The New Zealand Eels are--_Austral English

Black Eel--

Anguilla australis, Richards.

Conger E.--

Conger vulgaris, Cuv.

Sand E.--

Gonorynchus grayi, Richards.

Serpent E.--

Ophichthys serpens, Linn.

Silver E.--

Congromuroena habenata, Richards.

Tuna E.--

Anguilla aucklandii, Richards.

The Sand Eel does not belong to the Eel family, and is only

called an Eel from its habits.

<hw>Eel-fish</hw>, n. Plotosus tandanus,

Mitchell. Called also Catfish (q.v.), and Tandan

(q.v.).

1838. T. L. Mitchell, `Three Expeditions,' vol. i. pl. 5,

p.. 44 and 95 [Note]:

"Plotosus tandanus, tandan or eel-fish. Tandan is the

aboriginal name."

<hw>Egret</hw>, n. an English bird-name. The following

species are present in Australia, some being European and

others exclusively Australian--

Lesser Egret--

Herodias melanopus, Wagl.

Little E.--

H. garzetta, Linn.

Pied E.--

H. picata, Gould.

Plumed Egret--

H. intermedia, v. Hasselq.

White E.--

H. alba, Linn.

<hw>Elder</hw>, n. See next word.

<hw>Elderberry, Native</hw>, n. The two Australian

species of the Elder are Sambucus gaudichaudiana, De C.,

and S. xanthocarpa, F. v. M., N.O. Caprifoliaceae.

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."

<hw>Elephant-fish</hw>, n. a fish of New Zealand, South

Australian, and Tasmanian waters, Callorhynchus

antarcticus, Lacep., family Chimaeridae. "It has

a cartilaginous prominence of the snout, ending in a cutaneous

flap" (Gunth.), 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."

<hw>Ellangowan Poison-bush</hw>, n. a Queensland name

for Myoporum deserti, Cunn., N.O. Myoporinae,;

called "Dogwood Poison-bush" in New South Wales. Ellangowan is

on the Darling Downs in Queensland. Poisonous to sheep, but

only when in fruit.

<hw>Emancipatist</hw>, and <hw>Emancipist</hw>, 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 convicts, 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 to the misapplication of the terms

emancipists and absentees to two portions of the

colonial felonry. An emancipist 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. `Fraser's Magazine,' vol. xlvi. p. 135:

"The convict obtained his ticket-of-leave . . . became an

emancipist . . . and found transportation no punishment."

<hw>Emu</hw>, n. an Australian bird, Dromaius

novae-hollandiae, Lath. There is a second species, Spotted

Emu, Dromaius irroratus, Bartlett. An earlier, but now

unusual, spelling is Emeu. Emeus is the

scientific 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. Formerly 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.

1613. `Purchas Pilgrimmage,' pt. I. Vol v. c. xii. p. 430

(`O.E.D.'):

"The bird called Emia or Eme 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, approaching 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 Linneus: 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

judgment 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. Bischof, `Van Diemen's Land,' p. 165:

"We saw an emu track down the side of a hill."

1846. J. L. Stokes, `Discovery in Australia,' 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. pl. I:

"Dromaius Novae Hollandiae. The Emu. New Holland

Cassowary.--'Governor Phillips' Voyage, 1789.'"

1850. J. B. Clutterbuck, `Port Phillip in 1849,' p. 42:

"The emu strides with such rapidity over the plains as to

render its capture very difficult even by the swiftest

greyhound."

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 `Encyclopedia Britannica' (9th edit.),

vol. viii. p. 173:

"Next to the ostrich the largest of existing birds, the common

emeu. . .''

1881. A.C. Grant, `Bush Life in Queensland,' 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 14th day of June to the 20th

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."

<hw>Emu-Apple</hw>, n. See Apple.

<hw>Emu-Bush</hw>, n. an Australian shrub, Eremophila

longifolia, F. v. M., N.O. Myoporineae.

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 feeding on the seeds of this and

other species. Heterodendron oleaefolium, Desf."

Ibid. p. 132:

"The seeds, which are dry, are eaten by emus."

<hw>Emu-Wren</hw>, n. a bird-name. See Malurus.

1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. iii. pl. 31:

"Stipituras Malachurus, Less. Emu Wren. The decomposed

or loose structure of these [tail] feathers, much resembling

those of the emu, has suggested the colonial name of Emu-Wren

for this species, an appellation singularly 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 `Melbourne), `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 smallest scale, even to the peculiarity of

two feathers growing out of the same little quill."

<hw>Eopsaltria</hw>, n. scientific name for the genus

of Australian birds called Shrike-Robins (q.v.). (Grk.

'aeows, dawn, and psaltria, a female harper.)

<hw>Epacris</hw>, n. scientific name of the typical

genus of the order Epacrideae, a heath-like flower

of which there are twenty- five species, mostly Australian.

From Greek 'epi, upon, and 'akron, top (the

flowers grow in spikes at the top of the plant).

In Australia they are frequently confused with and called

Ericas.

<hw>Ephthianura</hw>, n. scientific name of a genus

of very small Australian birds, anglicized as Ephthianure.

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 Zoological 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 'oura, tail,

and Homeric imperfect 3rd person sing. 'ephthien,

wasted away, from phthiow (= phthinow).

[The word occurs Iliad xviii. 446.]

//phthio is ONLY in Homer!! Iliad AND Odyssey GJC//

1848. J. Gould,' Birds of Australia,' vol. iii. pl. 64:

"Ephthianura Albifrons, White-fronted Ephthianura,"

pl. 65. "Aurifrons, Gould, Orange-fronted E.," pl. 66.

"Tricolor, Gould, Tricoloured E.'"

1890. `Victorian Statutes--Game Act, Third Schedule':

"Close season.--Ephthianuras. The whole year."

<hw>Escapee</hw>, n. one who has escaped. 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. e/chappe/.

Escaper is the historical English form. (See Bible, 2

Kings ix. 15, margin.) //He means, of course, the so-called

Authorised Version" which reads, ftn. 5: "let no escaper go,

etc." Even though the Revised Version was published in

1885. GJC//

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."

<hw>Eucalyn</hw>, n. a sugar obtained, together with

laevulose, by fermentation of melitose (q.v.) with

yeast, or by boiling it with dilute acids.

<hw>Eucalypt</hw>, n. shortened English form of

Eucalyptus used especially in the plural, Eucalypts.

Eucalypti sounds pedantic.

1880. T. W. Nutt, `Palace of Industry,' p. 11:

"Stems of the soaring eucalypts that rise

Four hundred friendly feet to glad the skies."

1887. J. F. Hogan, `The Irish in Australia,' p. 126:

"There is no unmixed good, it is said, on this mundane sphere,

and the evil that has accompanied the extensive settlement of

Gipps Land during recent years is to be found in the widespread

destruction of the forests, resulting in a disturbance of the

atmospheric conditions and the banishment of an ever-active

agent in the preservation of health, for these eucalypts, or

gum-trees, as they are generally called, possess the peculiar

property of arresting fever-germs and poisonous exhalations.

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 replanting

them at every seasonable opportunity."

1892. A. Sutherland, `Elementary Geography of British

Colonies,' p. 270:

"Throughout the whole of Australia the prevailing trees are

eucalypts, known generally as gum-trees on account of the gum

which they secrete, and which may be seen standing like big

translucent beads on their trunks and branches."

<hw>Eucalyptene</hw>, n. the name given by Cloez to a

hydrocarbon obtained by subjecting Eucalyptol (q.v.) to

dehydration by phosphorus pentoxide. The same name has also

been given by other chemists to a hydrocarbon believed to occur

in eucalyptus oil.

<hw>Eucalyptian</hw>, 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 inscription

And hieroglyph strange."

<hw>Eucalyptic</hw>, adj. full of gumtrees.

1873. J. Brunton Stephens, `Black Gin, etc.,' p.6:

"This eucalyptic cloisterdom is anything but gay."

<hw>Eucalyptol</hw>, 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.

<hw>Eucalyptus</hw>, n. the gum tree. There are 120

species, as set forth in Baron von Mueller's `Eucalyptographia,

a Descriptive Atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia.' The name

was first given in scientific Latin by the French botanist

L'Heritier, in his Sertum Anglicum, published in 1788.

From the Greek 'eu, well, and kaluptein, to cover.

See quotation, 1848. N.O. Myrtaceae. The French now say

Eucalyptus; earlier they called it l'acajou de la

nouvelle Hollande. The Germans call it Schoenmutze.

See Gum.

1823. Sidney Smith, `Essays,' p. 440:

"A London thief, clothed in Kangaroo'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 uninteresting 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 allusion to a lid or covering over the 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."

1879. `Temple Bar,' Oct., p. 23 ('0. E. D.'):

"The sombre eucalypti . . . interspersed here and there by

their dead companions."

1886. J. A. Froude, `Oceana,' p. 118:

"At intervals the bush remained untouched, but the universal

eucalyptus, which I had expected to find grey and monotonous,

was a Proteus it 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 roots sheer athwart

a tiny watercourse."

<hw>Euro</hw>, 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."

<hw>Exclusionist</hw>, n. and adj. See

quotation.

1827. P. Cunningham, `Two Years in New South Wales,'

vol. ii. pp. 118-19:

". . . one subdivision of the emigrant class alluded to, is

termed the exclusionist party, from their strict

exclusion of the emancipists from their society."

<hw>Exileism</hw>, n. a word of same period as

Exiles (q.v.).

1893. A. P. Martin, `Life of Lord Sherbrooke,' vol. i. p. 381:

"A gentleman who was at this time engaged in pastoral pursuits

in New South Wales, and was therefore a supporter of exileism.'"

<hw>Exiles</hw>, n. euphemistic name for convicts. It

did not last long.

1847, A. P. Martin, `Life of Lord Sherbrooke' (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 explained in his despatch of Sept 3, 1847,

`a scheme of reformatory discipline.'"

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."

<hw>Expiree</hw>, 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."

<hw>Expiree</hw>, 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' (1841-1351), 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."

<hw>Fairy Gardens</hw>, 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.'"

<hw>Fake-mucker</hw>, n. a Tasmanian name for the

Dusky Robin (Petroica vittata). See

Robin.

<hw>Falcon</hw>, n. English bird-name. The Australian

species are--

Black Falcon--

Falco subniger, Gray.

Black-cheeked F.--

F. melanogenys, Gould.

Grey F.--

F. hypoleucus, Gould.

Little F.--

F. lunulatus, Lath.