the 
slices  were  strung  upon  it,  and  laid 
across  two  forked  sticks  leaning  to- 
wards the  fire." 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  i.  p.  55  : 

"  Here  I  was  first  initiated  into  the 
bush  art  of  *  sticker-up '  cookery  .  .  . 
the  orthodox  material  here  is  of  course 
kangaroo,  a  piece  of  which  is  divided 
nicely  into  cutlets  two  or  three  inches 
broad  and  a  third  of  an  inch  thick. 
The  next  requisite  is  a  straight  clean 
stick,  about  four  feet  long,  sharpened 
at  both  ends.  On  the  narrow  part  of 
this,  for  the  space  of  a  foot  or  more, 
the  cutlets  are  spitted  at  intervals,  and 
on  the  end  is  placed  a  piece  of  deli- 
cately rosy  fat  bacon.  The  strong  end 
of  the  stick-spit  is  now  stuck  fast  and 
erect  in  the  ground,  close  by  the  fire, 
to  leeward  ;  care  being  taken  that  it 
does  not  burn."  "...  to  men  that 
are  hungry,  stuck-up  kangaroo  and 
bacon  are  very  good  eating."  ".  .  . 
our  'sticker-up3  consisted  only  of 
ham.33 

1862.  G.  T.  Lloyd,  '  Thirty-three  Years 
in  Tasmania  and  Victoria,'  p.  103  : 

"Pounds  of  rosy   steaks  .  .  .  skil- 


fully rigged  after  the  usual  approved 
fashion  (termed  in  Bush  parlance  a 
'  sticker-up 3),  before  the  brilliant  wood 
fire,  soon  sent  forth  odours  most  grate- 
ful to  the  hungered  way-worn  Bush- 
men." 

Stilt,  n.  English  bird-name.    In 
New  Zealand,  the  species  are — 
The  Black  Stilt— 

Himantopus          novce  -  zelandice, 

Gould ;  Maori  name,  Kaki. 
Pied  S.,  or  Whiteheaded  S.— 
H.  leucocephalus,  Gould;   Maori 

name,  Tutumata. 
White-necked  S.— 
H.  albicollis,  Buller. 
H.  leucocephalus  (the  White-headed 
Stilt}  is  also  present  in  Aus- 
tralia,   and    the    world-wide 
species,  H.  pectoralis,  Du  Bus. 
(the   Banded  Stilt),  is    found 
through  all  Australasia. 

Stingareeing,  n.  the  sport  of 
catching  Stingrays,  or  Stingarees. 

1872.  Hutton  and  Hector,  '  Fishes  of 
New  Zealand,'  p.  121  : 

"  It  has  been  recently  discovered 
by  the  writer  of  the  animated  article 
in  the  '  Field '  on  Fishing  in  New 
Zealand  [London,  Nov.  25,  1871],  that 
'  Stingareeing '  can  be  made  to  afford 
sport  of  a  most  exciting  kind.33 

Stinging-tree,  n.  a  Queensland 
name  for  the  Giant  Nettle,  or  Nettle- 
tree  (q.v.). 

1890.  A.  J.  Vogan,  '  The  Black  Police,' 
p.  209: 

"  The  stinging-tree,  .  .  .  the  most 
terrible  of  all  vegetable  growths.  This 
horrible  guardian  of  the  Queensland 
jungle  stands  from  five  to  fifteen  feet 
in  height,  and  has  a  general  appear- 
ance somewhat  similar  to  that  of  a 
small  mulberry-tree.  Their  peculiarly 
soft  and  inviting  aspect  is  caused  by 
an  almost  invisible  coating  of  micro- 
scopic cillia,  and  it  is  to  these  that  the 
dangerous  characteristics  of  the  plant 
are  due.  The  unhappy  wanderer  in 
these  wilds,  who  allows  any  part  of  his 
body  to  come  in  contact  with  those 
beautiful,  inviting  tongues  of  green, 
soon  finds  them  veritable  tongues  of 


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AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


439 


fire,  and  it  will  be  weeks,  perhaps 
months,  ere  the  scorching  agony 
occasioned  by  their  sting  is  entirely 
eradicated." 

Sting-moth,  n.  an  Australian 
moth,  Doratifera  vulnerans.  The 
larva  has  at  each  end  of  the  body 
four  tubercles  bearing  stinging 
hairs.  ('Standard.') 

Stinkwood,  n.  The  name  is 
given  to  various  woods  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  world,  from  their 
unpleasant  smell.  In  Tasmania, 
it  is  applied  to  the  timber  of  Zieria 
smithii)  Andr.,  N.  O.  Rutacecz. 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 

P-  175: 

"  The  timber  in  this  district  I  found 
to  be  principally  myrtle,  sassafras,  and 
stinkwood." 

Stint,  n.  English  bird-name. 
The  Australian  species  are — 

Curlew  Stint — 

Tringa  subarquata^  Gmel. 
Little  S.— 

T.  ruficollis. 
Sharp-tailed  S.— 

T.  acuminata,  Horsf. 

Stitch-bird,  n.  a  bird  of  New 
Zealand.  See  quotation. 

1885.  Hugh  Martin,  'Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xviii.  art. 
xxii.  p.  112  : 

"Pbgonomis  cincta  (Hihi,  Mata- 
hiore,  stitch-bird),  North  Island." 
[From  a  list  of  New  Zealand  birds 
that  ought  to  be  protected.] 

1888.  W.    L.    Buller,    'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  101 : 

"Pogonornis  cincta^  Gray.  [A  full 
description.]" 

1889.  Prof.  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  119: 

"  Stitch-bird  (Pogonornis  cincta), 
formerly  abundant  in  the  North  Island, 
but  now  extinct  on  the  main-land,  and 
found  only  in  some  of  the  outlying 
islets.  The  rarest  and  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  native  Passerines." 

Stock,  n.  The  word  has  many 
meanings.  In  the  one  from  which 


the  Australian  compounds  are 
made,  it  denotes  horses,  cattle,  or 
sheep,  the  farmer's  stock  in  trade. 
Of  course,  this  use  is  not  peculiar 
to  Australia,  but  it  is  unusually 
common  there. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  *  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  ix.  p.  320: 

"The  cattle  suffered  much,  and 
some  of  both  the  public  and  private 
stock  perished." 

Stock-agent,  n.  more  usually 
in  the  form  Stock  and  Station- 
agent.  The  circumstances  of  Aus- 
tralian life  make  this  a  common 
profession. 

Stock-holder,  n.  a  grazier ; 
owner  of  large  herds  of  cattle,  or 
flocks  of  sheep. 

1820.  Lieut.  Chas.  Jeffreys,  'Delinea- 
tions of  Van  Dieman's  Land '  [sic],  p.  25  : 

"  Near  this  is  the  residence  of  D. 
Rose,  Esq.,  formerly  an  officer  of  the 
73rd  regiment,  and  now  a  large  land 
and  stockholder." 

1824.  E.  Curr,  '  Account  of  Van  Die- 
men's  Land,'  p.  83  : 

"The  most  negligent  stock-holders 
now  carefully  house  their  wool,  and 
many  take  the  trouble  to  wash  their 
sheep." 

Stock-horse,  n.  horse  accus- 
tomed to  go  after  cattle  used  in 
mustering  and  cutting-out  (q.v.). 

1874.  W.  H.  L.  Ranken,  '  Dominion  of 
Australia,'  c.  vi.  p.  122: 

"The  Australian  stock-horse  is  a 
wonderful  animal.  .  .  .  He  has  a 
wonderful  constitution,  splendid  feet, 
great  endurance,  and  very  good  tem- 
per." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  June  14,  p.  4, 
col.  i : 

"A  twenty-year-old  stock-horse." 

Stock-hut,  n.  the  hut  of  a 
stock-man. 

1833.  C.  Sturt, '  Southern  Australia,'  vol. 
ii.  c.  ii.  p.  21 : 

"We  crossed  the  Underaliga  creek 
a  little  below  the  stock-hut." 

Stock-keep,  v.  a  quaint  com- 
pound verb. 


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[STO 


1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  x.  p.  96  (1890): 

'"What  can  you  do,  young  man?3 
'Well,  most  things  .  .  .  fence,  split, 
milk,  drive  bullocks,  stock -keep, 
plough." 

Stock-keeper,  n.  equivalent  to 
a  shepherd,  or  herdsman. 

1821.  Governor  Macquarie,  '  Govern- 
ment Notice,'  June  30,  1821,  in  E.  Curr's 
'Van  Diemen's  Land'  (1824),  p.  154: 

"To  yard  the  flocks  at  night  .  .  . 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  stock- 
keepers  in  check,  and  sufficient  shep- 
herds should  be  kept  to  ensure  constant 
attention  to  the  flock." 

1828.  Governor  Arthur  in  J.  Bischoffs 
'  Van  Diemen's  Land,'  1832,  p.  185  : 

"Every  kind  of  injury  committed 
against  the  defenceless  natives  by  the 
stock-keepers." 

Stock-man,  n.  used  in  Aus- 
tralia for  a  man  employed  to  look 
after  stock. 

1821.  Governor   Macquarie,    '  Govern- 
ment Notice,' June  30,  1821,  in  E.  Curr's 
'Van  Diemen's   Land'  (edition  1824),  p. 

155  = 

"  It  is  the  common  practice  with 
owners  of  flocks  to  allow  their  shep- 
herds to  acquire  and  keep  sheep  .  .  . 
it  affords  to  the  stock-men  a  cover 
frequently  for  disposing  dishonestly  of 
sheep  belonging  to  their  master." 

1822.  G.    W.    Evans,    'Description   of 
Van  Diemen's  Land,'  p.  68  : 

"  At  its  junction  there  is  a  fine  space, 
named  by  the  stockmen  Native  Hut 
Valley." 

1833.  C.  Sturt,'  Southern  Australia,' vol. 
i.  c.  i.  p.  6  : 

"  He  was  good  enough  to  send  for 
the  stockman  (or  chief  herdsman)." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  c.  xii.  p.  402  : 

"  An  exchange  of  looks  I  caught  the 
overseer  and  stockman  indulging  in." 

1854.  w-  Colder,  '  Pigeons'  Parliament,' 
p.  96: 

"  Here  and  there  a  stockman's  cottage 
stands." 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,  '  Old  Colonials,'  p.  5  : 

"Would  you  still  exchange  your 
comfortable  home  and  warm  fireside 
...  for  a  wet  blanket,  a  tireless  camp, 


and  all  the  other  etceteras  of  the  stock- 
man's life  ? " 

1886.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems/  p.  17  : 
"  One  stooped — a  stockman  from  the 

nearer  hills — 

To  loose  his  wallet  strings." 
Stock-rider,  n.  a  man  employed 
to  look  after  cattle,  properly  on 
an  unfenced  station. 

1870.  A.  L.  Gordon,  'Bush  Ballads'" 
[Title] : 

"The  Sick  Stock-rider." 

1892.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  33  ; 

"'Thus  far  into  the  bowels  of  the 

land 

Have  we  marched  on  without  im- 
pediment,' 

said  a  lithe-limbed  stock-rider,  bearded 
like  a  pard,  as  he  lit  his  pipe — the 
bushman's  only  friend.  And  this  was 
once  a  fellow  of  St.  John's,  Cambridge/' 

Stock-riding,  n.  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  Stock-rider  (q.v.). 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  '  Kamilarof 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  260  [Footnote]  : 

"Like  other  Australian  aboriginesy 
the  Kurnai  have  a  natural  aptitude  for 
stock-riding." 

Stock-route,  n.  When  land  is 
first  let  in  surveyed  blocks  to  a 
Squatter  (q.v.),  and  is,  of  course, 
unfenced,  the  lessee  is  required 
by  law  to  leave  passages  through 
it  from  two  to  four  chains  wide, 
at  certain  intervals,  as  a  right-of- 
way  for  travelling  sheep  and 
cattle.  These  are  called  Stock- 
routes.  He  may  fence  these 
routes  if  he  chooses — which  he 
very  rarely  does — but  if  he  fences 
across  the  route  he  must  provide 
gates  or  slip-rails  (q.v.),  or  other 
free  passage. 

1896.   '  The  Argus,'  May  21,  p.  5,  col.  it 

"  To-day  the  Land  Board  dealt  with 
the  application  for  the  re-appraisement 
of  the  Yantara  pastoral  holding.  The 
manager  said  that  owing  to  deterioration 
of  the  feed  through  the  rabbits,  from 
9  to  10  acres  were  required  to  carry 
a  sheep.  .  .  .  Thirteen  trial  wells  had 
been  put  down  on  the  holding,  all 


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AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


441 


of  which  had  bottomed  on  a  drift  of 
salt  water.  Four  stock  routes  passed 
through  the  area,  one  being  the 
main  stock  route  from  South-western 
Queensland.  .  .  .  Wild  dogs  had  been 
troublesome  since  the  February  rains. 
.  .  .  There  were  Government  bores  on 
the  run." 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  'Man from  Snowy 
River,'  p.  51  : 
"Now    Saltbush  Bill   was   a   drover 

tough,  as  ever  the  country  knew, 
He  had  fought  his  way  on  the  Great 
Stock  Routes  from  the  sea  to  the 
Big  Barcoo." 

Stock-up,  v.  complete  the 
number  of  animals  on  a  station, 
so  that  it  may  carry  its  full  com- 
plement. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  vii.  p.  68: 

"  I  shall  decide  to  stock  up  as  soon 
as  the  fences  are  finished." 

Stock-whip,  n.  whip  for  driv- 
ing- cattle.  See  quotations. 

1857.  W.  Howitt,  'Tallangetta,'  vol.  i. 
p.  loo: 

"  The  stock-whip,  with  a  handle  about 
half  a  yard  long  and  a  thong  of  three 
yards  long,  of  plaited  bullock-hide,  is 
a  terrible  instrument  in  the  hands  of 
a  practised  stockman.  Its  sound  is 
the  note  of  terror  to  the  cattle  ;  it  is 
like  the  report  of  a  blunderbuss,  and 
the  stockman  at  full  gallop  will  hit  any 
given  spot  on  the  beast  that  he  is 
within  reach  of,  and  cut  the  piece 
away  through  the  thickest  hide  that 
bull  or  bison  ever  wore." 

1870.  A.  L.  Gordon,  'Bush  Ballads,' 
p.  14: 

"  With  a  running  fire  of  stock-whips 
and  a  fiery  run  of  hoofs." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  76 : 

"  The  stock-whip,  which  bears  such 
a  prominent  part  in  all  dealings  with 
cattle,  is  from  twelve  to  fourteen  feet 
in  length,  with  a  short  light  handle 
of  about  fourteen  inches  long,  to  which 
it  is  attached  by  a  leather  keeper  as 
on  a  hunting  crop.  .  .  .  The  whip  is 
made  of  a  carefully  selected  strip  of 
green  hide,  great  attention  having  been 
paid  to  curing  it." 


Stocks-man,  n.  an  unusual 
form  for  Stock-man  (q.v.). 

1862.  F.  J.  Jobson, '  Australia,'  c.  vi.  p. 

145: 

"We  saw  the  stocksman  seated 
upon  his  bony  long-limbed  steed." 

Stone-lifter,  n.  a  Melbourne 
name  for  the  fish  Kathetostoma 
Iceve,  Bl.,  family  Trachinidce,  one  of 
the  genera  of  the  "  Stargazers  " 
(Uranoscopina))  which  have  eyes 
on  the  surface  of  the  head. 

Stonewall,  v.  intr.  (i)  A  Par- 
liamentary term  :  to  make  use 
of  the  forms  of  the  House  so  as 
to  delay  public  business. 

(2)  To    obstruct    business    at 
any    meeting,    chiefly     by   long- 
winded  speeches. 

(3)  To   play    a  slow   game    at 
cricket,     blocking     balls     rather 
than  making  runs. 

1876.  'Victorian  Hansard,'  Jan.,  vol. 
xxii.  p.  1387  : 

"  Mr.  G.  Paton  Smith  wished  to  ask 
the  honourable  member  for  Geelong 
West  whether  the  six  members  sitting 
beside  him  (Mr.  Berry)  constituted  the 
'  stone  wall '  that  had  been  spoken  of  ? 
Did  they  constitute  the  stonewall  which 
was  to  oppose  all  progress — to  prevent 
the  finances  being  dealt  with  and  the 
business  of  the  country  carried  on  ? 
It  was  like  bully  Bottom's  stone  wall. 
It  certainly  could  not  be  a  very  high 
wall,  nor  a  very  long  wall,  if  it  only 
consisted  of  six." 

1884.  G.  W.  Rusden,  «  History  of  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  Hi.  p.  405  : 

"  Abusing  the  heroic  words  of  Stone- 
wall Jackson,  the  Opposition  applied 
to  themselves  the  epithet  made  famous 
by  the  gallant  Confederate  General." 

1894.   '  The  Argus,'  Jan.  26,  p.  3,  col. 

"The  Tasmanians  [sc.  cricketers] 
do  not  as  a  rule  stonewall." 

Stone  wood,  n.  Callistemon 
saltgnus,  De  C.,  N.O.  Myrtacece  ; 
called  also  the  River  Tea-tree. 

1894.  '  Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue — 
Economic  Woods,'  No.  48: 

"  Stonewood." 


442 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[STO-STR 


Store,  n.  a  bullock,  cow,  or 
sheep  bought  to  be  fattened  for 
the  market. 

1874.  w-  H.  L.  Ranken,  'Dominion  of 
Australia,'  c.  xiii.  p.  233: 

"  They  then,  if  '  stores,3  pass  to  the 
rich  salt-bush  country  of  Riverina." 

Store-cattle,  n.  lean  cattle 
bought  to  be  fattened  for  the 
market ;  often  contracted  to  stores 
(q.v.). 

1885.  R-  M.  Praed,  '  Head-Station,'  p. 
74: 

"  Oh,  we're  not  fit  for  anything  but 
store-cattle  :  we  are  all  blady  grass." 

Stranger,  n.  name  given  in  Vic- 
toria and  Tasmania  to  the  Rock- 
Whiting,  Odax  richardsoni,  Giinth., 
family  Labridce.  The  Stranger, 
which  is  a  marine  fish,  is  caught 
occasionally  in  the  fresher  water  of 
the  upper  estuary  of  the  Derwent ; 
hence  its  name.  See  Whiting. 

1875.  'Spectator'    (Melbourne),    June 
19,  1881,  p.  i  : 

"  Common  fish  such  as  ...  garfish, 
strangers,  silvers,  and  others.' 

Stringy-bark,  n.  (i)  any  one 
of  various  Gums,  with  a  tough 
fibrous  bark  used  for  tying,  for 
cordage,  for  roofs  of  huts,  etc. 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  37 : 

"The  string  bark  [sic]  tree  is  also 
useful,  and  its  bark,  which  is  of  a 
fibrous  texture,  often  more  than  an 
inch  in  thickness,  parts  easily  from 
the  wood,  and  may  be  obtained  ten 
or  twelve  feet  in  length,  and  seven  or 
eight  in  breadth." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  '  Australia  Felix,' 
P-  73  : 

"  The  natives  appear  also  to  like  the 
fruit  of  the  pandanus,  of  which  large 
quantities  are  found  in  their  camps, 
soaking  in  water  contained  in  vessels 
formed  of  stringy-bark." 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip 
in  1 849,' p.  27: 

"  In  truth,  the  forests  of  Australia 
(consisting  principally  of  woods  of 
iron-bark,  stringy-bark,  and  other 
species  of  the  Eucalyptus)  seen  at  a 


distance,  just  before  sunset,  are  noble 
objects— perfect  pictures." 

1862.  G.  T.  Lloyd,  'Thirty-three  Years 
in  Tasmania  and  Victoria,'  p.  29  : 

"  The  stringy  bark  tree  is  so  named 
from  the  ropy  nature  of  its  bark,  which 
is  "frequently  used  for  tying  on  the  rods 
and  thatch  of  sheds,  huts,  and  barns  in 
the  country." 

1862.  W.  Archer,  '  Products  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  39 : 

"Gum-topped  String-bark,  some- 
times called  white  gum  (Eucalyptus 
gigantea,  var.).  A  tree  resembling  the 
Blue  Gum  in  foliage,  with  rough  bark 
similar  to  Stringy  Bark  towards  the 
stem." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  237  : 

"  Stringy-bark  trees  were  also  seen 
— so  called,  because  the  rough  bark 
has  a  brown  tenacious  fibre,  like  that 
of  the  cocoanut,  which  can  be  split  off 
in  sheets  to  make  the  roofs  of  houses, 
or  unravelled  into  a  fibre  that  will  tie 
like  string." 

1868.  Carleton,  'Australian  Nights,' 
p.  2: 

"  The  mia-mia  that  the  native  dark 
Had  formed  from  sheets  of  stringy 
bark." 

1873.  T.  Laslett,  'Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  204: 

"  The  Stringy-bark  tree  is  of  straight 
growth,  and  takes  its  name  from  the 
strip-like  character  of  its  bark.  .  .  . 
The  wood  is  of  a  brown  colour,  hard, 
heavy,  strong  and  close  in  the  grain. 
It  works  up  well  ...  in  ship-building, 
for  planking,  beams,  keels  and  keel- 
sons, and  in  civil  architecture  for  joists, 
flooring,  etc.  Upon  the  farms  it  is 
used  for  fences  and  agricultural  imple- 
ments :  it  is  also  employed  for  furniture 
and  for  all  ordinary  purposes.5' 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  '  Kamilaroi  and 
Kurnai,'  p.  196: 

"Down  to  the  waist  they  are  all 
wound  round  with  frayed  stringy-bark 
in  thick  folds." 

1894.  'The  Age,'  Oct.  19,  p.  5,  col.  8: 

"Granite  and  stringy-bark  are  always 
associated  with  *  hungry '  country." 

(2)  Bush  slang  for  bad  whisky. 


STR-SUG] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


443 


1890.  A.  J.  Vogan,  «  The  Black  Police,' 
p.  217: 

"Stringy-bark,  a  curious  combina- 
tion of  fusil  oil  and  turpentine,  labelled 
*  whisky.'" 

Stringy-bark,  adj.  equivalent 
to  "bush." 

1833.  Oct. « New  South  Wales  Magazine,' 
vol.  i.  p.  173: 

"...  the  workmanship  of  which  I 
beg  you  will  not  scrutinize,  as  I  am  but, 
to  use  a  colonial  expression,  *  a  stringy- 
bark  carpenter.' " 

1853.  C.  Rudston  Read,  '  What  I  Heard, 
Saw,  and  Did  at  the  Australian  Gold 
Fields,'  p.  53  : 

".  .  .  after  swimming  a  small  river 
about  loo  yards  wide  he'd  arrive  at 
old  Geordy's,  a  stringy  bark  settler  .  .  ." 

Sturt's  Desert  Pea,  n.  a 
beautiful  creeper,  Clianthus  dam- 
pier  i,  Cunn.,  N.O.  Leguminosa, 
which  will  only  grow  in  very  dry, 
sandy  soil.  It  is  sometimes  called 
Lobster's  Claw,  from  its  clusters  of 
brilliant  scarlet  flowers  with  black- 
purple  centres,  like  a  lobster's 
claw.  Called  also  Glory  Pea 
(q.v.).  See  Clianthus. 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  29 : 

"  Amongst  which  appears  the  beau- 
tiful clianthus,  known  to  the  colonists 
as  Sturt's  desert  pea."  [Footnote]: 
"Woodward  in  'Dampier's  Voyages,' 
vol.  iii.  cap.  4,  pi.  2.  The  plant  is  there 
called  Colutea  Nov<z-Hollandi(Z.  Its 
name  now  is  Clianthus  Dampieri.  R. 
Brown  proposed  the  name  of  Erenio- 
charis,  from  the  Greek  epq/zos-,  desert" 
[Dampier's  voyage  was  made  in  1699, 
and  the  book  published  in  1703.  Mr. 
Woodward  contributed  notes  on  the 
plants  brought  home  by  Dampier.] 

Stump-jump  Plough,  n.  a  farm 
implement,  invented  in  Australia, 
for  ploughing  the  wheat-lands, 
which  are  often  left  with  the 
stumps  of  the  cleared  trees  not 
eradicated. 

1896.  '  Waybrook  Implement  Company  ' 
(Advt): 

"  It  is  only  a  very  few  years  since  it 


came  into  use,  and  no  one  ever  thought 
it  was  going  to  turn  a  trackless  scrub 
into  a  huge  garden.  But  now  from 
the  South  Australian  border  right 
through  to  the  Murray,  farms  and 
comfortable  homesteads  have  taken 
the  place  of  dense  scrub.  .  .  .  This 
last  harvest,  over  three  hundred  thou- 
sand bags  of  wheat  were  delivered  at 
Warracknabeal,  and  this  wonderful 
result  must,  in  the  main,  be  put  down 
to  the  Stump-jump  Plough.  It  has 
been  one  of  the  best  inventions  this 
colony  has  ever  been  blessed  with." 

Stump-tailed  Lizard,  n.  an 
Australian  lizard,  Trachydosaurus 
rugosus,  Gray. 

Styphelia,  n.  scientific  name 
of  a  genus  of  shrubby  plants  of 
New  Zealand  and  Australia,  of 
the  N.  O.  Epacridece.  It  contains 
the  Five-Corners  (q.v.). 

Z793'  J-  E-  Smith,  'Specimen  of  the 
Botany  of  New  Holland,'  p.  46  : 

"  We  adopt  Dr.  Solandefs  original 
name  Styphelia,  derived  from  arvfaXos, 
harsh,  hard,  or  firm,  expressive  of  the 
habit  of  the  whole  genus  and  indeed 
of  the  whole  natural  order." 

Sucker,  n.  name  given  in  New 
Zealand  to  the  fish  Diplocrepis 
puniceus,  Rich.,  family  Gobiesoddce. 
This  is  a  family  of  small,  marine, 
littoral  fishes  provided  with  a 
ventral  disc,  or  adhesive  appar- 
atus. Other  genera  of  the  family 
occur  in  Australasia. 

Sugar,  n.  slang  for  money. 
It  may  be  doubted  if  it  is  specially 
Australian. 

1887.  J.  Bonwick,  'Romance  of  Wool 
Trade,'  p.  273  (quoting  'Victoria,  the  El 
Dorado ') : 

"I  hear  him  sing  out  'sold  again, 
and  got  the  sugar'  (a  colonial  slang 
word  for  ready  money)  ;  '  half  a  sheep 
for  a  shilling.' " 

Sugar-Ant,  n.  a  small  ant, 
known  in  many  parts  of  Australia 
by  this  name  because  of  its  fond- 
ness for  sweet  things. 


444 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[SUG-SUJNT 


1896.     'The  Melbournian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 

"  The  sun  reaches  a  sugar-ant  and 
rouses  him  from  his  winter  sleep.  Out 
he  scurries,  glad  to  greet  the  warmth, 
and  tracks  hurriedly  around.  He  feels 
the  sun,  but  the  cold  damp  ground  tells 
him  the  time  is  not  yet  come  when  at 
evening  he  will  sally  forth  in  long 
columns  over  the  soft  warm  dust  in 
search  of  the  morrow's  meal ;  so,  daz- 
zled by  the  unaccustomed  glare,  he 
seeks  his  hiding-place  once  more." 

Sugar-bag,  n.  nest  of  honey, 
and  the  honey. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  67 : 

"The  regular  sharp  chop-chop  of 
the  tomahawks  could  be  heard  here 
and  there,  where  some  of  them  had 
discovered  a  sugar-bag  (nest  of  honey) 
or  a  'possum  on  a  tree." 

Ibid.  vol.  ii.  p.  129  : 

"  The  tiny  bee  which  manufactures 
his  adored  chewgah-bag."  [Footnote  : 
"Sugar-bag — the  native  pigeon-Eng- 
lish word  for  honey."] 

Sugar-Grass,  n.  an  Australian 
grass,  Erianthus  fulvusy  Kunth., 
N.O.  Graminece. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  106: 

"  The  '  Sugar  Grass '  of  colonists,  so 
called  on  account  of  its  sweetness  ;  it 
is  highly  productive,  and  praised  by 
stockowners.  Cattle  eat  it  close  down, 
and  therefore  it  is  in  danger  of  exter- 
mination, but  it  is  readily  raised  from 
seed." 

Sugar-Gum,  n.  an  Australian 
Gum,  Eucalyptus  corynocalyx  of 
South  Australia  and  North- 
Western  Victoria.  The  foliage 
is  sweet,  and  attractive  to  cattle. 
See  Gum. 

Sultana-bird,  n.  a  name  for 
the  Swamp-Hen  (q.v.),  Porphyrio 
melanonotus,  Temm. 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  223: 

"Black  sultana-birds,  blue-breasted 
as  deep  ocean." 

Summer-bird,  n.  the  Old- 
Colonists'  name  for  the  Wood- 


swallows.  See  Swalloiv.  In  Tas- 
mania it  is  applied  to  a  species  of 
Shrike,  Graucalus  melanops^  Lath. 
The  name  refers  to  the  migratory 
habits  of  both  birds. 

1895.  C.  French,  Government  entomo- 
logist, letter  to  'Argus,'  Nov.  29: 

"The  wood-swallows,  known  to  us 
old  colonists  as  summer  birds,  are 
migratory,  making  their  appearance 
about  September  and  disappearing 
about  the  end  of  January." 

Summer  Country,  n.  In  New 
Zealand  (South  Island),  country 
which  can  be  used  in  summer 
only  ;  mountain  land  in  Otago 
and  Canterbury,  above  a  certain 
level. 

Sun-bird,  n.  a  common  name 
of  various  birds.  Applied  in  Aus- 
tralia to  Cinnyris  frenata,  Mull. 

1869.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia ' 
(Supplement),  pi.  45  : 

"'This  pretty  Sun-bird,'  says  Mr. 
MacGillivray,  'appears  to  be  distri- 
buted along  the  whole  of  the  north- 
east coast  of  Australia,  the  adjacent 
islands,  and  the  whole  of  the  islands 
in  Torres  Straits.' " 

Sundew,  n.  There  are  many 
species  of  this  flower  in  Australia 
and  Tasmania,  most  of  them 
peculiar  to  Australasia ;  Drosera 
spp.,  N.O.  Droseracetz. 

1888.  '  Cassell's  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  236  : 

"  Smooth,  marshy  meadows,  gleam- 
ing with  the  ruby  stars  of  millions  of 
tiny  little  sundews." 

Sundowner,  n.  a  tramp  who 
takes  care  to  arrive  at  a  station 
at  sundown,  so  that  he  shall  be 
provided  with  '  tucker'  (q.v.)  at 
the  squatter's  cost :  one  of  those 
who  go  about  the  country  seeking 
work  and  devoutly  hoping  they 
may  not  find  it. 

1880.  G.  N.  Oakley,  in  'Victoria  in 
1880,'  p.  114  [Title  of  poem  of  seventeen 
stanzas] : 

"  The  Sundowner? 


SUP] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


445 


1888.  D.  Macdonald,  '  Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  32: 

"  When  the  real  '  sundowner '  haunts 
these  banks  for  a  season,  he  is  content 
with  a  black  pannikin,  a  clasp  knife, 
and  a  platter  whittled  out  of  primaeval 
bark." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'   Sept.    20,   p.    13, 
col.  5: 

"  Sundowners  are  still  the  plague  of 
squatocracy,  their  petition  for  'rashons ' 
and  a  bed  amounting  to  a  demand." 

1891.  F.  Adams,   'John  Webb's  End,' 
p.  34 : 

" '  Swagsmen '  too,  genuine,  or  only 
1  sundowners,' — men  who  loaf  about 
.till  sunset,  and  then  come  in  with  the 
demand  for  the  unrefusable  '  rations.' " 

1892.  '  Scribner's   Magazine,'   Feb. ,  p. 

143: 

"  They  swell  the  noble  army  of  swag- 
men  or  sundowners,  who  are  chiefly 
the  fearful  human  wrecks  which  the 
ebbing  tide  of  mining  industry  has  left 
stranded  in  Australia."  [This  writer 
does  not  differentiate  between  Swag- 
man  (q.v.)  and  Sundowner.] 

1893.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug. 
12,  p.  8,  col.  7: 

"  Numbers  of  men  who  came  to  be 
known  by  the  class  name  of  'sun- 
downers,5 from  their  habit  of  straggling 
up  at  fall  of  evening  with  the  stereo- 
typed appeal  for  work ;  and  work 
being  at  that  hour  impossible,  they 
were  sent  to  the  travellers'  hut  for 
shelter  and  to  the  storekeeper  or  cook 
for  the  pannikin  of  flour,  the  bit  of 
mutton,  the  sufficiency  of  tea  for  a 
brew,  which  made  up  a  ration." 

1896.  'Windsor Magazine, 'Dec., p.  132: 
" '  Here,'  he  remarked,  '  is  a  capital 
picture  of  a  Queensland  sundowner.' 
The  picture  represented  a  solitary 
figure  standing  in  pathetic  isolation  on 
a  boundless  plain.  '  A  sundowner  ? '  I 
queried.  'Yes;  the  lowest  class  of 
nomad.  For  days  they  will  tramp 
across  the  plains  carrying,  you  see, 
their  supply  of  water.  They  approach  a 
station  only  at  sunset,  hence  the  name. 
At  that  hour  they  know  they  will  not 
be  turned  away.'  '  Do  they  take  a 
day's  work  ? '  '  Not  they  !  There  is 
an  old  bush  saying  that  the  sun- 
downer's one  request  is  for  work,  and 


his  one  prayer  is  that  he  may  not  find 
it."' 

Super,  n.  short  for  super- 
intendent, sc.  of  a  station. 

1870.  A,  L.  Gordon,  'Bush  Ballads,' 
p.  23: 

"  What's  up  with  our  super  to-night  ? 
The  man's  mad." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  ix.  p.  83 : 

"That  super's  a  growlin'  ignorant 
beggar  as  runs  a  feller  from  daylight 
to  dark  for  nothing  at  all." 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  June  10,  p.  4, 
col.  i : 

"He  .  .  .  bragged  of  how  he  had 
bested  the  super  who  tried  to  'wing 
him '  in  the  scrub." 

Superb-Dragon,  n.  an  Austra- 
lian marine  fish,  Phyllopteryx  folia- 
tus,  Shaw.  See  Sea-Dragon. 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  pi.  7  : 

" '  Superb  Dragon  —  Phyllopteryx 
Foliatus.'  This  is  one  of  the  '  Pipe- 
fishes,' order  Lophobranchii.  It  has 
been  compared  to  the  ghost  of  a  sea- 
horse (Hippocampus)  with  its  winding 
sheet  all  in  ribbons  around  it ;  and 
the  tattered  cerements  are  like  in 
shape  and  colour  to  the  seaweed  it 
frequents,  so  that  it  hides  and  feeds  in 
safety.  The  long  ends  of  ribs  which 
seem  to  poke  through  the  skin  to 
excite  our  compassion  are  really  '  pro- 
tective resemblances,'  and  serve  to 
allure  the  prey  more  effectually  within 
reach  of  these  awful  ghouls.  Just  as 
the  leaf-insect  is  imitative  of  a  leaf, 
and  the  staff-insect  of  a  twig,  so  here 
is  a  fish  like  a  bunch  of  seaweed. 
(Tenison-Woods.) "  [Compare  Phas- 
imdJ\ 

Superb- Warbler,  n.  any  Aus- 
tralian bird  of  the  genus  Malurus 
(q.v.),  especially  M.  cyaneus,  the 
Blue  Wren. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt, '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  80: 

"We  also  observed  the  Superb 
Warbler,  Malurus  cyaneus,  of  Sydney." 

1848.  J.    Gould,    '  Birds   of  Australia,' 
vol.  iii.  pi.  18: 

"Malurus     Cyaneus^    Vieill.,    Blue 


446 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SUP-SUR 


Wren ;    Superb  Warbler  of  the  Colo- 
nists." 

1896.  F.  G.  Aflalo,  '  Natural  History  of 
Australia,'  p.  136  : 

"  The  best  known  are  .  .  .  and  the 
Blue  Wren  or  Superb  Warbler  (Malu- 
rus  cyaneus],  both  of  which  I  have 
repeatedly  watched  in  the  Sydney 
Botanic  Gardens.  .  .  .  They  dart  about 
the  pathways  like  mice,  but  rarely 
seem  to  fly.  There  are  a  dozen  other 
Superb  Warblers." 

Supple-jack,  n.  The  word  is 
English  in  the  sense  of  a  strong 
cane,  and  is  the  name  of  various 
climbing  shrubs  from  which  the 
canes  are  cut ;  especially  in  Ame- 
rica. In  Australia,  the  name  is 
given  to  similar,  creeping  plants, 
viz. —  Ventilago  viminalis.  Hook., 
N.  O.  Rhamnacea  ;  Clematis  aris- 
tatci)  R.  Br,,  N.O.  Ranunculacea. 
In  New  Zealand,  to  Ripogonum 
(spp.). 

1818.  'History  of  New  South  Wales,' 
p.  47: 

"The  underwood  is  in  general  so 
thick  and  so  bound  together  by  that 
kind  of  creeping  shrub  called  supple- 
jack, interwoven  in  all  directions,  as  to 
be  absolutely  impenetrable." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  ' Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  218 : 

"After  a  tedious  march  .  .  .  along 
a  track  constantly  obstructed  by  webs 
of  the  kareau,  or  supple-jack,  we  came 
to  the  brow  of  a  descent." 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  'New  Zealand, 
the  Britain  of  the  South,'  vol.  i.  p.  135  : 

"  Supple-jack  snares,  root-traps,  and 
other  parasitical  impediments." 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
P-  J35  : 

"Two  kinds  of  creepers  extremely 
molesting  and  troublesome,  the  so- 
called  'supple-jack'  of  the  colonists 
(Ripogonum  pat  viflorum},  in  the  rope- 
like  creeping  vines  of  which  the  travel- 
ler finds  himself  every  moment  en- 
tangled." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  1 1  : 

"  The  tangles  black 
Of  looped  and  shining  supple-jack." 


1874.  W.  M.  B.,  'Narrative  of  Edward 
Crewe,'  p.  199  : 

"The  supple-jack,  that  stopper  to 
all  speedy  progression  in  the  New 
Zealand  forest." 

1881.  J.    L.   Campbell,  'Poenamo,'   p. 
154: 

"  Forty  or  fifty  feet  of  supple-jack. 
This  creeper  is  of  the  thickness  of  your 
finger,  and  runs  along  the  ground,  and 
goes  up  the  trees  and  springs  across 
from  one  tree  to  the  other,  spanning 
great  gaps  in  some  mysterious  manner 
of  its  own — a  tough,  rascally  creeper 
that  won't  break,  that  you  can't  twist 
in  two,  that  you  must  cut,  that  trips 
you  by  the  foot  or  the  leg,  and  some- 
times catches  you  by  the  neck  ...  so 
useful  withal  in  its  proper  places." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  <  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  71: 

"  Threading  with  somewhat  painful 
care  intricacies  formed  by  loops  and 
snares  of  bewildering  supple-jacks, 
that  living  study  of  Gordian  entangle- 
ment, nature-woven,  for  patient  exer- 
cise of  hand  and  foot." 

1892.  A.  Sutherland,  '  Elementary  Geo- 
graphy of  British  Colonies,'  p.  309  : 

"  Laced  together  by  creepers  called 
supple-jacks,  which  twine  and  twist  for 
hundreds  of  yards,  with  stems  as  thick 
as  a  man's  wrist,  so  as  to  make  the 
forests  impassable  except  with  axes 
and  immense  labour." 

Surfacing,  n.  (i)  Wash-dirt 
lying  on  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

(2)  verbal  n.  Gold-digging  on 
the  surface  of  the  ground. 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  133  : 

"  What  is  termed  '  surfacing '  con- 
sists of  simply  washing  the  soil  on  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  which  is  occa- 
sionally auriferous." 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith, '  Over  the  Straits,' 
c.  iv.  p.  133  : 

"  I've  been  surfacing  this  good  while  ; 
but  quartz-reefm's  the  payinest  game, 
now." 

1866.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches'  [Second  Series],  p.  133  : 

"What  is  termed  'surfacing'  con- 
sists of  simply  washing  the  soil  on  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  which  is  occa- 
sionally auriferous." 


S\VA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


447" 


1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,'  Miner's  Right,' 
c.  xv.  p.  153  : 

"  They  have  been  mopping  up  some 
rich  surfacing." 

1894.  <The  Argus,'  March  28,  p.  5. 
col.  5  : 

"'Surfacing'  or  'loaming.'  Small 
canvas  bags  are  carried  by  the  pros- 
pector, and  top  soil  from  various  likely- 
looking  spots  gathered  and  put  into 
them,  the  spots  being  marked  to  cor- 
respond with  the  bags.  The  contents 
are  then  panned  off  separately,  and  if 
gold  is  found  in  any  one  of  the  bags 
the  spot  is  again  visited,  and  the  place 
thoroughly  overhauled,  even  to  trench- 
ing for  the  reef." 

Swag,  n.  (i)  Used  in  the  early 
days,  and  still  by  the  criminal 
class,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of 
Thieves'  English,  as  booty,  plunder. 

1837.  J.  Mudie,  '  Felonry  of  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  181  : 

"In  short,  having  brought  with  her 
a  supply  of  the  '  swag,'  as  the  convicts 
call  their  ill-gotten  cash,  a  wife  seldom 
fails  of  having  her  husband  assigned 
to  her,  in  which  case  the  transported 
felon  finds  himself  his  own  master." 

1879.  R.  H.  Barham,  '  Ingoldsby  Le- 
gends '  (Misadventures  at  Margate) : 

"  A  landsman  said,  '  I  twig  the  drop, 

— he's  been  upon  the  mill, 
And  'cause  he  gammons  so  \.\\Q  flats, 

ve  calls  him  Veepin'  Bill.' 
He  said  '  he'd  done  me  wery  brown, 

and  neatly  stowed  the  swag,1 
— That's  French,  I  fancy,  for  a  hat, 

— or  else  a  carpet-bag." 

(2)  A  special  Australian  use  :  a 
tramp's  bundle,  wrapt  up  in  a 
blanket,  called  a  Bluey  (q.v.). 
Used  also  for  a  passenger's  lug- 
gage. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  59 : 

"A  number  of  the  slang  phrases 
current  in  St.  Giles's  Greek  bid  fair  to 
become  legitimatized  in  the  dictionary 
of  this  colony :  plant,  swag,  pulling 
•up,  and  other  epithets  of  the  Tom  and 
Jerry  school,  are  established — the  dross 
passing  here  as  genuine,  even  among 
all  ranks." 


1853.  S.  Sidney,  'Three  Colonies  of 
Australia,'  p.  361  : 

"His  leathern  overalls,  his  fancy 
stick,  and  his  '  swag '  done  up  in  mack- 
intosh." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  384 : 

"  There  were  others  with  huge  swags 
suspended  from  a  pole,  with  which 
they  went  on,  like  the  Children  of 
Israel  carrying  the  gigantic  bunches 
of  the  grapes  of  Canaan." 

1865.  J.  O.  Tucker,  '  Australian  Story,' 
c.  i.  p.  86: 

"  The  cumbrous  weight  of  blankets 
that  comprised  my  swag." 

1867.  Lady   Barker,    'Station    Life    in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  127  : 

"A  pair  of  large  double  blankets  to 
make  the  tent  of, — that  was  one  swag, 
and  a  very  unwieldy  one  it  was,  strapped 
knapsack  fashion,  with  straps  of  flax- 
leaves." 

1868.  J.     Bonwick,     'John    Batman, 
Founder  of  Victoria,'  p.  51  : 

"Three  white  men,  the  Sydney 
natives,  and  Batman,  who  carried  his 
swag  the  same  as  the  rest,  all  armed." 

1871.  C.  L.  Money,  'Knocking  About 
in  New  Zealand,'  p.  9  : 

"  With  my  rug  and  blankets  on  my 
back  (such  a  bundle  being  called  a 

'swag')." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  285  : 

"  Swag,  which  consists  of  his  per- 
sonal properties  rolled  up  in  a  blanket." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant, '  Bush  Life  in  Queens- 
land,' vol.  i.  p.  33  : 

"  His  cumbrous  attire  and  the  huge 
swag  which  lay  across  the  seat." 

1888.  A.  Reischek,  in  Buller's  '  Birds  of 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  93 : 

"With  the  hope  that  there  would 
now  be  a  few  fine  days,  I  at  once 
packed  up  my  swag  with  provisions, 
ammunition,  blanket,  &c." 

1892.  '  The  Australasian,'  May  7,  p. 
903,  col.  i  : 

"Kenneth,  in  front,  reminded  me 
comically  of  Alice's  White  Knight, 
what  with  the  billies  dancing  and  jing- 
ling on  his  back,  and  the  tomahawk  in 
his  belt,  and  his  large  swag  in  front." 


448 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[SWA 


1896.  H.  Lawson,  'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  95  : 

""  I  suppose  he's  tramping  somewhere, 
Where  the  bushmen  carry  swags, 
Cadging  round  the  wretched  stations 
With  his  empty  tucker-bags." 

Swag,  v.  to  tramp  the  bush, 
carrying  a  swag. 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  'Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  5  : 

"  There  was  the  solitary  pedestrian, 
with  the  whole  of  his  supplies,  consist- 
ing of  a  blanket  and  other  necessary 
articles,  strapped  across  his  shoulders 
— this  load  is  called  the  'swag,'  and 
the  mode  of  travelling  '  swagging  it.'  " 

Swag-like,  adv.  in  the  fashion 

of  a  swag. 

1890.   '  The  Argus,'  Aug.  2,  p.  4,  col.  2  : 
"  He  strapped  the  whole  lot  together, 

swag-like." 

Swagger,  n.  Same  as  Swagman 
(q.v.).  Specially  used  in  New 
Zealand.  The  word  has  also  the 
modern  English  slang  sense. 

1875.  Lady  Barker,  '  Station  Amuse- 
ments in  New  Zealand,'  p.  154  : 

"  Describing  the  real  swagger,  clad 
in  flannel  shirt,  moleskin  trowsers,  and 
what  were  once  thick  boots." 

1890.  'The  Century,'  vol.  xli.  p.  624 
('Century')  : 

"  Under  the  name  of  swagger  or 
sundowner  the  tramp,  as  he  moves 
from  station  to  station  in  remote  dis- 
tricts, in  supposed  search  for  work,  is 
a  recognized  element  of  society." 

1893.  'Otago  Witness,'  Dec.  21,  p.  6, 
col.  3  : 

"  Once  a  footsore  swagger  came 
along,  and  having  gone  to  the  house 
to  ask  for  'tucker,'  soon  returned.  He 
took  his  swag  from  his  shoulders  and 
leant  it  against  the  Tree ;  then  he 
busied  himself  gathering  the  small 
sticks  and  dried  leaves  lying  about  on 
'every  side." 

1896.  'The  Argus,'  March  23,  p.  5, 
col.  i  : 

"The  minister's  house  is  the  sure 
mark  for  every  stone-broke  swagger  in 
search  of  clothes  or  victuals." 

1896.  '  Southern  Standard '  (New  Zea- 
land), [page  not  given] : 

"An  ardent  young  lady  cyclist  of 


Gore,  who  goes  very  long  journeys  on 
her  machine,  was  asked  by  a  lady 
friend  if  she  was  not  afraid  of  swaggers 
on  the  road.  '  Afraid  of  them  ? '  she 
said,  '  why,  I  take  tea  with  them  ! ' " 

1896.  '  The   Champion,'  Jan.    4,  p.   3, 
col.  3  : 

"He  [Professor  Morris]  says  that 
1  swagger '  is  a  variant  of  '  swagman.' 
This  is  equally  amusing  and  wrong." 
[Nevertheless,  he  now  says  it  once 
again.] 

Swaggie,  n.  a  humorous  varia- 
tion on  swagman. 

1892.  E.    W.  Hornung,    'Under    Two 
Skies,'  p.  109  : 

"  Here's  a  swaggie  stopped  to  camp, 
with  flour  for  a  damper,  and  a  handful 
of  tea  for  the  quart-pot,  as  safe  as  the 
bank." 

Swagman,  n.  a  man  travelling 
through  the  bush  carrying  a  Swag 
(q.v.),  and  seeking  employment. 
There  are  variants,  Swagger  (more 
general  in  New  Zealand),  Swaggie, 
and  Swagsman.  The  Sundowner, 
Traveller,  or  New  Zealand  Tus- 
socker,  is  not  generally  a  seeker 
for  work. 

1890.  'The  Argus,'  June  7,  p.  4,  col.  2  : 
"The    regular    swagman    carrying 

his  ration  bags,  which  will  sometimes 
contain  nearly  twenty  days'  provender 
in  flour  and  sugar  and  tea." 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood, '  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  156  : 

"We  pulled  up  a  swagman.  He 
was  walking  very  slow  ;  he  was  a  bit 
lame  too.  His  swag  wasn't  heavy,  for 
he  had  only  a  rag  of  a  blue  blanket,  a 
billy  of  water  in  his  hand,  and  very 
little  else." 

1893.  '  The  Herald '  (Melbourne),  Jan. 

25  : 

"Under  the  electric  light  in  the 
quadrangle  of  the  Exhibition  they  will 
give  tableaux,  representing  the  murder 
of  a  swagman  by  a  native  and  the 
shooting  of  the  criminal  by  a  black 
tracker." 

1897.  '  The  Argus,' Jan.  n,  p.  7,  col.  2  : 
"  The    Yarra    has     claimed    many 

swagmen  in  the  end,  but  not  all  have 
died  in  full  travelling  costume  ...  a 
typical  back-blocks  traveller.  He  was 


SWA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


449 


grey  and  grizzled,  but  well  fed,  and  he 
wore  a  Cardigan  jacket,  brown  mole- 
skin trousers,  blucher  boots,  and  socks, 
all  of  which  were  mended  with  rough 
patches.  His  knife  and  tobacco,  his 
odds  and  ends,  and  his  purse,  contain- 
ing I4|d.,  were  still  intact,  while  across 
his  shoulder  was  a  swag,  and,  the 
fingers  of  his  right  hand  had  tightly 
closed  round  the  handle  of  his  old 
black  billy-can,  in  which  were  some 
scraps  of  meat  wrapped  in  a  newspaper 
of  the  5th  inst.  He  had  taken  with 
him  his  old  companions  of  the  roads — 
his  billy  and  his  swag." 

Swagsman,  n.  a  variant  of 
Swagman  (q.v.). 

1879.  J.    Brunton   Stephens,   '  Drought 
and  Doctrine'  (Works,  p.  309) : 

"  Rememberin'  the  needful,  I  gets  up 

an'  quietly  slips 

To  the  porch  to  see — a  swagsman — 
with  our  bottle  at  his  lips." 

1880.  G.    Sutherland,    '  Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  89 : 

"  One  of  these  prospecting  swags- 
men  was  journeying  towards  Mary- 
borough." 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,  '  Old  Colonials,'  p. 
Ill  : 

"  Idleness  being  the  mainspring  of 
the  journeys  of  the  swagsman  (An- 
glice,  'tramp')." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xix.  p.  235  : 

"  The  able-bodied  swagsmen  hasten 
towards  Rainbar." 

Swallow,  n.  common  English 
bird-name.  The  species  observed 
in  Australia  are — 

The  Swallow— 

Hirundo  neoxena,  Gould. 
Black-and-white  S. — 

Cheramceca  leucosternum,  Gould. 
Black-faced  Wood  S.— 

Artamus  melanops,  Gould. 
Eastern  S. — 

Hirundo  javanic a,  Sparrm. 
Grey-breasted  Wood  S. — 

Artamus  dnereus,  Vieill. 
Little  Wood  S.— 

A.  minor,  Vieill. 


Masked  Wood  S.— 

Artamus  per sonatus,  Gould. 
White-bellied  Wood  S.— 

A.  hypoleucus. 
White-browed  Wood  S.— 

A.  superciliosus,  Gould. 
White-rumped  Wood  S. — 

A.  leucogaster,  Valenc. 
Wood  S.— 

A.  sordidus,  Lath. 

Artamus  is  often  wrongly  spelt 
Artemus.  The  Wood-Swallows  are 
often  called  Summer-birds  (q.v.). 

Swamp-Broom,  n.  a  rush- 
broom,  Viminaria  denudata,  Sm., 
N.O.  Leguminosa.  See  Swamp- 
Oak. 

Swamp-Daisy-tree,    n.       See 

Daisy-tree. 

Swamp-Gum,  n.     See  Gum. 

Swamp  -  Hawk,  ;/.  another 
name  for  the  New  Zealand  Har- 
rier. See  Harrier. 

Swamp-Hen,  «.an  Australasian 
bird,  Porphyrio  melanonotus,  Temm. 
(often  incorrectly  shortened  to  Me- 
lanotus].  Called  sometimes  the 
Porphyrio  (q.v.) ;  Maori  name, 
Pukeko.  Called  also  the  Swamp- 
Turkey,  the  Purple  Coot,  and  by 
New  Zealand  colonists,  Sultana- 
bird,  Pukdki,  or  Bokdka,  the  last 
two  being  corruptions  of  the 
Maori  name.  For  a  West-Aus- 
tralian variety  of  the  Porphyrio, 
see  quotation  (1848). 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  c.  i.  p.  228  : 

"The  pukeko  is  of  a  dark-blue 
colour,  and  about  as  large  as  a  pheas- 
ant. The  legs,  the  bill,  and  a  horny 
continuation  of  it  over  the  front  of  the 
head,  are  of  a  bright  crimson  colour. 
Its  long  legs  adapt  it  for  its  swampy 
life ;  its  flight  is  slow  and  heavy, 
resembling  that  of  a  bittern." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  vi.  pi.  70  : 

'''•Porphyrio  Bellus,   Gould,   Azure- 

G   G 


450 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[SWA 


breasted  Porpkyrio;  Swamp-Hen,  Col- 
onists of  Western  Australia." 

1888.  \V.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  79  : 

[A  full  description.] 

Swamp-Mahogany,  n.  a  tim- 
ber tree,  Eucalyptus  botryoides,  Sm. 
See  Gum  and  Mahogany. 

1886.  T.  Heney,  '  Fortunate  Days,'  p. 
50: 

"  Swamp  mahogany's  floor-flowered 
arms." 

Swamp-Oak,  n.  (i)  A  broom- 
like  leguminous  shrub  or  small 
tree,  Viminaria  denudata,  Sm.  (also 
called  Swamp-broom).  (2)  A  tree 
of  the  genus  Casuarinat  especially 
C.  paludosa.  See  Oak. 

1833.  C.  Sturt, '  Southern  Australia,'  vol. 
i.  c.  i.  p.  53  : 

"  Light  brushes  of  swamp-oak,  cy- 
press, box  and  acacia  pendula." 

1847.  J.    D.   Lang,    '  Phillipsland,'  p. 

257  = 

"  Its  banks  (Mtirrumbidgee)  are 
fringed  with  the  beautiful  swamp-oak, 
a  tree  of  the  Casuarina  family,  with  a 
form  and  character  somewhat  inter- 
mediate between  that  of  the  spruce 
and  that  of  the  Scotch  fir,  being  less 
formal  and  Dutch-like  than  the  former, 
and  more  graceful  than  the  latter." 

1865.  Rev.     J.     E.     Tenison  -  Woods, 
'  History  of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration 
of  Australia,'  vol.  i.  p.  324  : 

"  A  stream,  whose  winding  channel 
could  be  traced  by  the  particularly 
dark  verdure  of  the  swamp-oak  (Cas- 
uarina paludosa)  on  its  banks." 

1866.  Miss  Parkes,  '  Poems,'  p.  40  : 
"Your    voice    came  to  me,   soft  and 

distant  seeming, 

As  comes  the  murmur  of  the  swamp- 
oak's  tone." 

1870.  F.  S.  Wilson,  '  Australian  Songs,' 
p.  100 : 
"  Softly  the  swamp-oak 

Muttered  its  sorrows  to  her  and  to 
me." 

1883.  C.  Harpur,  '  Poems,'  p.  47  : 
"Befringed    with    upward     tapering 
feathery  swamp-oaks." 

Swamp-Pheasant,    n.     called 


also     Pheasant -cuckoo.      Another 
name  for  the  Coucal  (q.v.). 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  60  : 

"A  Centropus  phasianellus  (the 
swamp-pheasant  of  Moreton  Bay)  was 
shot." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  '  Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  116  : 

"  Far  down  the  creek,  on  one  of  the 
river-oaks  which  grow  in  its  bed,  a 
swamp-pheasant  utters  its  rapid  coo- 
coo-coo-coo-coo-coo-cook." 

1887.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Longleat  of  Koor- 
albyn,'  c.  xvi.  p.  102  : 

"The  gurgling  note  of  the   swamp- 
pheasant." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Canni- 
bals,' p.  94 : 

"  The  bird  Centropus,  which  is  com- 
mon in  all  Queensland,  is  found  here 
in  great  numbers.  Although  it  really 
is  a  cuckoo,  the  colonists  call  it  the 
'swamp-pheasant,'  because  it  has  a 
tail  like  a  pheasant.  It  is  a  very 
remarkable  bird  with  stiff  feathers, 
and  flies  with  difficulty  on  account  of 
its  small  wings.  The  swamp-pheasant 
has  not  the  family  weakness  of  the 
cuckoo,  for  it  does  not  lay  its  eggs  in 
the  nests  of  other  birds.  It  has  a 
peculiar  clucking  voice  which  reminds 
one  of  the  sound  produced  when  water 
is  poured  from  a  bottle." 

Swamp-Sparrow,  n.  a  nick- 
name in  New  Zealand  for  the 
Fern-bird  (q.v.). 

1888.  W.    L.    Buller,    'Birds    of   New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  60  : 

"  These  beds  of  rushes  which  form 
blind  water-courses  during  the  winter 
season,  are  dry  in  summer  and  are 
then  a  favourite  resort  for  the  Swamp- 
Sparrow  as  this  bird  is  sometimes 
called." 

Ibid.  vol.  ii.  p.  255  : 

"  The  melancholy  cry  of  the  Fern- 
bird  is  so  general  and  persistent  that 
its  nick-name  of  Swamp  Sparrow  is 
not  undeserved." 

Swan,  Black,  «.  an  Australian 
bird  —  Cycnus  ntger,  Juvenal; 
Cygnus  atratus,  Gould  ;  Chenopsis 


SWA-SWE] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


atrata,    Wagl.,    sometimes    mis- 
called  Chenopis. 

The  river  upon  which  Perth, 
Western  Australia,  is  situated,  is 
called  the  Swan  River,  and  the 
colony  was  long  known  as  the 
Swan  River  Settlement.  It  has 
expanded  into  Western  Australia, 
the  emblem  of  which  colony  is 
still  the  Black  Swan.  Since  1855 
the  Black  Swan  has  been  the 
device  on  the  postage  stamps  of 
Western  Australia. 

82  A.D.  (circiter).  'Juvenal,  Sat.'  vi.  164  : 
"  Rara  avis  in  terris  nigroque  simil- 
lima  cycno." 

1700  (circiter).  J.  Locke,  in  '  Johnson's 
Dictionary'  (gth  edition,  1805),  s.v.  Swan: 

"The  idea  which  an  Englishman 
signifies  by  the  name  Swan,  is  a  white 
colour,  long  neck,  black  beak,  black 
legs,  and  whole  feet,  and  all  these  of  a 
certain  size,  with  a  power  of  swimming 
in  the  water,  and  making  a  certain 
kind  of  noise/' 

1789.  Governor   Phillip,  'Voyage,'  p. 
98: 

"A  black  swan,  which  species, 
though  proverbially  rare  in  other  parts 
of  the  world,  is  here  by  no  means 
uncommon  .  .  .  a  very  noble  bird, 
larger  than  the  common  swan,  and 
equally  beautiful  in  form  .  .  .  its 
wings  were  edged  with  white  :  the  bill 
was  tinged  with  red." 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  137: 

"  We  found  nine  birds,  that,  whilst 
swimming,  most  perfectly  resembled 
the  rara  avis  of  the  ancients,  a  black 
swan." 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  146  : 

"  Large  ponds  covered  with  ducks 
and  black  swans." 

1847.    J.    D.    Lang,    '  Phillipsland,'   p. 

"5  : 

"These  extensive  sheets  of  glassy 
water  .  .  .  were  absolutely  alive  with 
black  swans  and  other  water  fowl  .  .  . 
There  must  have  been  at  least  five 
hundred  swans  in  view  at  one  time  on 
one  of  the  lakes.  They  were  no  '  rara 
avis '  there." 


1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  vii.  pi.  6  : 

"  Cygnus  Atratus,  Black  Swan.  The 
first  notice  on  record  respecting  the 
existence  of  the  Black  Swan  occurs  in 
a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Witsen  to  Dr. 
M.  Lister  about  the  year  1698,  in  which 
he  says,  '  Here  is  returned  a  ship, 
which  by  our  East  India  Company 
was  sent  to  the  south  land  called 
HollandeaNova '/  and  adds  that  Black 
Swans,  Parrots  and  many  Sea-Cows 
were  found  there." 

1856.  J.  S.  Mill,  '  Logic  '  [4th  edition], 
vol.  i.  bk.  iii.  c.  iii.  p.  344  : 

"  Mankind  were  wrong,  it  seems,  in 
concluding  that  all  swans  were  white. 
.  .  .  As  there  were  black  swans,  though 
civilized  people  had  existed  for  three 
thousand  years  on  the  earth  without 
meeting  with  them." 

1875.  '  Spectator'  (Melbourne),  May  29, 
p.  45,  col.  3  : 

"  The  presence  of  immense  flocks  of 
black  swans  is  also  regarded  as  an  in- 
dication of  approaching  cold  weather." 
1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  223  : 

"The  musical  whoop  of  the  black 
swan  is  sometimes  heard  as  the  wedge- 
shaped  flock  passes  over." 

1895.  G.  Metcalfe, '  Australian  Zoology/ 
p.  64 : 

"Strzelecki  states  that  the  black 
swan  was  discovered  in  1697  by 
Vlaming.  ...  In  1726  two  were  brought 
alive  to  Batavia,  having  been  procured 
on  the  West  Coast  of  Australia,  near 
Dirk  Hartog's  Bay.  Captain  Cook 
observed  it  on  several  parts  of  the 
coast." 

Swan-River  Daisy,  n.  a  pretty 
annual  plant,  Brachycome  iberidi- 
folia,  Benth.,  N.O.  Composite,  of 
Western  Australia.  The  heads 
are  about  an  inch  broad,  and  have 
bright  blue  rays,  with  paler  centre. 
It  is  cultivated  in  flower  gardens, 
and  is  well  suited  for  massing. 
('Century.') 

Sweep,  «.  a  marine  fish  of  the 
Australian  coasts,  called  by  this 
name  in  Sydney.  It  is  Scorpis 
cequipinnis,  Richards.,  family 
Squamipinnes.  This  family  has 


452 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[SWE-SYC 


the  soft,  and  frequently  also  the 
spinous,  part  of  their  dorsal  and 
anal  fins  so  thickly  covered 
with  scales,  that  the  boundary 
between  fins  and  body  is  entirely 
obliterated.  S.  aquipinnis  is  pos- 
sibly the  Light-horseman  (q.v.)  of 
early  Australian  writers. 

Sweet  Tea.     See  Tea. 

Swift,  n.  In  Australia,  the 
species  of  this  common  bird  are — 
Spine-tailed  Swift,  Chatura  cauda- 
cuta,  Lath. ;  White-rumped  S., 
Micropus  pacificus,  Lath. 

Swing-gate,  n.  Used  in  its 
ordinary  English  sense,  but  speci- 
ally applied  to  a  patent  gate  for 
drafting  sheep,  invented  by  Mr. 
Lockhart  Morton. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  ix.  p.  91: 

"Mr.  Stangrove  .  .  .  has  no  more 
idea  of  a  swing-gate  than  a  shearing- 
machine." 

Sword-grass,  n.  In  New  Zea- 
land, Arundo  conspicua ;  in  Aus- 
tralia, Cladium  psittacorum^  Labill. 
It  is  not  the  same  as  the  English 
plant  of  that  name,  and  is -often 
called  Cutting  Grass  (q.v.). 


1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,' p.  172: 

"The  great  plumes  far  and  wide  of 
the  sword-grass  aspire." 

Sword-Sedge,  a  sedge  on  Aus- 
tralian coasts,  Lepidosperma  gladi- 
atum,  Labill.,  N.O.  Cyperacece^  use- 
ful for  binding  sea-sand,  and 
yielding  a  good  material  for  paper. 

1877.  Baron  von  Mueller,  '  Botanic 
Teachings,'  p.  124  : 

"Lepidosperma  is  nearly  endemic- 
ally  Australian.  Lepidosperma  gladia- 
tum,  the  great  Swords-edge  [sic]  of  our 
coasts,  furnishes  an  admirable  material 
for  writing  paper."  [It  is  curious  that 
Swords-edge  makes  most  ingenious 
sense,  but  it  is  evidently  a  misprint  for 
Sword-sedge.] 

Sycamore  Tree.  See  Laurel 
In  New  South  Wales,  the  name  is 
given  to  Brachyciton  luridus^  C. 
Moore,  N.O,  Sterculiacece. 

Sycoceric,  adj.  belonging  to 
a  waxy  resin  obtained  from  the 
Port-Jackson  Fig ;  see  under  Fig. 
(From  Grk.o-9/coi/,  "fig,"  and  /cr/pos, 
"wax.") 

Sycoceryl,  n.  a  supposed  ele- 
ment of  the  sycoceric  compounds. 
See  Sycoceric. 


TAB-TAl] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


453 


Taboo,  n.     See  Tapu. 

Tagrag  -  and  -  Bobtail,  n.  a 
species  of  sea-weed.  See  quota- 
tion. 

1866.  S.  Hannaford,  '  Wild  Flowers  of 
Tasmania,'  p.  80  : 

"  It  is  a  wiry-stemmed  plant,  with 
small  mop-like  tufts,  which  hold  water 
like  a  sponge.  This  is  Bellotia  Erio- 
pkorum,  the  specific  name  derived  from 
its  resemblance  to  the  cotton-grass. 
Harvey  mentions  its  colonial  name  as 
''Tagrag  and  Bobtail]  and  if  it  will 
enable  collectors  the  more  easily  to 
recognise  it,  let  it  be  retained." 

N  Taiaha,  n.  a  Maori  word  for  a 
•  chief's  walking-staff,  a  sign  of 
office,  sometimes  used  in  fighting, 
like  a  quarterstaff. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  139  : 

"  The  men  are  placed  at  equal  inter- 
vals along  either  side  to  paddle,  and 
they  keep  excellent  stroke  to  the  song 
of  two  leaders,  who  stand  up  and 
recite  short  alternate  sentences,  giving 
the  time  with  the  taiaha,  or  long 
wooden  spear.  The  taiaha  is  rather  a 
long-handled  club  than  a  spear.  It  is 
generally  made  of  manuka,  a  very 
hard,  dark,  close-grained  and  heavy 
wood.  The  taiaha  is  about  six  feet 
long,  etc." 

1851.  Mrs.  Wilson,  'New  Zealand,'  p. 
46: 

"  The  taiaha  is  rather  a  long-handled 
club  than  a  spear." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  <  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  299 : 

"A  taiaha,  or  chiefs  staff." 

1881.  J.'L.  Campbell,  '  Poenamo,'  p.  80  : 

"  In  his  right  hand  he  brandished  a 
taiaha,  a  six-foot  Maori  broadsword  of 
hard  wood,  with  its  pendulous  plume 
of  feathers  hanging  from  the  hilt." 

1889.  Major  Wilson  and  Edward  Treg- 


ear,  '  On  the  Korotangi,'  '  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xxii.  art. 
Ixii.  p.  505  : 

"  Many  famous  tribal  heirlooms  are 
hidden  and  lost  to  posterity.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Buller  mentions  a  famous 
taiaha,  of  great  mana,  as  having  been 
buried  and  lost  in  this  way,  lest  it 
should  fall  into  the  power  of  opposing 
tribes,  and  cause  disaster  to  the 
original  owner." 

Taihoa,  Maori  phrase,  meaning 
"Wait  a  bit."  Much  used  in  some 
circles  in  New  Zealand.  The 
4  Standard '  gives  it  wrongly  as 
"  Anglo-Tasmanian,"  probably 
because  Mr.  Wade's  book  was 
published  in  Hobart. 

1842.  W.  R.  Wade,  'Journey  in  New 
Zealand'  (Hobart  Town),  p.  66  : 

"'Taihoa.'  This  word  has  been 
translated,  By  and  by  ;  but  in  truth,  it 
has  all  the  latitude  of  directly, — pre- 
sently,— by  and  by, — a  long  time  hence, 
— and  nobody  knows  when  .  .  .  the 
deliberate  reply  is,  '  Taihoa '  .  .  .  this 
patience-trying  word.  .  .  ." 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell, '  Poenamo,'  p.  87  : 

"That  irritatingly  provoking  word, 
'  taihoa.' "  [p.  88] :  "  The  drawled-out 
t-a-i-h-o-a  fell  upon  the  ear."  [p.  266]  : 
[Title  of  chapter]  :  "  I  learn  what  Tai- 
hoa means."  [p.  271]:  "Great  is  the 
power  of  taihoa."  [p.  276] :  "  The  im- 
perturbable taihoa,  given  to  us  with 
the  ordinary  placid  good-humour." 

Tail,  v.  tr.  to  herd  and  tend 
sheep  or  cattle :  lit.  to  follow 
close  behind  the  tail. 

1844.  'Port  Phillip  Patriot,'  Aug.  5, 
p.  3,  col.  6  : 

"  I  know  many  boys,  from  the  age 
of  nine  to  sixteen  years,  tailing  cattle." 

1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes,'  p. 


153: 


The  stockman,  as   he  who  tends 


454 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[TAI 


cattle  and  horses  is  called,  despises 
the  shepherd  as  a  grovelling,  inferior 
creature,  and  considers  '  tailing  sheep ' 
as  an  employment  too  tardigrade  for  a 
man  of  action  and  spirit." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  xix.  p.  239  : 

'"The  cattle,'  no  longer  'tailed,'  or 
followed  daily,  as  a  shepherd  does 
sheep." 

Tailing,  adj.  consisting  of  tail- 
ings (q.v.). 

1890.  'Goldfields  of  Victoria,'  p.  21: 

"  From  recent  assays  of  the  tailing- 
sand,  scarcely  one  quarter  of  the 
pyrites  has  been  extracted." 

Tailings,  n.  ( 'The  detritus  carried 
off  by  water  from  a  crushing 
machine,  or  any  gold-washing 
apparatus."  (Brough  Smyth, 
'Glossary  of  Mining  Terms.') 
Not  limited  to  Australia. 

1891.  '  The  Argus,'  June  16,  p.  6,  col.  2  : 
"  A  hundred  and  fifty  tons  of  tailings 

are  treated  at  the  Sandhurst  pyrites 
works  every  month." 

Tailor,  n.  name  given  in  New 
South  Wales  to  the  fish  Temnodon 
saltator,  Cuv.  and  Val.  It  is  called 
Skipjack  (q.v.)  in  Melbourne,  a 
name  by  which  it  is  also  known 
in  America  and  Britain.  Those 
of  large  size  are  called  "  Sea- 
tailors."  It  belongs  to  the  family 
CarangidcR)  or  Horse  -  Mackerels 
(q.v.). 

Taipo,  n.  a  New  Zealand  word 
for  devil,  often  applied  by  settlers 
to  a  vicious  horse  or  as  a  name 
for  a  dog.  There  is  a  dangerous 
river,  the  Taipo,  on  the  west 
coast.  There  is  considerable  dis- 
pute as  to  whether  the  word  is 
true  Maori  or  not.  The  Rev.  T. 
G.  Hammond  of  Patea  says — 

"  No  such  Maori  word  as  taipo, 
meaning  devil,  exists.  It  would  mean 
evening-tide— tai-po.  Probably  the 
early  sailors  introduced  attached 
meaning  of  devil  from  the  Maori  say- 
ing, '  Are  you  not  afraid  to  travel  at 


night  ? '  referring  to  the  danger  of  tidal 
rivers." 

On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Tregear 
says,  in  his  *  Maori  Comparative 
Dictionary,'  s.v. — 

"  Taepo,  a  goblin,  a  spectre.  Cf.  tae, 
to  arrive  ;  po,  night." 

The  Rev.  W.  Colenso  says,  in 
his  pamphlet  on  '  Nomenclature  ' 
(1883),  p.  5- 

"  Taepo  means  to  visit  or  come  by 
night,— a  night  visitant,— a  spectral 
thing  seen  in  dreams, — a  fancied  and 
feared  thing,  or  hobgoblin,  of  the 
night  or  darkness  ;  and  this  the  set- 
tlers have  construed  to  mean  the 
Devil  ! — and  of  course  their  own 
orthodox  one." 

Taipo  or  taepo  is  also  a  slang 
term  for  a  surveyor's  theodolite 
among  the  Maoris,  because  it  is 
the  "  land-stealing  devil." 

1848.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  'Leaf  from 
the  Natural  History  of  New  Zealand,'  p. 
43: 

"Taipo,  female  dreamer  ;  a  pro- 
phetess ;  an  evil  spirit." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  <  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  49: 

"  There  is  the  Taringa-here,  a  being 
with  a  face  like  a  cat  ;  and  likewise 
another,  called  a  Taipo,  who  comes  in 
the  night,  sits  on  the  tops  of  houses, 
and  converses  with  the  inmates,  but  if 
a  woman  presumes  to  open  her  mouth, 
it  immediately  disappears." 

1878.  B.  Wells,  « History  of  Taranaki,' 
P-  3: 

"  The  similarity  in  sound  and  mean- 
ing of  the  Egyptian  word  typhon  with 
that  of  the  Maori  taipo,  both  being  the 
name  of  the  Spirit  of  Evil,  is  also  not 
a  little  remarkable."  [Ingenious,  but 
worthless.] 

1886.  T.  H.  Potts,  'Out  in  the  Open,' 
*  New  Zealand  Country  Journal,'  vol.  x. 
p.  262  : 

"  His  wife  became  seriously  affected, 
declaring  that  Taipo  had  entered  into 
her.  Reasoning  was  wholly  useless. 
She  declared  that  Taipo  was  in  the 
smoke  of  the  wood,  which  smoke  she 
had  inhaled  ;  soon  she  became  pros- 


TAI-TAL] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


455 


trated  by  illness  and  was  expected  to 
die." 

1887.  J.  C.  Crawford,  « Travels  in  New 
Zealand  and  Australia,'  p.  107  : 

"After  dinner  Watkins  requested 
the  loan  of  a  tomahawk  to  defend  him- 
self on  going  up  to  the  Pa  on  the  hill 
above.  He  said  he  knew  that  there 
was  a  taipo  (devil)  about ;  he  felt  it  in 
his  head." 

1888.  P.  W.  Barlow,  'Kaipara,'  p.  48: 
"  They  were  making  the  noises  I 

heard  to  drive  away  the  '  Taipo,'  a  sort 
of  devil  who  devotes  his  attention  ex- 
clusively to  Maoris,  over  whom,  how- 
ever, he  only  possesses  power  at  night." 

1891.  W.  H.  Roberts,  '  Southland  in 
1856,'  p.  72  : 

"  They  believed  it  was  the  principal 
rendez-vous  of  the  fallen  angel  (Taipo) 
himself." 

1896.   Modern.     Private  Letter  (May): 

"  Taipo,  for  instance,  of  course  one 
knows  its  meaning,  though  it  has  been 
adopted  chiefly  as  a  name  as  common 
as  '  Dash 3  or  '  Nero '  for  New  Zealand 
dogs ;  all  the  same  the  writers  upon 
Maori  superstitions  seem  to  have  no 
knowledge  of  it.  Polach,  Dieffenbach, 
Nicholas,  Yates,  call  their  evil  spirits 
ivhiros  or  atuas.  Tepo,  the  place  of 
darkness,  is  the  nearest  they  have 
come  to  it.  I  think  myself  it  is  South 
Island  Maori,  often  differing  a  little  in 
spelling  and  use  ;  and  so  very  much 
the  larger  proportion  of  New  Zealand 
literature  is  the  literature  of  the  North." 

Tait,  n.  a  Western  Australian 
animal,  properly  called  the  Long- 
snouted  Phalanger,  Tarsipes  rostra- 
tus,  the  only  species  of  its  genus. 
See  Phalanger  and  Opossum.  It 
is  about  the  size  of  a  mouse,  and 
lives  almost  entirely  on  honey, 
which  it  extracts  from  flowers. 

1894.  R.  Lydekker,  '  Marsupialia,'  p. 
120  : 

"  The  Long-snouted  Phalanger,  which 
derives  its  scientific  name  from  a  cer- 
tain resemblance  of  its  hind  feet  to 
those  of  a  Malayan  Lemur-like  animal 
known  as  the  Tarsier,  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  of  the  phalangers.  .  .  . 
Known  to  the  natives  by  the  names 
of  Tait  and  Nulbenger,  it  is,  writes 


Gould,  'generally  found  in  all  situa- 
tions suited  to  its  existence,  from  Swan 
River  to  King  George's  Sound.' " 

Takahe,  n.  Maori  name  for  an 
extinct  New  Zealand  Rail,  Notor- 
nis  mantelli,  Owen.  See  Notornis. 

1889.  Prof.  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  116  : 

"  The  Takahe  is  the  rarest  of  existing 
native  birds,  if  indeed  it  is  not  already 
extinct." 

Takapu,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
bird  Dysporus  serrator,  Banks,  a 
Gannet  (q.v.). 

Take  (a  man)  down,  Austra- 
lian sporting  slang,  (i)  To  induce 
a  man  to  bet,  knowing  that  he 
must  lose.  (2)  To  advise  a  man  to 
bet,  and  then  to  "arrange"  with  an 
accomplice  (a  jockey,  e.g.)  for  the 
bet  to  be  lost.  (3)  To  prove  supe- 
rior to  a  man  in  a  game  of  skill. 
1895.  '  The  Argus,'  Dec.  5,  p.  5,  col.  2  : 
"  It  appeared  that  [the  plaintiff]  had 
a  particular  fancy  for  a  [certain]  horse, 
and  in  an  evil  hour  induced  [the 
defendant]  to  lay  him  a  wager  about 
this  animal  at  the  long  odds  of  two 
shillings  to  threepence.  When  the 
horse  had  romped  triumphantly  home 
and  [the  plaintiff]  went  to  collect  his 
two  shillings  [the  defendant]  accused 
him  of  having  '  taken  him  down,'  stig- 
matised him  as  a  thief  and  a  robber, 
and  further  remarked  that  [the  plaintiff] 
had  the  telegram  announcing  the 
result  of  the  race  in  his  pocket  when 
the  wager  was  made,  and  in  short 
refused  to  give  [the  plaintiff]  anything 
but  a  black  eye." 

Talegalla,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  the  Brush-Turkey,  and  the 
scientific  name  for  that  bird,  viz., 
Talegalla  lathami,  Gray.  See 
Turkey. 

Tallow-wood,  n.  another  name 
for  one  of  the  Stringy-barks  (q.v.), 
Eucalyptus  microcorys,  F.v.  M.,  N.O. 
Myrtacece.  The  timber,  which  is 
hard,  gives  forth  an  oily  substance: 
hence  the  name.  The  tree  reaches 


456 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[TAL-TAN 


a  great  height.  Also  called  Tur- 
pentine-tree (q.v.).  See  also  Pepper- 
mint. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  '  Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  493  : 

"  In  Queensland  it  is  known  as 
'  Peppermint,3  the  foliage  being  remark- 
ably rich  in  volatile  oil.  But  its  almost 
universal  name  is  Tallow-wood.  North 
of  Port  Jackson  it  bears  the  name  of 
*  Turpentine  Tree  '  and  '  Forest  Maho- 
gany.' The  aboriginals  of  the  Bris- 
bane River,  Queensland,  call  it  '  tee.' " 

Ibid.  p.  494  : 

"  Tallow- wood.— Used  ...  for  floor- 
ing, e.g.  in  ball-rooms  ;  for  this  pur- 
pose it  is  selected  on  account  of  its 
greasy  nature.  This  greasiness  is  most 
marked  when  it  is  fresh  cut.  (General 
Report,  Sydney  International  Exhibi- 
tion, 1879.)  " 

1897.  '  The  Argus,'  Feb.  22,  p.  5,  col. 
4  (Cable  message  from  London)  : 

"  Mr.  Richards  stated  that  the  New 
South  Wales  black  butt  and  tallow 
wood  were  the  most  durable  and  noise- 
less woods  for  street-paving." 

Tallygalone,  n.  a  fish  of  New 
South  Wales,  Myxus  elongates, 
Giinth.,  a  genus  of  the  family 
Mugilida,  or  Grey-Mullet.  The 
word  is  also  spelled  talleygalann, 
and  tallagallan.  Also  called  Sand- 
Mullet. 

Tamarind-Tree,  name  given  to 
Diploglottis  cunninghamii,  Hook., 
N.O.  Sapindacea  ;  called  also 
Native  Tamarind.  "  A  tall  tree. 
The  flesh  of  the  fruit  is  amber 
and  of  delightful  acid  flavour." 
(Bailey.) 

Tambaroora,  n.  a  Queensland 
game.  More  generally  known  as 
"A  shilling  in  and  the  winner 
shouts."  From  a  town  in  Queens- 
land. 

1882.  A.  J.  Boyd,   'Old  Colonials,' p. 

63  : 

"  The  exciting  game  of  tambaroora. 
.  .  .  Each  man  of  a  party  throws  a 
shilling,  or  whatever  sum  may  be 
mutually  agreed  upon,  into  a  hat.  Dice 
are  then  produced,  and  each  man 


takes  three  throws.  The  Nut  who 
throws  highest  keeps  the  whole  of  the 
subscribed  capital,  and  out  of  it  pays 
for  the  drinks  of  the  rest." 

Tamure,  n.  the  Maori  name  for 
the  New  Zealand  Schnapper  fish 
(q.v.). 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand'  (Church 
Missionary  Society),  p.  206 : 

"  Tdmure  s.  Bream  fish." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  93  : 

"There  are  many  other  sorts  of 
fish,  including  the  tamure,  or  snapper, 
the  manga,  or  barracouta,  the  mango, 
or  dog-fish,  of  which  the  natives  catch 
large  quantities,  and  the  hapuka.  This 
last  fish  is  caught  in  pretty  deep  water, 
near  reefs  and  rocks.  It  often  attains 
a  great  size,  attaining  as  much  as  112 
pounds.  It  bears  a  considerable  re- 
semblance to  the  cod  in  form,  but  is, 
however,  of  far  finer  flavour." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  'Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
P-  413: 

"  Tamure,  kouarea  (the  snapper),  is 
a  large  fish  like  the  bream." 

1879.  W.  Colenso,  '  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xii.  art.  vii. 
p.  118: 

"  The  tamure  is  the  snapper  (Pagrus 
unicolor\  a  common  fish  on  all  the 
coasts." 

Tandan,  n.  the  aboriginal 
name  for  the  Cat-fish  (q.v.)  or 
Eel-fish  (q.v.),  Copidoglanis  tan- 
danus,  Mitchell  (or  Plotosus  tan- 
danus].  Mitchell,  who  first  discov- 
ered and  described  the  Cat-fishr 
called  it  the  Tandan,  or  Eel-fish. 

1838.  T.  Mitchell,  '  Three  Expeditions,,"" 
pp.  44,  45,  pi.  5  : 

"  In  this  piece  of  water  we  caught 
some. small  fish,  two  of  them  being  of 
a  rather  singular  kind,  resembling  an 
eel  in  the  head  and  shape  of  the  tail." 
...  [p.  45]  "  On  my  return  to  the  camp 
in  the  evening,  I  made  a  drawing  of 
the  eel  fish  which  we  had  caught  early 
in  the  day  (fig.  2,  pi.  5)." 

Tanekaha,  n.  Maori  name  of  a 
New  Zealand  tree ;  also  called 
Celery-topped  Pine,  Phyllodadus. 
trichomanoides,  Don.,  N.O.  Conifera. 


TAN-TAP] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


457 


1875.  T.  Laslett,  '  Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  306  : 

"The  Tanakaha  Tree  (Podocarpus 
asplenifolius)  is  found  scattered  over 
a  large  portion  of  the  northern  island 
of  New  Zealand.  .  .  Height,  sixty  to 
eighty  feet.  .  .  The  wood  is  close  and 
straight  in  the  grain.  .  .  It  works  up 
well,  is  tough  and  very  strong  ;  so 
much  so  that  the  New  Zealanders  say 
it  is  the  *  strong  man '  among  their 
forest  trees." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  *  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  125  : 

"Tanekaha.  A  slender,  handsome 
tree,  sixty  feet  high  ;  trunk  rarely  ex- 
ceeds three  feet  in  diameter  ;  wood 
pale,  close-grained,  and  excellent  for 
planks  and  spars ;  resists  decay  in 
moist  positions  in  a  remarkable  man- 
ner." 

Tangi,  n.  (pronounced  Tang-y) 
Maori  word  for  a  lamentation,  a 
cry,  or  dirge. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand'  (Church 
Missionary  Society),  p.  207  : 

"  Tangi,  s.  a  cry  or  lamentation." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  194 : 

"  They  wrapped  the  mutilated  corpse 
in  his  red  blanket,  and  bore  it,  lashed 
to  a  tree,  to  the  village,  where  the 
usual  tangi  took  place." 

1873.  Lieut. -Colonel  St.  John,  '  Pakeha 
Rambles  through  Maori  Lands,'  p.  154  : 

"  Shortly  afterwards  a  '  tangi '  was 
held  over  those  of  the  party  whose 
remains  could  be  identified." 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell, '  Poenamo,'  p.  191  : 

"  Perhaps  some  old  woman  did  a 
quiet  tangi  over  his  grave." 

1883.  F.  S.  Renwick,  « Betrayed,'  p.  41  : 
"'Tis  the  tangi  floats  on  the  sea- 
borne breeze, 

In  its  echoing  notes  of  wild  despair." 

Taniwha,  n.  Maori  name  for 
a  mythical  monster. 

1820.  'Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand'  (Church 
Missionary  Society),  p.  207  : 

"  Tdniwa,  s.  a  sea-monster  so  called." 

1842.  W.  R.  Wade,  '  Journey  in  New 
Zealand  '  (Hobart  Town),  p.  34  : 

"  Hearing  us  use  the  word  tapu,  as 


we  looked  towards  it,  one  of  our  boat- 
men quickly  repeated  that  the  place 
was  tapued  for  the  tanewa  (a  water 
demon).  'And  I  wonder,'  was  his 
irreverent  addition,  'what  this  same 
tanewa  may  be  !  An  old  pot  leg,  per- 
haps ! ' " 

1896.  *  Otago  Witness,'  Jan.  23,  p.  51, 
col.  2  : 

"The  river  at  one  time  is  reported 
as  having  been  infested  with  taniwhas 
— gigantic  fish  that  used  to  swallow 
the  natives — and  a  Maori  pointed  out 
a  deep  pool  under  some  willows,  and 
told  me  his  grandfather  had  been 
seized  by  one  of  these  monsters  at 
that  spot,  dragged  to  the  bottom  and 
eaten.  This  taniwha,  which  was  about 
forty  feet  in  length  and  had  a  long  mane, 
was  in  the  habit  of  sometimes  stand- 
ing almost  erect  in  the  water,  and 
frightening  the  women  and  children 
out  of  their  wits.  It  had  a  tremendous- 
sized  head,  and  its  mouth  somewhat 
resembled  the  beak  of  a  very  large 
bird.  Its  neck  was  about  six  feet  in 
circumference  and  was  covered  with 
scales,  as  likewise  its  body  down  to  its 
tail,  which  was  formed  by  a  series  of 
fin-shaped  projections,  and  somewhat 
resembled  in  form  the  tail  of  a  grey 
duck.  It  had  two  short  legs  which 
were  as  big  around  as  the  body  of  a 
half-grown  pig,  and  with  one  kick 
it  could  knock  a  hole  through  the 
stoutest  canoe." 

Tannergrams,  n.  very  recent 
New  Zealand  slang.  On  ist  of 
June,  1896,  the  New  Zealand 
Government  reduced  the  price  of 
telegrams  to  sixpence  (slang,  a 
'  tanner ')  for  twelve  words. 

1896.   '  Oamaru  Mail,'  June  13  : 
"  Tannergrams  is  the  somewhat  apt 
designation  which  the  new  sixpenny 
telegrams   have    been    christened   in 
commercial  vernacular." 

Tappa,  n.  South-sea  Island 
word.  A  native  cloth  made  from 
the  bark  of  the  Paper-mulberry* 
Broussonetia  papyri/era,  Benth. 

1886.  '  Art  Journal :  Exhibition  Supple- 
ment,' p.  24  : 

"The    Tappa,   or  native  cloth  [of 


458 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TAP-TAR 


Fiji],  made  from  the  bark  of  a  tree.  .  . 
Has  been  extensively  used  in  the 
draping  of  the  court." 

1888.  H.  S.  Cooper,  '  The  Islands  of 
the  Pacific,'  p.  9  : 

"  Tappa,  a  native  cloth  of  spotless 
white,  made  from  the  bark  of  the 
mulberry-tree." 

Tapu,  adj.  a  Maori  word,  but 
common  also  to  other  Polynesian 
languages.  The  origin  of  the 
English  word  taboo.  It  properly 
means  *  prohibited.'  There  was  a 
sacred  tapu>  and  an  unclean  tapu. 
What  was  consecrated  to  the  gods 
was  forbidden  to  be  touched  or 
used  by  the  people. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of  Lan- 
guage of  New  Zealand '  (Church  Missionary 
Society),  p.  208  : 

"  Tdpu,  a.  sacred,  inviolable." 

1835.  W.  Yate,  '  Some  Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  84  : 

"  This  system  of  consecration — for 
that  is  the  most  frequent  meaning  of 
the  term  'tapu' — has  prevailed  through 
all  the  islands  of  the  South  Seas,  but 
nowhere  to  a  greater  extent  than  in 
New  Zealand." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  194  : 

"  They  wrapped  the  mutilated  corpse 
in  his  red  blanket,  and  bore  it,  lashed 
to  a  tree,  to  the  village,  where  the 
usual  tangi  took  place  after  it  had 
been  deposited  in  the  wahi  tapu,  or 
•*  sacred  ground.' " 

1859.  A.  S.  Thomson,  M.D.,  '  Story  of 
New  Zealand,'  p.  100  : 

"  The  primary  meaning  of  the  Maori 
word  tapu  is  *  sacred' ;  tdbut  is  a  Malay 
word,  and  is  rendered  '  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant  of  God ' ;  taboot  is  a  Hindoo 
word  signifying  *  a  bier,'  '  a  coffin,' 
or  'the  Ark  of  the  Covenant';  ta  is 
the  Sanscrit  word  '  to  mark,'  and  pu 
*  to  purify.' "  [There  is  no  authority  in 
this  polyglot  mixture.] 

1879.  Clement  Bunbury,  '  Fraser's 
Magazine,'  June,  'A  Visit  to  the  New 
Zealand  Geysers,'  p.  767  : 

"  I  had  not  much  time  to  examine 
them  closely,  having  a  proper  fear  of 
the  unknown  penalties  incurred  by  the 
violation  of  anything  '  tapu'  or  sacred." 


1893.  'Otago  Witness,' Dec.  21,  p.  10, 
col.  i  : 

"  He  seeks  treasures  which  to  us 
are  tapu." 

Tapu,  n.  the  state  of  being 
consecrated  or  forbidden. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  25  : 

"  We  found  no  natives,  the  cove 
being  under  tapu,  on  account  of  its 
being  the  burial-place  of  a  daughter  of 
Te  Pehi,  the  late  chief  of  the  Kapiti, 
or  Entry  Island,  natives." 

1847.  A.  Tennyson,  'Princess,'  canto iii. 
1.  261  : 

"...  Women  up  till  this 
Cramp'd  under  worse  than  South- 
Sea- Isle  taboo, 
Dwarfs  of  the  gynseceum." 

1851.  Mrs.  Wilson,'  New  Zealand,' p.  24: 
"  But  chiefly  thou,  mysterious  Tapu, 

From   thy    strange  rites  a  hopeful 
sign  we  draw." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,    '  Our   Antipodes ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  281  : 

"  The  tapu,  which  either  temporarily 
or  permanently  renders  sacred  an 
object  animate  or  inanimate,  is  the 
nearest  approach  to  the  Hindoo  reli- 
gious exclusive-ism." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  89  : 
"  His  sole  '  tapu '  a  far  securer  guard 
Than  lock  and  key  of  craftiest  notch 

and  ward." 
Ibid.  p.  ICO  : 

"Avenge  each  minor  breach  of  this 
taboo." 

Tapu,  v.  originally  to  mark  as 
sacred,  and  later  to  place  under  a 
ban.  English,  taboo. 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  *  Our  Antipodes ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  284  : 

"The  tapued  resting-place  of  de- 
parted chieftains." 

1875.  '  Spectator '  (Melbourne),  May 
29,  p.  40,  col.  2  : 

"I  ...  found  the  telegraph  office 
itself  tabooed." 

1893.  R.  L.  Stevenson,  '  Island  Nights' 
Entertainments,'  p.  39  : 

"  By  Monday  night  I  got  it  clearly 
in  my  head  I  must  be  tabooed." 

Tara,  n.  (i)  Maori  name  for  the 


TAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


459 


birds  Sterna  caspia,  Pallas,  and  S. 
frontalis,  Gray,  the  Sea-Swallow, 
or  Tern  (q.v.). 

(2)  A  Tasmanian  aboriginal 
name  for  the  fern  Pteris  aquilina, 
L.,  N.O.  Polypodea. 

1834.  Ross,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land 
Annual,'  p.  129  : 

"  The  most  extensively  diffused  eat- 
able roots  of  Van  Diemen's  Land  are 
those  of  the  tara  fern  .  .  .  greatly  re- 
sembles Pteris  aquilina,  the  common 
fern,  brake,  breckon,  or  brackin,  of 
England  ...  it  is  known  among  the 
aborigines  by  the  name  of  tara  .  .  . 
the  root  of  the  tara  fern  possesses 
much  nutritive  matter." 

Taraire,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
New  Zealand  tree  ;  formerly  Neso- 
daphne  tarairi,  Hook.,  now  Beil- 
schmiedia  tarairi,  Benth.  and  Hook., 
N.O.  Laurinece. 

1873.  '  Catalogue  of  Vienna  Exhibition ': 

"Tarairi.  Used  for  most  of  the 
purposes  for  which  sycamore  is  applied 
in  Europe." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  '  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  129  : 

"  Tarairi.  A  lofty  forest  tree,  sixty 
to  eighty  feet  high,  with  stout  branches. 
Wood  white,  splits  freely,  but  not 
much  valued." 

Tarakihi,  n.  the  Maori  name  for 
the  fish  Chilodactylus  macropterus, 
Richards.;  called  in  Sydney  the 

Morwong  (q.v.). 

Tarata,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
New  Zealand  tree  Pittosporum 
eugenioides,  A.  Cunn.,  N.O.  Pit- 
tosporea  ;  called  also  Mapau, 
Maple,  etc.  See  Mapau. 

1876.  W.  N.  Blair,  'Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  ix.,  art.  x. 
p.  143  : 

"A  small  tree  seldom  exceeding 
thirty  feet  in  height,  and  twelve  inches 
in  diameter.  It  has  pale  green  shining 
leaves  and  purple  flowers.  The  wood 
of  a  dirty  white  colour,  is  tough  and 
fibrous." 

1879.  J.  B.  Armstrong,  'Transactions 
of  New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xii.  art. 
xlix.  p.  329  : 


"  The  tarata  or  Lemon- wood,  a  most 
beautiful  tree,  also  used  for  hedges." 

1889.  E.  H.  and  S.  Featon,  'New 
Zealand  Flora,'  p.  35  : 

"  The  Tarata.  This  elegant  tree  is 
found  on  the  east  coast  of  both  islands. 
It  attains  a  height  of  from  twenty 
to  thirty  feet,  and  has  a  stem  from 
twelve  to  eighteen  inches  in  diameter. 
It  is  known  to  the  settlers  in  some 
parts  as  'Lemon-wood.'  When  dis- 
playing its  profuse  masses  of  pale 
golden  flowers,  it  is  very  pretty." 

Tare,  Native,  n.  name  applied 
in  Tasmania  to  the  plant  Swain- 
sonia  lesserticefolia,  De  C.,  N.O. 
Leguminoscz. 

Taro,  n.  a  familiar  food  plant, 
Colocasia  species,  widely  culti- 
vated in  tropical  regions,  especi- 
ally in  Polynesia.  The  word  is 
Polynesian,  and  much  used  by 
the  Maoris. 

1846.  J.  Lindley,  '  Vegetable  Kingdom,' 
p.  128  [Stanford] : 

"Whole  fields  of  Colocasia  macro- 
rhyza  are  cultivated  in  the  South  Sea 
Islands  under  the  name  tara  or  kopeh 
roots." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  374 : 
"  Many  a  bed, 

That  late  in  such  luxurious  neatness 
spread, 

Of  melons,  maize  and  taro — now  a 
wreck." 

1878.  Lady  Brassey,  'Voyage  in  the 
Sunbeam,'  p.  263  : 

"A  good-looking  man  was  busy 
broiling  beef-steaks,  stewing  chickens 
and  boiling  taro,  and  we  had  soon  a 
plentiful  repast  set  before  us." 

Tarsipes,  n.  the  scientific 
generic  name  of  the  Tait  (q.v.). 

Tarwhine,  n.  an  Australian  fish, 
Chrysophrys  sarba,  Forsk.  See 
Black-Bream.  It  is  somewhat 
difficult  to  distinguish  the  fish 
from  its  close  relation  the  Black- 
Bream,  Chrysophrys  aus trails, 
Giinth.  Both  are  excellent  food, 
and  frequently  abundant  in 
brackish  waters. 


460 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TAR-TAS 


Tar-wood,  n.  name  given  by  the 
Otagobushmen  to  the  treeDarry- 
dium  colensoi,  Hook.;  Maori  name, 
Manoao  (q.v.).  (Kirk,  '  Forest 
Flora,'  p.  189.) 

Tasmania,  n.  island  and  colony, 
formerly  called  Van  Diemen's 
Land.  The  new  name,  from  that 
of  the  Dutch  navigator,  Abel 
Jansen  Tasman,  was  officially 
adopted  in  1853,  when  the  system 
of  transportation  ceased.  The 
first  quotations  show  it  was  in 
popular  use  much  earlier. 

1820.  Lieut.  Charles  Jeffreys,  '  Delinea- 
tion of  the  Island  of  Van  Dieman's  Land/ 
p.  I  : 

"  Van  Dieman's  Land,  or  Tasmania, 
is  an  island  of  considerable  extent." 

1823.  '  Godwin's  Emigrant's  Guide  to 
Van  Diemen's  Land,  more  properly  called 
Tasmania ' : 

[Title.] 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  'Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  8 : 

"  Over  Van  Diemen's  Land  (or 
Tasmania,  as  we  love  to  call  it  here), 
New  South  Wales  enjoys  also  many 
advantages." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes' 
(edition  1855)^.491: 

"  Tasmania  is  a  more  musical  alias 
adopted  by  the  island.  It  has  been 
given  in  titular  distinction  to  the  first 
bishop,  my  excellent  and  accomplished 
friend  Dr.  Nixon,  and  will  doubtless  be 
its  exclusive  designation  when  it  shall 
have  become  a  free  nation." 

1892.  A.  and  G.  Sutherland,  'History 
of  Australia,'  p.  41  : 

"  The  wild  country  around  the 
central  lakes  of  Tasmania." 

Tasmanian,  adj.  belonging  or 
native  to  Tasmania. 

1825.  A.  Bent,  '  The  Tasmanian  Alma- 
nack for  the  Year  of  our  Lord  1825': 

[Title.] 

Tasmanian,  n.  an  inhabitant 
of  Tasmania,  a  colonist.  The 
word  is  also  used  of  the  abori- 
gines, the  race  of  whom  is  now 
extinct. 

Tasmanian  Devil,  n.  the  only 


species  of  the  genus  Sarcophilus 
(q.v.),  S.  ur sinus. 

1894.  R.  Lydekker,  '  Marsupialia,'  p. 
156: 

"Like  many  of  its  kindred,  the 
Tasmanian  Devil  is  a  burrowing  and 
nocturnal  animal.  In  size  it  may  be 
compared  to  a  Badger,  and  owing  to 
its  short  limbs,  plantigrade  feet,  and 
short  muzzle,  its  gait  and  general 
appearance  are  very  Badger  or  Bear- 
like." 

Tasmanian  Tiger,  n.  called  also 
Native  Wolf,  Marsupial  Wolf, 
Zebra  Wolf,  and  Hycena  ;  genus, 
Thylacinus((\.v.}.  It  is  the  largest 
carnivorous  marsupial  extant,  and 
is  so  much  like  a  wolf  in  appear- 
ance that  it  well  deserves  its  ver- 
nacular name  of  Wolf,  though 
now-a-days  it  is  generally  called 
Tiger.  There  is  only  one  species, 
Thylacinus  cynocephalus,  and  the 
settlers  have  nearly  exterminated 
it,  on  account  of  its  fierce  pre- 
datory habits  and  the  damage  it 
inflicts  on  their  flocks.  The  Tas- 
manian Government  pays  £i  for 
every  one  destroyed.  The  Van 
Diemen's  Land  Company  in  the 
North- West  of  the  Island  employs 
a  man  on  one  of  its  runs  who  is 
called  the  "  tiger-catcher." 

1813.  'History  of  New  South  Wales' 
(1818),  p.  430: 

"About  Port  Dalrymple  an  animal 
was  discovered  which  bore  some  re- 
semblance to  the  hyena  both  in  shape 
and  fierceness  ;  with  a  wide  mouth, 
strong  limbs,  sharp  claws  and  a  striped 
skin.  Agreeably  to  the  general  nature 
of  New  South  Wales  quadrupeds,  this 
animal  has  a  false  belly.  It  may  be 
considered  as  the  most  formidable  of 
any  which  New  South  Wales  has  been 
yet  found  to  produce,  and  is  very  de- 
structive ;  though  there  is  no  instance 
of  its  attacking  the  human  species." 

1832.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  85: 

"  During  our  stay  a  native  tiger  or 
hyena  bounded  from  its  lair  beneath 
the  rocks." 


TAS-TAT] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


461 


1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  65  : 

"  There  is  another  charming  fellow, 
which  all  the  people  here  call  the 
Tiger,  but  as  a  tiger  is  like  a  great  cat, 
and  this  beast  is  much  more  like  a 
dog,  you  will  see  how  foolish  this  name 
is.  I  believe  naturalists  call  it  the 
dog-faced  opossum,  and  that  is  not 
much  better  .  .  .  the  body  is  not  a  bit 
like  that  of  an  opossum." 

1892.  A.  Sutherland,  '  Elementary  Geo- 
graphy of  British  Colonies,'  p.  273  : 

"  The  'Tasmanian  tiger'  is  of  the  size 
of  a  shepherd's  dog,  a  gaunt  yellow 
creature,  with  black  stripes  round  the 
upper  part  of  its  body,  and  with  an 
ugly  snout.  Found  nowhere  but  in 
Tasmania,  and  never  numerous  even 
there,  it  is  now  slowly  disappearing." 

Tasmanian  Whiptail,  n.  a  Tas- 
manian fish,  Coryph&noides  tas- 
maniaz,  family  Macruridce,  or 
deep-sea  Gadoids,  an  altogether 
different  fish  from  Myliobatis  aqui- 
la,  the  Eagle  or  Whiptail  Ray, 
which  also  occurs  in  Tasmania, 
but  is  found  all  over  the  world. 

Tasmanite,  n.  a  mineral.  "A 
resinous,  reddish-brown,  trans- 
lucent, hydrocarbon  derivative 
(C4oH62O2S),  found  in  certain 
laminated  shales  of  Tasmania, 
Resiniferous  shale"  ('Standard.') 

Tassel-fish,  n.  a  thread-fish  of 
Queensland,  of  the  genus  Poly- 
mmus,  family  Polynemidcz.  Poly- 
nemoid  fish  have  free  filaments 
at  the  humeral  arch  below  the 
pectoral  fins,  which  Giinther  says 
are  organs  of  touch,  and  to  be 
regarded  as  detached  portions  of 
the  fin  ;  in  some  the  filaments  or 
threads  are  twice  as  long  as  the 
fish. 

Tassy,  n.  a  pet  name  for  Tas- 
mania. 

1894.  '  The  Argus,'  Jan.  26,  p.  3,  col.  5  : 

"  To-day  Tassy — as  most  Victorian 
cricketers  and  footballers  familiarly 
term  our  neighbour  over  the  straits — 
will  send  a  team  into  the  field." 


Tattoo,  v.  and  n.  to  mark 
the  human  body  with  indelible 
pigments.  The  word  is  Polyne- 
sian; its  first  occurrence  in  English 
is  in  Cook's  account  of  Tahiti. 
The  Tahitian  word  is  Tatau, 
which  means  tattoo  marks  on 
the  human  skin,  from  Ta,  which 
means  a  mark  or  design.  (Littre.) 
The  Maori  verb,  /#,  means  to  cut, 
to  tattoo,  to  strike.  See  Moko. 

1773.  '  Hawkesworth's  Voyages '  (Cook's 
First  Voyage;  at  Tahiti,  1769),  vol.  ii.  p. 
191  : 

"  They  have  a  custom  of  staining 
their  bodies  .  .  .  which  they  call  Tattoiv- 
ing.  They  prick  the  skin,  so  as  just 
not  to  fetch  blood,  with  a  small  instru- 
ment, something  in  the  form  of  a  hoe. 
.  .  .  The  edge  is  cut  into  sharp  teeth 
or  points  .  .  .  they  dip  the  teeth  into  a 
mixture  of  a  kind  of  lamp-black  .  .  . 
The  teeth,  thus  prepared,  are  placed 
upon  the  skin,  and  the  handle  to  which 
they  are  fastened  being  struck  by  quick 
smart  blows,  they  pierce  it,  and  at  the 
same  time  carry  into  the  puncture  the 
black  composition,  which  leaves  an 
indelible  stain." 

1777.  Horace  Walpole,  'Letters,'  vol. 
vi.  p.  448  : 

"  Since  we  will  give  ourselves  such 
torrid  airs,  I  wonder  we  don't  go  stark 
and  tattoo  ourselves." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  109  : 

"  A  very  famous  artist  in  tatu  came 
with  the  party,  and  was  kept  in 
constant  and  profitable  employment. 
Everybody,  from  the  renowned  warrior 
to  the  girl  of  twelve  years  old,  crowded 
to  be  ornamented  by  the  skilful  chisel. 
.  .  .  The  instruments  used  were  not 
of  bone,  as  they  used  formerly  to  be  ; 
but  a  graduated  set  of  iron  tools,  fitted 
with  handles  like  adzes,  supplied  their 
place.  .  .  .  The  staining  liquid  is 
made  of  charcoal." 

1847.  A.  Tennyson,  *  Princess,'  canto 
ii.  1.  105  : 

"...  Then  the  monster,  then  the 

man  ; 
Tattoo'd  or  woaded,    winter-clad 

in  skins, 

Raw  from  the  prime,  and  crushing 
down  his  mate." 


462 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[TAW-TEA 


1859.  A.  S.  Thomson,  '  Story  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  c.  iv.  p.  74  : 

"  First  among  the  New  Zealand  list 
of  disfigurations  is  tattooing,  a  Poly- 
nesian word  signifying  a  repetition  of 
taps,  but  which  term  is  unknown  in 
the  language  of  the  New  Zealanders  ; 
moko  being  the  general  term  for  the 
tattooing  on  the  face,  and  whakairo 
for  that  on  the  body."  [But  see  Moko.} 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  17  : 

"  Lips  no  stain  of  tattoo  had  turned 
azure." 

Ibid.  p.  104  : 

"A  stick  knobbed  with  a  carved 
and  tattoo'd  wooden  head." 

1873.  J.  B.  Stephens, <  Black  Gin,'  p.  3  : 
"  Thy  rugged  skin  is  hideous  with 

tattooing." 

Tawa,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
New  Zealand  tree,  Nesodaphne 
tawa,  Hook.,  N.O.  Laurinece. 
The  newer  name  is  Beilschmiedia 
tawa,  Benth.  and  Hook.  f.  Allied 
to  Taraire  (q.v.).  A  handsome 
forest  tree  with  damson-like  fruit. 

1883.  J.  Hector,  *  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  129 : 

"  Tawa.  A  lofty  forest  tree,  sixty 
to  seventy  feet  high,  with  slender 
branches.  The  wood  is  light  and 
soft,  and  is  much  used  for  making 
butter-kegs." 

Tawara,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
flower  of  the  Kie-kie  (q.v.),  Frey- 
cinetia  Banksii. 

Tawhai,  or  Tawai,  n.  Maori 
name  for  several  species  of  New 
Zealand  Beech-trees,  N.O.  Cupu- 
lifera.  The  settlers  dall  them 
Birches  (q.v.). 

1873*  'Catalogue  of  Vienna  Exhibi- 
tion '  : 

"  Tawhai.  Large  and  durable  tim- 
ber, used  for  sleepers." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  '  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  125  : 

"  Tawhai,  Red-birch  (from  colour  of 
bark).  A  handsome  tree,  eighty  to 
one  hundred  feet  high.  Fagus  Men- 
ziesii,  Hook,  [also  called  large-leaved 
birch].  Tawhai,  Tawhairaunui,  Black- 
birch  of  Auckland  and  Otago  (from 
colour  of  bark),  Fagus  fusca,  Hook." 


Tawhiri,  or  Tawiri,  n.   Maori 
name  for  the  BlackMapau.   A  name 
applied   to   the    tree    Pittosporum 
tenuifolium,  N.O.  Pittosporecz.     It 
is   profusely  covered  with   a  fra- 
grant white  blossom.   See  Mapau. 
1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  108  : 
"  Its  floor  .  .  .  with   faint   tawhiri- 
leaves  besprent." 

1884.  T.  Bracken,  'Lays  of  Maori,' 
p.  21 : 

"The   early  breeze  that  .  .  .  stole 
The    rich    Tawhiri's    sweet    per- 
fume." 

Tea,  «.— 

Billy-tea,  or  Bush-tea.  Tea 
made  in  a  billy  (q.v.).  There  is 
a  belief  that  in  order  to  bring  out 
the  full  flavour  it  should  be  stirred 
with  a  gum-stick. 

New  Zealand  tea.  Tea  made  of 
the  leaves  of  Manuka  (q.v.).  See 
Tea-tree. 

Sweet-tea,  or  Botany-Bay  tea,  or 
Australian  tea.  (Called  also  Native 
Sarsaparilla.  See  Sarsaparilla.) 
A  plant,  Smilax glycyphylla,  Smith., 
N.O.  Liliacece. 

1788.  D.  Considen,  letter  to  Sir  Joseph 
Banks,  Nov.  18,  in  '  Historical  Records  of 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  part  ii.  p.  220 : 

"  I  have  sent  you  some  of  the  sweet 
tea  of  this  country,  which  I  recommend, 
and  is  generally  used  by  the  marines 
and  convicts.  As  such  it  is  a  good 
anti-scorbutic,  as  well  as  a  substitute 
for  that  which  is  more  costly." 

1790.  J.  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  195  : 

"  The  sweet-tea,  a  creeping  kind  of 
vine  .  .  .  the  taste  is  sweet,  exactly 
like  the  liquorice-root  of  the  shops. 
Of  this  the  convicts  and  soldiers  make  . 
an  infusion  which  is  tolerably  pleasant, 
and  serves  as  no  bad  succedaneum  for 
tea." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  203 : 

"'Sweet  tea'  ...  The  decoction 
made  from  its  leaves  ...  is  similar 
in  properties,  but  more  pleasant  in 
taste,  than  that  obtained  from  the  roots 
of  S.  officinalis,  or  Jamaica  sarsapariila.. 


TEA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


463 


The  herb  is  a  common  article  of  trade 
among  Sydney  herbalists." 

Tea-broom,  n.  a  New  Zealand 
name  for  the  Tea-tree  (q.v.). 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  [Notes]  p. 
505: 

"Manuka.  .  .  .  The  settlers  often 
call  it  '  tea-broom.' " 

Teak,  n.  The  original  Teak  is 
an  East  Indian  timber-tree,  Tec- 
tina  grandis,  but  the  name  has 
been  transferred  to  other  trees 
in  different  parts  of  the  world, 
from  a  similarity  in  the  hardness 
of  their  wood.  In  Australia,  it 
is  given  to  Dissiliaria  baloghioides, 
F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Euphorbiacecz  ;  to 
Endiandra  glauca,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 
Leguminoscz ;  and  to  Flindersia 
Bennettiana,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Meli- 
acea.  In  New  Zealand,  it  is  Vitex 
littoralis ;  Maori  name,  Puriri 
(q.V.). 

Teal,  n.  the  common  English 
name  given  to  the  small  ducks 
of  the  genus  Querquedula.  In 
Australia,  the  name  is  applied 
to  Anas  castanea,  Eyton  ;  and  to 
the  Grey  Teal,  A.  gibberifrons, 
Mull.  See  also  Goose-teal. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Ex- 
pedition,' p.  291  : 

"  Brown  returned  with  .  .  .  four 
teals  (Querquedula  castanea)."  [The 
old  name.] 

Tea-tree,  n.  (Very  frequently, 
but  erroneously,  spelt  Ti-tree,  and 
occasionally,  more  ridiculously 
still,  Ti-tri,  q.v.)  A  name  given 
in  Australia,  New  Zealand,  and 
Tasmania  to  several  species  of 
trees  and  shrubs  whose  leaves 
were  used  by  Captain  Cook's 
sailors,  by  escaped  convicts,  and 
by  the  early  settlers  as  a  ready 
substitute  for  the  leaves  of  the 
Chinese  Tea-plant  (Thea  chinensis) 
for  making  tea.  The  trees  of  the 
genera  Leptospermum  and  Melaleuca 
were  the  earliest  used,  in  Australia 


and  New  Zealand,  in  this  way. 
When  in  blossom,  the  branches 
of  many  species,  with  their  little 
white  flowers,  and  the  general 
appearance  of  their  leaves,  bear 
a  strong  resemblance  to  those  of 
the  true  Tea-plant.  Their  leaves, 
though  exceedingly  aromatic, 
have  not,  however,  the  same 
flavour.  Nevertheless,  it  was 
probably  this  superficial  likeness 
which  first  suggested  the  experi- 
ment of  making  an  infusion  from 
them.  Some  of  the  species  of 
Leptospermum  and  Melaleuca  are  so 
closely  allied,  that  their  names  are 
by  some  botanists  interchanged 
and  used  as  synonyms  for  the 
same  plant. 

Although  not  all  of  the  species 
of  these  two  genera  were  used  for 
making  tea,  yet,  as  a  tree-name,  the 
word  Tea-tree  is  indifferently  and 
loosely  used  to  denote  nearly  all  of 
them,  especially  in  the  form  Tea- 
tree  scrub,  where  they  grow,  as  is 
their  habit,  in  swamps,  flat-land, 
and  coastal  districts.  Other  trees 
or  plants  to  which  the  name  of 
Tea-tree  was  occasionally  given, 
are  species  of  the  genera  Kunzea 
and  Callistemon. 

The  spelling  Ti-tree  is  not  only 
erroneous  as  to  the  origin  of  the 
name,  but  exceedingly  misleading, 
as  it  confuses  the  Australian  Tea- 
tree  with  another  Ti  (q.v.)  in 
Polynesia  (Cordyline  n).  This 
latter  genus  is  represented,  in 
Australia  and  New  Zealand,  by 
the  two  species  Cordyline  australis 
and  C.  indivisa,  the  Cabbage-trees 
(q.v.),  or  Cabbage-palms  (q.v.),  or 
Ti-palms  (q.v.),  or  Ti  (q.v.),  which 
are  a  marked  feature  of  the  New 
Zealand  landscape,  and  are  of  the- 
lily  family  (N.O.  Liliacece),  while 
the  genera  Leptospermum  and  Mela- 
leuca are  of  the  myrtle  family 
(N.O.  Myrtacea}. 


464 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TEA 


As  to  the  species  of  the  Aus- 
tralian Tea-tree,  that  first  used  by 
Cook's  sailors  was  either — 

Leptospermum  scoparium,  R.  and 

G.  Forst, 
or 

L.  lanigerum,  Smith. 

The  species  most  used  for  in- 
fusions was — 

L.flavescens,  Smith  (syn.  L.thea, 
Willd.,  and  Melaleuca  thea, 
Willd.). 

The  Coast  Tea-tree,  common  on 
•the  Victorian  shores,  and  so  use- 
ful as  a  sand-binder,  is — 

L.  lavigatum,  F.  v.  M. 

The  Common  Australian  Tea-tree 
(according  to  Maiden)  is  Mela- 
leuca leucodendron,  Linn.;  called 
also  White  Tea-tree,  Broad-leaved 
T.-t.,  Swamp  T.-t.,  and  Paper-bark 
T.-t. 

The  name,  however,  as  noted 
above,  is  used  for  all  species  of 
Melaleuca,  the  Swamp  Tea-tree 
being  M.  ericifolia,  Smith,  and  the 
JSlack,  or  Prickly-leaved  Tea-tree, 
M.  styphelioides,  Smith. 

Of  the  other  genera  to  which 
the  name  is  sometimes  applied, 
Kunzea  pedunculata,  F.  v.  M.,  is 
called  Mountain  Tea-tree,  and  Cal- 
listemon  salignus,  DeC.,  is  called — 

Broad-leaved,  or  River  Tea-tree. 

In  New  Zealand,  the  Maori  name 
Manuka  (q.v.)  is  more  generally 
used  than  Tea-tree,  and  the  tree 
denoted  by  it  is  the  original  one 
used  by  Cook's  sailors. 

Concerning  other  plants,  used 
in  the  early  days  for  making 
special  kinds  of  infusions  and 
drinking  them  as  tea,  see  under 
Tea,  and  Cape- Barren  Tea. 

I777-  Cook's  'Voyage  towards  the 
South  Pole  and  Round  the  World  '  [2nd 
Voyage],  vol.  i.  p.  99  : 

"  The  beer  certainly  contributed  not 


a  little.  As  I  have  already  observed, 
we  at  first  made  it  of  a  decoction  of 
the  spruce  leaves  ;  but  finding  that 
this  alone  made  the  beer  too  astrin- 
gent, we  afterwards  mixed  with  it  an 
equal  quantity  of  the  tea  plant  (a  name 
it  obtained  in  my  former  voyage  from 
our  using  it  as  tea  then,  as  we  also 
did  now),  which  partly  destroyed  the 
astringency  of  the  other,  and  made 
the  beer  exceedingly  palatable,  and 
esteemed  by  every  one  on  board." 

[On  page  100,  Cook  gives  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  tea-plant,  and  also  figures 
it.  He  was  then  at  Dusky  Bay,  New 
Zealand.] 

I790-  J-  White,  '  Voyage  to  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  229  : 

"Tea  Tree  of  New  South  Wales, 
Melaleuca  (?)  Trinervia.  This  is  a 
small  shrub,  very  much  branched. 
...  It  most  nearly  approaches  the 
Leptospermum  virgatum  of  Forster, 
referred  by  the  younger  Linnaeus, 
perhaps  improperly,  to  Melaleuca.n 

1820.  C.Jeffreys,  R.N.,  'Geographical 
and  Descriptive  Delineations  of  the  Island 
of  Van  Dieman's  Land,'  p.  133  : 

"Of  course  they  [the  Bush  Rangers] 
are  subject  to  numerous  privations, 
particularly  in  the  articles  of  tea, 
sugar,  tobacco,  and  bread  ;  for  this 
latter  article,  however,  they  substitute 
the  wild  yam,  and  for  tea  they  drink  a 
decoction  of  the  sassafras  and  other 
shrubs,  particularly  one  which  they 
call  the  tea-tree  bush.5' 

1820.  W.  C.  Wentworth,  '  Description 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  175  : 

"  On  Monday  the  bushrangers  were 
at  a  house  at  Tea-tree  Brush." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  200  : 

"  The  leaves  of  the  tea-tree  furnished 
the  colonists  with  a  substitute  for  the 
genuine  plant  in  the  early  period  of 
the  colony,  and  from  their  containing 
a  saccharine  matter  required  no  sugar." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  78 : 

"This  boy  got  some  bark  from  a 
tree  called  the  tea-tree,  which  makes 
excellent  torches." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
c.  ii.  p.  25  : 

"The  tea-tree  grows  in  wet  situa- 
tions .  .  the  leaves  infused  make  a 


TEA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


465 


pleasant  beverage,  and  with  a  little 
sugar  form  a  most  excellent  substitute 
for  tea." 

1834.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
P.  134: 

"  Leptospermum  lanigerum,  Hoary 
tea-tree;  Acacia  decurrens,  Black 
wattle  ;  Conaa  alba,  Cape-Barren  tea. 
The  leaves  of  these  have  been  used 
as  substitutes  for  tea  in  the  colony, 
as  have  also  the  leaves  and  bark  of 
Cryptocaryaglaucescens,  the  Australian 
Sajafras  "  (sic)  [q.v.]. 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  '  Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  39 : 

"The  Australian  myrtles,  or  tea- 
trees,  are  to  be  found  in  thick  clusters, 
shading  rocky  springs.  ...  Its  leaves 
I  have  seen  made  into  a  beverage 
called  tea.  It,  however,  was  loath- 
some, and  had  not  the  slightest  re- 
semblance to  any  known  Chinese  tea." 

1845.  R.  Howitt,  '  Australia,'  p.  85  : 
"Often  we  had  to  take  the  boat 

down  the  river  several  miles,  to  cut 
reeds  amongst  the  tea-tree  marshes,  to 
thatch  our  houses  with." 

1846.  G.   H.  Haydon,    '  Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  33  : 

"A  great  quantity  of  the  tea-tree 
(Leptospermuiri)  scrubs,  which  formerly 
lined  both  banks  of  the  Yarra."  (p.  84) : 
"  It  is  allied  to  the  myrtle  family  (Mela- 
leuca}  ...  A  decoction  of  the  leaves  is 
a  fair  substitute  for  tea,  yielding  a 
beverage  of  a  very  aromatic  flavour." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  210 : 

"Dense  with  tea-trees  and  wattles 
shrouding  the  courses  of  the  stream." 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  126  : 
"  Half-hidden  in  a  tea-tree  scrub, 
A  flock  of  dusky  sheep  were  spread." 

1870.  A.    L.    Gordon,   'Bush   Ballads,' 
p.  14: 

"Through     the    tea-tree     scrub    we 
dashed." 

1871.  C.  L.  Money,  '  Knocking  About 
in  New  Zealand,'  p.  70  : 

"  Chiefly  covered  with  fern  and  tea- 
tree  (manuka)  scrub." 

1871.   T.  Bracken,  'Behind  the  Tomb,' 
p.  60  : 
"  Sobbing  through  the  tea-tree  bushes, 

Low  and  tender,  loud  and  wild, 

Melancholy  music  gushes." 


1875.  T.  Laslett,   '  Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  206  : 

Table  of  Tasmania^  woods  found  in 
low  marshy  ground. 

Dia.  Used. 
6  in.  Useless. 
9  ,,  )  Turners'  and 

smaU  \ 


Hgt. 
12  ft. 


Swamp  Tea-tree 
Tea-tree  30 

Mu*  Tea-tree          ,. 


1877.  Baron  von  Mueller,  'Botanic 
Teachings,'  p.  18  : 

"We  have  among  them  [the  Myr- 
taceae]  .  .  .  the  native  tea-trees,  inap- 
propriately so  called,  as  these  bushes 
and  trees  never  yield  substitutes  for  tea, 
although  a  New  Zealand  species  was 
used  in  Captain  Cook's  early  expedi- 
tion, to  prepare  a  medicinal  infusion 
against  scurvy;  these  so-called  tea- 
trees  comprise  within  our  colony  [Vic- 
toria], species  of  Leptospermum,  Kun- 
zea,  Melaleuca  and  Callistemon,  the 
last-mentioned  genus  producing  flowers 
with  long  stamens,  on  which  the  appel- 
lation of  '  Bottle-brushes  '  has  been 
bestowed." 

1880.  W.  Senior,  <  Travel  and  Trout,' 
p.  78: 

"Numerous  flowering  shrubs,  such 
as  the  tea-tree,  native  lilac,  and  many 
another  that  varies  the  colour  and 
softly  scents  the  atmosphere." 

1880.  Mrs.      Meredith,      'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  221  : 

"Thickets  of  tea-tree,  white  with 
lovely  hawthorn-like  flowers." 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,    'Bush    Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  19  : 

"  Along  the  water's  edge,  noble  ti- 
trees,  whose  drooping  branches  swept 
the  stream,  formed  a  fringe,  the  dark 
green  of  their  thick  foliage  being  re- 
lieved." 

1883.  C.  Harpur,  '  Poems,'  p.  78  : 

"  Why  roar  the  bull-frogs  in  the  tea- 
tree  marsh  ?  " 

1884.  R.    L.  A.    Davies,    '  Poems  and 
Literary  Remains,'  p.  84  : 

"  Shading  a  brook  the  tea-trees  grew, 
Spangled  with  blossoms  of  whitish 

hue, 
Which  fell  from  the  boughs  to  the 

ground  below, 
As  fall  from  heaven  the  flakes  of 


snow. 


H    H 


466 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TEE-TEN 


1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Australian  Life,' 
p.  112: 

"  The  bottle-brush  flowers  of  the  ti- 
trees." 

1888.  Baron  Ferdinand  von  Mueller, 
'  Select  Extra-Tropical  Plants,'  p.  221  : 

"  The  somewhat  aromatic  leaves  of 
Liscoparium  (Forster)  were  already  in 
Captain  Cook's  Expedition  used  for  an 
antiscorbutic  Tea,  hence  the  name  tea- 
tree  for  this  and  some  allied  plants." 

1888.  D.    Macdonald,    'Gum   Boughs,' 
p.  76: 

"  The  intrusive  ti-tree The  dark 

line  of  ti-tree  in  the  foreground  .  .  ." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  pp.  235,  236  : 

"  Leptospermum  scoparium^  Forster, 
the  Manuka.  ...  It  is  commonly 
termed  'tea-tree'  by  the  settlers,  but 
must  not  be  confounded  with  the  '  ti ' 
or  'toi'  of  the  Maories,  which  is  a 
handsome  palm-lily,  Cordyline  aus- 
ti-alis,  often  termed  '  cabbage-tree '  by 
the  bushmen." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,' p.  38: 

"  Leptospermum  scoparium,  Tea 
Tree.  It  is  said  that  this  is  the  shrub 
the  leaves  of  which  were  utilized  by  the 
crews  of  Captain  Cook's  ships  for  the 
purpose  of  making  '  tea,'  and  that  they 
were  also  used  with  spruce  leaves  in 
equal  quantity  for  the  purpose  of  cor- 
recting the  astringency  in  brewing  a 
beer  from  the  latter.  It  is  exceedingly 
common  about  Sydney,  so  large 
quantities  would  therefore  be  avail- 
able to  the  sailors.  Species  of  this 
genus  are  exceedingly  abundant  not 
far  from  the  coast,  and  the  leaves 
would  be  very  readily  available,  but 
the  taste  of  the  infusion  made  from 
them  is  too  aromatic  for  the  European 
palate." 

[In  Maiden's  admirable  book  slips 
are  very  rare.  But  he  is  mistaken 
here  in  the  matter  of  the  abundance 
of  the  tree  at  Sydney  having  any  refer- 
ence to  the  question.  Captain  Cook 
had  but  one  ship,  the  Endeavour;  and 
it  never  entered  Port  Jackson.  It  is 
true  that  L.  scoparium  was  the  tree 
used  by  Cook,  but  he  was  then  at 
Dusky  Bay,  New  Zealand,  and  it  was 
there  that  he  used  it.  See  quotations 
1777  and  1877.] 


1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Canni- 
bals,' p.  24  : 

"  The  well-known  Melaleuca  Leuca- 
dendron,  called  by  the  colonists  tea- 
tree,  from  which  is  extracted  what  is 
known  in  medicine  as  cajeput  oil." 

1893.   '  The  Australasian,'  Jan  14: 

"The  ti-tree  on  either  side  of  the 
road  was  in  bloom,  its  soft,  fluffy, 
creamy  bushes  gathering  in  great 
luxuriance  on  the  tops  of  the  taller 
trees,  almost  hiding  the  green." 

1893.  '  The  Argus,'  April    29,   p.  ,  4, 
col.  4  : 

"There  was  many  a  shorthorned 
Hereford  hidden  in  the  innermost  re- 
cesses of  that  tick  and  sand-fly  in- 
fested ti-tree  that  knew  not  the  cun- 
ning of  a  stockman's  hand." 

1894.  '  Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue — 
Economic  Woods ' : 

"No.  133,  Coast  tea-tree,  Leptos- 
permum Icevigatum,  F.  v.  M.  No.  142, 
Swamp  tea-tree,  Melaleuca  ericifolia, 
Smith." 

Teetee.     Same  as  Ti-Ti  (q.v.). 

Telopea,  n.  scientific  name  of 
the  genus  containing  the  flower 
called  the  Waratah  (q.v.),  from 
the  Greek  T^AWTTOS,  'seen  from 
afar,'  in  allusion  (as  the  author 
of  the  name,  Robert  Brown,  him- 
self says)  to  the  conspicuous 
crimson  flowers.  The  name  has 
been  corrupted  popularly  into 
Tulip)  and  the  flower  is  often 
called  the  Native  Tulip. 

1835.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  no : 

"The  beautiful  crimson  flowering 
shrub,  with  dark  green  rhododendron- 
like  leaves,  which  grows  in  the  upper 
region  of  Mount  Wellington.  .  .  .  The 
generic  name  is  derived  from  tclopos, 
seen  at  a  distance.  It  has  been  cor- 
rupted into  tulip  tree,  to  which  it  bears 
not  the  least  resemblance." 

Tena  koe,  a  Maori  salutation 
used  in  North  Island  of  New 
Zealand.  Lit.  "That  is  you," 
and  meaning  "  How  do  you  do  ?  " 

Tena  and  Tera  both  mean  *  that'; 
but  tena  implies  the  idea  of  near- 


TEN-THO] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


467 


ness,  'that  near  you,'  tern  the  idea 
of  distance,  '  that  (or  there)  away 
yonder.'  Hence,  while  Te*na  koe 
is  a  welcome,  Te"ra  koe  would  be 
an  insult. 

Tench,  n.  slang-  term,  used 
during  the  days  of  transportation, 
for  the  Hobart  Town  Penitentiary, 
or  Prisoners'  Barracks — a  corrup- 
tion of  "'tentiary"  which  is  for 
Penitentiary.  It  is  now  obsolete. 

1859.  Caroline  Leakey,  'The  Broad 
Arrow,'  vol.  ii.  p.  32  : 

"  Prisoners'  barracks,  sir — us  calls 
it  Tench.3' 

Teraglin,  n.  a  fish  of  New  South 
Wales,  Otolithus  atelodus,  Giinth. 
The  name  Teraglin  is  stated  to 
be  aboriginal.  Sometimes  called 
Jew-fish  (q.v.). 

Thickhead,  n.  the  name 
applied  to  the  Australian  birds  of 
the  genus  Pachycephala  (q.v.). 
They  are  often  called  Thrushes. 
The  species  are — 

The  Banded  Thickhead— 

Pachycephala  pector alts,  Vig.  and 

Hors. 
Black  T.— 

P.  melanura,  Gould. 
Gilbert's  T.- 

P.  gilbertii,  Gould. 
Grey-tailed  T. — 

P.  glaucura,  Gould  (confined  to 

Tasmania). 
Lunated  T.— 

P.falcata,  Gould. 
Olivaceous  T. — 

P.    olivacea,     Vig.    and    Hors. 

(confined  to  Tasmania). 
Pale-breasted  T.— 

P.  pallida,  Ramsay. 
Plain-coloured  T. — 

P.  simplex,  Gould. 
Red-throated  T.— 

P.  rufigularis,  Gould. 
Rufous-breasted  T. — 

P.  rufiventris.  Lath. 


Shrike-like  T.— 

Pachycephala  lanoides,  Gould. 
Torres-straits  T. — 

P.  fretortiuiy  De  Vis. 
Western  T.— 

P.  occidentalism  Ramsay. 
White-throated  T.— 

P.  gutturalis,  Lath. ;  called  also 
the  Thunder-bird  (q.v.). 

1890.  '  Victorian  Statutes— Game  Act ' 
(Third  Schedule) : 

"  Thick  -  heads.  [Close  season.] 
From  the  first  day  of  August  to  the 
twentieth  day  of  December  next  follow- 
ing in  each  year." 

Thornback,  n.  special  name  for 
one  of  the  Stingrays,  Raia  lem- 
prieri,  Richards.,  or  Raja  rostata, 
Castln.,  family  Raijdce. 

1875.  'Melbourne  Spectator,'  Aug.  28, 
p.  201,  col.  3  : 

"A  thornback  skate  .  .  .  weighing 
109  Ibs.,  has  been  caught ...  at  North 
Arm,  South  Australia." 

Thousand-Jacket,  n.  a  North 
Island  name  for  Ribbon-wood  (q.v. ), 
a  New  Zealand  tree.  Layer  after 
layer  of  the  inner  bark  can  be 
stripped  off. 

1888.  Cassell's '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iii.  p.  210  : 

"  Koninny  [sic],  raupo,  toi-toi, 
supplejack,  thousand-jacket,  and  the 
like,  are  names  of  things  known  well 
enough  to  the  inhabitants  of  Napier 
and  Taranaki,  but  to  the  average  stay- 
at-home  Englishman  they  are  nouns 
which  only  vexatiously  illustrate  the 
difference  between  names  and  things." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  'Flora  of  New  Zealand,' 
p.  87: 

"  Hoheria  populnea.  The  Houhere. 
Order — Malvaceae.  ...  In  the  north 
of  Auckland  the  typical  form  is  known 
as  *  houhere ';  but  Mr.  Colenso  informs 
me  the  varieties  are  termed  '  houi ' 
and  'whau-whi'  in  the  south  .  .  . 
By  the  settlers  all  the  forms  are  termed 

*  ribbon-wood,'  or  less  frequently  '  lace- 
bark' — names   which  are   applied  to 
other  plants  :    they  are  also  termed 

*  thousand-jacket.' " 


468 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[THR  THU 


1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 
407,  col.  5  : 

"Thousand-jacket'  is  a  pictur- 
esque name  for  a  many-named  New 
Zealand  tree,  the  bark  of  which  peels, 
and  peels,  and  peels  again,  though  in 
the  number  chosen  there  is  certainly  a 
note  of  exaggeration." 

Throwing-stick,  n.  native  Aus- 
tralian weapon,  by  means  of  which 
the  spear  is  thrown.  See  Woomera. 

1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  i.  p.  12  : 

"  The  principals  who  perform  it  come 
from  Cammer-ray,  armed  with  shields, 
clubs,  and  throwing-sticks." 

Ibid.  c.  i.  p.  26 : 

"  The  throwing-stick  is  used  in  dis- 
charging the  spear.  The  instrument 
is  from  two  to  three  feet  in  length, 
with  a  shell  on  one  end  and  a  hook  on 
the  other." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  72  : 

"  Natives  .  .  .  seemingly  ignorant 
of  the  use  of  the  throwing-stick." 

1879.  J.  D.  Woods,   'Native  Tribes  of 
South  Australia,'  Introd.  p.  xviii : 

"  The  spear  is  propelled  by  a  wom- 
merah  or  throwing-stick,  having  at  one 
end  a  kangaroo's  tooth,  fixed  so  as  to 
fit  into  a  notch  at  the  end  of  the  spear. 
This  instrument  gives  an  amount  of 
leverage  far  beyond  what  would  be 
excited  by  unaided  muscular  strength." 

1880.  Fison  and    Howitt,    'Kamilaroi 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  251  : 

"  It  is  supposed  that  if  the  hair  of  a 
person  is  tied  on  the  end  of  the  throw- 
ing-stick .  .  .  and  roasted  before  the  fire 
with  some  kangaroo  fat,  the  person  to 
whom  it  belonged  will  pine  away  and 
die." 

1885.  H.  H.  Hayter,  '  Carboona,'  p.  24  : 
"Warrk  Warrk,  having  a  dart  on 
his    throwing-stick     ready    adjusted, 
hurled  it." 

Thrush,  n.  This  common 
English  bird-name  is  applied  in 
Australia  and  New  Zealand  to 
four  different  genera  of  birds, 
viz. — 

(i)  Collyrioctncla,  the  Shrike- 
Thrushes  (q.v.)  ;  the  name  Colly  r- 
iodncla  is  a  compound  of  two 


Greek  bird-names,  KoXXvptcov,  «  a 
bird,  probably  of  the  thrush  kind, 
Arist.  H.  A.  9,  23,  2'  ('L.  &  S.'), 
and  KiyoAos,  '  a  kind  of  wag-tail 
or  water-ousel'  ('L.  &  S.').  The 
next  two  genera  are  derived  in  a 
similar  way  from  777,  earth,  and 
o/oos,  mountain. 

(2)  Georincla,      the      Ground- 
Thrushes  (q.v.). 

(3)  Oreodnda^    the    Mountain- 
Thrush  (q.v.). 

(4)  Pachycephala   (q.v.)  ;    called 
Thrushes,  but  more  often  Thick- 
heads (q.v.). 

(5)  Turnagra  (the  New  Zealand 
Thrushes),  viz. — 

T.  hectori,  Buller,  North  Island 

Thrush. 
T.    crassirostris,    Gmel.,    South 

Island  Thrush. 

The  name  Thrush  was  also 
applied  loosely,  by  the  early 
writers  and  travellers,  to  birds  of 
many  other  genera  which  have 
since  been  more  accurately  differ- 
entiated. The  common  English 
thrush  has  been  acclimatised  in 
Australia,  Tasmania,  and  New 
Zealand. 

Thunder-bird,  n.  an  early  name 
for  one  of  the  Thickheads  (q.v.),  or 
Pachycephala  (q.v.).  See  also 
quotation,  1896. 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Transac- 
tions of  Linnaean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p.  239  : 

" '  This  species,3  Mr.  Caley  says, 
'is  called  Thunder-bird  by  the  colon- 
ists. .  .  .  The  natives  tell  me,  that 
when  it  begins  to  thunder  this  bird  is 
very  noisy.' " 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  ii.  pi.  64  : 

"Pachycephala  Gutturalis,  Thunder 
Bird,  Colonists  of  New  South  Wales." 

1896.  A.  J.  North,  '  List  of  the  Insecti- 
vorous Birds  of  New  South  Wales,'  part  i. 

P-  3: 

"  Pachycephala  gutturalis,  Lathar 
'Yellow-breasted  Thick-head.'  .  . 
From  its  habit  of  starting  to  sing  ii 


THU-TIE] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


469 


mediately  after  a  clap  of  thunder,  the 
report  of  a  gun,  or  any  other  loud  and 
sudden  noise,  it  is  known  to  many 
residents  of  New  South  Wales  as  the 
« Thunder-bird.' 

"  Pachycephala  'rufiventris,  Latham. 
1  Rufous-breasted  Thickhead.'  .  .  .  Also 
known  as  the  '  Thunder-bird.' " 

Thunder-dirt,  n.  In  New  Zea- 
land, a  gelatinous  covering  of  a 
fungus  (Ileodtctyon  cibariuni)  for- 
merly eaten  by  the  Maoris. 

Thylacine,  and  Thylacinus,  n. 
the  scientific  name  of  the  genus 
of  the  animal  called  variously  the 
Tasmanian  Tiger  (q.v.),  Hyczna, 
Tasmanian  Wolf,  Zebra  Wolf,  and 
Marsupial  Wolf.  The  first  spelling 
is  the  Anglicised  form  of  the 
word.  (Grk.  6v\a.Ko<s,  a  pouch, 
and  KVUV,  a  dog.) 

1894.  R.  Lydekker,    '  Marsupialia,'  p. 

153: 

"The  Thylacine  appears  to  be 
generally  found  among  caverns  and 
rocks  and  the  deep  and  almost  im- 
penetrable glens  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  highest  mountains  of  Tasmania." 

Ti,  n.  the  name  of  various 
species  of  trees  of  the  genus 
Cor dy line,  N.O.  Liliacece.  It  exists 
in  the  Pacific  Islands  as  C.  Ti,  and 
in  New  Zealand  the  species  are 
C.  australis  and  C.  indivisa.  It 
is  called  in  New  Zealand  the 
Cabbage-tree  (q.v.),  and  the  heart 
used  to  be  eaten  by  the  settlers. 
The  word  is  Polynesian.  In  Ha- 
waiian, the  form  is  Ki ;  in  Maori, 
Ti.  Compare  Kanaka  (q.v.)  and 
Tangata.  By  confusion,  Tea,  in 
Tea-tree  (q.v.),  is  frequently  spelt 
Ti,  and  Tea-tree  is  sometimes  spelt 
Ti-tri  (q.v.). 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  58  : 

"  In  these  natural  shrubberies,  too, 
and  especially  in  wet  situations,  a  kind 
of  cabbage-tree,  called  ti  by  the  natives, 
flourishes  in  great  abundance." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor, '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
P-  435  : 


"The  ti  (Cordyline  australis  or 
Dracaena  australis)  is  found  in  great 
abundance.  Though  so  common,  it 
has  a  very  foreign  look  .  .  .  the  leaf 
is  that  of  a  flag,  the  flower  forms  a 
large  droop  and  is  very  fragrant." 

1866.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  52  : 

"Ti-ti  palms  are  dotted  here  and 
there,  and  give  a  foreign  and  tropical 
appearance  to  the  whole." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  *  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  297  : 

"  An  abundance  of  narrow  strips  of 
the  tough,  fibrous  leaves  of  the  ti- 
palm." 

1890.  W.  Colenso, '  Transactions  of  New 
Zealand    Institute,'    vol.    xxiii.    art.    Ivii. 
p.  486 : 

"  In  these  plains  stand  a  number  of 
cabbage-trees  (Cordyline  Australis), 
the  ti-trees  of  the  Maori.  These  often 
bear  only  a  single  head  of  long  narrow 
harsh  leaves  at  the  top  of  their  tall 
slender  stems,  but  sometimes  they  are 
slightly  branched,  the  branches  also 
only  bearing  a  similar  tuft." 

1892.  'Otago  Witness,'  Dec.  22,  p.  7, 
col.  2 : 

"  A  small  grove  of  ti-palms  or  cab- 
bage-tree." 

Tiaki  (spelt  also  Tieke),  n. 
Maori  name  for  the  Saddle-back  or 
Jack-bird  (q.v.). 

1835.  w>  Yate,  'Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  56: 

"Tiaki  or  purourou.  This  elegant 
bird  is  about  the  size  of  the  sky-lark." 

Tieke,  n.     Same  as  Tiaki  (q.v.). 

Tiers,//,  n.  used  in  Tasmania 
as  the  usual  word  for  mountains, 
in  the  same  way  as  the  word 
Ranges  (q.v.)  in  Australia. 

1876.  W.  B.  Wildey,  '  Australasia  and 
Oceanic  Region,'  p.  320  : 

"Two  chains  of  mountains,  the 
eastern  and  western  tiers,  run  through 
it  nearly  north  and  south." 

1891.  'The  Australasian,'   April  4,  p. 
670,  col  2 : 

"  That  stuff  as  they  calls  horizontal,  a 

mess  of  branches  and  root, 
The  three  barren  tiers  ;  and  the  Cray- 
croft,  that  'ud  settle  a  bandicoot/' 


470 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TIE-TIT 


Tiersman,  n.  Tasmanian  word 
for  one  who  lives  in  the  Tiers 
(q.v.). 

1852.  F.  Lancelott,  '  Australia  as  it  is,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  115  : 

"Splitters,  or,  as  they  are  com- 
monly called  tiersmen,  reside  in  the 
forest  of  stringy  bark  .  .  ." 

Tiger-Cat,  n.  special  name  ap- 
plied to  the  Common  and  Spotted- 
tailed  Native  Cat.  See  under  Cat. 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
c.  ii.  p.  52  : 

"The  skins  of  the  ...  opossum, 
tiger-cat,  and  platypus  .  .  .  are  ex- 
ported." 

1852.  Ronald  C.  Gunn,  'Papers  and 
Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Van 
Diemen's  Land,'  vol.  ii.  p.  n  : 

"  Dasyurus  maculates*  Shaw.  .  .  . 
The  Spotted  Martin,  Phillip's  'Voy. 
to  Botany  Bay,  p.  276.  Martin  Cat,' 
pi.  46.  '  Tiger  Cat '  of  the  Colonists 
of  Tasmania,  to  which  island  it  is  con- 
fined. It  is  distinguished  from  D. 
viverrinus,  the  'Native  Cat'  of  the 
Colonists,  by  its  superior  size  and  more 
robust  form  ;  also  from  the  tail  being 
spotted  as  well  as  the  body." 

1891.  'Guide  to  the  Zoological 
Gardens,  Melbourne' : 

"  After  the  opossums  comes  a  speci- 
men of  the  tiger-cat  (Dasyurus  macu- 
latus) ;  this  animal,  which  is  so  de- 
structive to  poultry,  is  well  known 
throughout  the  country  in  Victoria." 

Tiger,  Tasmanian.  See  Thy- 
lacine  and  Tasmanian  Tiger. 

Tiger-Snake,  ;/.  See  under 
Snake. 

Tihore,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
species  of  New  Zealand  flax. 
Name  used  specially  in  the  North 
Island  for  the  best  variety  of 
Phormium  (q.v.). 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  286  : 

"The  species  of  Phormium  tenax 
thus  cultivated  is  the  tihore,  literally 
the  'skinning'  flax.  This  name  de- 
scribes the  ease  with  which  it  submits 
to  the  scraping  process." 

Tiki,  n.    Maori   name   for   the 


reator  of  man,  and  thence  taken 
to  represent  an  ancestor.  The 
Maoris  made  large  wooden 
images  to  represent  their  Tiki, 
and  gave  the  name  of  Tiki  to 
these  images.  Later  they  were 
made  in  miniature  in  greenstone 
(q.v.),  and  used  as  neck  orna- 
ments. See  Heitiki. 

Tit,  n.  common  English  bird- 
name.  Applied  in  Australia  to 
the  following  species— 

Broad-tailed  Tit— 

Acanthiza  apicalis^  Gould. 
Brown  T. — 

A.  pusilla,  Lath. 
Buff  T.— 

Geobasileus  reguloides,  V.  and  H. 
Chestnut-rumped  T. — 

Acanthiza  uropygialis^  Gould. 
Little  T.— 

A.  nana,  Vig.  and  Hors. 
Plain  T.— 

A.  inornata,  Gould. 
Red-rumped  T. — 

A.  pyrrhopygia,  Gould. 
Scaly-breasted  T.— 

A.  squamata,  De  Vis. 
Scrub  T. — 

Sericornis  magna,  Gould. 
Striated  T.— 

Acanthiza  lineata,  Gould. 
Tasmanian  T. — 

A.   diemenensis,    Gould ;     called 

also  Brown-tail. 
Yellow-rumped  T.— 

Geobasileus    chrysorrhaza,     Quoy 
and  Gaim. 

See  also  Tree-tit. 

Tit-fish,  n.  a  name  given  in 
North  Australia  to  the  Sea-slug, 
or  Trepang  ;  because  the  appear- 
ance of  its  tentacles  suggests  the 
teat  of  a  cow. 

1880.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Linnsean  Society  of  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  v.  pt.  ii.  p.  128 : 

"  G.  F.  Jaeger,  in  1833,  .  .  .  enume- 
rates four  [species  of  Trepang\  viz. 


TI-TOA] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


Trepang  edulis,  T.  ananas,  71  impa- 
tiens  and  T.  peruviana.  The  first  of 
these  is  certainly  found  on  the  reefs, 
and  is  called  by  the  fishermen  'red- 
fish.'  .  .  .  Next  to  this  is  the  '  tit-fish,3 
.  .  .  studded  with  somewhat  distant 
large  tentacles,  which  project  nearly 
an  inch  or  so." 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  ii.  p.  22  : 

"  They  were  engaged  in  smoking  a 
large  haul  of  'tit'  fish,  which  they 
had  made  on  a  neighbouring  reef." 

Ti-ti,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
sea-bird  Pelecanoides  urinatrix, 
Gmel.,  the  Diving-petrel.  Spelt 
also  tee-tee. 

1891.  'The  Australasian,'  Nov.  14,  p. 
963,  col.  I  ('A  Lady  in  the  Kermadecs') : 

"The  petrels — there  are  nine  kinds, 
and  we  have  names  of  our  own  for 
them,  the  black  burrower,  the  mutton- 
bird,  the  white  burrower,  the  short- 
billed  ti-ti,  the  long -billed  ti-ti,  the 
little  storm  petrel,  and  three  others 
that  we  had  no  names  for — abound  on 
the  island." 

Titipounamu,  n.  (spelt  also 
Tititipunamu),  n.  Maori  name 
for  the  bird  Acanthidositta  chloris, 
Sparm.,  the  Rifleman  (q.v.).  It 
has  many  other  Maori  names. 

Titoki,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
New  Zealand  tree,  Alectryon  ex- 
cels um,  De  C.,  N.O.  Sapindacece. 
Also  called  New  Zealand  Oak 
and  New  Zealand  Ash.  See 
Alectryon. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  317  : 

"  The  berry  of  the  titoki  tree  might 
be  turned  to  account.  The  natives 
extract  a  very  fine  oil  from  it." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  253  : 
"The  youth,  with  hands  beneath  his 
head, 

Against  a  great  titoki's  base." 

1877.  Anon.,  '  Colonial  Experiences  or 
Incidents  of  Thirty-four  Years  in  New 
Zealand,'  p.  16  : 

"  For  this  purpose,  titoki  was  deemed 
the  most  suitable  timber,  from  its  hard- 
ness and  crooked  growth  resembling 
English  oak." 


1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  131  : 

"Titoki,  a  beautiful  tree  with  large 
panicles  of  reddish  flowers  .  .  .  Wood 
has  similar  properties  to  ash.  Its 
toughness  makes  it  valuable  for  wheels, 
coachbuilding,  etc." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  183  : 

"  It  is  sometimes  termed  '  the  New 
Zealand  ash,'  doubtless  on  account  of 
its  resembling  that  tree  in  the  shape  of 
its  foliage  and  in  the  toughness  of  its 
wood,  but  it  is  most  generally  known 
as  the  '  titoki.' " 

1896.  '  Otago  Witness,'  June  23,  p.  42, 
col.  2 : 

"The  saddling -paddock  and  the 
scales  are  surrounded  by  a  fence  made 
of  stout  titoki  saplings,  on  which  are 
perched  the  knowing." 

Ti-tree,  n.  erroneous  spelling 
of  Tea-tree  (q.v.).  See  also 
Manuka. 

Titri,  n.  corruption  for  Tea-tree 
(q.v.),  from  the  fancy  that  it  is 
Maori,  or  aboriginal  Australian. 
On  the  railway  line,  between 
Dunedin  and  Invercargill,  there 
is  a  station  called  "  Titri" — 
evidently  the  surveyor's  joke. 

1895.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Dec.  19,  p.  23, 
col.  3  : 

"  Our  way  lay  across  two  or  three 
cultivations  into  a  grove  of  handsome 
titri.  Traversing  this  we  came  to  a 
broad,  but  shallow  and  stony  creek, 
and  then  more  titri,  merging  into 
light  bush." 

Toad-fish,  n.  In  New  Zealand, 
a  scarce  marine  fish  of  the  family 
PsychrolutidcB)  Neophrynichthys  la- 
tus.  In  Australia,  the  name  is 
applied  to  Tetrodon  hamiltoni, 
Richards.,  and  various  other 
species  of  Tetrodon,  family  Gym- 
nodontes,  poisonous  fishes. 

Toad-fishes  are  very  closely  al- 
lied to  Porcupine-fishes.  '  *  Toads  " 
have  the  upper  jaw  divided  by  a 
median  suture,  while  the  latter 
have  undivided  dental  plates. 
See  Porcupine-fish  and  Globe-fish. 


472 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TOE-TOE 


1836.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack/ 
p.  89: 

"  The  Poisonous  or  Toad  Fish  of 
Van  Diemen's  Land.  (Communicated 
by  James  Scott,  Esq.  R.N.  Colonial 
Surgeon}.  .  .  .  The  melancholy  and 
dreadful  effect  produced  by  eating  it 
was  lately  instanced  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Hobart  Town,  on  the  lady  of 
one  of  the  most  respectable  merchants, 
and  two  children,  who  died  in  the 
course  of  three  hours  .  .  .  The  poison 
is  of  a  powerful  sedative  nature,  pro- 
ducing stupor,  loss  of  speech,  deglu- 
tition, vision  and  the  power  of  the 
voluntary  muscles,  and  ultimately  an 
entire  deprivation  of  nervous  power 
and  death." 

1844.  J.  A.  Moore,  '  Tasmanian  Rhym- 
ings,'  p.  24: 

"  The  toad-fish  eaten,  soon  the  body 
dies." 

Toatoa,  n.  Maori  name  of  New 
Zealand  tree,  Phyllocladus  glauca, 
Carr.,  N.O.  Conifers.  The  Moun- 
tain Toatoa  is  P.  alpinus.  Hook. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  120  : 

"  The  toa  toa,  a  small  tree  which  is 
much  prized  by  the  natives  for  walk- 
ing-sticks, and  only  grows,  they  say, 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Tonga  Riro. 
The  stick  underneath  the  bark  is  of  a 
bright  red  colour,  which  takes  a  fine 
polish." 

Tobacco,  Colonial.  See  To- 
bacco, Native. 

Tobacco,  Native,  n.  In  Aus- 
tralia generally,  a  true  Tobacco, 
Nicotiana  suaveolens,  Lehm.,  N.O. 
Solanacece;  readily  eaten  as  a  forage 
plant  by  stock.  In  Queensland, 
the  name  is  also  applied  to  Pituri 
(q.v.).  In  Tasmania,  the  name 
is  given  to  Cassinia  billardieri, 
De  C.,  N.O.  Composite.  Various 
American  tobaccos  are  also 
naturalised,  and  their  growing 
and  manufacture  is  an  industry. 
Tobacco  manufactured  in  the 
colonies,  whether  from  imported 
American  leaf  or  from  leaf  grown 


in  the  colonies,  is  called  Colonial 
Tobacco. 

1848.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Tropical  Aus- 
tralia,3 p.  64  : 

"  In  the  rich  soil  near  the  river-bed, 
we  saw  the  yellowish  flowers  of  the 
native  tobacco,  Nicotiana  suaveolens" 

Toe-ragger,  n.  In  the  bush  a 
term  of  abuse  ;  though  curiously 
in  one  or  two  parts  of  New  South 
Wales  the  word  "toey,"  which 
is  derived  from  it,  is  a  term  of 
praise,  a  "  swell."  The  word 
has  been  explained  as  of  convict 
origin,  that  the  rags  were  used  to 
soothe  the  galling  of  fetters  ; 
but  the  explanation  is  not  satis- 
factory, for  the  part  galled  by  the 
irons  would  not  be  the  toe,  but 
the  ankle.  A  writer  in  *  Truth' 
has  cleared  up  the  word  (see 
quotation).  It  is  of  Maori  origin. 
Away  from  Maoriland  "toe-rig- 
ger "  had  no  meaning,  and  a  false 
meaning  and  origin  were  given 
by  the  change  of  vowel. 
1896.  '  Truth '  (Sydney),  Jan.  12  : 
"  The  bushie's  favorite  term  of  op- 
probrium 'a  toe-ragger ;  is  also  pro- 
bably from  the  Maori.  Amongst 
whom  the  nastiest  term  of  contempt 
was  that  of  tau  rika  rika,  or  slave. 
The  old  whalers  on  the  Maoriland 
coast  in  their  anger  called  each  other 
toe-riggers,  and  to-day  the  word  in  the 
form  of  toe-ragger  has  spread  through- 
out the  whole  of  the  South  Seas." 

Toe-toe,  and  Toi-toi,  Maori 
name  of  several  species  of  native 
grass  of  the  genus  Arundo,  espe- 
cially Arundo  conspicua,  A.  Cunn. 
Toe-toe  is  the  right  spelling  in  Maori, 
given  in  Williams'  *  Maori  Dic- 
tionary.' In  English,  however, 
the  word  is  frequently  spelt  toi-toL 
It  is  also  called  Prince  of  Wales' 
feather. 

1843.  '  An  Ordinance  for  imposing  a  tax 
on  Raupo  Houses,  Session  II.  No.  xvii.  of 
the  former  Legislative  Council  of  New 
Zealand': 

[From    A.   Domett's    collection   of 


TOH-TOM] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


473 


Ordinances,  1850.]  "Section  2.  .  .  . 
there  shall  be  levied  in  respect  of 
every  building  constructed  wholly  or 
in  part  of  raupo,  nikatt,  toitoi^  wiwi 
kakaho,  straw  or  thatch  of  any  descrip- 
tion [  .  .  .  £20] .» 

1849.  C.  Hursthouse,  'Settlement  of 
New  Plymouth,'  p.  13  : 

"  A  species  of  tall  grass  called  *  toe- 
toe.'" 

1861.  C.  C.  Bowen,  '  Poems,'  p.  57  : 

"  High  o'er  them  all  the  toi  waved, 
To  grace  that  savage  ground." 

1867.  Lady  Barker,  'Station  Life  in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  1 10  : 

"  Thatching  it  with  tohi,  or  swamp- 
grass." 

1892.  'The  Katipo,'  Jan.  i.  p.  3  [de- 
scription of  the  Title-cut]  : 

"  The  toi  toi  and  Phormium  tenax 
in  the  corners  are  New  Zealand 
emblems." 

1895.  'Otago  Witness,'  Dec.  19,  p.  6, 
col.  3  : 

"Where   Christmas    lilies  wave    and 

blow, 

Where  the  fan-tails  tumbling  glance, 
And  plumed  toi-toi  heads  the  dance." 

Tohora,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
whale. 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  « Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  136: 

"  Fable  of  the  Kauri  (pine-tree)  and 
Tohora  (whale)." 

1878.  W.  Colenso,  'Transactions  of  New 
Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xi.  art.  iv.  pt.  2, 
p.  90: 

"  Looking  at  it  as  it  lay  extended,  it 
resembled  a  very  large  whale  (nui 
tohora)." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  21  : 

"  In  the  open  sea,  and  to  the  south, 
the  most  prized  whale  next  to  the 
sperm  is  the  black  whale,  or  tohora 
(Eubalcena  Australis],  which  is  like 
the  right  whale  of  the  North  Sea,  but 
with  baleen  of  less  value." 

Tohunga,  n.  Maori  word  for  a 
wise  man.  "  Perhaps  from  Maori 
verb  tohu,  to  think."  (Tregear's 
*  Polynesian  Dictionary.')  T0/iu, 
a  sign  or  omen  ;  hence  Tohunga, 
a  dealer  in  omens,  an  augur. 


1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf  and  Amohia/ 
p.  102  : 

"  But  he  whose  grief  was  most  sincere 
The  news  of  that  unwonted  death  to 

hear, 
Was     Kangapo,    the     Tohunga— a 

Priest 
And  fell  Magician  famous  far  and 

near." 

1873.  '  Appendix  to  Journals  of  House  of 
Representatives,'  G.  i,  B.  p.  9 : 

"  I  am  a  tohunga  who  can  save  the 
country  if  you  will  follow  my  advice." 

1878.  F.  E.  Maning,  '  Heke's  War,  told 
by  an  Old  Chief,'  '  New  Zealand  Reader/ 
P-  153 : 

"  Amongst  these  soldiers  there  was 
not  one  tohunga — not  a  man  at  all 
experienced  in  omens — or  they  must 
have  had  some  warning  that  danger 
and  defeat  were  near." 

1893.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Dec.  21,  p.  10, 
col.  2 : 

"  She  would  consult  a  tohunga.  The 
man  she  selected — one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  sacred  of  the  Maori  priests, 
prophet,  medicine  -  man,  lawyer  and 
judge." 

Tolmer's  Grass,  n.  a  fibrous 
plant,  Lepidosperma  gladiatum, 
Labill.,  N.O.  Cyperacea,  suitable 
for  manufacture  of  paper.  It  is 
not  a  true  grass,  and  is  classed  by 
Maiden  ('Useful  Native  Plants,' 
p.  626)  under  fibres. 

1882.  A.  Tolmer,  'Reminiscences,'  p. 
298: 

"  The  plant  that  has  since  by  cour- 
tesy borne  my  name  (Tolmer's  grass)." 

Tomahawk,  n.  a  word  of 
North-American  Indian  origin, 
applied  in  English  to  the  similarly 
shaped  short  one-handed  axe  or 
hatchet.  The  word  is  not  fre- 
quent in  England,  but  in  Aus- 
tralia the  word  hatchet  has  prao 
tically  disappeared,  and  the  word 
Tomahawk  to  describe  it  is  in 
every-day  use.  It  is  also  applied 
to  the  stone  hatchet  of  the  Abori- 
ginals. A  popular  corruption  of 
it  is  Tommy-axe* 


474 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TOM-TOO 


1802.  G.  Barrington,  '  History  of  New 
South  Wales,'  c.  xii.  p.  466: 

"A  plentiful  assortment  of  ... 
knives,  shirts,  toma-hawkes  [sic],  axes, 
jackets,  scissars  [sic],  etc.,  etc.,  for  the 
people  in  general." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  259 : 

"  We  .  .  .  observed  recent  marks  of 
the  stone  tomahawk  of  the  natives." 

1851.  G.  W.  Rusden,  '  Moyarra,'  canto  i. 
17,  p.  25: 
"One  hand  he  wreathed  in  Mytah's 

hair, 
Whirled  then  the  tomahawk  in  air." 

1870.  E.  B.  Kennedy,  '  Fours  Years  in 
Queensland/  p.  78  : 

"They  [the  Aboriginals]  cut  out 
opossums  from  a  tree  or  sugar  bag 
(wild  honey)  by  means  of  a  tomahawk 
of  green  stone  ;  the  handle  is  formed 
of  a  vine,  and  fixed  in  its  place  with 
gum.  It  is  astonishing  what  a  quan- 
tity of  work  is  got  through  in  the  day 
with  these  blunt  tomahawks." 

1873.  J.  B.  Stephens,  'Black  Gin,'  p. 
60: 

"  Lay  aside  thy  spears  (I  doubt  them); 
Lay  aside  thy  tomahawk." 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  '  Kamilaroi 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  206: 

"  The  aborigines  have  obtained  iron 
tomahawks." 

1880.  G.  Sutherland,  « Tales  of  Gold- 
fields,'  p.  73 : 

"  Men  had  to  cleave  out  a  way  for 
themselves  with  tomahawks." 

1888.  A.  Reischek,  in  Bnller's  'Birds 
of  New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  94 : 

"The  snow  had  been  blown  together, 
and  was  frozen  so  hard  that  I  had  to 
take  my  tomahawk  to  chop  it  down  so 
as  to  get  softer  snow  to  refresh  myself 
with  a  wash." 

Tomahawk,  v.  tr.  to  cut  sheep 
when  shearing  them. 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  'Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
p.  147: 

"  Shearers  were  very  scarce,  and  the 
poor  sheep  got  fearfully  '  tomahawked ' 
by  the  new  hands." 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  '  My  Wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  96 : 

"  Some  men  never  get  the  better  of 
this  habit,  but  'tomahawk3  as  badly 


after  years  of  practice  as  when  they 
first  began." 

1896.    A.    B.    Paterson,      'Man   from 
Snowy  River,'  p.   162  : 
"The   Shearers   sat   in  the  firelight, 

hearty  and  hale  and  strong, 
After  the  hard  day's  shearing,  pass- 
ing the  joke  along  : 
The  'ringer'  that  shore  a  hundred, 

as  they  never  were  shorn  before, 

And  the  novice  who  toiling  bravely 

had  tommyhawked  half  a  score." 

Tommy-axe,  n.  a  popular  cor- 
ruption of  the  word  Tomahawk 
(q.v.) ;  it  is  an  instance  of  the  law 
of  Hobson-Jobson. 

Tom  Russell's  Mahogany. 
See  Mahogany. 

Tomtit,  n.  name  applied  in 
New  Zealand  to  two  New  Zea- 
land birds  of  the  genus  Myiomoira, 
the  species  being  M.  toitoi,  Garnot, 
in  North  Island;  M.  macrocephala, 
Gmel.,  in  South  Island. 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  39 : 

[A  full  description.] 

Tonquin  Bean-Tree,  n.  a  Tas- 
manian  variety  of  Native  Sandal- 
wood ;  also  called  Tonga  Bean- 
wood. 

1862.  W.  Archer,  'Products  and  Re- 
sources of  Tasmania,'  p.  41 : 

"Tonga  Bean- wood  (Alyxia  buxi- 
folia,  Br.).  The  odour  is  similar  to 
that  of  the  Tonga  Bean  (Dipteryx 
odoratd).  A  straggling  seaside  shrub, 
three  to  five  inches  in  diameter." 

Tooart,  or  Tewart,  n.  a  West 
Australian  name  for  Eucalyptus 
gomphocephala,  or  White  Gum.  See 
Gum. 

1870.  T.  H.  Braim,  'New  Homes,'  c. 
iv.  p.  181 : 

"  Another  valuable  tree  is  the  tooart, 
a  kind  of  white  gum." 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  'Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  187: 

"  The  Tewart  Tree  (Eucalyptus),  a 
variety  of  the  White  Gum,  found  princi- 
pally in  the  Swan  River  and  King 
George's  Sound  District  of  Western 


TOO-TOT] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


475 


Australia.  .  .  .  Of  straight  growth  and 
noble  dimensions.  The  wood  is  of  a 
yellowish  or  straw  colour,  hard,  heavy, 
tough,  strong  and  rigid.  .  .  .  It  is  used 
in  ship-building  for  beams,  keelsons, 
stern-posts,  engine-bearers,  and  for 
other  works  below  the  line  of  flotation." 

Tookytook,  n.  a  corruption  of 
Kotukutuku  (q.v.),  a  Maori  name 
equivalent  to  Konini,  the  fruit  of 
the  Fuchsia-tree  (q.v.). 

Toot,  n.  the  anglicised  spelling 
of  the  Maori  word  Tutu  (q.v.). 

Tooted,  quasi  past  participle 
from  Toot.  The  cattle  are  tooted, 
sc.  poisoned  by  the  Toot. 

1863.  G.  Butler,  'Canterbury  Settle- 
ment,'  p.  98  : 

"  As,  then,  my  bullocks  could  not  get 
tuted." 

1891.  T.  H.  Potts,  'New  Zealand 
Country  Journal,'  p.  201  : 

"  His  hearty  salutation  in  its  faulti- 
ness  proved  to  be  about  on  a  par  with 
'  rummy-rum,5 '  triddy '  and '  toot.'  The 
last  word  reminds  me  of  a  man  near 
by  who  was  even  judged  to  be  some- 
what vain  of  his  Maori  accent  and  pro- 
nunciation. With  one  word  he  was 
indeed  very  particular,  he  could  not 
bring  himself  to  use  that  manifest  cor- 
ruption *  toot.5  With  him  it  was  ever 
'tutu.'  He  had  to  make  rather  a 
boggle  or  dodge  of  it  when  he  used 
the  colonial  made  verb  formed  on  his 
favourite  Maori  noun." 

Tooth-shell,  n.  The  name  is 
applied,  in  Europe,  to  any  species 
of  Dentalium  and  allied  genera 
having  a  tooth-shaped  shell.  In 
Australia,  it  is  the  shell  olMarinula 
pellucida.  Cooper,  a  small  marine 
mollusc  used  for  necklaces. 

Tope,  n.  an  Australasian  Shark, 
Galeus  australis,  Macl.  It  differs 
somewhat  from  Galeus  cants,  the 
Tope  of  Britain.  Called  also  the 
School-Shark,  in  Australia. 

Top-knot  Pigeon,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian bird,  Lopholaimus  antarcti- 
cus,  Shaw. 


1891.  Francis  Adams,  'John  Webb's 
End,'  p.  33  : 

"Flying  for  a  moment  beside  a 
lovely,  melodious  top-knot  pigeon." 

Torea,  n.  Maori  name  for  all 
the  New  Zealand  species  of  the 
Oyster-catchers  (q.v.). 

Torpedo,  n.  a  fish,  well  known 
elsewhere,  and  also  called  else- 
where, the  Numb-fish  and  Cramp- 
fish.  For  the  Australian  species, 
see  quotation. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison- Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  100  : 

"  Our  Torpedo  or  Electric  Ray  is 
Hypnos  subnigrum,  that  of  Tasmania 
is  Narcine  Tasmaniensis" 

Torres-Straits  Pigeon,  n.  See 
quotation. 

1893.  Saville  Kent, '  Great  Barrier  Reef,' 
p.  123: 

"  Making  a  bag  of  the  famous  Torres 
Straits  pigeons  (Myristicivora  spi- 
lorrhoa\  a  large  white  variety,  highly 
esteemed  for  the  table,  which,  arriving 
from  the  north  [that  is  New  Guinea],  is 
distributed  from  October  until  the  end 
of  March  throughout  the  tree-bearing 
islets  and  mainland  coast,  as  far  south 
as  Keppel  Bay." 

Tortoise  -  shell     Fish.        See 

Hand-fifh. 

Totara,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
lofty-spreading  New  Zealand  tree, 
Podocarpus  totara,  A.  Cunn.,  N.  O. 
Conifers.  In  Maori,  the  accent  falls 
on  the  first  syllable ;  but  in  Eng- 
lish use  it  is  often  placed  on  the 
second,  and  from  Mr.  Polack's 
spelling  it  must  have  been  so  as 
early  as  1840.  Called  also  Mahog- 
any-pine. There  are  several  other 
species,  e.g.  P.  vivalis,  Hook.,  the 
Mountain  Totara;  called  also  Ma- 
hogany Pine.  See  Mahogany ',  and 
Pine. 

1832.  G.  Bennett,  in  Lambert's  '  Genus 
Pinus,'  vol.  ii.  p.  190: 

"  This  is  an  unpublished  species  of 
Podocarpus,  called  Totara  by  the  na- 
tives. .  .  .  The  value  placed  on  this 
tree  by  the  natives  is  sometimes  the 


476 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[TOW 


occasion  of  quarrels,  terminating  in 
bloodshed,  if  it  is  cut  down  by  any 
except  the  party  by  whom  it  is  claimed. 
...  It  is  not  unusual  for  the  trees  to 
descend  from  father  to  son." 

1840.  J.  S.  Polack,  '  Manners  and  Cus- 
toms of  New  Zealanders,'  vol.  i.  p.  227 : 

"  The  totarra  or  red-pine." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  221 : 

"  The  totara  is  one  of  the  finest  trees 
in  the  forest,  and  is  the  principal  wood 
used  by  the  natives,  whether  for  canoes, 
houses,  or  fencing." 

1854.  w-  Colder,  '  Pigeons'  Parliament,' 
[Notes]  p.  80 : 

"  The  place  received  its  name  from 
a  number  of  large  totara  trees." 

1867.   F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 

p.  134: 

"Totara  (Podocarpus    totara}   and 

Matai  (Podocarpus  spicatd)  are  large 

and    beautiful  trees   found    in    every 

forest." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  107 : 
"  One  lone  totara-tree  that  grew 
Beneath  the  hill-side." 

1875.  T.  Laslett,  'Timber  and  Timber 
Trees,'  p.  308 : 

"  The  Totara  Tree  ( Taxus  or  Podo- 
carpus totara).  Height,  eighty  to  ninety 
feet.  The  wood  is  red  in  colour,  close, 
straight,  fine  and  even  in  grain  ...  a 
good  substitute  for  mahogany." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  227  : 

"  With  the  exception  of  the  kauri,  the 
totara  affords  the  most  valuable  timber 
in  New  Zealand,  but  unlike  the  kauri 
it  is  found  almost  throughout  the 
colony." 

Towai,  n.  Maori  name  for 
New  Zealand  tree,  Weinmannia 
racemosa,  Forst.,  N.O.  Saxifragece, 
i.q.  Kamahi  in  south  of  South 
Island,  and  Tawhero  in  North 
Island  (Wellington). 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  95 : 

"  Its  banks  .  .  .  are  covered  almost 
wholly  with  the  towai.  This  tree  has 
very  small  dark  leaves.  It  is  used  for 
ship-building,  and  is  called  by  English- 
men the  '  black  birch.' " 


1851.  Mrs.  Wilson,  'New  Zealand,'  p. 
43: 

"  The  ake  .  .  .  and  towai  (Leiosperm- 
um  racemosuvi)  are  almost  equal,  in 
point  of  colour,  to  rosewood." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  132: 

"  Towhai,  Kamahi.  A  large  tree  ; 
trunk  two  to  four  feet  in  diameter,  and 
fifty  feet  high.  Wood  close-grained 
and  heavy,  but  rather  brittle.  .  .  .  The 
bark  is  largely  used  for  tanning.  The 
extract  of  bark  is  chemically  allied  to 
the  gum  kino  of  commerce,  their  value 
being  about  equal." 

Township,  n.  a  village,  a  pos- 
sible future  town.  In  the  United 
States,  the  word  has  a  definite 
meaning — a  district,  subordinate 
to  a  county,  the  inhabitants 
having  power  to  regulate  their 
local  affairs ;  in  Australia,  the 
word  has  no  such  definite  mean- 
ing. It  may  be  large  or  small, 
and  sometimes  consists  of  little 
more  than  the  post-office,  the 
public-house,  and  the  general  store 
or  shop. 

1802.  D.  Collins,  'Account  of  New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  7: 

"  The  timber  of  a  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  was  cut  down  ...  a  small  town- 
ship marked  out,  and  a  few  huts  built." 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Over  the  Straits/ 
vol.  ii.  p.  40: 

"  It  used  to  seem  to  me  a  strange 
colonial  anomaly  to  call  a  very  small 
village  a  '  township,'  and  a  much  larger 
one  a  '  town.'  But  the  former  is  the 
term  applied  to  the  lands  reserved  in 
various  places  for  future  towns." 

1873.  J.  B.  Stephens,  '  Black  Gin,' 
p.  79: 

"  There's  a  certain  township  and  also 
a  town, — 

(For,  to  ears  colonial,   I  need  not 
state 

That  the  two  do  not  always  homo- 
logate)." 

1888.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the  Com- 
pass in  Australia,'  p.  439  [Mr.  Parker  is  a 
Canadian  who  lived  four  years  in  Aus- 
tralia] : 

"A  few  words  of  comparison  here.. 


TRA-TRE] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


477 


A  pub  of  Australia  is  a  tavern  or  hotel 
in  Canada  ;  a  township  is  a  village  ;  a 
stock-rider  is  a  cow-boy  ;  a  humpy  is 
a  shanty ;  a  warrigal  or  brombie  is  a 
broncho  or  cayuse  ;  a  sundowner  is  a 
tramp  ;  a  squatter  is  a  rancher ;  and 
so  on  through  an  abundant  list." 

1892.  A.  Sutherland,  '  Elementary  Geo- 
graphy of  British  Colonies,'  p.  276 : 

"Villages,  which  are  always  called 
*  townships,'  spring  up  suddenly  round 
a  railway-station  or  beside  some 
country  inn." 

1894.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald'  (date 
lost) : 

"A  township — the  suffix  denotes  a 
state  of  being — seems  to  be  a  place 
which  is  not  in  the  state  of  being  a 
town.  Does  its  pride  resent  the  im- 
post of  village  that  it  is  glad  to  be 
called  by  a  name  which  is  no  name,  or 
is  the  word  loosely  appropriated  from 
America,  where  it  signifies  a  division 
of  a  county  ?  It  is  never  found  in 
England." 

1896.    A.     B.     Paterson,     'Man    from 

Snowy  River,'  p.  38 : 

"  There  stands  the  town  of  Dandaloo — 
A  township  where  life's  total  sum 
Is  sleep,  diversified  with  rum." 

Traveller,  n.  used  specifically 
for  a  Swagman,  a  Sundowner.  See 
quotation. 

1869.  Marcus  Clarke, '  Peripatetic  Philo- 
sopher '  (Reprint),  p.  41  : 

"  At  the  station  where  I  worked  for 
some  time  (as  '  knock-about-man ') 
three  cooks  were  kept  during  the 
1  wallaby '  season — one  for  the  house, 
one  for  the  men,  and  one  for  the 
travellers.  Moreover,  '  travellers  ' 
would  not  unfrequently  spend  the 
afternoon  at  one  of  the  three  hotels 
(which,  with  a  church  and  a  pound, 
constituted  the  adjoining  township), 
and  having  *  liquored  up '  extensively, 
swagger  up  to  the  station,  and  insist 
upon  lodging  and  food — which  they 
got.  I  have  no  desire  to  take  away 
the  character  of  these  gentlemen  trav- 
ellers, but  I  may  mention  as  a  strange 
coincidence,  that,  was  the  requested 
hospitality  refused  by  any  chance,  a 
bush-fire  invariably  occurred  some- 
where on  the  run  within  twelve  hours." 


1893.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug. 
12,  p.  8,  col.  7: 

"  Throughout  the  Western  pastoral 
area  the  strain  of  feeding  the 
'travellers,'  which  is  the  country 
euphemism  for  bush  unemployed,  has 
come  to  be  felt  as  an  unwarranted  tax 
upon  the  industry,  and  as  a  mischievous 
stimulus  to  nomadism." 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  8,  p. 
249,  col.  2 : 

"...  never  refuses  to  feed  travel- 
lers; they  get  a  good  tea  and  break- 
fast, and  .often  10  to  20  are  fed  in  a  day. 
These  travellers  lead  an  aimless  life, 
wandering  from  station  to  station, 
hardly  ever  asking  for  and  never 
hoping  to  get  any  work,  and  yet  they 
expect  the  land-owners  to  support 
them.  Most  of  them  are  old  and 
feeble,  and  the  sooner  all  stations  stop 
giving  them  free  rations  the  better  it 
will  be  for  the  real  working  man.  One 
station-owner  kept  a  record,  and  he 
found  that  he  fed  over  2000  men  in 
twelve  months.  This  alone,  at  6d.  a 
meal,  would  come  to  ^100,  but  this  is 
not  all,  as  they  'bag'  as  much  as  they 
can  if  their  next  stage  is  not  a  good 
feeding  station." 

Travellers'  Grass,  i.q.  Settler's 
Twine  (q.v.). 

Tree-creeper,  n.  popular  name 
applied  to  members  of  an  old 
Linnaean  genus  of  birds.  The 
Australian  species  are  enumerated 
by  Gould  in  quotation. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  iv. : 

Plate 

Climacteris      scandens,      Temm., 

Brown  Tree-creeper 93 

C.  rufa,  Gould,  Rufous  T 94 

C.  erythrops,  Gould,  Red-eyebrowed 

T 95 

C.  melanotus,  Gould,  Black-backed 

T 96 

C.  melanura,  Gould,  Black-tailed  T.  97 
C.     picumnus,     Temm.,     White- 
throated  T 98 

Tree-fern,  n.     See  Fern-tree. 

Tree-Kangaroo,  called  Boong- 
ary  (q.v.)  by  the  aboriginals.  See 
Dendrolagus  and  Kangaroo. 


478 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TRE 


Tree-Runner,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Sittella  (q.v.).    The  species 
are — 
Black-capped  Tree-Runner — 

Sittella  ptleata,  Gould. 
Orange-winged  T.— 

S.  chrysoptera.  Lath. 
Pied  T.- 

S.  albata,  Ramsay. 
Slender-billed  T.— 

S.  tenuirostriS)  Gould. 
Striated  T.— 

S.  striata,  Gould. 
White-headed  T.— 

S.  leucocephala,  Gould. 
White-winged  T.— 

S.  leucopterci)  Gould. 

But  see  Gould's  earlier  list 
(1848),  under  Sittella. 

Tree-Tit,  n.  The  word  tit  is 
terminally  applied  to  many  little 
English  birds.  In  Australia,  this 
new  compound  has  been  adopted 
for  the  two  species,  Short-billed 
Tree-tit,  Smicrornis  brevirostris, 
Gould,  and  Yellow-tinted  Tit,  S. 
flavescens,  Gould. 

Tremandra,  n.  scientific  name 
of  a  genus  of  Australian  plants, 
the  Purple  Heath-flower.  Name 
given  by  R.  Brown  in  1814,  from 
the  remarkably  tremulous  an- 
thers. (Lat.  tremere,  to  tremble, 
and  Grk.  av^/o,  dvSpo's,  a  man,  taken 
as  equivalent  to  "  anther.") 

Trevally,  or  Trevalli,  or  Tre- 
valla,  or  Travale,  n.  an  Australian 
fish.  In  various  localities  the 
name  is  applied  to  several  fishes, 
which  are  most  of  them  of  the 
family  Carangidce,  or  Horse-Mack- 
erels. An  Old- World  name  for  the 
Horse-Mackerels  is  Cavalli  (Ital. 
cavallo,  a  little  horse).  Trevalli 
is  sometimes  called  Cavalli ;  this 
was  probably  its  original  name 
in  Australia,  and  Trevalli  a  later 
corruption. 


The  different  kinds  are — 

Black  Trevally — 

Teuthis  nebulosa,  Quoy,  family 
Teuthididce  (a  New  South 
Wales  fish). 

Mackerel  T.    (so  called  in    Tas- 
mania)— 
Neptonemus      dobula,      Giinth., 

family  Carangidce. 
Silver  T.— 

Another  Tasmanian    name  for 
the  White  Trevally,  Caranx 
georgianus  (see  below). 
Snotgall  T.— 

Neptonemus  travale,  Casteln.  (in 

Victoria) ; 

N.  brama,   Giinth.    (in   Tasma- 
nia) ;    both    of    the    family 
Carangidce. 
White  T.- 

Caranx  georgianus,  Cuv.  and 
Val.,  family  Carangida  (so 
called  in  New  South  Wales, 
New  Zealand,  and  Tasmania ; 
in  Victoria  it  is  called  Silver 
Bream). 

Teuthis  javus.  Linn.,  family  Tue- 
thididce. 

The  Maori  name  for  the  Trevally 
is  Awara>  and  in  Auckland  it  is 
sometimes  called  the  Yellow-Tail 
(q.v.).  See  also  quotation,  1886. 

Gunther  says,  the  genus  Teuthis 
is  readily  recognised  by  the  pecu- 
liar structure  of  the  ventral  fins, 
which  have  an  outer  and  an 
inner  spine  and  three  soft  rays 
between. 

1769.  '  Capt.  Cook's  Journal '  (edition 
Wharton,  1893),  p.  164: 

"Several  canoes  came  off  to  the 
ship,  and  two  or  three  of  them  sold 
us  some  fish — cavallys  as  they  are 
called — which  occasioned  my  giving 
the  Islands  the  same  name." 

1886.  R.  A.  Sherrin,  '  Fishes  of  New 
Zealand/  p.  99  : 

"  Dr.  Hector  says  :  '  The  trevalli  is 
the  arara  of  the  Maoris,  or  the  trevalli 
or  cavalli  of  the  fishermen  ...  In 
Auckland  it  is  sometimes  called  the 


TRI-TRO] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


479 


yellow-tail,  but  this  name  appears  to 
be  also  used  for  the  king-fish.  The 
fish  known  as  trevalli  in  the  Dunedin 
market  is  a  different  fish,  allied  to  the 
warehou.' " 

1890.      '  Victorian    Statutes — Fisheries 
Act '  (Second  Schedule) : 
"Travale." 

Triantelope,  n.  a  European 
comic  variation  of  the  scientific 
name  Tarantula.  It  is  applied  in 
Australia  to  a  spider  belonging  to 
a  quite  different  genus,  Voconia, 
a  perfectly  harmless  spider, 
though  popularly  supposed  to 
be  poisonous.  It  has  powerful 
mandibles,  but  will  attack  no- 
body unless  itself  attacked. 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,  'Reminiscences 
of  Australia,' p.  173: 

"  The  tarantulas,  or  '  triantelopes,'  as 
the  men  call  them,  are  large,  ugly 
spiders,  very  venomous." 

1860.  A  Lady,  *  My  Experiences  in  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  151  : 

"  There  is  no  lack  of  spiders  either, 
of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  up  to  the  large 
tarantula,  or  tri-antelope,  as  the  com- 
mon people  persist  in  calling  it." 

Tribonyx,  n.  There  are  several 
species  of  this  bird  in  Australia 
and  Tasmania,  where  they  go  by 
the  name  of  Native  Hen,  and 
sometimes,  erroneously,  Moor-hen 
(q.v.).  For  the  species,  see  Native 
Hen.  No  species  of  Tribonyx  has 
been  found  wild  in  New  Zealand, 
though  other  birds  have  been 
mistaken  for  the  genus. 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  (Introd.),  p.  xiv  : 

"  I  ought  perhaps  here  to  refer  to  a 
species  mentioned  in  the  former  Intro- 
duction as  a  newly  discovered  addition 
to  the  New  Zealand  Avifauna,  but 
now  omitted  from  the  list  .  .  ." 

Ibid.  p.  liv: 

"  Tribonyx  has  never  actually  occur- 
red in  a  wild  state  [in  New  Zealand]." 

Ibid.  p.  90  : 

"  Tribonyx,  a  bird  incapable  of  flight, 
but  admirably  adapted  for  running." 


Trichosurus,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  a  genus  of  the  Phalangers 
(q.v.),  or  Australian  Opossums 
(q.v.).  (Grk.  rp^o?)  of  hair,  and 
ovpa,  tail.) 

Trickett,  n.  slang  name  for  a 
long  drink  of  beer  in  New  South 
Wales,  after  Trickett,  the  New 
South  Wales  champion  sculler. 

Trigger-plant,  n.  i.q.,  Hair- 
trigger  (q.v.)  plant ;  called  also 
Jack-in-a-box. 

Trigonia,  n.  a  bivalve  marine 
mollusc  with  a  nacreous  interior, 
much  admired  in  Tasmania  and 
used  for  pendants  and  necklaces, 
Trigonia  margaritacea,  Lamarck, 
of  the  order  Pectinacea.  It  is  the 
largest  trigonia  occurring  in  Aus- 
tralasia, and  the  only  one  found  in 
Tasmania.  Numerous  extinct 
species  are  characteristic  of  the 
Mesozoic  rocks.  The  only  living 
species  existing  are  confined  to 
Australia. 

Trooper,  n.  a  mounted  police- 
man. The  use  is  transferred 
from  the  name  for  a  private 
soldier  in  a  cavalry  regiment. 
The  Native  troopers,  or  Black  police, 
in  Queensland,  are  a  force  of 
aboriginal  police,  officered  by 
white  men. 

1858.  T.  McCombie,  'History  of  Vic- 
toria,' c.  viii.  p.  100  : 

"  A  violent  effort  [was]  made  by  the 
troopers  on  duty  to  disperse  an  assem- 
blage which  occupied  the  space  of 
ground  in  front  of  the  hustings." 

1864.  J.  Rogers,  'New  Rush,'  p.  51: 

"  A  trooper  spies  him  snoring  in  the 
street." 

1868.  J.  A.  B.,  'Meta,'  canto  iii.  ver. 
20,  p.  72 : 

"The  felon  crew  .  .  .  hard  pressed 
by  troopers  ten." 

Tropic-bird,  n.  The  English 
name  is  applied  because  the  bird 
is  usually  seen  in  the  tropics. 


48o 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TRO-TUA 


The  species  observed  in  Australia 
are — Red-tailed,  Phaeton  rubricau- 
dus,  Bodd.;  White-tailed,  P.  can- 
didus,  Briss. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia, '  vol. 
vii.  pi.  73  : 

'"''Phaeton  Phcenicurus,  Gmel.," Red- 
tailed  Tropic  Bird  ;  New  Holland 
Tropic  Bird,  Latham,  '  General  His- 
tory,' vol.  x.  p.  448." 

Tropidorhynchus,  n.  scientific 
name  of  a  genus  of  birds  pecu- 
liar to  Australia  and  New  Guinea. 
The  typical  species  has  a  knob  on 
the  bill,  and  the  head  and  neck 
destitute  of  feathers.  From  Grk. 
,  the  keel  of  a  ship,  and 
>  "beak."  They  are  called 
Friar  Birds  (q.v.),  and  the  gen- 
eric name  of  Tropidorhynchus  has 
been  replaced  by  Philemon  (q.v.). 

Trout,  n.  The  English  Trout 
has  been  naturalised  in  Australia. 
In  Tasmania,  the  name  of  Trout, 
or  Mountain-Trout,  is  also  given 
to  species  of  the  genus  Galaxias. 
See  Salmon. 

Trumpeter,  n.  (i)  A  fish  of  Tas- 
manian,  New  Zealand,  and  Aus- 
tralian waters,  but  chiefly  of 
Hobart — Latris  hecateia,  Richards., 
family  Cirrhitida,  much  esteemed 
as  a  food-fish,  and  weighing  some- 
times 50  or  60  Ibs.  The  name 
is  probably  from  the  noise  made 
by  the  fish  when  taken  out  of  the 
water.  The  name  was  formerly 
given  to  a  different  fish  in  West- 
.ern  Australia.  See  also  Bastard- 
Trumpeter,  Morwong,  and  Paper- 
fish. 

1834.  M-  Doyle,  'Letters  and  Journals 
of  G.  F.  Moore,  Swan  River  Settlement,' 
p.  191  : 

^  "Many  persons  are  trying  to  salt 
fish,  which  are  very  numerous  in  the 
river  about  and  below  Perth,  as  you 
must  have  seen  by  one  of  my  letters, 
in  which  I  mentioned  our  having  taken 
10,000  at  one  draught  of  the  seine ; 
these  are  of  the  kind  called  herrings, 


but  do  not  look  very  like  them  ;  they 
make  a  noise  when  out  of  the  water, 
and  on  that  account  are  also  called 
trumpeters." 

1870.  T.  H.  Braim,  'New  Homes,'  vol. 
ii.  p.  65  : 

"  The  finest  kinds  are  the  guard-fish 
of  the  mainland  and  the  trumpeter  of 
the  Derwent  in  Tasmania." 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  45  : 

"  The  first  of  these  \Latris\  is  the 
genus  of  the  well-known  'Hobart 
Town  trumpeter,'  a  fish  deservedly 
of  high  reputation." 

(2)  An  obsolete  name  in  Tas- 
mania for  the  black  Crow-Shrike 
(q.v.),  Strepera fuliginosa,  Gould. 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van Diemen's  Land,' 
p.  177: 

"We  also  occasionally  heard  the 
trumpeter  or  black  magpie." 

Trumpeter-Perch,  n.  i.q.  Mado 
(q.v.). 

Trumpeter- Whiting,  n.  See 
Whiting,  quotation  1882. 

Tuan,  n.  aboriginal  name  for 
the  Flying-Squirrel  (q.v.).  See 
also  Pongo. 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  57  : 

"The  flying-squirrel,  or  tuan,  is 
much  sought  after  for  its  fine  fur ;  of 
these  there  are  two  kinds,  a  large  one 
of  a  dark  colour,  only  found  in  the 
mountains  ;  and  a  smaller  description 
found  in  all  parts  of  the  colony,  and 
better  known  by  the  native  name, 
tuan." 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  'Geoffrey  Hamlyn,' 
p.. 274: 

"  The  Touan,  the  little  grey  flying- 
squirrel,  only  begins  to  fly  about  at 
night,  and  slides  down  from  his  bough 
sudden  and  sharp." 

Tuatara,  n.  the  Maori  name  of 
a  New  Zealand  lizard,  or  rep- 
tile, Hatteriapunctata,  Gray ;  called 
also  Sphenodon  punctatum. 

1820.  'Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of 
Language  of  New  Zealand'  (Church  Mis- 
sionary Society),  p.  218  : 

"  Tua  ta"ra,  a  species  of  lizard." 


TUC-TUl] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


481 


1863.   '  Mahoe  Leaves,'  p.  47  : 

"  A  small  boy  of  a  most  precocious 
nature,  who  was  termed  'tua  tara,' 
from  a  horrid  sort  of  lizard  that  the 
natives  abhor." 

1890.  '  Catalogue  of  New  Zealand 
Exhibition': 

"  The  Tuatara  is  the  largest  existing 
,New  Zealand  reptile.  It  is  closely 
allied  to  the  Lizards  ;  but  on  account 
of  certain  peculiarities  of  structure, 
some  of  which  tend  to  connect  it  with 
the  Crocodiles,  is  placed  by  Dr.  Giinther 
in  a  separate  order  (Rhynchocepha^ 
Una}* 

Tucker,  n.  Australian  slang  for 
food.  To  tuck  in  is  provincial 
English  for  to  eat,  and  tuck  is  a 
school-boy  word  for  food,  espe- 
cially what  is  bought  at  a  pastry- 
cook's. To  make  tucker  means  to 
earn  merely  enough  to  pay  for 
food. 

1874.  Garnet  Walch,  '  Head  over  Heels,' 
P-  73  = 

*'  For     want     of      more     nourishing 

tucker, 
I  believe  they'd  have  eaten  him" 

1875.  Wood  and  Lapham,  '  Waiting  for 
the  Mail,'  p.  33  : 

"We  heard  of  big  nuggets,  but  only 
made  tucker." 

1890.  'The    Argus,'  June    14,  p.    14, 
col.  i: 

"  When  a  travelling  man  sees  a  hut 
ahead,  he  knows  there's  water  inside, 
and  tucker  and  tea." 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  83  : 

"I  took  my  meal  in  the  hut,  but 
we'd  both  the  same  kind  of  tucker." 

Tui,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
New  Zealand  bird,  Prosthema- 
dera  novce-zelandice.  Gray;  called  the 
Parson-bird  (q.v.),  and  earlier  the 
Poe  (q.v.).  Another  name  is  the 
Koko,  and  the  young  bird  is  dis- 
tinguished as  Pi-tui,  or  Pikari. 
It  is  also  called  the  Mocking-bird. 

1835.  w-  Yale,  '  Some  Account  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  52  : 

"  Tui.  This  remarkable  bird,  from 
the  versatility  of  its  talents  for  imita- 


tion, has   by   some  been   called  'the 
Mocking-Bird.' " 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  80 : 

"The  little  birds  were  chiefly  the 
tui,  or  mocking-bird.  It  resembles  a 
blackbird  in  size  and  plumage,  with 
two  graceful  bunches  of  white  feathers 
under  the  neck.  It  abounds  in  the 
woods,  and  is  remarkably  noisy  and 
active  ...  it  imitates  almost  every 
feathered  inhabitant  of  the  forest,  and, 
when  domesticated,  every  noise  it 
hears." 

1863.  B.  A.  Heywood,  « Vacation  Tour 
at  the  Antipodes,'  p.  170  : 

"  I  saw  several  birds  named  the 
Tooi ;  they  are  black,  about  the  size  of 
a  starling,  and  are  sometimes  called 
Parson-birds,  as  they  have  two  white 
feathers  like  clergymen's  bands  in 
front  of  them." 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  166: 

"One  of  the  prettiest  creatures  is 
the  tui,  Parson-Bird  of  the  colon- 
ists (Prosthemadera  Nova-Zelandia), 
which  roves  about  in  the  lofty,  leafy 
crowns  of  the  forest-trees." 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell,  '  Poenamo,'  p. 
102  : 

"  The  tui,  with  his  grand,  rich  note, 
made  the  wood  musical." 

1884.  T.  Bracken,  '  Lays  of  Maori,'  p. 
21  : 

"  Woo  the  Bell-bird  from  his  nest,  to 
ring 

The   Tui  up  to  sing  his   morning 
hymns." 

Ibid.  p.  101  : 

"  I  hear  the  swell 

Of  Nature's  psalms  through  tree  and 
bush, 

From     tui,     blackbird,     finch     and 
thrush." 

1888.  W.  L.  Buller,  'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  facing  p.  94  : 

[A  plate  entitled]  "  Tui,  or  parson- 
bird." 

Ibid.  pp.  94—100 : 

[A  full  description.] 

1893.  D.  Frobisher,  '  Sketches  of  Gos- 
sipton,'  p.  6 1  : 

"As   the  forest   soft  echoes  brought 
back  their  sweet  chorus, 

The  tuis  seemed  silent  from  envy 
and  spleen.1' 


482 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[TUL-TUR 


Tulip,  Native,  i.q.  Waratah 
(q.v.);  and  see  Telopea. 

Tulip-tree,  ?z.  The  name  is  given, 
in  Australia,  to  Stenocarpus  cun- 
ninghamii,  R.  Br.,^V.<9.  Proteacece, 
on  account  of  the  brilliancy  of  its 
bright-red  flowers ;  called  also 
Queensland  Fire-tree. 

Tulip-wood,  n.  The  name  is 
given,  in  Australia,  to  Aphnanthe 
philipinensis.  Planch.,  N.O.  Urti- 
cacea,  and  to  the  timber  of  Har- 
pullia  pendula.  Planch.,  N.O. 
Sapindacece.  It  is,  further,  a 
synonym  for  the  Emu-Apple. 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  39  : 

"  The  tulip- wood,  with  its  variegated 
flowers  and  delightful  perfume,  grows 
in  abundance." 

Tumata-kuru,  n.  Maori  name 
for  plant  better  known  as  Wild 
Irishman  (q.v.),  Discaria  toumatou, 
Raoul.  "A  thorny  plant,  very 
difficult  to  handle."  (Vincent 
Pyke.)  Tumatagowry ,  or  Matagory 
(q.v.),  is  the  Southern  corruption 
of  contractors,  labourers,  and 
others. 

1889.  Vincent  Pyke,  <  Wild  Will  Ender- 
by,'  p.  1 6  : 

"Upon  the  arid  flats,  patches  of 
Tumatu-kuru,and  of  a  purple-flowering 
broom,  struggle  to  maintain  a  scraggy 
existence." 

1889.  T.  Kirk,  '  Forest  Flora  of  New- 
Zealand,'  p.  283  : 

"  The  tumatakuru  merits  a  place  in 
this  work  rather  on  account  of  its  value 
in  the  past  than  of  its  present  useful- 
ness. In  the  early  days  of  settlement 
in,the  South  Island  this  afforded  the 
only  available  timber  in  many  moun- 
tain-valleys, and  was  frequently  con- 
verted by  hand  sawyers  for  building 
purposes  ;  being  of  great  durability,  it 
was  found  very  serviceable,  notwith- 
standing its  small  dimensions :  the 
formation  of  roads  has  deprived  it  of 
value  by  facilitating  the  conveyance  of 
ordinary  building  timber.'' 

Tuna,  n.     See  Eel. 


Tupakihi,  n.  i.q.  Tutu  (q.v.). 

Tupara,  n.  Maori  corruption  of 
"two -barrel."  Compare  the 
aboriginal  word  Whilpra  (q.v.). 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  109  : 

"  He  had  previously  despatched  a 
messenger  to  me,  begging  me  to  bring 
some  tupara,  or  '  two-barrel.' " 

1881.  J.  L.  Campbell,  'Poenamo,'  p. 
137: 

"They  were  labouring  under  the 
'tupera  fever' [in  1840].  The  percus- 
sion-gun had  made  its  appearance,  and 
the  natives  were  not  slow  to  see  how 
much  more  effectual  a  weapon  it  was 
than  the  old  flint  '  brown-bess.'  And 
when  they  saw  the  tupera,  double-bar- 
relled gun,  the  rage  at  once  set  in  to 
possess  it." 

Tupong,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  a  Southern  Australian  fish, 
Aphritis  bassii,  Castln.,  family 
Trachinida.  Mr.  J.  Bracebridge 
Wilson  says  it  is  called  Marble- 
fish  in  the  Geelong  district.  It  is 
also  known  as  the  Freshwater 
Flat/iead. 

Tupuna,  «.  Maori  word,  mean- 
ing ancestor,  progenitor,  male 
or  female.  Often  used  in  the 
Land  Courts  in  the  question : 
"  Who  are  your  tupuna  ?  " 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  113  : 

"  I  asked  his  permission  to  ascend 
Tonga  Riro  .  .  .  But  he  steadily  re- 
fused, saying,  '  I  would  do  anything 
else  to  show  you  my  love  and  friend- 
ship, but  you  must  not  ascend  my 
tepuna,  or  ancestor.' " 

1855.  Rev-  R-  Taylor,  «  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  202  : 

"  Tupuna,  to  stand,  to  spring ;  an 
ancestor  ;  hence  Tu-pu,  to  grow." 

1863.  F.  Maning  (Pakeha  Maori),  '  Old 
New  Zealand,'  p.  196  : 

"One  evening  a  smart,  handsome 
lad  came  to  tell  me  his  tupuna  was 
dying  .  .  .  The  tribe  were  ke  poto  or 
assembled  to  the  last  man  about  the 
dying  chief." 

Turbot,  ;/.  The  name  is  given 


TUR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


483 


to  a  New  Zealand  fish,  called 
also  Lemon- Sole  (q.v.)  or  Yellow- 
belly  (q.v.),  Ammotretis  guntheri. 

1876.  '  Transactions  of  New  Zealand 
Institute,' vol  viii.  p.  215  : 

"Turbot — a  fish  not  uncommon  in 
the  Dunedin  market,  where  it  goes  by 
the  name  of  '  lemon-sole.' " 

Turkey,  n.  This  common  Eng- 
lish bird-name  is  applied  in  Aus- 
tralia to  three  birds,  viz. — 

(1)  To  the  bird  Eupodotis  austra- 
lis,  Gray,  which  is  a  true  Bustard, 
but  which  is  variously  called  the 
Native  Turkey,  Plain  Turkey  (from 
its    frequenting   the   plains),  and 

Wild  Turkey. 

(2)  To  the  bird  Talegalla  latha- 
mi,  Gould,  called  the  Brush  Tur- 
key   (from    its    frequenting     the 
brushes),  Wattled  Turkey^  and  Wat- 
tled    Talegalla    (from    its     fleshy 
wattles),  and  sometimes,  simply, 
Talegalla.      By    Latham    it    was 
mistaken  for  a  Vulture,  and  classed 
by  him  as  the  New  Holland  Vulture, 
('  General  History  of  Birds,'  1821, 
vol.  i.  p.  32.) 

(3)  To  the  bird  Leipoa  ocellata, 
Gould,     called    the    Scrub-Turkey 
(from  its  frequenting  the  Scrubs), 
the  Lowan  (its  aboriginal  name), 
the   Native    Pheasant    (of    South 
Australia)  ;  in  the  Mallee  district 
it  is  called  Mallee-bird,  Mallee-fowl, 
Mallee-hen. 

In  the  following  quotations  the 
number  of  the  bird  referred  to  is 
placed  in  square  brackets  at  the 
end. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt, '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  14  : 

"We  passed  several  nests  of  the 
Brush-Turkey  ( Talegalla  Lathami, 
Gould)."  [2.] 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi 
tion,'  p.  260  : 

"  Several  native  bustards  (Otis  Novce- 
Hollandice,  Gould)  were  shot."  [i.] 

1848.  J.Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' vol 
vi.  pi.  4 : 

"  Otis  AustralasianuS)  Gould,  Aus- 


rahan  Bustard  ;  Turkey,  Colonists  of 
Mew  South  Wales  ;  Native  Turkey, 
Swan  River."  [i.] 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia/ 
vol.  v.  pi.  77  : 

•'  Talegalla  Lathami,  Wattled  Tale- 
galla ;  Brush-Turkey  of  the  Colonists." 
.2.] 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  <  My  wife  and  I  in 
Queensland,'  p.  122  : 

"  The  bird  that  repaid  the  sportsman 
best  was  the  plain  turkey  or  bustard 
(Otis  Australasianus\  a  noble  fellow, 
the  male  weighing  from  eighteen  to 
twenty  pounds.  They  differ  from  the 
European  birds  in  being  good  flyers. 
.  .  .  The  length  of,  the  wings  is  very 
great,  and  they  look  like  monsters  in 
the  air."  [i.] 

1872.  Ibid.  p.  124  : 

"The  scrub-turkey  (Talegalla  La- 
thamt]  is  a  most  curious  bird  ;  its  habi- 
tat is  in  the  thickest  scrubs.  In  appear- 
ance it  much  resembles  the  English 
hen  turkey,  though  but  little  larger 
than  a  fowl."  [2.] 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,'  Bush  Life  in  Queens- 
land,' vol.  i.  p.  214  : 

"  Look  at  this  immense  mound.  It 
is  a  scrub-turkey's  nest.  Thirty  or  forty 
lay  their  eggs  in  it.  One  could  hardly 
imagine  they  could  gather  such  a  huge 
pile  of  sticks  and  earth  and  leaves. 
They  bury  their  eggs,  and  heap  up  the 
nest  until  the  laying  time  ceases.  The 
moist  heap  heats  and  incubates  the 
eggs.  The  young  turkeys  spring  out 
of  the  shell,  covered  with  a  thick  warm 
coat,  and  scratch  their  way  into  day- 
light, strong  and  able  to  provide  food 
for  themselves."  [3.] 

1891.  '  Guide  to  Zoological  Gardens, 
Melbourne ' : 

"The  bustard  (Eupodotis  Australis} 
is  known  by  the  colonists  as  the  native 
turkey.  It  is  excellent  eating  and  is 
much  sought  after  on  that  account. 
The  hen  bird  lays  only  one  egg, 
depositing  it  on  the  bare  ground. 
Formerly  they  were  numerous  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Melbourne,  but  they 
have  now  been  driven  further  inland ; 
they  are  still  abundant  on  the  western 
plains  and  on  the  open  Saltbush 
country  of  the  Lower  Murray.  They 
are  difficult  to  approach  on  foot,  but  it 
is  easy  to  get  within  gunshot  of  them 


484 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TUR 


on  horseback  or  driving.  The  natives 
used  formerly  to  capture  them  in  an 
ingenious  manner  by  means  of  a  snare ; 
they  approached  their  intended  victim 
against  the  wind  under  cover  of  a  large 
bush  grasped  in  the  left  hand,  while  in 
the  right  was  held  a  long  slender  stick, 
to  the  end  of  which  was  fastened  a 
large  fluttering  moth,  and  immediately 
below  a  running  noose.  While  the  bird, 
unconscious  of  danger,  was  eyeing  and 
pecking  at  the  moth,  the  noose  was 
dexterously  slipped  over  its  head  by 
the  cunning  black,  and  the  astonished 
bird  at  once  paid  the  penalty  of  its 
curiosity  with  its  life."  [i.] 

1891.  Ibid.: 

"In  the  first  division  are  several 
specimens  of  the  Brush-Turkey  (Tale- 
galla  Lathamt]  of  Australia.  These 
birds  have  excited  world-wide  interest 
in  scientific  circles,  by  their  ingenious 
mode  of  incubating.  They  construct 
a  large  mound  of  vegetable  mould  and 
sand  ;  mixed  in  such  proportions  that 
a  gentle  heat  will  be  maintained,  which 
hatches  the  buried  eggs.  The  young 
chicks  can  look  after  themselves  shortly 
after  bursting  the  egg-shell."  [2.] 

1892.  A.  Sutherland,  '  Elementary  Geo- 
graphy of  British  Colonies,'  p.  274  : 

"The  brush-turkeys,  which  are  not 
really  turkeys  but  birds  of  that  size, 
build  big  mounds  of  decaying  vege- 
table matter,  lay  their  eggs  on  the  top, 
cover  them  over  with  leaves,  and  leave 
the  whole  to  rot,  when  the  heat  of  the 
sun  above  and  of  the  fermentation  be- 
low, hatches  the  eggs,  and  the  young 
creep  out  to  forage  for  themselves 
without  ever  knowing  their  parents." 

[2.] 

1893.  Professor    H.     A.     Strong,     in 
*  Liverpool  Mercury,'  Feb.  13  : 

"The  well-known  'wild  turkey'  of 
Australian  colonists  is  a  bustard,  and 
he  has  the  good  sense  to  give  a  wide 
berth  to  the  two-legged  immigrants  : 
indeed  the  most  common  method  of 
endeavouring  to  secure  an  approach  to 
him  is  to  drive  up  to  him  in  a  buggy, 
and  then  to  let  fly.  The  approach  is 
generally  made  by  a  series  of  con- 
centric circles,  of  which  the  victim  is 
the  centre.  His  flesh  is  excellent,  the 
meat  being  of  a  rich  dark  colour,  with 
a  flavour  resembling  that  of  no  other 


game  bird  with  which  I  am  acquaint- 
ed.»  [i.] 

1893.  'The  Argus,'  March  25,  p.  3, 
col.  5  : 

"The  brush-turkey  (Talegalla\  an- 
other of  the  sand-builders,  lays  a  white 
egg  very  much  like  that  of  a  swan, 
while  the  third  of  that  wonderful  family, 
the  scrub-hen  or  Megapode,  has  an  egg 
very  long  in  proportion  to  its  width." 

Turmeric,  i.q.  Stinkwood  (q.v.); 
also  applied  occasionally  to  Hakea 
dactyloides,  Cav.,  N.O.  Proteacece. 
See  Hakea. 

Turnip-wood,  n.  the  timbers  of 
the  trees  Akania  hillii,  J.  Hook., 
N.  O.  Sapindacea,  and  Dysoxylon 
Muelleri,  Benth.,  N.  O.  Meliacece, 
from  their  white  and  red  colours 
respectively. 

Turpentine,  Brush,  name  given 
to  two  trees — Metrosideros  leptope- 
tala,  F.  v.  M.,  also  called  Myrtle  ; 
and  Rhodamnia  trinervia,  Blume, 
both  N.O.  Myrtacece. 

Turpentine-Tree,  n.  The  name 
is  applied  to  many  trees  in  Aus- 
tralia yielding  a  resin,  but  espe-^ 
cially  to  the  tree  called  Tallow- 
Wood  (q.v.),  Eucalyptus microcorys, 
F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Myrtacece  ;  to  Euca- 
lyptus punctata,  De  C.,  N.O. 
Myrtacece,ca\\e&  &\so  Leather-Jacket, 
Hickory,  Red-,  and  Yellow- Gum, 
and  Bastard-Box ;  and  to  E. 
stuartiana,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Myr- 
tacece.  In  New  Zealand,  it  is  also 
applied  to  the  Tarata.  See 
Mapau. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  523  : 

"  \E.  Stuartiana  is]  frequently  called 
Turpentine  Tree,  or  Peppermint  Tree. 
In  Victoria  it  is  known  as  Apple  Tree, 
Apple-scented  Gum,  White  Gum,  and 
Mountain  Ash.  It  is  the  Woolly  Butt 
of  the  county  of  Camden  (New  South 
Wales).  Occasionally  it  is  known  as 
Stringybark.  It  is  called  Box  about 
Stanthorpe  (Queensland),  Tea  Tree  at 


TUR-TUT] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


485 


Frazer's  Island  (Queensland),  and  Red 
Gum  in  Tasmania." 

Turquoise-Berry,  n.  i.q.  Solo- 
mon's Seal  (q.v.). 

Tussock-grass,  n.  Tussock  is 
an  English  word  for  a  tuft  of 
grass.  From  this  a  plant  of  the 
lily  family,  Lomandra  longtfolia, 
R.  Br.,  N.O.  LiliacecZ)  is  named 
Tussock-grass;  it  is  "considered 
the  best  native  substitute  for 
esparto."  ('  Century.') 

1884.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Melbourne 
Memories,'  c.  v.  p.  38  : 

"  The  roof  was  neatly  thatched  with 
the  tall,  strong  tussock-grass." 

Tussocker,  n.  a  New  Zealand 
name  for  a  Sundowner  (q.v.). 

1889.  Vincent  Pyke,  'Wild  Will  En- 
derby': 

"  Now,  a  'sun-downer,'  or  'tussocker' 
— for  the  terms  are  synonymous — is  a 
pastoral  loafer  ;  one  who  loiters  about 
till  dusk,  and  then  makes  for  the  nearest 
station  or  hut,  to  beg  for  shelter  and 
food.'? 

Tutu,  or  Toot,  n.  Maori  name 
for  a  shrub  or  small  tree,  Coria- 
ria  rusrifolia,  Linn.,  or  C.  sar- 
mentosa,  Forst.,  of  New  Zealand, 
widely  distributed.  It  bears  green- 
ish flowers,  and  shiny  pulpy  black 
berries.  From  these  the  Maoris 
make  a  wine  resembling  light 
claret,  taking  care  to  strain  out  and 
not  to  crush  the  seeds,  which  are 
poisonous,  with  an  action  similar 
to  that  of  strychnine.  It  goes 
also  by  the  name  of  Wineberry- 
bush,  and  the  Maori  name  is  An- 
glicised into  Toot.  In  Maori,  the 
final  u  is  swallowed  rather  than 
pronounced.  In  English  names 
derived  from  the  Maori,  a  vowel 
after  a  mute  letter  is  not  sounded. 
It  is  called  in  the  North  Island 
Tupakihi.  In  Maori,  the  verb 
tutu  means  to  be  hit,  wounded,  or 
vehemently  wild,  and  the  name 
of  the  plant  thus  seems  to  be 


connected  with  the  effects  pro- 
duced by  its  poison.  To  ".eat 
your  toot "  :  used  as  a  slang 
phrase  ;  to  become  acclimatised, 
to  settle  down  into  colonial  ways. 

1857.  R.  Wilkin,  in  a  Letter  printed  by 
C.  Hursthouse,  '  New  Zealand,'  p.  372 : 

"The  plant  called  'tutu'  or  'toot' 
appears  to  be  universal  over  New  Zea- 
land. If  eaten  by  sheep  or  cattle  with 
empty  stomachs,  it  acts  in  a  similar 
manner  to  green  clover,  and  sometimes 
causes  death  ;  but  if  partaken  of  spar- 
ingly, and  with  grass,  it  is  said  to 
possess  highly  fattening  qualities. 
None  of  the  graziers,  however,  except 
one,  with  whom  I  conversed  on  the 
subject,  seemed  to  consider  toot  worth 
notice  ;  ...  it  is  rapidly  disappearing  in 
the  older  settled  districts  and  will 
doubtless  soon  disappear  here." 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  'New  Zealand,' 
P-  395  : 

"The  wild  shrub  Tutu  (Coriaria 
ruscifolia),  greedily  devoured  by  sheep 
and  cattle,  produces  a  sort  of  '  hoven  ' 
effect,  something  like  that  of  rich 
clover  pastures  when  stock  break  in 
and  over  feed.  .  .  .  Bleeding  and  a 
dose  of  spirits  is  the  common  cure. 

.  .  Horses  and  pigs  are  not  affected 
by  it." 

1861.  C.  C.  Bowen,  'Poems,'  p.  57  : 
"  And  flax  and  fern  and  tutu  grew 
In  wild  luxuriance  round." 

1867.  F.   Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 

P-  139: 

"  The  toot-plant,  tutu  or  tupakihi  of 
the  Maoris  (Coriaria  sarmentosa, 
Forst.  =  C.  rtiscifolia,  L.),  is  a  small 
bush,  one  of  the  most  common  and 
widely  distributed  shrubs  of  the  islands. 
[New  Zealand.]  It  produces  a  sort  of 
'hoven'  or  narcotic  effect  on  sheep 
and  cattle,  when  too  greedily  eaten. 
It  bears  a  fruit,  which  is  produced  in 
clusters,  not  unlike  a  bunch  of  currants, 
with  the  seed  external,  of  a  purple 
colour.  The  poisonous  portion  of  the 
plant  to  man  are  the  seeds  and  seed- 
stalks,  while  their  dark  purple  pulp  is 
utterly  innoxious  and  edible.  The 
natives  express  from  the  berries  an 
agreeable  violet  juice  (carefully  avoid- 
ing the  seed),  called  native  wine." 


486 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[TWE-TWO 


1872.  A.  Domett,  « Ranolf,'  p.  103  : 

"  The  tutu-tree, 
Whose  luscious  purple  clusters   hang 

so  free 
And  tempting,   though    with    hidden 

seeds  replete 
That  numb  with  deadly  poison  all  who 

eat." 

1883.  J.   Hector,   'Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  131  : 

"Tupakihi,  tree  tutu.  A  perennial 
shrub  ten  to  eighteen  feet  high  ;  trunk 
six  to  eight  inches  in  diameter.  The 
so-called  berries  (fleshy  petals)  vary 
very  much  in  succulence.  .  .  .  The 
juice  is  purple,  and  affords  a  grateful 
beverage  to  the  Maoris  ;  and  a  wine, 
like  elderberry  wine,  has  been  made 
from  them.  The  seeds  and  leaves 
contain  a  poisonous  alkaloid,  and 
produce  convulsions,  delirium  and 
death,  and  are  sometimes  fatal  to  cattle 
and  sheep." 

1884.  Alfred  Cox,    '  Recollections,'  p. 
258: 

"When  footpaths  about  Christ- 
church  were  fringed  with  tutu  bushes, 
little  boys  were  foolish  enough  to  pluck 
the  beautiful  berries  and  eat  them.  A 
little  fellow  whose  name  was '  Richard  ' 
ate  of  the  fruit,  grew  sick,  but  reco- 
vered. When  the  punster  heard  of  it, 
he  said,  '  Ah  !  well,  if  the  little  chap 
had  died,  there  was  an  epitaph  all 
ready  for  him,  Decus  et  tut  amen.  Dick 
has  ate  toot,  amen.'  " 

1889.  G.  P.  Williams  and  W.  P.  Reeves, 
*  Colonial  Couplets,'  p.  20 ; 
"You  will  gather  from  this  that  I'm 

not  '  broken  in,' 

And  the  troublesome  process  has 
yet  to  begin 


Which  old  settlers  are  wont  to  call 

'  eating  your  tutu  ; ' 
(This  they  always  pronounce  as  if 

rhyming  with  boot)." 

1889.  Vincent  Pyke,  <  Wild  Will  Ender- 
by,'  p.  1 6  [Footnote]  :  - 

"The  poisonous  tutu  bushes.  A 
berry-bearing,  glossy-leaved  plant, 
deadly  to  man  and  to  all  animals, 
except  goats." 

1891.  T.  H.  Potts,  'New  Zealand 
Country  Journal,'  vol.  xv.  p.  103  : 

"The  Cockney  new  chum  soon 
learnt  to  '  eat  his  toot,3  and  he  quickly 
acquired  a  good  position  in  the 
district." 

Twenty-eight,  n.  another  name 
for  the  Yellow-collared  Parrakeet. 
Named  from  its  note.  See  Par- 
rakeet. 

1848.  J.  Gould,  *  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  v.  pi.  19  : 

"  Platycercus  Semitorquatus,  Quoy 
and  Gaim.,  Yellow-collared  Parrakeet ; 
Twenty-eight  Parrakeet,  Colonists  of 
Swan  River.  It  often  utters  a  note 
which,  from  its  resemblance  to  those 
words,  has  procured  for  it  the  appel- 
lation of  'twenty-eight '  Parrakeet  from 
the  Colonists  ;  the  last  word  or  note 
being  sometimes  repeated  five  or  six 
times  in  succession." 

Twine  Bush,  n.  i.q.  Hakea 
flexilis.  See  Hakea. 

Twine,  Settler's,  n.  See  Settler's 
Twine. 

Two -hooded  Furina- Snake. 
See  under  Snake. 


UMB-UTU] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


487 


U 


Umbrella  -  bush,  Acacia  oss- 
•waldi,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Legumi- 

nosce. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  363  : 

"  Often  called  '  Umbrella-Bush,3  as  it 
is  a  capital  shade  tree.  A  small  bushy 
tree." 

1894.  *  Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue — 
Economic  Woods,'  No.  17  : 

"The  plant  is  exquisitely  adapted 
for  tall  hedges.  It  is  often  called  the 
*  umbrella  tree,'  as  it  gives  a  capital 
shade.  The  heart-wood  is  dark,  hard, 
heavy  and  close-grained." 

Umbrella-grass,  i.q.  Native 
Millet,  Panicum  decompositum,  R.Br., 
N.O.  Grammes.  See  Millet.  It 
is  called  Umbrella-grass,  from  the 
shape  of  the  branches  at  the 
top  of  the  stem  representing  the 
ribs  of  an  open  umbrella. 

Umbrella-tree,  n.  name  given 
to  Brassaia  actinophylla,  Endl., 
N.O.  AraliacetZ)  from  the  large 
leaves  being  set,  like  umbrella- 
ribs,  at  the  top  of  numerous  stems. 

Umu,  n.  Maori  word,  signi- 
fying a  native  oven. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakeneld,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  75  : 

"  The  tangi  had  terminated  ;  the 
umu  or  '  cooking  holes J  were  smoking 
away  for  the  feast." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  <Te  Ika  a 
Maui,'  p.  389  : 

"The  native  oven  (umu  hangi)  is  a 
circular  hole  of  about  two  feet  in 
diameter  and  from  six  to  twelve  inches 
deep," 

1872.  '  Transactions  of  the  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  vol.  v.  p.  96  : 

".  .  .  being  all  in  and  around  the 
umus  (or  native  ovens)  in  which  they 
had  been  cooked." 


1882.  S.  Locke,  '  Traditions  of  Taupo,' 
'  Transactions  of  the  New  Zealand  Insti- 
tute,' vol.  xv.  art.  liv.  p.  440 : 

"They  killed  Kurimanga  the  priest 
and  cooked  him  in  an  oven,  from  which 
circumstance  the  place  is  called  Umu- 
Kuri." 

1889.  S.  P.  Smith,  '  Transactions  of  the 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xxii.  p.  98 : 

"An  oven  of  stones,  exactly  like  a 
Maori  umu  or  hangi." 

1893.  '  Transactions  of  the  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  vol.  xxvi.  p.  432  : 

"  The  oumu  or  haangi,  in  which  food 
was  cooked,  was  only  a  hole  scooped 
in  the  ground,  of  a  size  proportioned 
to  that  which  was  to  be  cooked." 

Union  Nut,  n.  a  fine  cabinet 
timber,  Bosistoa  sapindiformis,  F~ 
v.  M.,  N.O.  Rutacece. 

"Unlock  the  lands."  A 
political  cry  in  Victoria,  meaning 
open  up  for  Free-selection  (q.v.) 
the  lands  held  by  squatters  on 
lease. 

1887.  J.  F.  Hogan,  <  The  Irish  in  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  290 : 

"  The  democratic  party,  that  had  for 
its  watchword  the  expressive  phrase, 
*  Unlock  the  lands.3 " 

Unpayable,  adj.  not  likely  to 
pay  for  working  ;  not  capable  of 
yielding  a  profit  over  working 
expenses.  (A  very  rare  use.) 

1896.  '  The  Argus,'  Dec.  26,  p.  5,  col.  3  : 

"  Unpayable  Lines. — The  Commis- 
sioner of  Railways  has  had  a  return 
prepared  showing  the  results  of  the 
working  of  48  lines  for  the  year  ending 
30th  June,  1896.  Of  these,  33,  covering 
515  miles,  do  not  pay  working  ex- 
penses, and  are  reckoned  to  be  the 
worst  lines  in  the  colony." 

Utu,  n.  a  Maori  word  for 
"  Return,  price  paid,  reward, 


488 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[UTU-VAN 


ransom,  satisfaction  for  injuries 
received,  reply."  (Williams.) 
Sometimes  corrupted  by  English- 
men into  Hoot  (q.v.). 

1840.  J.  S.  Polack,  '  Manners  and  Cus- 
toms of  New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  63  : 

"  Utu  or  payment  is  invariably  ex- 
pected for  any  injustice  committed, 
and  is  exacted  in  some  shape,  the 
sufferer  feeling  debased  in  his  own 
opinion  until  he  obtains  satisfaction. 
The  Utu,  similar  to  the  tapu,  enters 
into  everything  connected  with  this 
people." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  29  : 

"  He  asserted  that  we  should  pay 
for  the  tapu  ;  but  suggested  as  an 
amendment  that  the  utu  or  '  payment ' 
should  be  handed  to  him." 

1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes,' 
p.  252  : 

"  Utu,  which  may  be  freely  trans- 
lated *  blood  for  blood,'  is  with  him 
[the  Maori]  a  sacred  necessity  .  .  . 
It  is  the  lex  talionis  carried  out  to  the 


letter.  The  exact  interpretation  of  the 
formidable  little  word  'Utu'  is,  I 
believe,  'payment.'" 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  '  New  Zealand/ 
vol.  i.  p.  6 1  : 

"  The  learned  commissioner's  court 
was  instantly  besieged  by  bands  of 
natives  vociferating  for  more  '  utu  * 
(payment),  and  threatening  the  settlers 
with  the  tomahawk  if  more  '  utu  '  were 
not  instantly  accorded." 

1872.  A.  Domett,  '  Ranolf,'  p.  470  : 

"  Besides  that,  for  such  shining  service 
done, 

A  splendid  claim,  he  reckoned,  would 
arise 

For  '  utu  '  —  compensation  or  re- 
ward." 

1873.  H.    Carleton,     'Life    of    Henry 
Williams,'  p.  79  : 

"  Blood  for  blood,  or  at  least  blood 
money,  is  Maori  law.  Better  the 
blood  of  the  innocent  than  none  at  all, 
is  a  recognised  maxim  of  the  Maori 
law  of  utu." 


Vandemonian,  n.  and  adj. 
belonging  to  Van  Diemen's  land, 
the  old  name  of  Tasmania ; 
generally  used  of  the  convicts  of 
the  early  days  ;  and  the  demon  in 
the  word  is  a  popular  application 
of  the  law  of  Hobson-Jobson. 
Now  obsolete. 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,   'Our  Antipodes,' 
(edition  1855),  p.  533  : 

"  The  Van  Diemonians,  as  they  un- 
pleasingly  call  themselves,  or  permit 
themselves  to  be  called,  are  justly  proud 
of  their  horse-flesh." 

1853.  S.    Sidney,    'Three  Colonies    of 
Australia'  (2nd  edit.),  p.  171  : 

"  One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  Legis- 
lative Assemblies  created  by  the 
Australian  Reform  Bill  of  1850  was  to 


pass  .  .  .  acts  levelled  against  Van 
Diemonian  expirees." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  '  Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  367  : 

"  Unquestionably  some  of  the  Van 
Diemenian  convicts." 

1867.   '  Cassell's  Magazine,'  p.  440  : 

"  '  I  never  wanted  to  leave  England/ 
I  have  heard  an  old  Vandemonian 
observe  boastfully.  '  I  wasn't  like  one 
of  these  'Jemmy  Grants'  (cant  term 
for  '  emigrants ')  ;  I  could  always  earn 
a  good  living  ;  it  was  the  Government 
as  took  and  sent  me  out." 

Vandemonianism,  n.  rowdy 
conduct  like  that  of  an  escaped 
convict ;  the  term  is  now  obsolete. 

1863.  'Victorian  Hansard,'  April  22* 
vol.  ix.  p.  701  : 


VAN- VIC] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


489, 


"  Mr.  Houston  looked  upon  the 
conduct  of  hon.  gentlemen  opposite 
as  ranging  from  the  extreme  of  vande- 
monianism  to  the  extreme  of  namby- 
pambyism." 

Van  Diemen's  Land,  the  name 
given  to  the  colony  now  called 
Tasmania,  by  Abel  Jansz  Tas- 
man,  the  Dutch  navigator,  in  , 
1642,  after  Anthony  Van  Diemen, 
Governor-General  of  the  Dutch 
East  Indies.  The  name  was 
changed  to  Tasmania  (q.v.)  in 
1853,  on  the  granting  of  Respon- 
sible Government. 

Vedalia,  n.  a  genus  of  greedily 
predatory  ladybirds.  The  V. 
cardinalis  of  Australia  was  import- 
ed by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment from  Australia  and  New 
Zealand  into  California  in  1888- 
89,  in  order  to  kill  the  fluted  scale 
(leery a  purchasi),  a  fruit-pest.  It 
destroyed  the  scale  in  nine 
months. 

Velvet-fish,  n.  name  given  in 
Tasmania  to  the  fish  Holoxenus 
cutaneus,  Giinth.,  family  Cirrhitidce. 
The  skin  is  covered  with  minute 
appendages,  so  soft  to  the  touch 
as  to  suggest  velvet ;  the  colour 
is  deep  purplish  red. 

Verandah,  n.  In  Australia, 
the  heat  of  the  sun  makes  ver- 
andahs much  commoner  than  in 
England.  They  are  an  archi- 
tectural feature  of  all  dwelling- 
houses  in  suburb  or  in  bush,  and 
of  most  City  shops,  where  they 
render  the  broad  side-walks  an 
almost  continuous  arcade.  "Under 
the  Verandah  "  has  acquired  the 
meaning,  "where  city  men  most 
do  congregate." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  c.  xxvii.  p.  4l8  = 

"In  Melbourne  there  is  the  'ver- 
andah'; in  Sandhurst  there  is  a  'ver- 
andah'; in  Ballaarat  there  is  a  'ver- 
andah.' The  verandah  is  a  kind  of 


open   exchange — some  place  on    the 
street  pavement,  apparently   selected  < 
by  chance,  on  which   the   dealers  in 
mining  shares  do  congregate." 

1895.  Modern.  Private  Letter  of  an  Aus- 
tralian on  Tour : 

"  What  I  miss  most  in  London  is 
the  Verandahs.  With  this  everlasting 
rain  there  is  no  place  to  get  out  of  a 
shower,  as  in  Melbourne.  But  I  sup- 
pose it  pays  the  umbrella-makers." 

V-hut,  a  term  used  in  the 
province  of  Canterbury,  New  Zea- 
land. See  quotations. 

1857.  R.  B.  Paul,  «  Letters  from  Can- 
terbury,' p.  57  : 

"The  form  is  that  of  a  V hut,  the 
extremities  of  the  rafters  being  left 
bare,  so  as  to  form  buttresses  to  the 
walls"  (of  the  church). 

1863.  S.  Butler,  '  First  Year  in  Canter- 
bury,' p.  73  : 

"  I  am  now  going  to  put  up  a  V- 
hut  on  the  country  that  I  took  up  on 
the  Rangitata.  ...  It  consists  of  a 
small  roof  set  up  on  the  ground  ;  it  is 
a  hut  all  roof  and  no  walls." 

1879.  C.  L.  Innes, 'Canterbury Sketches,' 
p.  20: 

"In  case  my  readers  may  not 
know  what  a  '  V '  hut  is  like,  I  will 
describe  one  : — It  is  exactly  as  if  you 
took  the  roof  off  a  house  and  stood  it 
on  the  ground,  you  can  only  stand 
upright  in  the  middle." 

1896.  Jan.    A  Traveller's  note  : 

"Not  long  ago  a  Canterbury  lady  said 
— '  I  was  born  in  a  V-hut,  and  chris- 
tened in  a  pie-dish.' " 

Victoria,  n.  the  name  of  the- 
smallest  of  all  the  Australian 
colonies.  It  was  separated  from 
New  South  Wales  in  1851,  when 
it  was  named  after  Queen  Vic- 
toria. Sir  Thomas  Mitchell  had 
before  given  it  the  name  of  ' '  Aus- 
tralia Felix,"  and  Dr.J.  D.  Lang 
wanted  the  name  "  Phillipsland." 
Hepublished  a  bookwith  that  title 
in  1847.  Previous  to  separation, 
the  name  used  was  "the  Port 
Phillip  District  of  New  South, 
Wales." 


.490 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


Village  Settlement,  the  system, 
first  adopted  in  New  Zealand, 
whence  it  spread  to  the  other 
colonies,  of  settling  families  on 
the  land  in  combination.  The 
Government  usually  helps  at  first 
with  a  grant  of  money  as  well  as 
granting  the  land. 

Vine,  n.  In  Australia,  the  word 
is  loosely  applied  to  many  trailing 
or  creeping  plants,  which  help  to 
form  scrubs  and  thickets.  In  the 
more  marked  cases  specific  ad- 
jectives are  used  with  the  word. 
See  following  words. 

1849.  J.  P.  Townsend,  'Rambles  in 
New  South  Wales,3  p.  22  : 

"With  thick  creepers,  commonly 
called 'vines.'" 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in  Queens- 
land,' vol.  ii.  p.  21 : 

"Impenetrable  vine-scrubs  line  the 
river-banks  at  intervals." 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  25  : 

"Vitis  in  great  abundance  and  of 
many  varieties  are  found  especially 
in  the  scrubs,  hence  the  colonists  call 
this  sort  of  brush,  vine-scrub." 

Vine,  Balloon.  See  Balloon 
Vine. 

Vine,  Burdekin.  Called  also 
Round  Yam,  Vitis  opaca,  F.  v.  M., 
N.O.  Ampelidece. 


[VIL-VIN 

Caustic- 


Vine,     Caustic,     i.q. 
Plant  (q.v.). 

Vine,  Lawyer.     See  Lawyer. 

Vine,  Macquarie  Harbour,  or 
Macquarie  Harbour  Grape  (q.v.). 
Same  as  Native  Ivy.  See  Ivy. 

1891.  '  Chambers'  Encyclopaedia,'  s.v. 
Polygonaea  : 

"  Miihlenbeckia  adpressa  is  the  Mac- 
quarie Harbour  Vine  of  Tasmania,  an 
evergreen  climbing  or  trailing  shrub 
of  most  rapid  growth,  sometimes  60 
feet  in  length.  It  produces  racemes 
of  fruit  somewhat  resembling  grapes 
or  currants,  the  nut  being  invested 
with  the  large  and  fleshy  segments  of 
the  calyx.  The  fruit  is  sweetish  and 
subacid,  and  is  used  for  tarts." 

1884.  R.  L.  A.  Davies,  'Poems  and 
Literary  Remains,'  p.  99  : 

"  How  we  saw  the  spreading  myrtles, 

Saw  the  cypress  and  the  pine, 
Saw  the  green  festoons  and  bowers 

Of  the  dark  Macquarie  vine, 
Saw  the  blackwoods  and  the  box- 
trees, 

And  the  spiral  sassafrases, 
Saw  the  fairy  fern-trees  mantled 
With  their  mossy  cloak  of  grasses." 

Vine,  Native  Pepper.  See 
Climbing  Pepper •,  under  Pepper. 

Vine,  Wonga  Wonga.  See 
Wonga  Wonga  Vine. 


WAD] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


491 


W 


Waddy.  (i)  An  aboriginal's 
war  club.  But  the  word  is  used 
for  wood  generally,  even  for  fire- 
wood. In  a  kangaroo  hunt,  a 
man  will  call  out,  "Get  off  and 
kill  it  with  a  waddy,"  i.e.  any 
stick  casually  picked  up.  In 
pigeon-English,  "  little  fellow 
waddy"  means  a  small  piece  of 
wood. 

In  various  dictionaries,  e.g. 
Stanford,  the  word  is  entered  as 
of  aboriginal  origin,  but  many 
now  hold  that  it  is  the  English 
word  wood  mispronounced  by 
aboriginal  lips.  L.  E.  Threlkeld, 
in  his  '  Australian  Grammar,'  at  p. 
10,  enters  it  as  a  "barbarism" — 
"waddy,  a  cudgel."  A  'barbar- 
ism,' with  Threlkeld,  often  means 
no  more  than  '  not  in  use  on 
the  Hunter  River  ' ;  but  in  this 
case  his  remark  may  be  more 
appropriate. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  word 
is  given  as  an  aboriginal  word  in 
Hunter's  'Vocabulary  of  the 
Sydney  Dialect'  (1793),  and  in 
Ridley's  '  Kamilaroi '  (1875),  as 
used  at  George's  River.  The 
Rev.  J.  Mathew  wrrites  : 

"  The  aboriginal  words  for  fire  and 
'wood  are  very  often,  in  fact  nearly 
always,  interchangeable,  or  inter- 
changed, at  different  places.  The  old 
Tasmanian  and  therefore  original  Aus- 
tralian term  for  wood  and  fire,  or  one 
or  the  other  according  to  dialect,  is 
ivi  (wee)  sometimes  win.  These  two 
forms  occur  in  many  parts  of  Australia 
with  numerous  variants,  wi  being 
obviously  the  radical  form.  Hence 
there  were  such  variants  as  wiint 


waanap)  weenth  in  Victoria,  and  at 
Sydney  gweyong,  and  at  Botany  Bay 
we,  all  equivalent  to  fire.  Wl  some- 
times took  on  what  was  evidently  an 
affixed  adjective  or  modifying  particle, 
giving  such  forms  as  wibra^  ivygum, 
ivyber,  wnrnaway.  The  modifying 
part  sometimes  began  with  the  sound 
of  d  or  j  (into  which  of  course  d 
enters  as  an  element).  Thus  modified, 
wi  became  wadjano  on  Murchison 
River,  Western  Australia  ;  wachernee 
at  Burke  River,  Gulf  of  Carp.  ;  wickun 
on  the  Barcoo  ;  ivatta  on  the  Hunter 
River,  New  South  Wales  ;  wudda  at 
Queanbeyan,  New  South  Wales. 
These  last  two  are  obviously  identical 
with  the  Sydney  waddy =*"  wood.'  The 
argument  might  be  lengthened,  but  I 
think  what  I  have  advanced  shows 
conclusively  that  Waddy  is  the  Tas- 
manian word  urn,  +  a  modifying  word 
or  particle." 

1814.  Flinders,  'Voyage,'  vol.  ii.  p. 
189: 

"  Some  resembling  the  whaddie,  or 
wooden  sword  of  the  natives  of  Port 
Jackson." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  20 : 

"  It  is  amusing  to  see  the  conse- 
quential swagger  of  some  of  these 
dingy  dandies,  as  they  pass  lordly  up 
our  streets,  with  a  waddie  twirling  in 
their  black  paws." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  66  : 

"Such  a  weapon  as  their  waddy  is  : 
it  is  formed  like  a  large  kitchen  poker, 
and  nearly  as  heavy,  only  much  shorter 
in  the  handle.  The  iron-bark  wood, 
of  which  it  is  made,  is  very  hard,  and 
nearly  as  heavy  as  iron." 

1844.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Notes  and 
Sketches  of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  106: 

"The  word  'waddie,'  though  com- 
monly applied  to  the  weapons  of  the 
New  South  Wales  aborigines,  does 


492 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[WAD-WAG 


not  with  them  mean  any  particular 
implement,  but  is  the  term  used  to 
express  wood  of  any  kind,  or  trees. 
*  You  maan  waddie  'long  of  fire,'  means 
'  Go  and  fetch  firewood.'" 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  'Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  17  : 

"  The  Lachlan  black,  who,  with  his 
right  hand  full  of  spears,  his  whaddie 
and  heleman  in  his  left,  was  skipping 
in  the  air,  shouting  his  war  cry." 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip 
in  1 849,' p.  54: 

"  A  waddy,  a  most  formidable 
bludgeon." 

1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes,' 
p.  101 : 

"The  waddy  is  a  heavy,  knobbed 
club  about  two  feet  long,  and  is  used 
for  active  service,  foreign  or  domestic. 
It  brains  the  enemy  in  the  battle,  or 
strikes  senseless  the  poor  gin  in  cases 
of  disobedience  or  neglect." 

1864.  '  Once  a  Week,'  Dec.  31,  p.  45, 
'  The  Bulk  Bulk  Bunyip ' : 

"  The  landlord  swore  to  the  appari- 
tion of  a  huge  blackfellow  flourishing 
a  phantasmal  '  waddy.5 " 

1879.  C.  W.  Schiirmann,  'Native Tribes 
of  Australia — Port  Lincoln  Tribe,'  p.  214: 

"The  wirris,  by  the  whites  incor- 
rectly named  waddies,  are  also  made 
of  gum  saplings  ;  they  are  eighteen 
inches  in  length,  and  barely  one  inch 
in  diameter,  the  thin  end  notched  in 
order  to  afford  a  firm  hold  for  the 
hand,  while  towards  the  other  end 
there  is  a  slight  gradual  bend  like 
that  of  a  sword  ;  they  are,  however, 
without  knobs,  and  every  way  inferior 
to  the  wirris  of  the  Adelaide  tribes. 
The  natives  use  this  weapon  princi- 
pally for  throwing  at  kangaroo- rats  or 
other  small  animals." 

1886.  R.  Henty,  'Australian^'  p.  18  : 

"The  'waddy'  is  a  powerful  weapon 
in  the  hands  of  the  native.  With  un- 
erring aim  he  brings  down  many  a 
bird,  and  so  materially  assists  in  re- 
plenishing the  family  larder." 

1892.  J.  Fraser,  '  Aborigines  of  New 
South  Wales,'  p.  74: 

"A  general  name  for  all  Australian 
clubs  is  'waddy,'  and,  although  they 
are  really  clubs,  they  are  often  used 
as  missiles  in  battle." 


(2)  The  word  is  sometimes 
used  for  a  walking-stick. 

Waddy,  v.  trans,  to  strike  with 
a  waddy. 

1855.     Robert   Lowe    (Viscount    Sher- 
brooke),  '  Songs  of  the  Squatters,'  canto  ii. 
st.  7: 
"When   the    white    thieves   had    left 

me,  the  black  thieves  appeared, 
My    shepherds    they   waddied,  my 
cattle  they  speared." 

1869.  '  Victorian  Hansard,'  Nov.  18, 
vol.  ix.  p.  2310,  col.  2: 

"They  were  tomahawking  them, 
and  waddying  them,  and  breaking 
their  backs." 

1882.  A.  Tolmer,  '  Reminiscences,'  p. 
291  : 

"In  the  scuffle  the  native  attempted 
to  waddy  him." 

1893.   '  The  Argus,'  April  8,  p.  4,  col.  3  : 

"  Only  three  weeks  before  he  had 
waddied  his  gin  to  death  for  answer- 
ing questions  asked  her  by  a  black- 
tracker." 

1896.  A.  B.  Paterson,  '  Man  from  Snowy 
River,'  p.  45  : 
"  For  they  waddied  one  another,  till 

the  plain  was  strewn  with  dead, 
While  the   score  was  kept  so  even 
that  they  neither  got  ahead." 

Waddy  Wood,  or  White 
Wood,  «.  name  given  in  Tas- 
mania to  the  tree  Pittosporum 
bicolor,  Hook.,  N. O.  Pittosporetz  ; 
from  which  the  aboriginals  there 
chiefly  made  their  Waddies. 

1851.  '  Papers  and  Proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Van  Diemen's  Land/ 
vol.  i.  p.  156 : 

"  i  ith  October,  1848.  .  .  a  sample  of 
a  very  fine  close-grained  white  timber, 
considered  by  him  suitable  for  wood- 
engraving  purposes,  obtained  in  a 
defile  of  Mount  Wellington.  It  seems 
to  be  the  young  wood  of  Pittosporum 
bicolor,  formerly  in  high  estimation 
amongst  the  Aborigines  of  Tasmania, 
on  account  of  its  combined  qualities  of 
density,  hardness,  and  tenacity,  as  the 
most  suitable  material  of  which  to 
make  their  warlike  implement  the 
waddle" 

Wagtail,     or     Wagtail     Fly- 


WAH-WAK] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


493 


catcher,  n.  an  Australian  bird, 
Rhipidura  tricolor^  the  Black-and- 
white  Fantail)  with  black-and- 
white  plumage  like  a  pied  wag- 
tail. See  also  quotation,  1896. 
The  name  is  applied  sometimes 
in  Gippsland,  and  was  first  used 
in  Western  Australia  as  a  name 
for  the  Black-and-white  Fantail. 
See  Fantail. 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Head-Station,'  p. 
214: 

"He  pointed  to  a  Willy-wagtail 
which  was  hopping  cheerfully  from 
stone  to  stone." 

1896.  A.  J.  North,  'List  of  the  In- 
sectivorous Birds  of  New  South  Wales,' 
pt.  i.  p.  13  : 

"  Salltoprocta  motacilloides,  Vig. 
and  Horsf.  '  Black  and  White  Fantail.3 
'Water  Wagtail.3  .  .  .  From  this 
bird3s  habit  of  constantly  swaying  its 
lengthened  tail  feathers  from  side  to 
side  it  is  locally  known  in  many  dis- 
tricts as  the  '  Willy  Wagtail.' " 

Wahine,  n.  Maori  word  for  a 
woman.  The  /  is  long. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  29  : 

"  Having  enquired  how  many  (wives) 
the  Kings  of  England  had,  he  laughed 
heartily  at  finding  they  were  not  so 
well  provided,  and  repeatedly  counted 
'  four  wahine 3  (women)  on  his  fingers." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes  ' 
(edition  1855),  p.  289  : 

"  A  group  of  whyenees  and  piccanin- 
nies." 

1893.  '  Otago  Witness,'  Dec.  21,  p.  n, 
col.  5  : 

"  It  is  not  fit  that  a  daughter  of  the 
great  tribe  should  be  the  slave-wife  of 
the  pakeha  and  the  slave  of  the  white 
wahine.33 

Waipiro,  n.  Maori  name  for 
spirits, — literally,  stinking  water, 
from  piro,  stinking,  and  wat, 
water.  In  New  Zealand  geo- 
graphy, the  word  Wai  is  very 
common  as  the  first  part  of  many 
names  of  harbours,  lakes,  etc. 
Compare  North-American  Indian 
Fire-water. 


1845.  W.  Brown,  'New  Zealand  and 
its  Inhabitants,'  p.  132  : 

"  Another  native  keeps  a  grog-shop, 
and  sells  his  waipero,  as  he  says,  to 
Hourangi  drunken  pakehas.35 

1863.  F.  Maning  (Pakeha  Maori),  '  Old 
New  Zealand,'  p.  169  : 

"  He  would  go  on  shore,  in  spite  of 
every  warning,  to  get  some  water  to 
mix  with  his  ivaipiro,  and  was  not  his 
canoe  found  next  day  floating  about 
with  his  paddle  and  two  empty  case 
bottles  in  it  ?  " 

1873.  Lt.-Col.  St.  John,  'Pakeha  Ram- 
bles through  Maori  Lands,'  p.  167  : 

"  When  we  see  a  chance  of  getting 
at  waipiro,  we  don't  stick  at  trifles." 

1887.  The  Warrigal,  '  Picturesque  New 
Zealand,'  'Canterbury  Weekly  Press,' 
March  1 1  : 

"  The  priest  was  more  than  epigram- 
matic when  he  said  that  the  Maoris3 
love  for  '  waipiro 3  (strong  waters)  was 
stronger  than  their  morals.3' 

Wairepo,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
fish  called  Sting-ray. 

Wait-a-while,  n.  also  called 
Stay-a- while  :  a  thicket  tree. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  306  : 

"Acacia  colletioides,  A.  Cunn.,  N.O. 
Leguminosce,  'Wait-a-while3  (a  deli- 
cate allusion  to  the  predicament  of  a 
traveller  desirous  of  penetrating  a  belt 
of  it)." 

Waka,  n.  Maori  word  for  canoe. 
Waka  huia  is  a  box  for  keeping 
feathers,  originally  the  feathers  of 
the  huia  (q.v.). 

1874.  W.  M.  Baynes,  'Narrative  of 
Edward  Crewe,'  p.  81  : 

" '  Whaka '  is  the  native  name,  or 
rather  the  native  generic  term,  for  all 
canoes,  of  which  there  are  many  differ- 
ent kinds,  as  tete,  pekatu,  kopapa,  and 
others  answering  in  variety  to  our 
several  descriptions  of  boats,  as  a  '  gig,' 
a  *  whaleboat,3  a  '  skiff,3  a  *  dingy,3  etc." 

1878.  R.  C.  Barstow,  'On  the  Maori 
Canoe,'  '  Transactions  of  the  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  vol.  xi.  art.  iv.  p.  72  : 

"  Canoes  may  be  divided  into  four 
classes  ;  Waka-taua  or  Waka-pitau 
were  canoes,  fully  carved  ;  the  Waka- 
tetee,  which,  generally  smaller,  had  a 


494 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[WAK-WAL 


plain  figure-head  and  stern  ;  Waka- 
tiivai,  an  ordinary  canoe  of  one  piece, 
and  the  kopapa  or  small  canoe,  usually 
used  for  fishing,  travelling  to  cultiva- 
tion, etc." 

Wakiki,  n.  shell  money  of  the 
South  Sea  Islands. 

Waler,  n.  Anglo-Indian  name 
for  an  Australian  horse  imported 
from  New  South  Wales  into 
India,  especially  for  the  cavalry. 
Afterwards  used  for  any  horse 
brought  from  Australia. 

1863.  B.  A.  Hey  wood,  '  Vacation  Tour 
at  the  Antipodes,'  p.  134  : 

"  Horses  are  exported  largely  from 
Australia  to  India  even.  I  have  heard 
men  from  Bengal  talk  of  the  '  Walers,' 
meaning  horses  from  New  South 
Wales." 

1866.  G.  O.  Trevelyan,  '  Dawk  Bunga- 
low,' p.  223  [Yule's  '  Hobson  Jobson ']  : 

"  Well,  young  Shaver,  have  you  seen 
the  horses  ?  How  is  the  Waler's  off 
fore-leg?" 

1873.  '  Madras  Mail,'  June  25  [Yule's 
'  Hobson  Jobson '] : 

"  For  sale.   A  brown  Waler  gelding." 

1888.  R.  Kipling,  'Plain  Tales  from 
the  Hills,'  p.  224 : 

"  The  soul  of  the  Regiment  lives  in 
the  Drum-Horse  who  carries  the 
silver  kettle-drums.  He  is  nearly 
always  a  big  piebald  Waler." 

1896.  '  The  Melburnian,' Aug.  28,  p.  62  : 

"  C.  R.  Gaunt  is  Senior  Subaltern 
of  the  4th  (Royal  Irish)  Dragoon 
Guards,  at  present  stationed  at  Rawul 
Pindi  in  India.  He  won  the  Regi- 
mental Cup  Steeplechase  this  year  on 
an  Australian  mare  of  his  own.  Aus- 
tralian horses  are  called  '  Walers  '  in 
India,  from  the  circumstance  of  their 
being  generally  imported  from  New 
South  Wales." 

Walking-Leaf,  n.  See  Phasmid. 
Walking-stick,  n.  See  Phasmid. 

Walking-stick  Palm,  n.  See 
under  Palm. 

Wallaby,  n.  a  name  used  for 
the  smaller  kinds  of  Kangaroos 
of  the  genus  Macropus  (q.v.),  form- 


erly classed  as  Halmaturus.  An 
aboriginal  word.  See  Collins, 
1798,  below.  ( Wolbai,  in  the  Kabi 
dialect  of  South  Queensland, 
means  a  young  creature.)  Also 
spelt  Wallaby,  Wallabee,  and  Wal- 
lobi.  As  in  the  case  of  Kangaroo 
(q.v.),  the  plural  is  a  little  un- 
certain, Wallaby  or  Wallabies. 
Some  of  them  are  sometimes 
c  all  e  d  Brush-Ka  ngaroos  (q.v.). 
The  following  are  the  species-^ 

Agile  Wallaby — 

Macropus  agilis,  Gould. 
Aru  Island  W.— 

M.  brunnii,  Schraeber. 
Black-gloved  W.— 

M.  irmay  Jourd. 
Black-striped  W.— 

M.  dor  satis,  Gray. 
Black-tailed  W.— 

M.  ualabatus.  Less,  and  Garm. 
Branded  W.  - 

M.  stigmaticus,  Gould. 
Cape  York  W.— 

M.  coxeni,  Gray. 
Dama  W. — 

M.  eugenii,  Desm. 
Pademelon — 

M.  thetidis,  Less. 
Parma  W.— 

M.  parma,  Waterh. 
Parry's  W.- 

M.  parryi,  Bennett. 
Red-legged  W. — 

M.  wilcoxi)  McCoy. 
Red-necked  W.,  Grey's  W.- 

M.  ruficollis,  Desm. 
Rufous-bellied  W.— 

M.  billardieri,  Desm. 
Short-tailed  W.— 

M.  brachyuruSy  Quoy  and  Gaim, 
Sombre  W. — 

M.  brownii,  Ramsay. 

In  addition,  there  are  six  species 
of  Rock-  Wallaby  (q.v.),  genus 
Petrogale  (q.v.).  See  also  Paddy- 
melon. 

Three     species     of    Nail-tailed 


WAL] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


495 


Wallabies,  genus  Onychogale 
(q.v.),  are  confined  to  Australia. 
They  are  the  Nail-tailed  Wallaby, 
Onychogale  unguifera,  Gould ; 
Bridled  W.,  O.  frenata,  Gould; 
Crescent  W.,  O.  lunata,  Gould. 

Three  species  of  Hare-  Wallabies 
(genus  Lagorchestes,  q.v.),  confined 
to  Australia,  are  the  Spectacled 
Hare- Wallaby,  Lagorchestes  con- 
spiculatus,  Gould ;  Common  H.  W., 
L.  leporoides,  Gould  ;  Rufous 
H.  W.,  L.  hirsutus,  Gould. 

One  species,  called  the  Banded- 
Wallaby  (genus,  Lagostrophus,  q.v.), 
confined  to  Western  Australia, 
is  L.  fasciatus,  Peron  and  Less. 

For  etymology,  see  Wallaroo. 

1798.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  p.  614 
[Vocabulary]  : 

"  Wal-li-bah— a  black  kangaroo." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  '^resent  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  in  : 

"  In  the  long  coarse  grass  with 
which  these  flats  are  always  covered,  a 
species  of  small  kangaroo  is  usually 
found,  which  the  natives  call  the 
'  walloby.'  Their  colour  is  darker  than 
that  of  the  forest  kangaroo,  approach- 
ing almost  to  that  of  a  fox,  and  they 
seat  themselves  in  the  grass  like  a  hare 
or  a  rabbit." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 
c.  ii.  p.  28 : 

"  The  wallabee  is  not  very  common." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  c.  ix.  p.  267  : 

"  The  Wallaby  are  numerous  on  this 
part  of  the  island." 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expedi- 
tion,' p.  49 : 

"  Rock  wallabies  were  very  numer-i 
ous." 

Ibid.  c.  xii.  p.  418: 

"They  returned  with  only  a  red 
wallabi  (Halmaturus  agilis)? 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  '  Port  Phillip 
in  1849,'  P-  37  : 

-"The  rock  Wallaby,  or  Badger,  also 
belongs  to  the  family  of  the  kangaroo ; 
its  length  from  the  nose  to  the  end  of 
the  tail  is  three  feet  ;  the  colour  of  the 
fur  being  grey-brown." 


1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,  '  Our  Antipodes," 
p.  12  : 

"  Sipping  doubtfully,  but  soon  swal- 
lowing with  relish,  a  plate  of  wallabi  - 
tail  soup." 

1865.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  His- 
tory of  the  Discovery  and  Exploration  of 
Australia,'  vol.  ii.  p.  18  : 

"  Eyre  succeeded  in  shooting  a  fine 
wallaby."  [Note]:  "A  small  kind  of 
kangaroo,  inhabiting  the  scrub." 

1873.  A.  Trollope,  'Australia  and  New 
Zealand,'  c.  vii.  p.  117  : 

"  I  have  also  been  frowned  upon  by 
bright  eyes  because  I  could  not  eat 
stewed  wallabi.  Now  the  wallabi  is  a 
little  kangaroo,  and  to  my  taste  it  is 
not  nice  to  eat  even  when  stewed  to 
the  utmost  with  wine  and  spices." 

1880.  Garnet  Walch,  'Victoria  in  i88o/ 
p.  7  : 

"To  hear  .  .  .  that  wallabies  are 
'  the  women  of  the  native  race '  cannot 
but  be  disconcerting  to  the  well- 
regulated  colonial  mind."  [He  adds 
a  footnote] :  "  It  is  on  record  that  a 
journalistically  fostered  impression 
once  prevailed,  in  high  English  circles, 
to  the  effect  that  a  certain  colonial 
Governor  exhibited  immoral  tenden- 
cies by  living  on  an  island  in  the  midst 
of  a  number  of  favourite  wallabies, 
whom  he  was  known  frequently  to 
caress." 

1881.  A.    C.    Grant,    '  Bush    Life    in 
Queensland/  vol.  i.  p.  213  : 

"  Now  one  hears  the  pat-pat-pat  of 
a  wallaby." 

1885.  J.  B.  Stephens,  'To  a  Black  Gin,' 
P-  5  = 

"  Of  tons  of  'baccy,  and  tons  more  to 

follow, — 
Of  wallaby  as  much  as  thou  could'st 

swallow, — 

Of  hollow  trees,  with  'possums  in 
the  hollow." 

1886.  J.  A.  Froude,  '  Oceana,'  p.  309  : 
"  My  two  companions  .  .  .  went  off 

with  the  keeper  [sic]  to  shoot  wallaby. 
Sir  George  (Grey)  has  a  paternal 
affection  for  all  his  creatures,  and 
hates  to  have  them  killed.  But  the 
wallaby  multiply  so  fast  that  the  sheep 
cannot  live  for  them,  and  several 
thousands  have  to  be  destroyed 
annually." 


496 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[WAL 


1888.  Sir  C.  Gavan  Duffy,  in  the  '  Con- 
temporary Review,'  vol.  liii.  p.  3  : 

"'Morality!'  exclaimed  the  colonist. 
*What  does  your  lordship  suppose  a 
wallaby  to  be  ? '  '  Why,  a  half-caste, 
'of  course.'  '  A  wallaby,  my  lord,  is  a 
dwarf  kangaroo  ! ;  " 

"Wallaby-Bush,  n.  a  tall  shrub 
•or  tree,  Beyeria  viscosa,  Miq.,  N. O. 
Euphorbiacece.  Same  as  the  Pink- 
wood  of  Tasmania. 

Wallaby-Grass,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian grass,  Danthonia penicillata, 
F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Graminece. 

1889.  J.   H.   Maiden,    'Useful   Native 
Plants,'  p.  82  : 

"  '  Wallaby  Grass.'  This  perennial 
grass  is  useful  for  artificial  mixed 
pasture." 

Wallaby-skin,  the  skin,  with 
the  hair  on  it,  of  the  wallaby, 
prized  as  a  warm  and  ornamental 
fur  for  rugs. 

1890.  'The    Argus,'    June    13,    p.    6, 
col.  2  : 

"  A  quantity  of  hair,  a  wallaby-skin 
rug." 

Wallaby  track,  On  the,  or 
On  the  Wallaby,  or  Out  on  the 
Wallaby,  or  simply  Wallaby, 
as  adj.  [slang].  Tramping  the 
-country  on  foot,  looking  for 
work.  Often  in  the  bush  the 
only  perceptible  tracks,  and  some- 
times the  only  tracks  by  which 
the  scrub  can  be  penetrated,  are 
the  tracks  worn  down  by  the 
Wallaby,  as  a  hare  tramples  its 
"form."  These  tracks  may  lead 
to  water  or  they  may  be  aimless 
and  rambling.  Thus  the  man 
"on  the  wallaby"  may  be  looking 
for  food  or  for  work,  or  aimlessly 
wandering  by  day  and  getting 
food  and  shelter  as  a  Sundowner 
(q.v.)  at  night. 

1869.  Marcus  Clarke,  'Peripatetic  Phi- 
losopher' (Reprint),  p.  41  : 

"  The  Wimmera  district  is  noted  for 
the  hordes  of  vagabond  '  loafers '  that 


it  supports,  and  has  earned  for  itself 
the  name  of  '  The  Feeding  Track.'  I 
remember  an  old  bush  ditty,  which  I 
have  heard  sung  when  /  was  on  the 
'Wallaby.'  ...  At  the  station  where 
I  worked  for  some  time  (as  'knock- 
about man ')  three  cooks  were  kept 
during  the  '  wallaby '  season — one  for 
the  house,  one  for  the  men,  and  one 
for  the  travellers." 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'A  Colonial 
Reformer,'  p.  82  : 

"  *  What  is  the  meaning  of  '  out  on 
the  wallaby'?  asked  Ernest.  'Well, 
it's  bush  slang,  sir,  for  men  just  as  you 
or  I  might  be  now,  looking  for  work 
or  something  to  eat ;  if  we  can't  get 
work,  living  on  the  country,  till  things 
turn  round  a  little." 

Ibid.  p.  388  : 

"  Our  friends  who  pursue  the  ever- 
lengthening  but  not  arduous  track  of 
the  wallaby  in  Australia." 

1893.  Gilbert  Parker,    'Pierre  and  his 
People,'  p.  242  : 

"The  wallaby  track?  That's  the 
name  in  Australia  for  trampin'  west, 
through  the  plains  of  the  Never  Never 
Country,  lookin'  for  the  luck  o'  the 
world." 

1894.  Longmans'    '  Notes    on    Books ' 
(May  31),  p.  206: 

" '  On  the  Wallaby :  a  Book  of 
Travel  and  Adventure.'  '  On  the 
Wallaby '  is  an  Australianism  for  '  on 
the  march,'  and  it  is  usually  applied  to 
persons  tramping  the  bush  in  search 
of  employment." 

1894.  Jennings  Carmichael,  in  '  Aus- 
tralasian,' Dec.  22,  p.  1127,  col.  5  : 

"  A   '  wallaby '   Christmas,  Jack,   old 

man  ! — 
Well,  a  worse  fate  might  befall 

us  ! 
The  bush  must  do  for  our  church 

to-day, 

And  birds  be  the  bells  to  call  us. 
The  breeze  that    comes    from   the 

shore  beyond, 
Thro'     the     old     gum  -  branches 

swinging, 

Will    do    for    our    solemn    organ- 
chords, 

And  the  sound  of  children  sing- 
ing." 


WAL-WAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


497 


1896.    H.   Lawson,   'When  the  World 
was  Wide,'  p.  134  : 
"Though    joys    of   which     the    poet 

rhymes 

Was  not  for  Bill  an'  me  : 
I  think  we  had  some  good  old  times 
Out  on  the  Wallaby." 

Wallaroo,  n.  native  name  for 
a  large  species  of  Kangaroo,  the 
mountain  kangaroo,  Macropus  ro- 
bustus,  Gould.  The  black  variety 
of  Queensland  and  New  South 
Wales  is  called  locally  the  Wal- 
laroo^ the  name  Euro  being  given 
in  South  and  Central  Australia  to 
the  more  rufous-coloured  variety 
of  the  same  species. 

In  the  aboriginal  language,  the 
word  walla  meant  '  to  jump,'  and 
walla-walla  f  to  jump  quickly.' 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  : 

"  The  wallaroo,  of  a  blackish  colour, 
with  coarse  shaggy  fur,  inhabiting  the 
hills." 

1846.  C.  P.  Hodgson,   'Reminiscences 
of  Australia,'  p.  157  : 

"  Some  very  fierce  and  ready  to 
attack  man,  such  as  the  large  mountain 
'  wolloroo.' " 

1847.  L.    Leichhardt,    '  Overland   Ex- 
pedition,' p.  481  : 

"  Charley  shot  a  Wallooroo  just  as 
it  was  leaping,  frightened  by  our  foot- 
steps, out  of  its  shady  retreat  to  a 
pointed  rock."  [On  p.  458,  Leichhardt 
spells  Wallurtts,  plural.] 

1862.   H.  C.  Kendall,  'Poems,'  p.  50  : 
"The  Wallaroos  grope  through  the 
tufts  of  the  grass." 

1868  (before).  C.  Harpur,  'Creek  of 
the  Four  Graves  '  (edition  1883),  p.  49  : 

"  Up  the  steep, 
Between  the  climbing  forest-growths 

they  saw, 
Perched  on  the  bare  abutments  of  the 

hills, 
Where  haply  yet  some  lingering  gleam 

fell  through, 
The  wallaroo  look  forth." 

[Footnote]  :  "  A  kind  of  large  kan- 
garoo, peculiar  to  the  higher  and 
more  difficult  mountains." 


1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  '  Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  328  : 

"A  wallaroo,  a  peculiar  kind  of 
kangaroo  (Macropus  robustus),  which 
was  kept  tame  at  a  station,  showed 
a  marked  fondness  for  animal  food, 
particularly  for  boiled  salt  beef.  A 
dove  had  been  its  companion,  and 
these  two  animals  were  the  best  of 
friends  for  half-a-year,  when  the  wal- 
laroo one  day  killed  its  companion 
and  partly  ate  it." 

1895.  'The  Australasian,'  June  22,  p. 
1181,  col.  i  [Answers  to  Correspondents] : 

"  Professor  Baldwin  Spencer  kindly 
deals  with  the  question  as  follows  : — 
What  is  the  distinction  between  a 
wallaroo  and  a  wallaby  ? — A  wallaroo 
is  a  special  form  of  kangaroo  (Macro- 
pus  robustus)  living  in  the  inland  parts 
of  Queensland  and  New  South  Wales. 
Wallaby  is  the  name  given  to  several 
kinds  of  smaller  kangaroos,  such  as 
the  common  scrub  wallaby  (Macropus 
ualabatus)  of  Victoria.  The  wallaroo 
is  stouter  and  heavier  in  build,  its  fur 
thicker  and  coarser,  and  the  structure 
of  its  skull  is  different  from  that  of 
an  ordinary  wallaby." 

Wallflower,  Native,  n.  a  Tas- 
manian  name  for  Pultencea  subum- 
bellata,  Hook.,  N.O.  Leguminoscc. 
In  Australia,  used  as  another 
name  for  one  of  the  Poison-Bushes 
(q.v.). 

Wandoo,  n.  Western  Aus- 
tralian aboriginal  word  for  the 
White  Gum-tree  of  Western  Aus- 
tralia, Eucalyptus  redunca,  Schauer, 
N.O.  Myrtacea.  It  has  a  trunk 
sometimes  attaining  seventeen 
feet  in  diameter,  and  yields  a 
hard  durable  wood  highly  prized 
by  wheelwrights. 

Waratah,  n.  an  Australian 
flower.  There  are  three  species, 
belonging  to  the  genus  Telopea, 
N.O.  Proteacece.  The  New  South 
Wales  species,  T.  speciosissima, 
R.  Br.,  forms  a  small  shrub  grow- 
ing on  hill-sides,  as  does  also  the 
Tasmanian  species,  T.  truncata, 

K    K 


; 


498 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[WAR 


R.  Br.  ;  the  Victorian  species,  T. 
oreades,  F.  v.  M.,  called  the 
Gippsland  Waratah,  grows  to  a 
height  of  fifty  feet.  It  has  a 
bright  crimson  flower  about  three 
inches  in  diameter,  very  regular. 
Sometimes  called  the  Australian 
or  Native  Tulip.  As  emblematic  of 
Australia,  it  figures  on  certain  of 
the  New  South  Wales  stamps 
and  postcards.  The  generic  name, 
Telopea  (q.v.),  has  been  corrupted 
into  Tulip  (q.v.).  Its  earliest 
scientific  generic  name  was  Em- 
bothrium^  Smith. 

1793.  J.  E.  Smith,  '  Specimen  of  Botany 
of  New  Holland,'  p.  19  : 

"  The  most  magnificent  plant  which 
the  prolific  soil  of  New  Holland  affords 
is,  by  common  consent  both  of  Euro- 
peans and  Natives,  the  Waratah." 

1801.  Governor    King,    in    'Historical 
Records  of   New   South  Wales'   (1896), 
vol.  iv.  p.   514  (a   Letter  to   Sir  Joseph 
Banks) : 

"  I  have  also  sent  in  the  Albion  a 
box  of  waratahs,  and  the  earth  is 
secured  with  the  seed." 

1802.  D.    Collins,    'Account    of   New 
South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p.  66  : 

"  Bennillong  assisted,  placing  the 
head  of  the  corpse,  near  which  he 
stuck  a  beautiful  war-ra-taw." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia,'  p.  98  : 

[Description,  but  not  the  name.] 
"  A  plant  called  the  gigantic  lily  also 
flourishes  on  the  tops  of  these  moun- 
tains, in  all  its  glory.  Its  stems, 
which  are  jointy,  are  sometimes  as 
large  as  a  man's  wrist,  and  ten  feet 
high,  with  a  pink  and  scarlet  flower  at 
the  top,  which  when  in  full  blossom 
(as  it  then  was)  is  nearly  the  size  of  a 
small  spring  cabbage." 

1830.  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,'  p.  66  : 
"  Interspersed  with  that  magnificent 
shrub    called  warratah   or  tulip-tree, 
and  its  beautiful  scarlet  flowers." 

1857.  D.  Bunce,  '  Australasiatic  Remin- 
iscences,' p.  44 : 

"The  most  common  of  them  was, 
however,  the  Telopia  [sic]  Tasmani- 
ensis,  or  waratah,  or  scarlet  tulip  tree, 


as  it  has  been  occasionally  termed  by 
stock-keepers." 

1864.  J.  S.  Moore, '  Spring  Life  Lyrics,' 
p.  115  : 

"  The  lily  pale  and  waratah  bright 
Shall  encircle  your  shining  hair." 

1883.  D.  B.  W.  Sladen,  'Poetry  of 
Exiles '  : 

"And  waratah,  with  flame-hued  royal 

crown, 

Proclaim  the  beauties  round  Aus- 
tralia's own." 

1885.  Wanderer,  '  Beauteous  Terrorist,* 
etc. ,  p.  62  : 

"  And  the  waratahs  in  state, 
With  their  queenly  heads  elate, 
And  their  flamy  blood-red  crowns, 
And    their     stiff -frilPd     emerald 
gowns." 

1888.  D.  Macdonald,  'Gum  Boughs,' 
p.  188: 

"Outside  the  tropical  Queensland 
forests,  the  scarlet  flowering  gum  of 
Western  Australia,  and  the  Waratah, 
of  Blue  Mountains  fame,  are  its  [i.e. 
the  wattle's]  only  rivals." 

1893.  'Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug. 
5,  p.  9,  col.  I  : 

"The  memory  of  many  residents 
runs  back  to  the  time  when  the  wara- 
tah and  the  Christmas-bush,  the  native 
rose  and  fuchsia,  grew  where  thickly- 
peopled  suburbs  now  exist.  .  .  .  The 
waratah  recedes  yearly." 

1893.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Sept. 
2,  p.  5,  col.  6  : 

"  The  wattles  and  waratahs  are 
creditable  instances  of  the  value  of 
our  Australian  flowers  for  art  purposes, 
and  the  efforts  of  the  artists  to  win 
recognition  for  their  adaptability  as 
subjects  for  the  artist's  brush  are 
deserving  of  acknowledgment." 

Warbler,  n.  This  English  bird- 
name  is  applied  loosely  to  many 
birds  of  different  genera  in  Aus- 
tralia and  New  Zealand. 

The  majority  of  the  Australian 
Warblers  have  now  had  other 
names  assigned  to  them.  (See 
Fly-eater  and  Gerygone.}  The  name 
has  been  retained  in  Australia  for 
the  following  species — 


WAR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


499 


Grass  Warbler — 

Cisticola  exilis,  Lath. 
Grey  W.— 

Gerygone  flaviventris,  Gray. 
Long-billed  Reed  W.— 

Calamoherpe  longirostris,  Gould. 
Reed  W.— 

Acrocephalus  australis,  Gould. 
Rock  W.— 

Origma  rubricata,  Lath. 

In  New  Zealand,  it  is  now  only 
specifically  applied  to  the — 

Bush  Warbler— 

Gerygone  silvestris,  Potts. 
Chatham  Island  W.— 

G.  albofrontata,  Gray. 
Grey  W.— 

G.    flaviventris^    Gray  ;     Maori 
name,  Riro-riro. 

1889.  Prof.  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,'  p.  119  : 

"  Grey  Warbler  (Gerygone  flaviven- 
tris) also  belongs  to  an  Australian 
genus.  It  is  remarkable  for  its  curious 
and  beautifully  formed  nest,  and  as 
being  the  foster-parent  to  the  Long- 
tailed  Cuckoo,  which  lays  its  eggs  in 
the  Warbler's  nest." 

Warden,  n.  The  term  is  ap- 
plied specifically  to  the  Govern- 
ment officer,  with  magisterial  and 
executive  powers,  in  charge  of  a 
goldfield. 

1861.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Over  the  Straits,3 
c.  iv.  p.  141  : 

"The  chief  official  in  a  digging 
settlement,  the  padra  [sic]  of  the 
district,  is  entitled  the  warden." 

Warehou,  n.  Maori  name  for 
the  fish  Neptonemus  drama,  Giinth., 
called  Snotgall-Trevally  in  Tas- 
mania, and  called  also  Sea-Bream. 
See  Trevally. 

Warrener,  n.  a  name  applied 
by  Tasmanian  children  to  the 
larger  specimens  of  the  shells 
called  Mariners  (q.v.).  The  name 
is  an  adaptation,  by  the  law  of 
Hobson-Jobson,  from  a  Tas- 
manian aboriginal  word,  Yawar- 


renahj  given  by  Milligan  ('Voca- 
bulary,' 1890),  as  used  by  tribes, 
from  Oyster  Bay  to  Pittwater,  for 
the  ear-shell  (Haliotis).  The  name 
has  thus  passed  from  shell  to 
shell,  and  in  its  English  applica- 
tion has  passed  on  also  to  the 
marine  shell,  Turbo  undulatus. 

Warrigal,  n.  and  adj.  an  abori- 
ginal word,  originally  meaning 
a  Dog.  Afterwards  extended  as 
an  adjective  to  mean  wild  ;  then 
used  for  a  wild  horse^  wild  natives, 
and  in  bush-slang  for  a  worthless 
man.  The  following  five  quota- 
tions from  vocabularies  prove  the 
early  meaning  of  the  word  in  the 
Port  Jackson  district,  and  its  vary- 
ing uses  at  later  dates  elsewhere. 

Z793'  Governor  Hunter,  '  Port  Jackson,' 
p.  411: 

"  Warregal  —  a  large  dog." 

1798.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  p.  614 
[Vocab.]  : 

"  Wor-re-gal—  dog." 

1859.  D.  Bunce,  '  Language  of  Abori- 
gines of  Victoria,'  p.  17: 

"  Ferocious,  savage,  wild  —  warra- 
gul."  (adj.) 

Ibid.  p.  46  : 

"  Wild  savage  —  worragal."  (noun.) 

1879.    Wyatt,    '  Manners    of   Adelaide 
Tribes,'  p.  21  : 
"Warroo  = 


The  quotations  which  follow 
are  classed  under  the  different 
meanings  borne  by  the  word. 

(i)  A  Wild  Dog. 

1855.  G.  C.  Mundy,    '  Our  Antipodes/ 

P-  IS3  '• 

"  I  have  heard  that  the  dingo,  war- 
ragal  or  native  dog,  does  not  hunt  in 
packs  like  the  wolf  and  jackal." 

1880.  J.  Holdsworth,  '  Station  Hunting': 
"  To  scoop  its  grassless  grave 

Past  reach  of  kites  and  prowling 
warrigals." 

1887.  '  Illustrated  Australian  News,' 
March  5  : 

[A   picture    of    two   dingoes,    and 


500 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[WAR-WAT 


beneath  them  the  following  quotation 
from  Kendall — ] 

"  The  warrigal's  lair  is  pent  in  bare 
Black  rocks,  at  the  gorge's  mouth." 

1888.  '  Australian  Ballads  and  Rhymes  ' 
(edition  Sladen),  p.  297  : 

"  The  following  little  poem,  entitled 
'  The  Warrigal '  (Wild  Dog)  will  prove 
that  he  (H.  Kendall)  observed  animal 
life  as  faithfully  as  still  life  and  land- 
scape : 
'  The  sad  marsh-fowl  and  the  lonely 

owl 

Are  heard  in  the  fog-wreath's  grey, 
Where   the    Warrigal    wakes,   and 

listens  and  takes 
To  the  woods  that  shelter  the  prey.' " 

1890.  G.  A.  Sala,  in  '  The  Argus,'  Sept. 
20,  p.  13,  col.  i  : 

"  But  at  present  warrigal  means  a 
wild  dog." 

1891.  J.    B.    O'Hara,     '  Songs  of   the 
South,'  p.  22  : 

"  There,  night  by  night,  I  heard  the  call 
The  inharmonious  warrigal 
Made,  when  the  darkness  swiftly  drew 
Its  curtains  o'er  the  starry  blue." 

(2)  A  Horse. 

1881.  'The  Australasian,'  May  21,  p. 
647,  col.  4  ["  How  we  ran  in  '  The  Black 
Warragal '  "  :  Ernest  G.  Millard,  Bim- 
bowrie,  South  Australia]  : 
"  You  must  let  me  have  Topsail  to- 
day, Boss, 

If   we're   going  for  that  Warrigal 
mob." 

1888.  Gilbert  Parker,  '  Round  the 
Compass  in  Australia,'  p.  44  : 

"  Six  wild  horses — warrigals  or 
brombies,  as  they  are  called — have 
been  driven  down,  corralled,  and 
caught.  They  have  fed  on  the  leaves 
of  the  myall  and  stray  bits  of  salt-bush. 
After  a  time  they  are  got  within  the 
traces.  They  are  all  young,  and  they 
.  look  not  so  bad." 

1890.  '  The  Argus,'  June  14,  p.  4, 
col.  2  : 

"  Mike  will  fret  himself  to  death  in 
a  stable,  and  maybe  kill  the  groom. 
Mike's  a  warrigal  he  is." 

(3)  Applied  to  Aborigines.     [See 
Bunce  quotation,  1859.] 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  xii.  p.  249  : 


"  He's  a  good  shot,  and  these  war- 
rigal devils  know  it." 

1896.  Private  Letter  from  Station  near 
Palmerville,  North  Queensland  : 

"Warrigal.  In  this  Cook  district, 
and  I  believe  in  many  others,  a  black- 
fellow  who  has  broken  any  of  the 
most  stringent  tribal  laws,  which 
renders  him  liable  to  be  killed  on 
sight  by  certain  other  blacks,  is  warri^ 
an  outlaw." 

(4)  As  adjective  meaning  wild. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  Colonial  Re- 
former,' c.  viii.  p.  68  : 

"  Here's  a  real  good  wholesome 
cabbage — warrigal  cabbage  the  shep- 
herds call  it." 

"Warrina,  n.     See  Warrener. 

Washdirt,  n.  any  alluvial  de- 
posit from  which  gold  is  obtained 
by  washing;  or  "the  auriferous 
gravel,  sand,  clay,  or  cement,  in 
which  the  greatest  proportion  of 
gold  is  found."  (Brough  Smyth's 
'Glossary,'  1869.)  Often  called 
dirt  (q.v.). 

1896.  '  Melbourne  Argus,'  April  30,  p. 
7,  col.  6  : 

"  In  colour  the  washdirt  is  of  a 
browner  and  more  iron-stained  appear- 
ance than  the  white  free  wash  met 
across  the  creek." 

Waterbush,  n.  an  Australian 
tree,  i.q.  Native  Daphne.  See 
Daphne. 

Watergrass,  n.  a  Tasmanian 
name  for  Manna-grass,  Poa  flui- 
tans,  Scop.,  N.O.  Grammes. 

Water-Gum,  n.     See  Gum. 

Water-hole,  n.  The  word 
pond  is  seldom  used  in  Australia. 
Any  pond,  natural  or  artificial,  is 
called  a  Water-hole.  The  word 
also  denotes  a  depression  or  cavity 
in  the  bed  of  an  intermittent  river, 
which  remains  full  during  the 
summer  when  the  river  itself  is 
dry. 

1833.  C.  Sturt,  '  Southern  Australia,' 
vol.  i.  c.  ii.  p.  80  : 


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AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


501 


"There  was  no  smoke  to  betray 
a  water-hole." 

1853.  S.  Sidney,  'Three  Colonies  of 
Australia,'  p.  245  : 

"  The  deep  pools,  called  colonially 
*  water-holes.' " 

1862.  F.  J.  Jobson,  'Australia,'  c.  vii. 
p.  181: 

"  *  Water-holes  '  appeared  at  inter- 
vals, but  they  seemed  to  have  little 
water  in  them." 

1864.  J.  McDouall  Stuart,  'Explora- 
tions in  Australia,'  p.  58  : 

"  About  four  miles  from  last  night's 
camp  the  chain  of  large  water-holes 
commences,  and  continues  beyond  to- 
night's camp." 

1875*  Wood  and  Lapham,  '  Waiting  for 
the  Mail,'  p.  15  : 

"  The  water-hole  was  frozen  over,  so 
she  was  obliged  to  go  on  farther, 
where  the  water  ran." 

1875.  '  Spectator '  (Melbourne),  June 
26,  p.  94,  col.  i  : 

"  A  bottomless  water-hole,  about 
300  feet  wide,  exists  at  Maryvale  home- 
stead, Gipps  Land." 

1878.  Mrs.  H.  Jones,  '  Broad  Outlines 
of  Long  Years  in  Australia,'  p.  97  : 

"  *  That  will  be  another  water-hole.' 
'What  an  ugly  word  .  .  .  why  don't 
you  call  them  pools  or  ponds  ? '  'I  can't 
tell  you  why  they  bear  such  a  name, 
but  we  never  call  them  anything  else, 
and  if  you  begin  to  talk  of  pools  or 
ponds  you'll  get  well  laughed  at.' " 

1896.  'The  Argus,'  March  30,  p.  6, 
col.  9  : 

"  [The  murderer]  has  not  since  been 
heard  of.  Dams  and  waterholes  have 
been  dragged  .  .  .  but  without  result." 

Water-Lily .     See  Lily. 
Water-Mole,  i.q.  Platypus  (q.v.). 

Water-Myrtle,  an  Australian 
tree,  Tristania  neriifolia,  R.  Br., 
N.  O.  Myrtacece. 

Water-Tree,  n.  a  tree  from 
which  water  is  obtained  by  tap- 
ping the  roots,  Hakea  leucoptera, 
R.  Br.,  N.O.  Proteacea ;  called 
also  Needle-bush.  The  quotation 
describes  the  process,  but  does 
not  name  the  tree. 


1839.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' p.  199 : 

"  I  expressed  my  thirst  and  want  of 
water.  Looking  as  if  they  understood 
me,  they  [the  aboriginals]  hastened  to 
resume  their  work,  and  I  discovered 
that  they  dug  up  the  roots  for  the  sake 
of  drinking  the  sap  .  .  .  They  first  cut 
these  roots  into  billets,  and  then 
stripped  off  the  bark  or  rind,  which 
they  sometimes  chew,  after  which, 
holding  up  the  billet,  and  applying  one 
end  to  the  mouth,  they  let  the  juice 
drop  into  it." 

Wattle,  n.  The  name  is  given 
to  very  many  of  the  various 
species  of  Acacia  (q.v.),  of  which 
there  are  about  300  in  Australia, 
besides  those  in  Tasmania  and 
New  Zealand.  There  is  no 
English  tree  of  that  name,  but 
the  English  word,  which  is  com- 
mon, signifies  "a  twig,  a  flexible 
rod,  usually  a  hurdle  ;  .  .  .  the 
original  sense  is  something  twined 
or  woven  together  ;  hence  it  came 
to  mean  a  hurdle,  woven  with 
twigs ;  Anglo-Saxon,  watel,  a 
hurdle."  (Skeat.)  In  England 
the  supple  twigs  of  the  osier- 
willow  are  used  for  making  such 
hurdles.  The  early  colonists  found 
the  long  pliant  boughs  and  shoots 
of  the  indigenous  Acacias  a  ready 
substitute  for  the  purpose,  and 
they  used  them  for  constructing 
the  partitions  and  outer-walls  of 
the  early  houses,  by  forming  a 
"wattling"  and  daubing  it  with 
plaster  or  clay.  (See  Wattle-and- 
dab.}  The  trees  thus  received 
the  name  of  Wattle-trees,  quickly 
contracted  to  Wattle.  Owing  to 
its  beautiful,  golden,  sweet-scented 
clusters  of  flowers,  the  Wattle  is 
the  favourite  tree  of  the  Australian 
poets  and  painters.  The  bark  is 
very  rich  in  tannin.  (See  Wattle- 
bark.}  The  tree  was  formerly 
called  Mimosa  (q.v.).  The  follow- 
ing list  of  vernacular  names  of  the 


502 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[WAT 


various  Wattles  is  compiled  from 
Maiden's  <  Useful  Native  Plants '  ; 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  same  ver- 
nacular name  is  sometimes  applied 
to  several  different  species — 

Black  Wattle— 

Acacia  binervata,  De  C.,  of  Illa- 
warra  and  South. 

A.  decurrens,  Willd.,  older  col- 
onists of  New  South  Wales. 

A.  cunninghamii,  Hook. 

A.  nervifolia,  Cunn. 
Broad-leaved  W. — 

A.  pycnantha,  Benth. 
Broom  W. — 

A.  calami/alia,  Sweet. 

Feathery  W.— 

A.  decurrens,  Willd. 
Golden  W.  (q.v.)— 

A.  pycnantha,  Benth.;  in  Vic- 
toria, South  Australia,  and 
Tasmania.  It  is  also  called 
Green  Wattle,  and  also,  for 
the  sake  of  distinction  be- 
tween some  other  tan-bark 
wattles,  the  Broad-  leaved 
Wattle. 

A.    longifolia,   Willd.;    in    New 
South   Wales   and    Queens- 
land. 
Green  W. — 

A.  decurrens,  Willd.,  older  col- 
onists New  South  Wales. 
A.  pycnantha,  Benth. 
A.  discolor,  Willd.;  so  called  in 
Tasmania,    and    called    also 
there  River  Wattle. 
Hickory  W.— 

A.  aulacocarpa,  Cunn. 
Prickly  W.— 
A.  sentis,  F.  v.  M. 
A.  juniperina,  Willd. 
Silver  W.— 

A.  dealbata,  Link.  Silver  Wattle, 
owing  to  the  whiteness  of 
the  trunk,  and  the  silvery  or 
ashy  hue  of  its  young  foli- 
age. 
A.  decurrens,  Willd. 


A.  melanoxylon,   R.  Br.    (Black- 
wood). 

A.  podalyriafolia,  Cunn.;   called 
Silver  Wattle,  as  it  has  foliage 
of  a  more  or  less  grey,  mealy, 
or  silvery  appearance. 
Weeping  W.— 

A.  saligna,  Wendl. 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  201  : 

"  The  acacias  are  the  common 
wattles  of  this  country,  their  bark 
affording  excellent  tan,  as  well  as  an 
extract  to  export  to  England  ;  while 
from  their  trunks  and  branches  clear 
transparent  beads  of  the  purest 
Arabian  gum  are  seen  suspended  in 
the  dry  spring  weather,  which  our 
young  currency  bantlings  eagerly 
search  after  and  regale  themselves 
with." 

1827.  Vigors  and  Horsfield,  'Trans- 
actions of  Linnaean  Society,'  vol.  xv.  p. 
328: 

"  One  of  my  specimens  ...  I  shot 
in  a  green  wattle-tree  close  to  Govern- 
ment House." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  'VanDiemen's  Land,' 
c.  ii.  p.  23  : 

"  The  black  and  silver  Wattle  (the 
Mimosa}  are  trees  used  in  housework 
and  furniture." 

1834.  Ross,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land 
Annual,'  p.  134  : 

"  Leptospermum  lanigerum,  hoary 
tea-tree,  Acacia  decurrens,  and  black 
wattle  ;  Corrcea  alba,  Cape  Barren 
tea.  The  leaves  of  these  have  been 
used  as  substitutes  for  tea  in  the 
colonies." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  '  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  c.  iv.  p.  132  : 

"Black  wattle  .  .  .  indication  of 
good  soil  .  .  .  produce  gum." 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck, '  Port  Phillip  in 
1849,'  p.  32: 

"Few,  indeed,  of  the  native  Aus- 
tralian flowers  emit  any  perfume  except 
the  golden  and  silver  wattle  (the 
Mimosa;  tribe):  these  charm  the  senses, 
and  fully  realize  the  description  we  read 
of  in  the  '  Arabian  Nights'  Entertain- 
ments'  of  those  exotics,  the  balmy 
perfume  of  which  is  exhaled  far  and 
near." 


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AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


1860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  337 : 

"  These  trees  were  termed  '  Wattles,' 
from  being  used,  in  the  early  days  of 
the  colony,  for  forming  a  network  or 
wattling  of  the  supple  twigs  for  the 
reception  of  the  plaster  in  the  partitions 
of  the  houses." 

1862.  W.  Archer,  ' Products  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  40  : 

"  Silver  Wattle  (Acacia  dealbata, 
Lindl.),  so  called  from  the  whiteness  of 
the  trunk  and  the  silvery  green  of  the 
foliage." 

1862.  G.  T.  Lloyd,  "Twenty-three  Years 
in  Tasmania  and  Victoria,'  p.  33  : 

"  The  mimosa,  or  wattle,  .  .  .  ushers 
in  the  Spring  with  its  countless  acres 
of  charming  and  luxuriant  yellow  and 
highly  scented  blossom  .  .  .  The  tan- 
ning properties  of  its  bark  are  nearly 
equal  in  value  to  those  of  the  English 
oak." 

1867.  A.  G.  Middleton,  'Earnest,'  p. 
132: 

"  The  maidens  were  with  golden  wattles 
crowned." 

1877.  F.  v.  Mueller,'  Botanic  Teachings,' 
p.  24: 

The  generic  name  [Acacia]  is  so 
familiarly  known,  that  the  appella- 
tion 'Wattle'  might  well  be  dispensed 
with.  Indeed  the  name  Acacia  is  in 
full  use  in  works  on  travels  and  in 
many  popular  writings  for  the  numerous 
Australian  species." 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey,  'Synopsis  of  Queens- 
land Flora,'  p.  837 : 

"  Called  '  Silver  Wattle.'  The  bark, 
which  is  used  for  tanning,  is  said  to 
.give  a  light  colour  to  leather ;  value, 
]&3  IOS-  per  ton." 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  '  Advance  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  43 : 

"  A  dense  clump  of  wattles,  a  sort  of 
mimosa — tall,  feathery,  graceful  trees, 
with  leaves  like  a  willow  and  sweet- 
scented  yellow  flowers." 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  349  : 

"  The  ordinary  name  for  species  of 
the  genus  Acacia  in  the  colonies  is 
'  Wattle.'  The  name  is  an  old  English 
one,  and  signifies  the  interlacing  of 
boughs  together  to  form  a  kind  of 
wicker-work.  The  aboriginals  used 
them  in  the  construction  of  their 


503 

abodes,  and  the  early  colonists  used 
to  split  the  stems  of  slender  species 
into  laths  for  'wattling'  the  walls  of 
their  rude  habitations." 

1890.  Tasma,  '  In  her  Earliest  Youth,' 
p.  122: 

"  It  pleased  him  yearly  to  see  the 
fluffy  yellow  balls  bedeck  his  favourite 
trees.  One  would  have  said  in  the 
morning  that  a  shower  of  golden  shot 
had  bespangled  them  in  the  night-time. 
Late  in  the  autumn,  too,  an  adventurous 
wattle  would  sometimes  put  forth  some 
semi-gilded  sprays— but  sparsely,  as  if 
under  protest." 

1896.    J.    B.    O'Hara,    'Songs    of   the 
South  '  (Second  Series),  p.  22  : 
"  Yet  the  spring  shed  blossoms  around 

the  ruin, 
The  pale  pink  hues  of  the  wild 

briar  rose, 
The  wild  rose  wasted  by  winds  that 

blew  in 

The  wattle  bloom  that  the  sun-god 
knows." 

Wattle-and-Dab,  a  rough 
mode  of  architecture,  very  com- 
mon in  Australia  at  an  early  date. 
The  phrase  and  its  meaning  are 
Old  English.  It  was  originally 
Wattle-and-daub.  The  style,  but 
not  the  word,  is  described  in  the 
quotation  from  Governor  Phillip, 
1789. 

1789.  Governor  Phillip,  'Voyage  to 
Botany  Bay,'  p.  124  : 

"The  huts  of  the  convicts  were  still 
more  slight,  being  composed  only  of 
upright  posts,  wattled  with  slight 
twigs,  and  plaistered  up  with  clay." 

1836.  Ross,  '  Hobart  Town  Almanack,' 
p.  66: 

"  Wattle  and  daub.  .  .  .  You  then 
bring  home  from  the  bush  as  many 
sods  of  the  black  or  green  wattle 
(acacia  decurrens  or  affinis}  as  you 
think  will  suffice.  These  are  platted 
or  intertwined  with  the  upright  posts 
in  the  manner  of  hurdles,  and  after- 
wards daubed  with  mortar  made  of 
sand  or  loam,  and  clay  mixed  up  with 
a  due  proportion  of  the  strong  wiry 
grass  of  the  bush  chopped  into  conve- 
nient lengths  and  well  beaten  up  with 
it,  as  a  substitute  for  hair." 


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AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[WAT 


1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
p.  20 1 : 

"  The  hut  of  the  labourer  was  usually 
formed  of  plaited  twigs  or  young 
branches  plastered  over  with  mud,  and 
known  by  the  summary  definition  of 
*  wattle  and  dab.' " 

1852.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'My  Home  in 
Tasmania,'  vol.  i.  p.  179  : 

"  Wattles,  so  named  originally,  I 
conceive,  from  several  of  the  genus 
being  much  used  for  '  wattling '  fences 
or  huts.  A  '  wattle  and  dab '  hut  is 
formed,  in  a  somewhat  Robinson 
Crusoe  style,  of  stout  stakes  driven 
well  into  the  ground,  and  thickly  inter- 
laced with  the  tough,  lithe  wattle- 
branches,  so  as  to  make  a  strong 
basket-work,  which  is  then  dabbed  and 
plastered  over  on  both  sides  with  tena- 
cious clay  mortar,  and  finally  thatched." 

1879.  W.  J.  Barry,  '  Up  and  Down,'  p. 
21  : 

"It  was  built  of  what  is  known  as 
'wattle  and  dab,'  or  poles  and  mud, 
and  roofed  with  the  bark  of  the  gum- 
tree." 

1883.  E.  M.  Curr,  '  Recollections  of 
Squatting,'  p.  5  : 

"Others  were  of  weather  boards, 
wattle  and  dab,  or  slabs." 

Wattle-bark,  n.  the  bark  of 
the  wattle;  much  used  in  tanning, 
and  forms  a  staple  export. 

1875.  'Spectator'  (Melbourne),  Aug. 
14,  p.  178,  col.  2: 

"A  proprietor  of  land  at  Mount 
Gambier  has  refused  ,£4000  for  the 
wattle-bark  on  his  estate." 

1877.  [?  Exact  date  lost.]  'Melbourne 
Punch ' : 

"  What  '11  bark  ?    Why,  a  dog  Jll." 

1883.  F.  M.  Bailey, '  Synopsis  of  Queens- 
land Flora,'  p.  140 : 

"The  bark  of  this  species  is  used  in 
tanning  light  skins,  but  the  bark  is 
considered  weak  in  tannin,  and  only 
worth  thirty  shillings  per  ton  in  Queens- 
land. Called  '  Black- wattle  bark.' " 

1893.  'Melbourne  Stock  and  Station 
Journal,'  May  10  [advt.]: 

"  Bark. — There  is  a  moderate  inquiry 
for  good  descriptions,  but  faulty  are 
almost  unsaleable:  —  Bundled  Black 
Wattle,  superior,  ^5  to  ^6  per  ton  ;  do. 
do.,  average,  ^3  to  £4  los.  per  ton  ; 


chopped  Black  Wattle,  ^5  to  ^6  $s.  per 
ton  ;  ground,  approved  brands,  up  to 
,£8  per  ton  ;  do.,  average,  ^5  to  £6 
per  ton." 

1896.    'The  Leader,'  a  weekly  column  : 
"  Kennel  Gossip.    By  Wattle  Bark." 

Wattled  Bee-eater.  See  Bee- 
eater. 

Wattle-bird,  n.  an  Australian 
bird,  so  called  from  the  wattles 
or  fleshy  appendages  hanging  to 
his  ear.  In  the  Yellow  species 
they  are  an  inch  long.  The 
species  are — 

Brush  Wattle-bird — 

Anelobia  mellivora.  Lath. 
Little  W.— 

A.  lumilata,  Gould. 
Red  W.— 

Acanthochcera  carunculata,  Lath. 
Yellow  W. 

A.  inauris,  Gould. 

The  earlier  scientific  names 
occur  in  the  quotation,  1848.  In 
New  Zealand,  the  Kokako  (q.v.)  is 
also  called  a  Wattle-bird,  and  the 
name  used  to  be  applied  to  the 
Tut  (q.v.). 

1820.  VV.  C.  Wentworth,  'Description 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  152: 

"  The  wattle-bird,  which  is  about  the 
size  of  a  snipe,  and  considered  a  very 
great  delicacy." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia/ 
vol.  iv. 

"Anthochcera  Inauris,  Wattled 
Honey-eater ;  Wattled  Bird  of  the 
Colonists  of  Van  Diemen's  Land"  (pi. 
54).  "A.  Carunctdata,  Wattled  Bird 
of  the  Colonists  ;  the  Merops  Carun- 
culatus  of  older  writers  "  (pi.  55).  "A. 
Mellivora,  Vig.  and  Horsf.,  Bush 
Wattle  Bird  "  (pi.  56).  "A.  Lunulata, 
Gould,  Little  Wattle  Bird,  Colonists  of 
Swan  River"  (pi.  57). 

1857.  W.  Howitt,  '  Tallangetta,'  vol.  ii. 
p.  ii: 

"  Kangaroo-steaks  frying  on  the  fire, 
with  a  piece  of  cold  beef,  and  a  wattle- 
bird  pie  also  ready  on  the  board." 

1859.  D.  Bunce,  '  Australasiatic  Remin- 
iscences,' p.  62  : 


WAT-WAX] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


"The  notes  peculiar  to  the  Orni- 
thorhynchus  paradoxus,  or  platypus, 
wattle-bird,  and  leather-head,  or  old 
soldier  bird,  added  in  no  small  degree 
to  the  novelties.  .  .  .  The  wattle-bird 
has  been  not  inaptly,  termed  the  '  what's 
o'clock,' — the  leather-head  the  'stop- 
where-you-are.' " 

1864.  E.    F.  Hughes,   'Portland  Bay,' 
p.  9: 

"  Tedious  whistle  of  the  Wattle-bird." 

1865.  W.   Howitt,   '  Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  p.  in  : 

"  This  bird  they  called  the  Wattle- 
bird,  and  also  the  Poy-bird,  from  its 
having  little  tufts  of  curled  hair  under 
its  throat,  which  they  called  poies, 
from  the  Otaheitan  word  for  ear-rings. 
The  sweetness  of  this  bird's  note  they 
described  as  extraordinary,  and  that 
its  flesh  was  delicious,  but  that  it  was  a 
shame  to  kill  it." 

1885.  J.  Hood,  '  Land  of  Fern,'  p.  36 : 
"  The  wattle-bird,  with  joyous  scream 

Bathes  her  soft  plumage  in  the  cool- 
ing stream." 

1871.  T.  Bracken,  '  Behind  the  Tomb,' 
p.  79: 

"  The    wattle-bird  sings  in  the  leafy 
plantation." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  'Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  119  : 

"The  pretty,  graceful  wattle-birds 
are  .  .  .  much  esteemed  for  the  table, 
cooked  as  snipe  and  woodcocks  are  in 
England  .  .  .  Our  pretty,  elegant 
wattle-bird  wears  a  pair  of  long  pen- 
dant drops,  shaded  from  the  deepest 
amber  to  white,  lovelier  than  any  gold- 
smith's work.  Its  greyish  plumage, 
too,  is  very  beautiful  ;  the  feathers  on 
the  breast  are  long,  pointed,  and  tinted 
with  golden  yellow." 

1890.  Tasma,  'In  her  Earliest  Youth,' 
p.  265 : 

"  The  droll  double  note  of  the  wattle- 
bird." 

1890.  '  Victorian  Statutes — Game  Act ' 
(Third  Schedule) : 

"Close  season.  All  Honey-eaters 
(except  Wattle -birds  and  Leather- 
heads);  from  ist  day  of  August  to 
20th  day  of  December." 

Wattle-gold,  n.  poetic  name 
for  the  blossom  of  the  Wattle. 


1870.  A.  L.  Gordon,  'Bush  Ballads, 
Dedn.,  p.  9  : 

"In  the  spring,  when  the  wattle-gold 

trembles 

Twixt  shadow  and  shine." 
1883.  Keighley,  'Who  are  You?'  p.  54 : 
"  My  wealth  has  gone,  like  the  wattle- 
gold 

You  bound  one  day  on  my  childish 
brow." 

Wattle-gum,  n.  the  gum  exud- 
ing from  the  Wattles. 

1862.  W.  Archer,  '  Products  of  Tas- 
mania,' p.  41: 

"  \Vattle-Gum,  the  gum  of  the  Silver 
Wattle  (Acacia  dealbata,  Lindl.),  is  ex- 
ceedingly viscous,  and  probably  quite 
as  useful  as  Gum-Arabic.  The  gum  of 
the  Black  Wattle  (Acacia  vwllissima, 
Willd.),  which  is  often  mixed  with  the 
other,  is  very  often  inferior  to  it,  being 
far  less  viscous." 

Wax-cluster,  n.  an  Australian 
shrub,  Gaultheria  hispida,  R.  Br., 
N.O.  Ericacece.  A  congener  of  the 
English  winter-green, or  American 
checkerberry,  with  white  berries, 
in  taste  resembling  gooseberries  ; 
called  also  Chucky-chucky  (q.v.), 
and  Native  Arbutus. 

1834.  Ross>  <Van  Diemen's  Land 
Annual,'  p.  133 : 

"  Gaultheria  hispida.  The  wax- 
cluster,  abundant  in  the  middle  region 
of  Mount  Wellington,  and  in  other 
elevated  and  moist  situations  in  the 
colony.  This  fruit  is  formed  by  the 
thickened  divisions  of  the  calyx,  in- 
closing the  small  seed  vessel ;  when  it 
is  ripe  it  is  of  a  snowy  white.  The 
flavour  is  difficult  to  describe,  but  it  is 
not  unpleasant.  In  tarts  the  taste  is 
something  like  that  of  young  goose- 
berries, with  a  slight  degree  of  bitter- 
ness." 

1880.  Mrs.  Meredith,  '  Tasmanian 
Friends  and  Foes,'  p.  II  [Footnote]  : 

"  Gaultheria  hispida.— The  *  Snow- 
berry  '  or  *  Wax  cluster '  is  also  called 
native  Arbutus,  from  the  form  of  the 
white  flowers  which  precede  the  fruit. 
The  latter  is  of  a  peculiar  brioche-like 
form,  and  as  the  deep  clefts  open,  the 
crimson  seed-cells  peep  through.'' 


5o6 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[WAX-WEK 


Wax-Eye,  i.q.  one  of  the  many 
names  for  the  bird  called  Silver- 
Eye,  White-Eye,  Blight-Bird,  etc. 
See  Zoster  ops. 

Waybung,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  an  Australian  Chough,  Cor- 
torax  melanoramphus ,  Vieill. 

Weaver-bird,  n.  The  English 
name  Weaver-bird,  in  its  present 
broad  sense  as  applied  to  a  wide 
variety  of  birds,  is  modern.  It 
alludes  to  their  dexterity  in 
"weaving"  their  nests.  It  is 
applied  in  Australia  to  Callornis 
metallica,  a  kind  of  Starling. 

1890.  C.  Lumholtz,  'Among  Cannibals,' 
p.  96: 

"  The  elegant,  metallic  -  looking, 
*  glossy  starlings'  (Callornis  metallica} 
greedily  swoop,  with  a  horrible  shriek, 
upon  the  fruit  of  the  Australian  carda- 
mom tree.  The  ingenious  nests  of 
this  bird  were  found  in  the  scrubs  near 
Herbert  Vale — a  great  many  in  the 
same  tree.  Although  this  bird  is  a 
starling,  the  colonists  call  it  '  weaver- 
bird.'" 

Wedge-bill,  n.  an  Australian 
bird.  This  English  name  for  a 
species  of  humming-bird  is  ap- 
plied in  Australia  to  Sphenostoma 
cristata,  Gould. 

1890.  '  Victorian  Statutes— Game  Act ' 
(Third  Schedule): 

"  Wedge-bill.  [Close  season.]  From 
ist  day  of  August  to  2oth  day  of 
December  next  following  in  each 
year." 

Weeping-Gum.     See  Gum. 

Weeping-Myall,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian tree,  Acacia  pendida,  Cunn., 
N.O.  Leguminosce.  See  Myall. 

Weka,  n.  the  Maori  name  for 
the  Wood-hen  (q.v.)  of  New  Zea- 
land, so  called  from  its  note. 
There  are  two  species — 

.South-Island    Weka,    or    Wood- 
hen — 

Ocydromus  australis,  Strick. 


North-Island  W.,  or  W.-h.— 

Ocydromus  brachypterus,  Buller. 

The  specimens  intergrade  to 
such  an  extent  that  precise  limit- 
ation of  species  is  extremely  diffi- 
cult ;  but  Sir  W.  L.  Buller  set 
them  out  as  these  two  in  1878, 
regarding  other  specimens  as 
varieties.  The  birds  are  some- 
times called  Weka-Rails,  and  the 
Maori  name  of  Weka-pango  is 
given  to  the  Black  Wood-hen  (O. 
fuscus,  Du  Bus.). 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  95  : 

"Two  young  weka,  or  wood-hens, 
about  as  large  as  sparrows  .  .  .  were 
esteemed  a  valuable  addition  to  our 
scanty  supper." 

1864.  R.    L.    A.   Davies,  '  Poems   and 
Literary  Remains'  (edition  1884),  p.  263  : 

"  Wood-hens,  or  Waikas,  are  a  great 
stand-by  in  the  bush.  Their  cry  can 
be  imitated,  and  a  man  knowing  their 
language  and  character  can  catch  them 
easily.  They  call  each  other  by  name, 
pronounced  'Weeka,'  latter  syllable 
being  shrill  and  prolonged,  an  octave 
higher  than  the  first  note.  .  .  .  The 
wood-hen  is  about  the  size  of  a  com- 
mon barn-door  fowl  ;  its  character  is 
cunning,  yet  more  fierce  than  cunning, 
and  more  inquisitive  than  either." 

1865.  Lady   Barker,    'Station   Life   in 
New  Zealand,'  p.  28  : 

"Until  the  numbers  of  the  wekas 
are  considerably  reduced.  They  are 
very  like  a  hen  pheasant  without  the 
long  tail-feathers,  and  until  you 
examine  them  you  cannot  tell  they 
have  no  wings,  though  there  is  a  sort 
of  small  pinion  among  the  feathers, 
with  a  claw  at  the  end  of  it.  They 
run  very  swiftly,  availing  themselves 
cleverly  of  the  least  bit  of  cover." 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  167  : 

"  Another  famous  bird  of  chase  with 
the  natives  is  the  weka  (Ocydromus 
Australis},  or  the  wood-hen,  belonging 
to  the  class  of  rails,  which  have  already 
become  quite  scarce  upon  North 
Island.  In  the  grassy  plains  and 
forests  of  the  Southern  Alps,  however, 
they  are  still  found  in  considerable 


WEK-WHA 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


507 


numbers.  It  is  a  thievish  bird,  greedy 
after  everything  that  glistens  ;  it  fre- 
quently carries  off  spoons,  forks,  and 
the  like,  but  it  also  breaks  into  hen- 
coops, and  picks  and  sucks  the  eggs." 

1882.  T.  H.  Potts,  '  Out  in  the  Open,' 
p.  286  : 

"Fortunately,  the  weka  bears  so 
obnoxious  a  character  as  an  evil-doer 
that  any  qualm  of  conscience  on  the 
score  of  cruelty  is  at  once  stilled  when 
one  of  these  feathered  professors  of 
diablerie  is  laid  to  rest." 

1888.  W.    L.    Buller,    'Birds  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  105  : 

[A  full  description.] 

1889.  Vincent     Pyke,      'Wild     Will 
Enderby,'  p.  82  : 

"We-ka!  we-ka!  we-kd  !  Three 
times  the  plaintive  cry  of  the  'wood- 
hen'  was  heard.  It  was  a  precon- 
certed signal." 

Weka-Rail,  n.     See  Weka. 
"Well-in,     adj.     answering     to 
<  well  off,'  *  well  to  do,'  'wealthy'; 
and  ordinarily  used,  in  Australia, 
instead  of  these  expressions. 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood, '  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  I  : 

"  He's  a  well-in  squatter  that  took 
up  runs  or  bought  them  cheap  before 
free-selection,  and  land-boards,  and 
rabbits,  and  all  the  other  bothers  that 
turn  a  chap's  hair  grey  before  his 
time." 

Western  Australia,  the  part 
of  the  Continent  first  sighted  in 
J527  by  a  Portuguese,  and  the 
last  to  receive  responsible  govern- 
ment, in  1890.  It  had  been  made 
a  Crown  colony  in  1829. 

Westralia,  n.  a  common  ab- 
breviation for  Western  Australia 
(q.v.).  The  word  was  coined  to 
meet  the  necessities  of  the  sub- 
marine cable  regulations,  which 
confine  messages  to  words  con- 
taining not  more  than  ten  letters. 
1896.  'The  Studio,'  Oct.,  p.  151  : 
"The  latest  example  is  the 
Dorado  of  Western  Australia,  or  as 
she  is  beginning  to  be  more  generally 
called  'Westralia,3  a  name  originally 


nvented  by  the  necessity  of  the  electric 
:able,  which  limits  words  to  ten  letters, 
or  else  charges  double  rate." 

1896.  'Nineteenth  Century,'  Nov.,  p. 
711  [Title  of  article]: 

"  The  Westralian  Mining  Boom." 

Weta,    n.    Maori   name    for   a 
Zealand    insect — a    huge, 
ugly  grasshopper,  Deinacrida  me- 
•acephala,  called  by  bushmen  the 
Sawyer. 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  'New  Zealand,' 
vol.  i.  p.  123  : 

The  weta,  a  suspicious-looking, 
scorpion-like  creature,  apparently  re- 
plete with  'high  concocted  venom,' 
but  perfectly  harmless." 

1863.  S.  Butler,  '  First  Year  in  Canter- 
bury Settlement,'  p.  141  : 

"  One  of  the  ugliest-looking  creatures 
that  I  have  ever  seen.  It  is  called 
Weta,'  and  is  of  tawny  scorpion-like 
colour,  with  long  antennae  and  great 
eyes,  and  nasty  squashy-looking  body, 
with  (I  think)  six  legs.  It  is  a  kind  of 
animal  which  no  one  would  wish  to 
touch  :  if  touched,  it  will  bite  sharply, 
some  say  venomously.  It  is  very 
common  but  not  often  seen,  and  lives 
chiefly  among  dead  wood  and  under 
stones." 

1888.  J.  Adams,  '  On  the  Botany  of  Te 
Moehau,'  'Transactions  of  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  vol.  xxi.  art.  ii.  p.  41 : 

"Not  a  sound  was  heard  in  that 
lonely  forest,  except  at  long  intervals 
the  sharp  noise  produced  by  the 
weta.9 

W.  F.'s,  old  Tasmanian  term 
for  wild  cattle. 

1891.  James  Fenton,  'Bush  Life  in 
Tasmania  Fifty  Years  Ago,'  p.  24  : 

"Round  up  a  mob  of  the  wildest 
W.F.'s  that  ever  had  their  ears  slit.'7 
[Note]  :  "  This  was  the  brand  on  Mr. 
William  Field's  wild  cattle." 

Whalebone-Tree,  n.  i.q.  Mint- 
Tree  (q.v.). 

Whaler,  n.  used  specifically  as 
slang  for  a  Sundowner  (q.v.) ; 
one  who  cruises  about. 

1893.  '  Sydney  Morning  Herald,'  Aug. 
12,  p.  8.  col.  8: 
"The  nomad,   the    'whaler,'    it  is 


508 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[WHA-WHE 


who  will  find  the  new  order  hostile  to 
his  vested  interest  of  doing  nothing." 

"Whaler2,  n.  name  given  in  Syd- 
ney to  the  Shark,  Carcharias 
brachyurus,  Giinth.,  which  is  not 
confined  to  Australasia. 

Whare,  n.  Maori  word  for  a 
house ;  a  dissyllable,  variously 
spelt,  rhyming- with  'quarry.'  It  is 
often  quaintly  joined  with  English 
words ;  e.g.  a  sod-whare,  a  cottage 
built  with  sods.  In  a  Maori 
vocabulary,  the  following  are 
given  :  whare- ktngi,  a  castle  ; 
whare-karakia,  a  church  ;  whare- 
here,  the  lock-up. 

1820.  '  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of  Lan- 
guage of  New  Zealand '  (Church  Mission- 
ary Society),  p.  225  : 

"  Ware,  s.  a  house,  a  covering." 

1833.  '  Henry  Williams'  Journal :  Carle- 
ton's  Life,'  p.  151  : 

"  The  Europeans  who  were  near  us 
in  a  raupo  whare  (rush  house)." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  26  : 

"  We  were  much  amused  at  seeing 
the  ware-puni,  or  sleeping-houses,  of 
the  natives.  These  are  exceedingly 
low,  and  covered  with  earth,  on  which 
weeds  very  often  grow.  They  resemble 
in  shape  and  size  a  hot-bed  with  the 
glass  off." 

1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes,' 
c.  x.  p.  265  (Third  Edition,  1855)  : 

"  Sitting  in  the  sun  at  the  mouth  of 
his  warree,  smoking  his  pipe." 

1854.  w-  Golder,  '  Pigeons'  Parlia- 
ment,' [Notes]  p.  76  : 

"  I  fell  upon  what  I  thought  a  good 
place  on  which  to  fix  my  warre,  or 
bush-cottage." 

1857.  '  Paul's  Letters  from  Canterbury,' 
p.  89: 

"  Then  pitch  your  tent,  or  run  up 
a  couple  of  grass  ivarres  somewhat 
bigger  than  dog-kennels." 

1871.  C.  L.  Money,  'Knocking  About 
in  New  Zealand,'  p.  33  : 

"  The  old  slab  wharry." 

Ibid.  p.  132  : 

"The  village  was  sacked  and  the 
wharries  one  after  another  set  fire  to 
and  burnt." 


1877*  Anon.,    'Colonial  Experiences  or 

Incidents  of  Thirty-Four   Years   in   New 

Zealand,'  p.  87  : 

"  In    the  roughest    colonial  whare' 

there  is  generally  one  or  more  places 

fitted  up  called  bunks." 

1882.  R.  C.  Barstow,   '  Transactions  of 

the  New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xv.  art. 

liii.  p.  428  : 

"  Raupo  whares  were  put  up." 
1889.   '  Cornhill  Magazine,'  Jan.,  p.  35  : 
"Ten  minutes  more  brought  us  to 

my  friend's  '  whare,'— the  Maori  name 

for  house." 

1896.   '  Otago  Witness,'  Jan.  23,  p.  42  : 
"  The  pas  close  at  hand  give  up  their 

population,— only  the  blind,  the  sick, 

and  the  imbecile  being  left  to  guard 

the  grimy,  smoke-dried  whares." 

Whata,  n.  Maori  word  for  a 
storehouse  on  posts  or  other  sup- 
ports, like  a  Pataka  (q.v.).  Futtah 
(q.v.)  is  a  corruption,  probably  of 
Irish  origin. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  '  Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  167  : 

"In  one  corner  was  a  ware-puni, 
occupied  by  Barrett  and  his  family, 
and  in  the  middle  a  wata,  or  *  store- 
house,' stuck  upon  four  poles  about  six 
feet  high,  and  only  approachable  by  a 
wooden  log  with  steps  cut  in  it." 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor,  '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
P-  57: 

"A  chief  would  not  pass  under  a 
stage  or  wata  (a  food-store)." 

Ibid.  p.  468  : 

"  Wata,  stand  or  raised  platform  for 
food  :  Fata,  Tahaiti."  [Also  an  illus- 
tration, "  an  ornamental  food-store,"  p. 
377-] 

1891.  Rev.  J.  Stack,  « Report  of  Aus- 
tralasian Association  for  Advancement  of 
Science,'  §  G.  vol.  iii.  p.  378  : 

"  The  men  gathered  the  food  and 
stored  it  in  Whatas  or  store-rooms, 
which  were  attached  to  every  chiefs 
compound,  and  built  on  tall  posts  to 
protect  the  contents  from  damp  and 
rats." 

Whau,  n.  Maori  name  for  the 
New  Zealand  Cork-tree,  Entelea 
arborescent,  R.Br.,  N.O.  Tiliacece. 

Whee-Whee,  n.  a  bird  not 
identified. 


WHE-WHl] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


509 


1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  232  : 

"  In  the  morning  the  dull  monoton- 
ous double  note  of  the  whee-whee  (so 
named  from  the  sound  of  its  calls), 
chiming  in  at  regular  intervals  as  the 
tick  of  a  clock,  warns  us  ...  it  is  but 
half  an  hour  to  dawn." 

Whekau,  n.  Maori  name  for 
the  bird  Sceloglaux  albifacies,  Gray, 
a  New  Zealand  owl,  which  is  there 
called  the  Laughing  -  Jackass. 
SQQ  Jackass. 

1869.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia' 
[Supplement]  : 

"  Sceloglaux-  Albifacies,  Wekau. 
Another  of  the  strange  inhabitants  of 
our  antipodal  country,  New  Zealand. 
An  owl  it  unquestionably  is,  but  how 
widely  does  it  differ  from  every  other 
member  of  its  family." 

1885.  A-  Reischek,  '  Transactions  of 
New  Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xviii.  art.  xiii. 
p.  97: 

"Athene  albifacies,  Laughing  owl 
(whekau).  Owls  are  more  useful  than 
destructive,  but  this  species  I  never 
saw  in  the  north  or  out-lying  islands, 
and  in  the  south  it  is  extremely  rare, 
and  preys  mostly  on  rats." 

1885.  '  Transactions  of  the  New  Zealand 
Institute,'  vol.  xviii.  p.  101  : 

"  Already  several  species  have  dis- 
appeared from  the  mainland  ...  or 
are  extremely  rare,  such  as  ... 
Laughing  owl  (Whekau).'' 

Whelk,  or  Native  Whelk,  n. 
a  marine  mollusc,  Trochocochlea 
constricta.  See  Perriwinkle. 

Whilpra,  n.  See  quotation, 
and  compare  the  Maori  word 
Tupara  (q.v.). 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  '  Kamilaroi 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  211  : 

"  The  term  whilpra  being  a  corrup- 
tion of  wheelbarrow,  which  the  Lake 
Torrens  natives  have  acquired  from 
the  whites  as  the  name  for  a  cart  or 
waggon." 

Whio,  n.  (originally  Whio- 
Whio),  also  Wio,  Maori  name 
for  the  New  Zealand  Duck,  Hy- 
menolcemus  malacorhynchusy  Gmell., 


called  the  Blue-Duck  or  Mountain- 
Duck  of  New  Zealand.  See  Duck, 
Professor  Parker's  quotation, 
1889.  The  bird  has  a  whistling 
note.  The  Maori  verb,  whio, 
means  to  whistle. 

1855.  Rev.  R.  Taylor, '  Te  Ika  a  Maui,' 
p.  407  : 

"Wio  (HymenolcEinus  malacorhyn- 
chus\  the  blue  duck,  is  found  abund- 
antly in  the  mountain-streams  of  the 
south  part  of  the  North  Island,  and  in 
the  Middle  Island.  It  takes  its  name 
from  its  cry." 

1877.  W.  Buller,  « Transactions  of  New 
Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  x.  art.  xix.  p.  199  : 

"Captain  Mair  informs  me  that  the 
wio  is  plentiful  in  all  the  mountain- 
streams  in  the  Uriwera  country.  When 
marching  with  the  native  contingent 
in  pursuit  of  Te  Kooti,  as  many  as 
forty  or  fifty  were  sometimes  caught  in 
the  course  of  the  day,  some  being 
taken  by  hand,  or  knocked  over  with 
sticks  or  stones,  so  very  tame  and 
stupid  were  they." 

1885.  H.  Martin,  '  Transactions  of  New 
Zealand  Institute,'  vol.  xviii.  art.  xxii.  p. 
113: 

"  Hymenolcemus  malacorhynchus, 
Whio,  Blue  Duck.  Both  Islands." 
[From  a  list  of  New  Zealand  birds  that 
ought  to  be  protected.] 

Whip-bird,  n.    See  Coach-whip. 

Whip-snake,  n.  or  Little  Whip- 
Snake.  See  under  Snake. 

Whip-stick,  n.  variety  of  dwarf 
Eucalypt ;  one  of  the  Mallees ; 
forming  thick  scrub. 

1874.  M-  C.,  'Explorers,'  p.  123: 
"  He  had  lost  his  way,  when  he  would 

fain  have  crost 
A  patch  of  whip-stick  scrub." 

Whip-tail,  n.  (i)  A  fancy  name 
for  a  small  Kangaroo.  See  Pretty- 
Faces,  quotation.  (2)  A  Tasma- 
nian  fish  ;  see  under  Tasmanian. 

Whistling  Dick,  n.  Tasmanian 
name  for  a  Shrike-Thrush.  Called 
also  Duke-  Willy. 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[WHI 


1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' vol. 
ii.  pi.  77  : 

"  Colluritincla  Selbii,  Jard.,  Whist- 
ling Dick  of  the  Colonists  of  Van 
Diemen's  Land." 

Whistling  Duck,  n.  See  Duck. 
The  bird  named  below  by  Leich- 
hardt  appears  to  be  a  mistake  ; 
vide  Gould's  list  at  word  Duck. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  '  Overland  Expe- 
dition/ p.  287  : 

"  The  Leptotarsis,  Gould  (whistling 
duck),  which  habitually  crowd  close 
together  on  the  water." 

Whitebait,  n.  a  fish ;  not,  as  in 
England,  the  fry  of  the  herring 
and  sprat,  but  in  Victoria,  Eng- 
raulis  antarcticus,  Castln.  ;  and  in 
New  Zealand,  the  young  fry  of 
Galaxias  attenuates^  Jenyns  (Inan- 
ga,  q.v.).  The  young  of  the  New 
Zealand  Smelt  (q.v.),  Retropinna 
richardsonii,  Gill,  are  also  called 
Whitebait^  both  in  New  Zealand 
and  in  Tasmania. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  SouthWales,'  p.  85  : 

"Anchovies  or  Engraulis  have  a 
compressed  body  with  a  very  wide 
lateral  mouth,  and  a  projecting  upper 
jaw.  Scales  large.  We  have  two 
species — E.  antarcticus,  Casteln.,  and 
E.  nasutus,  Casteln.  The  first-named 
species  is  by  many  erroneously  believed 
to  be  identical,  or  at  most  a  variety  of 
E.  encrassicholus  of  Europe.  Count 
Castelnau  states  that  it  is  very  common 
in  the  Melbourne  market  at  all  seasons, 
and  goes  by  the  name  of '  whitebait.' " 

1883.  '  Royal  Commission  on  Fisheries 
of  Tasmania,'  p.  iv  : 

"  Retropinna  Richardsonii,  whitebait 
or  smelt.  Captured  in  great  abund- 
ance in  the  river  Tamar,  in  the  prawn 
nets,  during  the  months  of  February 
and  March,  together  with  a  species  of 
Atherina,  and  Galaxias  attenuates ; 
and  are  generally  termed  by  fishermen 
whitebait.  Dr.  Giinther  had  formerly 
supposed  that  this  species  was  confined 
to  New  Zealand  ;  it  appears,  however, 
to  be  common  to  Australia  and  Tas- 
mania." 

Whitebeard,  n.   name  applied 


to    the    plant    Styphelia    ericoides, 
N.O.  Epacridece. 

White-Bye,  n.  another  name 
for  the  bird  called  variously  Silver- 
Eye,  Wax-Eye,  Blight-Bird,  etc., 
Zosterops  (q.v.). 

1848.  J.  Gould,  'Birds  of  Australia,' vol. 
iv.  pi.  8 1  : 

"  Zosterops  Dorsatis,Vig.  and  Horsf.y 
Grey-backed  Zosterops;  White-eye, 
Colonists  of  New  South  Wales." 

1896.  '  The  Australasian,'  Nov.  14,  p. 
461  : 

"  The  unique  migration  on  the  part 
of  the  white-eyes  has  not  been  satis- 
factorily accounted  for.  One  authority 
invents  the  ingenious  theory  that  the 
original  white-eyes  went  to  New 
Zealand  after  the  memorable  'Black 
Thursday5  of  Australia  in  1851." 

White-face,  n.  a  name  applied 

to    the    Australian     bird,     Xero- 

phila    leucopsis,    Gould.      Another 

species     is    the     Chestnut-breasted 

White-face,  X.  pectoralis,  Gould. 

White  Gallinule,  n.  one  of  the 
birds  of  the  family  called  Rails. 
The  White  Gallinule  was  recorded 
from  New  South  Wales  in  1890, 
and  also  from  Lord  Howe  Island, 
off  the  coast,  and  from  Norfolk 
Island.  The  modern  opinion  is 
that  it  never  existed  save  in  these 
two  islands,  and  that  it  is  now 
extinct.  It  was  a  bird  of  limited 
powers  of  flight,  akin  to  the  New 
Zealand  bird,  Notornis  mantelli, 
which  is  also  approaching  extinc- 
tion. Only  two  skins  of  the  White 
Gallinule  are  known  to  be  in 
existence. 

1789.  Governor  Phillip,  '  Voyage  to 
Botany  Bay,'  p.  273  and  fig.: 

"White  Gallinule.  This  beautiful 
bird  greatly  resembles  the  purple 
Gallinule  in  shape  and  make,  but  is 
much  superior  in  size,  being  as  large 
as  a  dunghill  fowl.  .  .  .  This  species  is 
pretty  common  on  Lord  Howe's  Island, 
Norfolk  Island,  and  other  places,  and 
is  a  very  tame  species." 

1882.  E.   P.    Ramsay,   '  Proceedings  of 


WHI-WIL] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


the  Linnsean  Society  of  New  South  Wales,' 
p.  86 : 

"  The  attention  of  some  of  our  early 
Naturalists  was  drawn  to  this  Island 
by  finding  there,  the  now  extinct 
'  White  Gallinule,'  then  called  (Fulica 
alba\  but  which  proves  to  be  a  species 
of  Notornis" 

White-head,  n.  a  bird  of  New 
Zealand,  Clitonyx  albicapilla,  Bul- 
ler.  Found  in  North  Island,  but 
becoming  very  rare.  See  Clitonyx. 

White-lipped  Snake,  n.  See 
under  Snake. 

White-Pointer,  n.  a  New  South 
Wales  name  for  the  White-Shark. 
See  Shark. 

White-top,  n.  another  name  for 
Flintwood  (q.v.). 

White-Trevally,  n.  an  Aus- 
tralian fish.  See  Trevally. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
and  Fisheries  of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  59  : 

"  Caranx  georgianus,  the  '  white 
trevally.'  .  .  .  There  are  several 
other  species  of  Caranx  in  Port 
Jackson.  In  Victoria  it  is  called  silver 
bream.  Count  Castelnau  says  it  is 
very  beautiful  when  freshly  taken  from 
the  water,  the  upper  part  being  a  light 
celestial  blue  or  beautiful  purple,  the 
lower  parts  of  a  silvery  white  with 
bright  iridescent  tinges  .  .  .  There  is 
another  fish  called  by  this  name  which 
has  already  been  described  amongst 
the  Teuthidce,  but  this  is  the  White 
Trevally  as  generally  known  by  New 
South  Wales  fishermen." 

Whitewood,  n.  another  name 
for  Cattle-Bush  (q.v.).  A  Tas- 
manian  name  for  Pittosporum 
bicolor,  Hook.,  N.O.  Pittosporece. 
Called  Cheesewood  in  Victoria,  and 
variously  applied,  as  a  synonym, 
to  other  trees  ;  it  is  also  called 

Waddy-wood  (q.v.). 

Whiting,  n.  Four  species  of 
the  fish  of  the  genus  Sillago  are 
called  Whiting  in  Australia  (see 
quotation).  The  New  Zealand 

Whiting    is     Pseudophycis    brevius- 


culus,  Richards.,  and  the  Rock- 
Whiting  of  New  South  Wales  is 
Odax  semifaciatus,  Cuv.  and  Val., 
and  O.  richardsonii)  Giinth. ;  called 
also  Stranger  (q.v.).  Pseudophycis 
is  a  Gadoid,  Sillago  belongs  to- 
the  TrachinidcB^  and  Odax  to  the 
family  Labridce.  or  Wrasses. 

1882.  Rev.  J.  E.  Tenison-Woods,  '  Fish 
of  New  South  Wales/  p.  65  : 

"  The  *  whitings '  are  not  like  those 
of  Europe.  There  are,  in  all,  four 
Australian  species — the  common  sand- 
whiting  (Sillago  maculata),  abundant 
on  the  New  South  Wales  coast ;  the 
trumpeter- whiting  (S.  bassensis),  also 
abundant  here,  and  the  most  common 
species  in  Brisbane  ;  S.  punctata,  the 
whiting  of  Melbourne,  and  rare  on  this 
coast ;  and  S.  ciliata? 

Widgeon,  n.  the  common 
English  name  for  a  Duck  of  the 
genus  Mareca,  extended  generally 
by  sportsmen  to  any  wild  duck. 
In  Australia,  it  is  used  as  another 
name  for  the  Pink-eyed  (or  Pink- 
eared]  Duck.  It  is  also  used,  as  in 
England,  by  sportsmen  as  a 
loose  term  for  many  species  of 
Wild-Duck  generally. 

Wild  Dog,  ?i.  i.q.  Dingo  (q.v.). 

Wild  Geranium,  n.  In  Aus- 
tralia, the  species  is  Pelargonium 
australe,  Willd.,  N.O.  Geraniacecz. 

Wild  Irishman,  a  spiny  New 
Zealand  shrub,  Discariatoumatou^ 
Raoul,  N.  O.  RhamnecB.  The  Maori 
name  is  Tumata-Kuru  (q.v.). 

1867.  F.  Hochstetter,  'New  Zealand,' 
p.  133  : 

"  Certain  species  of  Acyphilla  and 
Discaria,  rendering  many  tracts,  where 
they  grow  in  larger  quantities,  wholly 
inaccessible.  On  account  of  their 
slender  blades  terminating  in  sharp 
spines  the  colonists  have  named  them 
'spear-grass,'  'wild  Irishman,'  and 
'wild  Spaniard.'" 

[This  is  a  little  confused.  There  are 
two  distinct  plants  in  New  Zealand — 

(i)  Discaria  totimatou,*.  spiny  shrub 


312 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[WIL 


or  tree  ;  called  TumatakuruMatagory, 
and  Wild  Irishman. 

(2)  Aciphylla  colensoi,  a  grass, 
•called  Sword-grass,  Spear-grass, 
Spaniard,  and  Scotchman^ 

1875.  Lady  Barker,  '  Station  Amuse- 
ments in  New  Zealand,'  p.  35  : 

"  Interspersed  with  the  Spaniards 
are  generally  clumps  of  '  Wild  Irish- 
man''— a  straggling  sturdy  bramble, 
ready  to  receive  and  scratch  you  well 
if  you  attempt  to  avoid  the  Spaniard's 
weapons." 

1883.  J.  Hector,  *  Handbook  of  New 
Zealand,'  p.  131  : 

"  Tumata  kuru,  Wild  Irishman.  A 
bush  or  small  tree  with  spreading 
branches  ;  if  properly  trained  would 
form  a  handsome  hedge  that  would  be 
stronger  than  whitethorn.  The  species 
were  used  by  the  Maoris  for  tattooing." 

1892.  Malcolm  Ross,  'Aorangi,'  p.  37: 

"Almost  impenetrable  scrub,  com- 
posed mainly  of  wild  Irishman  (Dis- 
caria  toumatou)  and  Sword-grass 
(Aciphylla  Colensoi).'' 

1896.  'The  Australasian,'  Aug.  28,  p. 
407,  col.  5  : 

"...  national  appellations  are  not 
satisfactory.  It  seems  uncivil  to  a  whole 
nation — another  injustice  to  Ireland — 
to  call  a  bramble  a  wild  Irishman,  or 
a  pointed  grass,  with  the  edges  very 
sharp  and  the  point  like  a  bayonet,  a 
Spaniard.  One  could  not  but  be 
amused  to  find  the  name  Scotchman 
applied  to  a  smaller  kind  of  Spaniard." 

Wild  Parsnip,  n.  See  Parsnip. 

Wild  Rosemary,  n.    See  Rose- 

Mary. 

Wild  Turkey,  n.     See  Turkey. 

Wild  Yam,  n.  a  parasitic  orchid, 
Gastrodia  sesamoides,  R.  Br.,  N.  O. 
•Orchidece. 

Wilga,  n.  a  tree.  Called  also 
Dogwood  2Si&  Willow,  Geijera  parvi- 
fiora,  Lindl.,  N.  O.  Rutacea.  Adopt- 
ed by  the  colonists  from  the 
aboriginal  name. 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon,'  p.  123  : 

"We  rode  out  through  a  wilga 
rscrub."  (p.  230) :  "  She'd  like  to  be 


buried  there — under  a  spreading  wilga 
tree." 

Willow  Myrtle,  n.  a  tree,  Agonis 
ftexuosa,  De  C. ,  N.  O.  Myrtacea,  with 
willow-like  leaves  and  pendent 
branches,  native  of  West  Aus- 
tralia, and  cultivated  for  orna- 
ment as  a  greenhouse  shrub. 

Willow,  Native, n.  i.q.  Boobialla 
(q.v.),  and  also  another  name  for 
the  Poison-berry  Tree  (q.v.). 

WiUy- Wagtail,  n.  i.q.  Wagtail 
(q.v.). 

Willy  Willy,  n.  native  name 
for  a  storm  on  North-west  of 
Australia. 

1894.  '  The  Age,'  Jan.  20,  p.  13,  col.  4 
[Letter  by  '  Bengalee '  ]  : 

"  Seeing  in  your  issue  of  this  morn- 
ing a  telegraphic  report  of  a  '  willy 
willy'  in  the  north-west  portion  of 
West  Australia,  it  may  be  of  interest 
to  hear  a  little  about  these  terrific 
storms  of  wind  and  rain.  The  portion 
of  the  western  coast  most  severely 
visited  by  these  scourges  is  said  to  be 
between  the  North-west  Cape  and 
Roebuck  Bay  ;  they  sometimes  reach 
as  far  south  as  Carnarvon,  and  north 
as  far  as  Derby.  The  approach  of  one 
of  these  storms  is  generally  heralded 
by  a  day  or  two  of  hot,  oppressive 
weather,  and  a  peculiar  haze.  Those 
having  barometers  are  warned  of 
atmospheric  disturbances ;  at  other 
times  they  come  up  very  suddenly. 
The  immense  watercourses  to  be  seen 
in  the  north-west  country,  the  bed  of 
the  Yule  River,  near  Roebourne,  for 
instance,  and  many  other  large  creeks 
and  rivers,  prove  the  terrible  force  and 
volume  of  water  that  falls  during  the 
continuance  of  one  of  these  storms. 
The  bed  of  the  Yule  River  is  fully  a 
mile  wide,  and  the  flood  marks  on 
some  of  the  trees  are  sufficient  proof 
of  the  immense  floods  that  sometimes 
occur.  Even  in  sheltered  creeks  and 
harbours  the  wind  is  so  violent  that 
luggers  and  other  small  craft  are 
blown  clean  over  the  mangrove  bushes 
and  left  high  and  dry,  sometimes  a 
considerable  distance  inland.  The 


WIN-WIW] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


513 


willy  willy  is  the  name  given  to 
these  periodical  storms  by  the  natives 
in  the  north-west." 

1895.  C.  M.  Officer,  Private  Letter : 

"In  the  valley  of  the  Murray  be- 
tween Swan  Hill  and  Went  worth,  in 
the  summer  time  during  calm  weather, 
there  are  to  be  seen  numerous  whirl- 
winds, carrying  up  their  columns  of 
dust  many  yards  into  the  air.  These 
are  called  by  the  name  willy  willy." 

Windmill  J.P.,  expression 
formerly  used  in  New  South 
Wales  for  any  J.P.  who  was  ill- 
educated  and  supposed  to  sign 
his  name  with  a  cross  x . 

Wine-berry,  n.  See  Tutu.  In 
Australia,  the  name  is  given  to 
Polyosma  cunninghamii ,  Benn., 
N.O.  Saxifrages. 

Winery,  n.  an  establishment 
for  making  wines.  An  American 
word  which  is  being  adopted  in 
Australia. 

1893.  '  The  Argus,'  Oct.  6,  p.  7,  col.  6 
[Letter  headed  '  Wineries ']  : 

"I  would  suggest  that  the  idea  of 
small  local  wineries,  each  running  on 
its  own  lines,  be  abandoned,  and  one 
large  company  formed,  having  its 
headquarters  in  Melbourne  with 
wineries  in  various  centres.  The 
grapes  could  be  brought  to  these 
depots  by  the  growers,  just  as  the  milk 
is  now  brought  to  the  creameries." 

Winter  Cherry,  n.  See  Bal- 
loon Vine. 

Winter  Country,  in  New 
Zealand  (South  Island),  land  so 
far  unaffected  by  snow  that  stock 
is  wintered  on  it. 

Wire-grass,  and  Wiry-grass, 
See  Grass. 

1883.  E.  M.  Curr,  'Recollections  of 
Squatting  in  Victoria'  (1841— 1851),  p.  81  : 

"  Sparsely-scattered  tussocks  of  the 
primest  descriptions  ;  the  wire-grass, 
however,  largely  predominating  over 
the  kangaroo-grass." 

Wirrah,  n.  aboriginal  name  for 
a  fish  of  New  South  Wales, 
Plectropoma  ocellatum,  Giinth. 


1884.  E.  P.  Ramsay.  'Fisheries  Exhi- 
bition Literature,'  vol.  v.  p.  311  : 

"Another  of  the  Perddce  ...  the 
wirrah  of  the  fishermen,  is  more  plenti- 
ful. It  is  when  first  caught  a  hand- 
some fish,  of  a  pale  olive-brown  or 
olive-green  colour,  with  numerous 
bright  blue  dots  on  spots  of  a  lighter 
tint." 

Witchetty,  n.  native  name  for 
the  grub-like  larva  of  one  or  more 
species  of  longicorn  beetles.  The 
natives  dig  it  out  of  the  roots  of 
shrubs,  decaying  timber  and 
earth,  in  which  it  lives,  and  eat  it 
with  relish.  It  is  sometimes  even 
roasted  and  eaten  by  white 
children. 

1894.  R.  Lydekker,  '  Marsupialia,'  p. 
191  : 

"  Dr.  Stirling  writes  .  .  .  [The  mar- 
supial mole]  was  fed  on  the  *  witchetty ' 
(a  kind  of  grub)  .  .  .  two  or  three 
small  grubs,  or  a  single  large  one,  being 
given  daily." 

Wiwi,  n.  Maori  name  for  a 
jointed  rush. 

1842.  W.  R.  Wade,  '  A  Journey  in  the 
Northern  Island  of  New  Zealand,'  ' New 
Zealand  Reader,'  p.  122  : 

"  The  roof  is  usually  completed  with 
a  thick  coating  of  wiwi  (a  small  rush), 
and  then  the  sides  receive  a  second 
coating  of  raupo,  and  sometimes  of 
the  wiwi  over  all." 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  3&> : 

"  [The  walls]  were  lined  outside  with 
the  wiwi  or  fine  grass." 

[See  also  Raupo^  1843  quotation.] 

Wiwi2,  n.  slang  name  for  a 
Frenchman,  from  "  Out,  Out!" 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  94  : 

"  If  I  had  sold  the  land  to  the  white 
missionaries,  might  they  not  have  sold 
it  again  to  the  Wiwi  (Frenchmen)  or 
Americans." 

1857.  C.  Hursthouse,  'New  Zealand, 
the  Britain  of  the  South,'  vol.  i.  p.  14  : 

"De  Surville's  painful  mode  of  re- 
venge, and  the  severe  chastisement 

L    L 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[WIW-WOM 


which  the  retaliatory  murder  of  Marion 
brought  on  the  natives,  rendered  the 
Wee-wees  (Oui,  oui),  or  people  of  the 
tribe  of  Marion,  hateful  to  the  New 
Zealanders  for  the  next  half-century." 

1859.  A.  S.  Thomson,  '  Story  of  New 
Zealand,'  vol.  i.  p.  236  : 

"  Before  the  Wewis,  as  the  French 
are  now  called,  departed." 

1873.  H.  Carleton,  'Life  of  Henry 
Williams,'  p.  92  : 

"The  arrival  of  a  French  man-of- 
war  was  a  sensational  event  to  the 
natives,  who  had  always  held  the 
Oui-oui's  in  dislike." 

1881.  Anon.,  '  Percy  Porno,'  p.  207  : 

"  Has  [sic]  the  Weewees  puts  it." 

Wiwi3,  n.  aboriginal  name  for 
a  native  weapon. 

1845.  Charles  Griffith,  '  Present  State 
and  Prospects  of  the  Port  Phillip  District 
of  New  South  Wales,'  p.  155  : 

"  The  wiwi  is  an  instrument  not  so 
well  known.  It  is  composed  of  a  long 
straight  withy,  about  two  feet  long,  to 
which  is  attached  a  head,  made  of  a 
piece  of  wood  four  inches  long,  in  the 
shape  of  two  cones  joined  together  at 
the  base  .  .  .  This  they  strike  against 
the  ground,  at  a  little  distance  to  one 
side  of  them,  whence  it  rises  at  right 
angles  to  its  first  direction,  and  flies 
with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow  for 
about  one  hundred  yards,  and  at  a 
height  of  about  ten  feet  from  the 
ground." 

Wobbegong',  n.  a  New  South 
Wales  aboriginal  name  for  a 
species  of  Shark,  Crassorhinus  bar- 
batus,  Linn.,  family  Scyllidce ;  also 
known  as  the  Carpet-Shark,  from 
the  beautifully  mottled  skin.  The 
fish  is  not  peculiar  to  Australia, 
but  the  name  is. 

Wobbles,  n.  a  disease  in  horses 
caused  by  eating  palm-trees  in 
Western  Australia. 

1896.    'The   Australasian,'  Feb.    15,  p. 

319: 

"The  palm-trees  for  years  cost  an- 
noyance and  loss  to  farmers  and 
graziers.  Their  stock  being  troubled 
with  a  disease  called  '  wobbles,'  which 
attacked  the  limbs  and  ended  in  death. 


A  commission  of  experts  was  ap- 
pointed, who  traced  the  disease  to  the 
palms,  of  which  the  cattle  were  very 
fond." 

Wolf,  «.  called  also  Native 
Wolf,  Marsupial  Wolf  and  Zebra 
Wolf,  Tasmanian  Tiger and  Hy '<zna ; 
genus,  Thyladnus  (q.v.).  It  is  the 
largest  carnivorous  marsupial 
extant,  and  is  so  much  like  a 
wolf  in  appearance  that  it  well 
deserves  its  vernacular  name  of 
Wolf,  though  now-a-days  it  is 
generally  called  Tiger.  See  Tas- 
manian Tiger. 

1891.  'Guide  to  Zoological  Gardens, 
Melbourne  '  : 

"The  first  occupants  we  notice  in 
this  cage  are  two  marsupial  wolves, 
Thyladnus  cynocephahis,  or  Tasmanian, 
tigers  as  they  are  commonly  called. 
These  animals  are  becoming  scarce, 
as,  owing  to  their  destructiveness 
among  sheep,  they  are  relentlessly 
persecuted  by  run-holders." 

Wollomai,  n.  the  aboriginal 
name  of  the  fish  called  Schnapper 
(q.v.).  In  1875  a  horse  named 
Wollomai -won  the  Melbourne  Cup. 
Since  then  numerous  houses  and 
estates  have  been  named  Wol- 
lomai. 

Wombat,  «.  a  marsupial  animal 
of  the  genus  Phascolomys  (q.v.). 
It  is  a  corruption  of  the  aboriginal 
name.  There  are  various  spell- 
ings ;  that  nearest  to  the  abor- 
iginal is  womback,  but  the  form 
wombat  is  now  generally  adopted. 
The  species  are — the  Common 
Wombat,  Phascolomys  mitchelli, 
Owen ;  Tasmanian  W.,  P.  ursinus, 
Shaw ;  Hairy-nosed  W.,  P. 
latifrons,  Owen. 

1798.  M.  Flinders,  '  Voyage  to  Terra 
Australis  (1814),'  Intro,  p.  cxxviii,  'Jour- 
nal,3 Feb.  1 6  : 

"  Point  Womat,  a  rocky  projection 
of  Cape  Barren  Island,  where  a  num- 
ber of  the  new  animals  called  womat 
were  seen,  and  killed." 


WOM] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


515 


Ibid.  p.  cxxxv  : 

"This  little  bear-like  quadruped  is 
known  in  New  South  Wales,  and 
called  by  the  natives,  womat,  wombat, 
or  ivomback,  according  to  the  different 
dialects,  or  perhaps  to  the  different 
renderings  of  the  wood  rangers  who 
brought  the  information  .  .  .  It 
burrows  like  the  badger." 

1799.  D.  Collins,  'Account  of  New 
South  Wales  (1802),'  vol.  ii.  p.  153  ['Bass's 
Journal,' Jan.] : 

"The  Worn-bat  (or,  as  it  is  called 
by  the  natives  of  Port  Jackson,  the 
Womback^)  is  a  squat,  thick,  short- 
legged,  and  rather  inactive  quadruped, 
with  great  appearance  of  stumpy 
strength,  and  somewhat  bigger  than  a 
large  turnspit  dog." 

1802.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales,'  vol.  ii.  p. 
156: 

"  In  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Bass  this 
Wombat  seemed  to  be  very  econo- 
mically made." 

1813.  'History  of  New  South  Wales' 
(1818),  p.  431  : 

"  An  animal  named  a  wombat,  about 
the  size  of  a  small  turnspit-dog,  has 
been  found  in  abundance  in  Van 
Diemen's  Land,  and  also,  though  less 
frequently,  in  other  parts  of  New  South 
Wales.  Its  flesh  has  in  taste  a  resem- 
blance to  pork." 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  318 : 

"  The  wombat,  a  large  animal  of  the 
size  of  a  mastiff,  burrowing  in  the 
ground,  feeding  on  grass  and  roots 
and  attaining  considerable  fatness." 

1832.  J.  Bischoff,  '  Van  Diemen's  Land,' 

P-  !75  : 

"The  dogs  had  caught  .  .  .  two 
badgers  or  woombacks." 

1846.  G.  H.  Haydon,  'Five  Years  in 
Australia  Felix,'  p.  58  : 

"The  WTombat  is  a  large  kind  of 
badger,  which  burrows  in  the  ground 
to  a  considerable  depth,  and  is  taken 
by  the  blacks  for  food  ;  it  makes  a 
noise,  when  attacked  in  its  hole,  some- 
thing similar  to  the  grunting  of  a  pig." 

1848.  W.  Westgarth,  'Australia  Felix,' 
p.  129 : 

"Mere  rudimentary  traces  (of  a 
pouch)  in  the  pig-like  wombat." 


l853-  J-  West,  '  History  of  Tasmania,' 
vol.  i.  p.  325  : 

"  The  Wombat,  commonly  called  in 
the  colony  Badger  (Phascolomys  wom- 
bat, Peron.),  is  an  animal  weighing 
forty  to  eighty  pounds,  having  a  large 
body  with  short  legs.  Notwithstand- 
ing its  burrowing  habits,  and  the  ex- 
cessive thickness  and  toughness  of  its 
skin,  it  is  usually  so  easily  killed  that 
it  is  becoming  less  and  less  common." 

1855*  W.  Blandowski,  '  Transactions  of 
Philosophical  Society  of  Victoria,'  vol.  i. 
p.  67  : 

"  Wombat.  This  clumsy,  but  well- 
known  animal  (Phascolomys  ivombat\ 
during  the  day  conceals  himself  in  his 
gloomy  lair  in  the  loneliest  recesses  of 
the  mountains,  and  usually  on  the 
banks  of  a  creek,  and  at  night  roams 
about  in  search  of  food,  which  it  finds 
by  grubbing  about  the  roots  of  gigantic 
eucalypti." 

1855.  W.  Howitt,  'Two  Years  in  Vic- 
toria,' vol.  i.  p.  211 : 

"The  wombat  resembles  a  large 
badger  in  the  shortness  of  its  legs,  but 
has  a  little  of  the  pig  and  the  bear  in 
its  shape,  hair,  and  movements." 

1862.  W.  M.  Thackeray,  '  Roundabout 
Papers,'  p.  82  : 

"Our  dear  wambat  came  up  and 
had  himself  scratched  very  affably.  .  .  . 

"  Then  I  saw  the  grey  wolf,  with 

mutton  in  his  maw  ; 
Then  I  saw  the  wambat  waddle 
in  the  straw." 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  *  Kamilaroi 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  265  : 

"Wombat  is  cooked,  then  opened 
and  skinned." 

1888.  D.    Macdonald,   'Gum   Boughs,' 
p.  81: 

"  The  wombat  is  very  powerful,  and 
can  turn  a  boulder  almost  as  large  as 
itself  out  of  the  way  when  it  bars  the 
road." 

1889.  Cassell's  '  Picturesque  Australasia,' 
vol.  iv.  p.  183  : 

"  There  are  large  numbers  of  wom- 
bats in  the  district,  and  these  animals, 
burrowing  after  the  fashion  of  rabbits, 
at  times  reach  great  depths,  and  throw 
up  large  mounds." 

1894.  'The  Argus,'  June  23,  p.  ii, 
col.  4 : 

"The  wombat's  grunt  is  strictly  in 


5i6 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[WOM-WOO 


harmony  with  his  piggish  appear- 
ance." 

Wombat-hole,  n.  hole  made  by 
Wombat  (q.v.). 

1891.  Mrs.  Cross  (Ada  Cambridge), 
*  The  Three  Miss  Kings,'  p.  181: 

"He  took  them  but  a  little  way 
from  where  they  had  camped,  and  dis- 
closed in  the  hillside  what  looked  like 
a  good-sized  wombat  or  rabbit-hole." 

Wommera.  See  Woomera. 
Wonga,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  the  bulrush,  Typha  angustifolia, 
Linn.  It  is  the  same  as  the 
Ratipo  (q.v.)  of  New  Zealand,  and 
is  also  known  as  Bulrush,  Cat's 
Tail  and  Reed  Mace,  and  in  Europe 
as  the  '  Asparagus  of  the  Cos- 
sacks.' For  etymology,  see  next 
word. 

Wonga-wonga,  «.  an  Austra- 
lian pigeon,  Leucosarcia  picata, 
Lath.;  it  has  very  white  flesh. 
The  aboriginal  word  wonga  is 
explained  as  coming  from  a  root 
signifying  the  idea  of  '  quivering 
motion,'  'sudden  springing  up,' 
and  the  word  is  thus  applied  as  a 
name  for  the  bulrush,  the  vine,  and 
the, pigeon.  Some,  however,  think 
that  the  name  of  the  pigeon  is 
from  the  bird's  note.  In  Gipps- 
land,  it  was  called  by  the  natives 
Wauk-wauk-aU)  sc.  'that  which 
makes  wauk-wauk? 

1827.  P.  Cunningham,  '  Two  Years  in 
New  South  Wales,'  vol.  i.  p.  321: 

"We  have  a  large  pigeon  named 
the  Wanga-wanga,  of  the  size  and 
appearance  of  the  ringdove,  which  is 
exquisite  eating  also." 

1846.  J.  L.  Stokes,  *  Discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  i.  c.  x.  p.  314: 

"At  Captain  King's  table  I  tasted 
the  Wonga-wonga  pigeon." 

1848.  J.  Gould,  '  Birds  of  Australia,' 
vol.  v.  pi.  63  : 

"  Leucosarcia  picata,  Wonga-wonga, 
Aborigines  of  New  South  Wales ; 
White  -  fleshed  and  Wonga  -  wonga 
Pigeon,  Colonists  of  New  South 
Wales." 


1852.  G.  C.  Mundy,  'Our  Antipodes' 
(edition  1855),  c.  i.  p.  12: 

"A  delicate  wing  of  the  Wonga- 
wonga  pigeon." 

1860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  1 74  : 

"Nothing  can  surpass  in  delicacy 
the  white  flesh  of  the  Wonga-wonga 
(Leucosarcia  picata}" 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  'Bush  Life  in 
Queensland,'  vol.  i.  p.  213  : 

"  Hark !  there  goes  a  Wonga-wonga, 
high  up  in  the  topmost  branches  of 
the  great  cedar." 

1891.  '  Guide  to  Zoological  Gardens, 
Melbourne': 

"The  Wonga- Wonga  (Leucosarcia 
Picatd)  is  also  represented.  This 
Pigeon,  though  less  bright  in  plumage 
than  the  last-named,  exceeds  it  in 
size  ;  both  are  excellent  eating." 

Wonga-wonga  Vine,  n.  a 
name  for  the  hardy,  evergreen 
climber,  Tecoma  australis,  R.Br., 
N.  O.  Bignoniacecz.  There  are 
several  varieties,  all  distinguished 
by  handsome  flowers  in  terminal 
panicles.  They  are  much  culti- 
vated in  gardens  and  for  orna- 
mental bower-trees. 

Woodhen,  «.  a  name  given  to 
several  birds  of  New  Zealand  of 
the  Rail  family,  and  of  the  genus 
Ocydromus ;  some  of  them  are 
called  by  the  Maori  name  of  Weka 
(q.v.).  The  species  are — 

Black  Woodhen — 

Ocydromus     fuscus,    Du     Bus.; 

Maori  name,   Weka-pango. 
Brown  W. — 

O.  ear/i,  Gray. 
Buff  W.— 

O.  australtSj  Gray  ;    called  also 

Weka. 
North-Island  W.— 

O.   brachypterus,    Buller ;  called 

also  Weka. 
South-Island  W.— 

Same  as  Buff  W.;  see  above. 

1845.  E.  J.  Wakefield,  'Adventures  in 
New  Zealand,'  vol.  ii.  p.  95  : 

"  Two  young  vveka,  or  wood-hens, 


woo] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


5'7 


about  as  large  as  sparrows  .  .  .  were 
esteemed  a  valuable  addition  to  our 
scanty  supper." 

1889.  Vincent  Pyke,  « Wild  Will  Ender- 
by,'  p.  82  : 

"  \Ve--kd  !  wd-kd  !  w<5-ksi !  Three 
times  the  plaintive  cry  of  the  *  wood- 
hen  '  was  heard.  It  was  a  precon- 
certed signal." 

Wood-duck,  n.  a  name  given 
by  the  colonists  of  New  South 
Wales  and  "  Swan  River"  to 
the  Maned  Goose,  Branta  jubata, 
Latham. 

1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition,' p.  147  : 

"  The  wood-duck  (Bcrnicla  jtibata) 
abounded  on  the  larger  water-holes." 

1848.  J.    Gould,   .'Birds   of  Australia,' 
vol.  vii.  pi.  3  : 

" Bernicla  Jubata,  Maned  Goose; 
Wood-Duck,  Colonists  of  New  South 
Wales  and  Swan  River." 

Wood  Natives,  or  Wood 
Savages,  obsolete  names  for  the 
Australian  aborigines. 

1817.  O'Hara,  '  History  of  New  South 
Wales,'  p.  161  : 

"...  robbed  by  a  number  of  the 
inland  or  wood  natives  .  .  . ;; 

Ibid.  p.  201. 

"  The  combats  of  the  natives  near 
Sydney  were  sometimes  attended  by 
parties  of  the  inland  or  wood  savages." 

Wooden  Pear,  n.  a  tree  peculiar 
to  New  South  Wales  and  Queens- 
land, Xylomelum  pyriforme,  Smith, 
N.  O.  Proteacecz  ;  called  also  Native 
Pear. 

i860.  G.  Bennett,  'Gatherings  of  a 
Naturalist,'  p.  322  : 

"  The  Wooden  Pear-tree  of  the  colo- 
nists (Xylomelum  pyriforme]  is  pecu- 
liar to  Australia  ;  its  general  appear- 
ance is  very  ornamental,  especially 
when  the  tree  is  young  ;  the  flowers 
grow  in  clusters  in  long  spikes,  but  are 
not  conspicuous.  This  tree  attains 
the  height  of  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
feet,  and  a  circumference  of  six  to 
eight  feet.  It  is  branchy  ;  the  wood  is 
of  dark  colour,  and  being  prettily 
marked,  would  form  an  ornamental 
veneering  for  the  cabinet-maker. 


When  young,  in  the  Australian  bush, 
this  tree  bears  a  close  resemblance  to 
the  young  Warratah,  or  Tulip-tree 
(Tel ope  a  speciosissimd)^ 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  615  : 

"  Native  Pear— Wooden  Pear.  This 
moderate-sized  tree  produces  a  dark- 
coloured,  prettily-marked  wood.  It  is 
occasionally  used  for  making  picture- 
frames,  for  ornamental  cabinet-work, 
for  veneers,  and  walking-sticks.  When 
cut  at  right-angles  to  the  medullary 
rays  it  has  a  beautiful,  rich,  sober 
marking." 

Woollybutt,  a  name  given  to 
one  of  the  Gum  trees,  Eucalyptus 
longifolia,  Link.  See  Gum. 

1843.  James  Backhouse,  '  Narrative  of 
a  Visit  to  the  Australian  Colonies,'  p.  445  : 

(October  1836.)  "One  called  here 
the  Woolly  Butted  Gum  seems  iden- 
tical with  the  black  butted  gum  of 
Tasmania." 

1894.  '  Melbourne  Museum  Catalogue — 
Economic  Woods,'  p.  28  : 

"  The  Woollybutt  grown  at  Illawarra 
is  in  very  high  repute  for  wheelwright's 
work  " 

Woolly-headed  Grass,  ;/.  an 
indigenous  Australian  grass, 
Andropogon  bombycinus,  R.Br. 

1889.  J.  H.  Maiden,  'Useful  Native 
Plants,'  p.  72  : 

"Woolly-headed  Grass,  a  valuable 
pasture-grass,  highly  spoken  of  by 
stock-owners,  and  said  to  be  very 
fattening." 

Wool-man,  n.  aboriginal  mis- 
pronunciation of  old  man  (q.v.). 

1830.  Robert  Dawson,  'The  Present 
State  of  Australia,' p.  139: 

"The  male  kangaroos  were  called 
by  my  natives  old  men,  'wool-man,' 
and  the  females,  young  ladies,  '  young 
liddy.3 " 

Wool-shed,  ;/.  the  principal 
building  of  a  station,  at  which 
the  shearing  and  wool-packing  is 
done.  Often  called  the  Shed. 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  '  Port  Phillip,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  23  : 

"  In  some  instances  the  flood  has 
swept  away  the  wool-sheds." 


5i8 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[WOO-WRA 


1851.  '  Australasian  '  [Quarterly],  vol. 
i.  p.  298  : 

"...  we  next  visit  the  'wool- 
shed,'  and  find  the  original  slab-built 
shed  has  been  swept  away,  to  make 
room  for  an  imposing  erection  of  broad- 
paling  .  .  ." 

1873.  A-  Trollope,  '  Australia  and  New 
Zealand/  vol.  i.  p.  126  : 

"  The  wool-shed  is  a  large  building 
open  on  every  side,  with  a  high-pitched 
roof, — all  made  of  wood  and  very  rough. 
The  sheep  are  driven  in  either  at  one 
end  or  both,  or  at  three  sides,  accord- 
ing to  the  size  of  the  station  and  the 
number  of  sheep  to  be  shorn.  They 
are  then,  assorted  into  pens,  from 
which  the  shearers  take  them  on  to 
the  board ;— two,  three  or  four  shearers 
selecting  their  sheep  from  each  pen. 
The  floor,  on  which  the  shearers  abso- 
lutely work,  is  called  '  the  board.' " 

1890.   '  The  Argus,'  Aug.  9,  p.  4,  col.  I : 
"You  would    find    them   down    at 
Reed's  wool-shed  now." 

Woomera,  n.  an  aboriginal 
name  for  a  throwing-stick  (q.v.); 
spelt  in  various  ways  (seven  in 
the  quotations),  according  as  dif- 
ferent writers  have  tried  to  express 
the  sound  of  the  aboriginal  word. 

1793.  Governor  Hunter,  '  Voyage,'  p. 
407  [in  a  Vocabulary] : 

"  Womar — a  throwing  stick." 

1798.  D.  Collins,  '  Account  of  English 
Colony  in  New  South  Wales/  p.  613  : 

"  Wo-mer-ra — throwing  stick." 

1814.  L.  E.  Threlkeld,  'Australian 
Grammar '  [as  spoken  on  Hunter's  River, 
etc.],  p.  10  : 

"As  a  barbarism — wommerru,  a 
weapon." 

1830.  R.  Dawson,  'Present  State  of 
Australia/  p.  240 : 

"  Pieces  of  hard  iron-bark  to  repre- 
sent their  war  weapon,  the  womerah 
.  .  .  the  whirling  womerahs." 

1839.  T.  L-  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions into  the  Interior  of  Eastern  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  p.  342  : 

"  The  spear  is  thrown  by  means  of 
a  ivammera^  which  is  a  slight  rod, 
about  three  feet  long,  having  at  one 
end  a  niche  to  receive  the  end  of  a 
spear." 


1847.  L.  Leichhardt,  'Overland  Expe- 
dition/ p.  492  : 

"But  showed  the  greatest  reluct- 
ance in  parting  with  their  throwing- 
sticks  (wommalas)." 

1850.  J.  B.  Clutterbuck,  'Port  Phillip 
in  1 849,' p.  58: 

"  They  employ  also,  as   a  warlike 
weapon,  a  smaller  kind   of  spear  or 
javelin,  which  is  discharged  by  means 
of  a  notched  stick  called  a  Woomera  ; 
and  with  this  simple  artillery  I  have 
seen  them  strike  objects  at  1 50  yards' 
distance.       They    also     employ    this 
minor  spear  in  capturing  the  Bustard." 
1863.    M.    K.    Beveridge,    'Gatherings 
among  the  Gum-trees/  p,  13  : 
"  Then  the  Wamba  Wamba  warriors, 
Sprang  unto  their  feet  with  Tchgrels 
Ready  fitted  to  their  Womrahs." 
Ibid.  (In  Glossary)  pp.  84,  85  : 
"  Tchgrel,  reed  spear. 

Womrak)  spear  heaver." 
1868.  J.    Bonwick,  'John  Batman,  the 
Founder  of  Victoria/  p.  20  : 

"Taking  with  him,  therefore,  on 
board  the  Port  Phillip,  presents  of 
spears,  wommeras,  boomerangs,  and 
stone  tomahawks,  he  tried  to  get  from 
the  Williamstown  waters." 

1889.  P.  Beveridge,  '  Aborigines  of  Vic- 
toria and  Riverina/  p.  48  : 

"  Spears  all  ready  shipped,  that  is, 
having  the  hook  of  the  Womerar 
(throwing-stick)  placed  in  the  small 
cavity  made  for  that  purpose  in  the 
end  of  the  spear,  with  both  raised  in 
readiness  for  launching  at  the  object." 
1892.  J.  Eraser,  'Aborigines  of  New 
South  Wales/  p.  73  : 

"  The  *  womara '  is  an  instrument  of 
wood,  from  twenty-four  to  thirty  inches 
long,  and  a  little  thicker  than  a  spear. 
Unlike  the  spear,  it  is  not  thrown  at 
the  enemy  in  battle,  but  remains 
always  in  the  black  man's  hand  .  .  . 
he  ornaments  it  profusely,  back  and 
front.  .  .  .  The  point  is  turned  up, 
exactly  like  the  point  of  a  lady's 
crochet  needle.  .  .  .  The  spears  have 
a  dimpled  hole  worked  in  their  butt 
end,  which  hole  receives  the  point  of 
the  hook  end  of  the  'throw-stick.'" 

"Worm-Snake,  n.  See  under 
Snake. 

Wrasse,  «.    This  English  name 


WRE-WUR] 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


519 


for  many  fishes  is  given,  in  New 
Zealand,  to  Labrichthys  bothryocos- 
mus,  Richards.  Called  also  Poddly, 
Spotty,  and  Kelp-fish. 

Wreck-fish,  n.  The  Australian 
species  \sPolyprion  ceruleum,  family 
Pcrcoida.  Giinther  says  that  the 
European  species  has  the  habit 
of  accompanying1  floating  wood. 
Hence  the  name. 

Wren,  n.  This  common  Eng- 
lish bird-name  is  assigned  in  Aus- 
tralia to  birds  of  several  genera, 
viz. — 

Banded  Wren— 

Malurus   splendens^    Quoy    and 

Gaim. 
Black-backed  W.— 

M.  melanotus,  Gould. 
Blue  W.— 

M.  cyaneus,  Lath. 
Blue-breasted  W.— 

M.  pulcherrimuS)  Gould. 
Bower's  W. — 

M.  cruentatus,  Gould. 
Chestnut-rumped  Ground  W. — 

Hylacola  pyrrhopygia,   Vig.   and 

Hors. 
Emu-wren    (q.v.) — 

Stipiturus  malachurus,  Lath. 
Goyder's  Grass  W.— 

Amytis  goyderi,  Gould. 
Grass  W.— 

A.    textilis,    Quoy   and   Gaim.; 
called  by  Gould   the   Textile 
Wren. 
Large-tailed  Grass  W.— 

A.  macrura,  Gould. 
Longtailed  W.— 

Malurus  gouldii,  Sharpe. 
Lovely  W.— 

M.  amabilis,  Gould. 
Orange-backed  W.— 

M.    melanocephalus,    Vig.    and 

Hors. 
Purple-crowned  W. — 

M.  coronatus,  Gould. 
Red-rumped  Ground  W.— 

Hylacola  cauta,  Gould. 


Red- winged  W. — 

Malurus  elegans,  Gould. 
Silvery  Blue  W.— 

M.  cyanochlamys,  Gould. 
Striated  Grass  W.— 

Amytis  striatus,    Gould ;    called 
also  the  Porcupine  bird  (q.v.). 
Turquoise  W. — 

Malurus  callainus,  Gould. 
Variegated  W. — 

M.  lamberti,  Vig.  and  Hors. 
White-backed  W.— 

M.  leuconotuSy  Gould. 
White-winged  W. — • 

M.  leucopteniS)  Quoy  and  Gaim. 

See  also  Scrub-  Wren. 

In  New  Zealand,  the  name  is 
applied  to  the  Bush-Wren,  Xent- 
cus  longipes,  Gmel.,  and  the  Rock 
(or  Mountain)  Wren,  X.  gilviven- 
triSy  von  Pelz. 

Wry-billed  Plover,  n.  a  very 
rare  bird  of  New  Zealand, 
Anarhynchus  frontalis,  Quoy  and 
Gaim. 

1889.  Prof.  Parker,  '  Catalogue  of  New 
Zealand  Exhibition,' p.  116: 

"  The  curious  wry-billed  plover  .  .  . 
the  only  bird  known  in  which  the  bill 
is  turned  not  up  or  down,  but  to  one 
side— the  right." 

Wurley,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  an  aboriginal's  hut.  For  other 
words  expressing  the  same  thing, 
see  list  under  Humpy.  In  the 
dialect  of  the  South-East  of  South 
Australia  oorla  means  a  house,  or 
a  c^mp,  or  a  bird's  nest. 

1862.  H.  C.  Kendall,  '  Poems,'  p.  no  : 

"  Seeking,  hoping  help  to  find  ; 
Sleeping  in  deserted  wurleys." 

1865.  W.  Howitt,  'Discovery  in  Aus- 
tralia,' vol.  ii.  p.  233  : 

"  Immediately  went  across  to  the 
blacks'  wurleys,  where  I  found  King 
sitting  in  a  hut  which  the  natives  had 
made  for  him." 

1879.  G.  Taplin,  'Native  Tribes  of 
South  Australia,'  p.  12,  and  Note  : 

"  In  case  of  a  man  having  two  wives, 
the  elder  is  always  regarded  as  the 


520 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[XAN 


mistress  of  the  hut  or  wurley.  The 
word  wurley  is  from  the  language  of 
the  Adelaide  tribe.  The  Narrinyeri 
word  is  mante.  I  have  used  '  wurley ' 
because  it  is  more  generally  under- 
stood by  the  colonists." 

1880.  P.  J.  Holdsworth,  '  Station  Hunt- 
ing on  the  Warrego '  : 

" '  My  hand 
Must  weather-fend  the  wurley.'     This 

he  did. 
He  bound  the  thick  boughs  close  with 

bushman's  skill, 
Till  not  a  gap  was  left  where  raging 

showers 
Or  gusts    might    riot.     Over    all    he 

stretched 
Strong   bands   of  cane-grass,   plaited 

cunningly." 


1886.   H.  C.  Kendall,  <  Poems,'  p.  42  : 

"  He  took 
His  axe,  and  shaped  with  boughs  and 

wattle-forks 
A  wurley,  fashioned  like  a  bushman's 

roof." 


Xanthorrhcea,  n.  scientific  name 
for  a  genus  of  Australian  plants, 
N.  O.  Liliacece,  having  thick  palm- 
like  trunks.  They  exude  a  yellow 
resin.  (Grk.  Hav0o's,  yellow,  and 
poia,  a  flow,  sc.  of  the  resin.) 
They  are  called  Black  Boys  and 
Grass-trees  (q.v.). 


YAB-YAK] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


521 


Yabber,  n.  Used  for  the  talk 
of  the  aborigines.  Some  think  it 
is  the  English  word  jabber ;  with 
the  first  letter  pronounced  as  in 
German  ;  but  it  is  pronounced  by 
the  aborigines  yabba,  without  a 
final  r.  Ya  is  an  aboriginal  stem, 
meaning  to  speak.  In  the  Kabi 
dialect,  yaman  is  to  speak  :  in  the 
Wiradhuri,  yarra. 

1874.  M-  K.  Beveridge,  '  Lost  Life,' 
pt.  iii.  p.  37  : 

"  I  marked 
Much  yabber  that  I  did  not  know." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  'Australian  Life,' 
p.  28: 

"  Longing  to  fire  a  volley  of  blacks' 
yabber  across  a  London  dinner-table." 

1886.  R.  Henty,  '  Australiana,'  p.  23  : 

"  The  volleys  of  abuse  and  *  yabber 
yabber5  they  would  then  utter  would 
have  raised  the  envy  of  the  greatest 
'Mrs.  Moriarty'  in  the  Billingsgate 
fishmarket." 

1888.  RolfBoldrewood,  '  Robbery  under 
Arms,'  p.  55  : 

"  Is  it  French  or  Queensland  blacks' 
yabber  ?  Blest  if  I  understand  a  word 
of  it." 

Yabber,  v.  intr.    (See  noun.) 
1885.  R.  M.    Praed,  'Australian  Life,' 

p.  19  : 

"They  yabbered  unsuspiciously  to 

each  other." 

1887.  J.  Farrell,  '  How  he  died,'  p.  126  : 
"  He's  yabbering  some  sort  of  stuff 

in  his  sleep." 

Yabby,  n.  properly  Yappee, 
aboriginal  name  for  a  small  cray- 
fish found  in  water-holes  in  many 
parts  of  Australia,  Astacopsis  bica- 
rinatus.  The  Rev.  F.  A.  Hage- 
nauer  gives  Yappy,  in  '  Curr's 
Australian  Race,'  vol.  iii.  p.  554, 


as  a  Gippsland  word.  Such 
variants  as  the  following  occur — 
Yappitch)  kapich)  yabbechi,  yaabity. 
The  distinction  between  the  thin 
and  thick  consonants  is  usually 
uncertain. 

1894.  '  The  Argus,' Oct.  6,  p.  11,  col.  2  : 

"  In  the  case  of  small  crayfish,  called 
'  yabbies,'  .  .  .  these  may  be  found  all 
over  Australia,  both  in  large  and  small 
lagoons.  These  creatures,  whilst  near- 
ing  a  drought,  and  as  the  supply  of 
water  is  about  to  fail,  burrow  deeply  in 
the  beds  of  the  lagoons,  water-holes,  or 
swamps,  piling  up  the  excavations  on 
the  surface  over  their  holes,  which  I 
take,  amongst  other  reasons,  to  be  a 
provision  against  excessive  heat." 

1897.  'The  Australasian,'  Jan.  30,  p. 
224,  col.  4  : 

"The  bait  used  is 'yabby,' a  small 
crayfish  found  in  the  sand  on  the  beach 
at  low  tide.  The  getting  of  the  bait 
itself  is.  very  diverting.  The  yabbies 
are  most  prized  by  fish  and  fishermen, 
and  the  most  difficult  to  obtain.  The 
game  is  very  shy,  and  the  hunter, 
when  he  has  found  the  burrow,  has  to 
dig  rapidly  to  overtake  it,  for  the  yabby 
retires  with  marvellous  rapidity,  and 
often  half  a  dozen  lifts  of  wet  sand 
have  to  be  made  before  he  is  captured. 
There  is  no  time  to  be  lost.  In  quite 
twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  chases  the 
yabbies  get  away  through  flooding  and 
collapse  of  the  hole." 

Yakka,  v.  frequently  used  in 
Queensland  bush-towns.  "You 
yacka  wood?  Mine,  give  'im 
tixpence  ;  "  —  a  sentence  often 
uttered  by  housewives.  It  is  given 
by  the  Rev.  W.  Ridley,  in  his 
4  Kamilar6i,  and  other  Australian 
Languages, 'p.  86,  as  theTurrubul 
(Brisbane)  term  for  work,  probably 
cognate  with  yugari,  make,  same 


.522 


AUSTRALASIAN    DICTIONARY 


[YAM-YAR 


dialect,  and  yetigga,  make,  Kabi 
dialect,  Queensland.  It  is  used 
primarily  for  doing  work  of  any  kind, 
and  only  by  English  modification 
(due  to  "  hack")  for  cut.  The 
spelling  yacker  is  to  be  avoided, 
as  the  final  r  is  not  heard  in  the 
native  pronunciation. 

Yam,  n.  a  West  Australian 
tuber,  Dioscorea  hastifolia,  Ness., 
JV.O.  Dioscoridea.  "One  of  the 
hardiest  of  the  Yams.  The  tubers 
are  largely  consumed  by  the  local 
aborigines  for  food  ;  it  is  the  only 
plant  on  which  they  bestow  any 
kind  of  cultivation."  (Mueller, 
apud  Maiden,  p.  22.) 

Yam,  Long,  n.  a  tuber,  Discorea 
transversa,  R.  Br.,  N.  O.  Dioscoridecz. 
"The  small  tubers  are  eaten  by 
the  aborigines  without  any  pre- 
paration." (Thozet,  apud  Maiden, 
P-  23.) 

Yam,  Native,  n.  a  tuber,  Ipomcea 
spp.,  N.O.  Convolvulacea.  The 
tubers  are  sometimes  eaten  by 
the  aboriginals. 

Yam,  Round,  n.  i.q.  Burdekin 
Vine,  under  Vine. 

Yam-stick,  n.  See  quotation 
1882,  Tolmer. 

1863.  M.  K.  Beveridge,  'Gatherings,' 
p.  27: 

"One  leg's  thin  as  Lierah's  yam- 
stick." 

1880.  Fison  and  Howitt,  '  Kamilaroi 
and  Kurnai,'  p.  195  : 

"Behind  the  pair  stands  the  boy's 
mother  holding  her  '  yam-stick '  erect, 
resting  on  the  ground." 

1882.  A.  Tolmer,  '  Reminiscences,'  vol. 
ii.  p.  101  : 

"The  natives  dig  these  roots  with 
the  yam-stick,  an  indispensable  imple- 
ment with  them  made  of  hard  wood, 
about  three  feet  in  length,  thick  at  one 
end  and  edged  ;  it  is  likewise  used 
amongst  the  aboriginal  tribes  of  South 
Australia,  like  the  waddy,  as  a  weapon 
of  offence." 


1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  'Squatter's 
Dream,'  c.  iii.  p.  31  : 

"  Why,  ole  Nanny  fight  you  any  day 
with  a  yam-stick." 

Yama,  «.  aboriginal  name  for 
a  tree ;  probably  a  variant  of 
Yarrah  (q.v.). 

1838.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Three  Expedi- 
tions,' vol.  ii.  p.  54 : 

"The  'Yama,'  a  species  of  the 
eucalyptus  inhabiting  the  immediate 
banks,  grew  here,  as  on  the  Darling, 
to  a  gigantic  size.  .  .  .  The  '  yama '  is 
certainly  a  pleasing  object,  in  various 
respects  ;  its  shining  bark  and  lofty 
height  inform  the  traveller  at  a  distance 
of  the  presence  of  water ;  or  at  least 
the  bed  of  a  river  or  lake." 

Yan  Yean,  «.the  reservoir  from 
which  Melbourne  obtains  its 
water  supply :  hence  commonly 
used  for  water  from  the  tap. 

1871.  Dogberry  Dingo,  '  Australian 
Rhymes  and  Jingles,'  p.  8  : 

"  O  horror  !  What  is  this  I  find  ? 
The  Yan  Yean  is  turned  off." 

Yarra-Bend,  n.  equivalent  to 
the  English  word  Bedlam.  The 
first  lunatic  asylum  of  the  colony 
of  Victoria  stood  near  Melbourne 
on  a  bend  of  the  river  Yarra. 

Yarrah,  n.  aboriginal  name 
for  a  species  of  Eucalyptus,  E.  ros- 
trata,  Schlecht  ;  often  called  the 
River  Gum,  from  its  habit  of  grow- 
ing along  the  banks  of  water- 
courses, especially  in  the  dry  in- 
terior of  the  continent.  Accord- 
ing to  Dr.  Woolls  (apud  Maiden, 
p.  511),  Yarrah  is  "a  name  ap- 
plied by  the  aboriginals  to  almost 
any  tree."  The  word  is  not  to  be 
confused  with  Jarrah  (q.v.).  As 
to  etymology,  see  Yarraman. 

Yarra-Herring,  n.  name  given 
in  Melbourne  to  a  fresh-water 
fish,  Prototroctes  martzna,  Giinth.; 
called  also  Grayling  (q.v.). 

Yarraman,  ;/.  aboriginal  name 
for  a  horse.  Various  etymologies 


YAR-YEL] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


523 


are  suggested ;  see  quotation,  1875. 
The  river  "Yarra  Yarra"  means 
ever  flowing,  sc.  fast.  [A  possible 
derivation  is  from  Yaran,  a  com- 
mon word  in  New  South  Wales 
and  South  Queensland,  and  with 
slight  variation  one  of  the  most 
common  words  in  Australia,  for 
beard  and  sometimes  hair.  The 
mane  would  suggest  the  name. 
— J.  Mathew.] 

1848.  T.  L.  Mitchell,  'Tropical  Aus- 
tralia,' p.  270  : 

"It  was  remarkable  that  on  seeing 
the  horses,  they  exclaimed  '  Yerraman,' 
the  colonial  natives'  name  for  a  horse, 
and  that  of  these  animals  they  were 
not  at  all  afraid,  whereas  they  seemed 
in  much  dread  of  the  bullocks." 

1875.  W.  Ridley,  '  Kamilaroi  and  other 
Australian  Languages,'  p.  21  : 

"Horse — yaraman.  All  the  Aus- 
tralians use  this  name,  probably  from 
the  neighing  of  the  horse,  or  as  some 
think  from  'yira'  or  'yera,'  teeth  (teeth), 
and  '  man  '  (withy 

Ibid.  p.  104  : 

"  Language  of  George's  River. 
Horse — yaraman  (from  'yara,'  throw 
fast)." 

1885.  R.  M.  Praed,  '  Australian  Life,' 
p.  4: 

"Yarraman  being  the  native  word 
for  horse." 

Yarran,  n.  aboriginal  name 
adopted  by  the  colonists  for 
several  Acacias  (q.v.) — Acacia  hom- 
alophylla,  A.  Cunn.,  called  also 
Spearwood;  A.  linifolia,  Willd.,  call- 
ed also  Sally;  A.pendula,  A.  Cunn., 
called  also  Boree,  and  Weeping  or 
True  Myall  (see  Myall). 

1891.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  '  A  Sydney-side 
Saxon, 'p.  99 : 

"That  infernal  horse  .  .  .  pretty 
near  broke  my  leg  and  chucked  me 
out  over  a  yarran  stump." 

Yate,  or  Yate-tree,  n.  a  large 
West  Australian  tree,  Eucalyptus 
cornuta,  Labill.,  yielding  a  hard 


tough    elastic    wood    considered 
equal  to  the  best  ash. 

Yellow-belly,  n.  In  New  South 
Wales,  the  name  is  given  to  a 
fresh-water  fish,  Ctenolates  aura- 
tus  ;  called  also  Golden-Perch.  See 
Perch.  In  Dunedin  especially,  and 
New  Zealand  generally,  it  is  a 
large  flounder,  also  called  Lemon- 
Sole,  or  Turbot  (q.v.). 

Yellow  Fever,  sc.  the  gold- 
fever. 

1861.  T.  McCombie,  '  Australian 
Sketches,'  p.  47: 

"  Evident  symptoms  of  the  return  of 
the  'yellow'  fever,  and  a  journey  to 
the  new  goldfields  seemed  to  be  the 
only  cure.;' 

Yellow-head,  n.  name  given 
to  a  bird  of  New  Zealand,  Cli- 
tonyx  ochrocephala,  or  Native 
Canary  (q.v.),  common  in  South 
Island.  See  Clitonyx. 

Yellow  Jacket,  n.  a  name  given 
to  various  gum-trees,  and  espe- 
cially to  Eucalyptus  melliodora, 
Cunn.,  E.  ochrophlora,  F.  v.  M., 
and  E.  rostrata,  Schlecht,  all  of 
the  N.O.  Myrtacea.  They  all  have 
a  smooth  yellowish  bark,  and 
many  other  names  are  applied  to 
the  same  trees. 

Yellow  Lily,  «.  a  Tasmanian 
name  for  the  Native  Leek.  See 
Leek. 

Yellow-tail,  n.  The  name  is 
given  in  Victoria  to  the  fish  Ca- 
ranx  trachurus,  Cuv.  and  Val. ;  the 
Horse-Mackerel  (q.v.)  of  England. 
In  New  South  Wales,  it  is  Trach- 
urus dedivis,  a  slightly  different 
species,  also  called  Scad ;  but  the 
two  fish  are  perhaps  the  same. 
Seriola  grandis,  Castln.,  also  of  the 
Carangidce  family,  is  likewise  called 
Yellow-tail  m  Melbourne.  In  New 


524 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


[YEL-YUR. 


Zealand,  the  word  is  used  for  the 
fish  Latris  lineata,  of  the  family 
of  Sricenidce,  and  is  also  a  name 
for  the  King-fish^  Seriola  lalandii, 
and  for  the  Trevally. 

Yellow  Thyme,  n.  a  herb, 
Hibbertia  serpyllifolia,  R.  Br.,  N.O. 
Dtlleneacecs. 

Yellow-wood,  a  name  applied 
to  several  Australian  trees  with 


the  epithets  of  Dark,  Light,  Deep, 
etc.,  in  allusion  to  the  colour 
of  their  timber,  which  is  allied 
to  Mahogany.  They  are — Acrony- 
chia  Icevis,  Forst.,  N.O.  Rutacea  ; 
Rhus  rhodanthema,  F.  v.  M.,  N.O. 
Anacardiacice ;  Flindersia  oxleyana, 
F.  v.  M.,  N.O.  Meliacecc.  See  also 
Satin-wood. 

Yuro,  n.  i.q.  Euro  (q.v.). 


ZEB-ZOS] 


AUSTRALASIAN   DICTIONARY 


525 


Zebra-fish,  n.  name  given  to  the 
fish Neotephrceops  zebra,  Richards. 

Zebra- Wolf,  n.  i.q.  Tasmanian 
Wolf,  or  Tasmanian  Tiger  (q.v.). 

Zelanian,  a  scientific  term, 
meaning  'pertaining  to  New  Zea- 
land,' from  Zelania,  a  Latinised 
form  of  Zealand. 

Zosterops,  n.  the  scientific 
name  of  a  genus  of  Australian 
birds,  often  called  also  popularly 
by  that  name,  and  by  the  names 
of  Wax-eye,  White-eye,  Silver-eye 
(q.v.),  Ring-eye,  Blight-bird  (q.v.), 
etc.  From  the  Greek  ^axmjp,  a 
girdle,  '  anything  that  goes  round 
like  a  girdle'  ('  L.  &  S.'),  and  oty, 
the  eye  ;  the  birds  of  the  genus 
have  a  white  circle  round  their 
eyes.  The  bird  was  not  generally 
known  in  New  Zealand  until  after 
Black  Thursday  (q.v.),  in  1851, 
when  it  flew  to  the  Chatham  Is- 
lands. Some  observers,  however, 
noted  small  numbersof  one  species 
in  Milford  Sound  in  1832.  New 
Zealand  birds  are  rarely  gregari- 
ous, but  the  Zosterops  made  a  great 
migration,  in  large  flocks,  from 
the  South  Island  to  the  North 
Island  in  1856,  and  the  Maori 
name  for  the  bird  is '  The  Stranger ' 
(Tau-hou\  Nevertheless,  Duller 


thinks  that  the  species  Z.  carules- 
cens\s  indigenous  in  New  Zealand. 
(See  under  Silver-eye,  quotation 
1888.)  The  species  are— 

Zosterops  cczrulescens,   Lath. 
Green-backed  Z.— 

Z.  gouldi,  Bp. ;  called  also  Grape- 
eater,  and  Fig-eater  (q.v.). 
Gulliver's  Z.— 

Z.gulliveri,  Castln.  and  Ramsay. 
Pale-bellied  Z.— 

Z.  albiventer,  Homb.  and  Jacq. 
YellowZ.— 

Z.  lutea,  Gould. 
Yellow-rumped  Z. — 

Z.  westernensis,  Quoy  and  Gaim. 
Yellow-throated  Z.— 

Z.flavogularis,  Masters. 

1897.  A.  J.  Campbell  (in  '  The  Austral- 
asian,' Jan.  23),  p.  1 80,  col.  3 : 

"  I  have  a  serious  charge  to  prefer 
against  this  bird  [the  Tawny  Honey- 
eater]  as  well  as  against  some  of  its 
near  relatives,  particularly  those  that 
inhabit  Western  Australia,  namely,  the 
long-billed,  the  spine-billed,  and  the 
little  white-eye  or  zosterops.  During 
certain  seasons  they  regale  themselves 
too  freely  with  the  seductive  nectar  of 
the  flaming  bottle-brush  (Callistcmon}. 
They  become  tipsy,  and  are  easily 
caught  by  hand  under  the  bushes.  In 
the  annals  of  ornithology  I  know  of  n,o 
other  instance  of  birds  getting  intoxi- 
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