Austral English Part 100

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.

1896. `The Australasian,' Jan. 11, p. 73, col. 1:

"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."

1897. A. J. Campbell (in `The Australasian,'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. pl. 15:

"Polytelis Barrabandi, Wagl., Barraband's Parrakeet; Green-leek of the colonists of New South Wales."

1855. R. Howitt, `Two Years in Victoria,' vol. i. p. 123:

"We observed m the hollow trees several nests of the little green paroquet,--here, from its colour, called the leek."

Green Lizard, n. sometimes called the Spotted Green Lizard, a New Zealand reptile, Naultinus elegans, Gray.

Green Oyster, n. name given in Queensland to the sea-weed Ulva lactuca, Linn., N.O. Algae.

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. Indeed, 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 Zealand 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 geologically 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, n. Tasmanian name for the Orchid, Pterostylis pedunculata, R. Br.

Green-tree Ant, n. common Queensland Ant.

1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' 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 Tasmania, N.O. Proteaceae, named in honour of the Right Hon. Charles Francis Greville, Vice-President of the Royal Society of London. The name was given by Robert Brown in 1809. The `Century' Dictionary gives Professor Greville as the origin of the name but "Professor Robert K. Greville of Edinburgh was born on the 14th Dec., 1794, he was therefore only just fourteen years old when the genus Grevillea was established." (`Private letter from Baron F. von Mueller.')

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

"Whether Dryandra, Grevillea, Hakea, or the other Proteaceae, 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 sparrow-like birds, of which the only species is Struthidea cinerea, Gould; also called Brachystoma and Brachyporus.

Grey Nurse, n. a New South Wales name for a species of Shark, Odontaspis americanus, Mitchell, family Lamnidae, which is not confined to Australasia.

Gridironing, v

Grinder, n. See Razor-grinder and Dishwasher.

Groper, n. a fish. In Queensland, Oligorus terrae-reginae, Ramsay; in New Zealand, O. gigas, "called by the Maoris and colonists `Hapuku,'"

(Guenther)--a large marine species. Oligorus is a genus of the family Percidae, 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. marginatum, Sharpe.

Spotted G.-b.-- C. punctatum, Lath., called by Gould Ground-Dove (q.v.).

Ground-Dove, n. (1) Tasmanian name for the Spotted Ground-bird (q.v.).

1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. iv. pl. 4:

"Cinclosoma punctatum, Vig. and Horsf., Spotted Ground-thrush. In Hobart Town it is frequently exposed for sale in the markets with bronze-wing pigeons and wattle-birds, where it is known by the name of ground-dove ... very delicate eating."