Austral English Part 101

(2) The name is given by Gould to three species of Geopelia.

1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. v. pls. 72, 73, 74:

"Geopelia humeralis, Barred-shouldered Ground-dove"

(pl. 72);

"G. tranquilla" (pl. 73);

"G. cuneata, Graceful Ground-dove" (pl. 74).

Ground-Lark, n. (1) 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 Novae Zelandiae, Gray, New 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. pl. 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. (1) 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, `Transactions of Linnaean 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, n. 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 `grubbing' a piece of new land which was heavily timbered."

1868. Mrs. Meredith, `Tasmanian Memory 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 spelling of Garfish (q.v.).

Gudgeon, n. The name is given in New South Wales to the fish Eleotris coxii, Krefft, of the family of the Gobies.

Guitar Plant, a Tasmanian shrub, Lomatia tinctoria, R. Br., N.O. Proteaceae.

Gull, n. common English name for a sea-bird.

The Australian species are--

Long-billed Gull-- Larus longirostris, Masters.

Pacific G.-- L. pacificus, Lath.

Silver G.-- L. novae-hollandiae, 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, Australian. 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 gullet: `It meeteth afterward with another gullet,'

i.e. small stream. Holinshed, `Description of Britain,' c. 11: F. goulet, `a gullet ... a narrow brook or 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 attempting to ford it, carried away by the violence of the torrent, and drowned."