Austral English Part 217
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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 (Richea pandanifolia), 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 Gra.s.s Tree. Peculiar to Tasmania. Dense forests in the interior and SW."
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The chief species is Ptilorhis paradisea, Lath., the other two species were named respectively, after the Queen and the late Prince Consort, Victoriae and Alberti, but some naturalists have given them other generic names.
As to the name, see also quotation, 1886. See Manucode.
1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' 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]: "Curiously 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. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals,' p. 171:
"It was an Australian bird of paradise, the celebrated Rifle-bird (Ptilorhis victoriae), which, according to Gould, has the most brilliant plumage of all Australian birds."
(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 generally distributed."
[Footnote]: "This has. .h.i.therto been written Acanthisitta; but Professor Newton has drawn my attention to the fact of its being erroneous. I have therefore adopted the more cla.s.sic form of Acanthidositta, the etymology of which is 'akanthid,--crude form of 'akanthis = Carduelis, and sitta = sitta."
1888. W. Smith, `Transactions of the New Zealand Inst.i.tute,'
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."
. a lane. In England the word indicates a legal right to use a particular pa.s.sage. In Australia it is used for the pa.s.sage 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."
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 cabinetmaker."
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."
. (1) 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 clearing 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 Australia,' vol. i.
c. x. p. 315:
"What they call ringing the trees; that is to say, they cut off a large circular 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. 81:
"Altogether, fences and tree-ringing have not improved the scene."
1889. Ca.s.sell's `Picturesque Australasia,' vol. iv. p. 58:
"The trees are `rung,' that there 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. Ranken, `Dominion of Australia,' c. vi. p. 111:
"They are generally `ringed,' that is, their galop is directed into a circular course by the men surrounding them."