Austral English Part 110

Harrier, n. English bird-name (that which harries), a.s.signed in New Zealand to Circus gouldii, Bonap. (also called Swamp-hawk), and in Australia to C. a.s.similis, 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 Zealand 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 Maddox, I'd never let it be said that a black hat had cut me out sweetheartin'."

1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Colonial Reformer,' c. iii. p. 21:

"A `black hat' in Australian parlance means a new arrival."

Hat, Old. See Old-hat.

Hatter. (1) A solitary miner--miner who works without a mate partner: sc. one who has everything 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 workings, 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 fossicking like so many `hatters'

--solitary miners."

(2) By extension to other professions.

1893. `The Herald' (Melbourne), Aug. 28, p. i. col. 7:

"He had been a burglar of the kind known among the criminal cla.s.ses 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 Rhynchocephalinae.

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.).

Hau-hau, n. a Maori superst.i.tion. This superst.i.tion arose in Taranaki in 1864, through the crazy fancies of the chief Te Ua, who communed with angels and interpreted the Bible. The meaning 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 superst.i.tion, and signifies "good and peaceful." (See Gudgeon's `War in New Zealand,' p. 23 sq.; also Colenso's pamphlet on `Kereopa,' p. 4.)

Hawk, n. This common English bird-name is applied in Australia to many species--

Brown-Hawk-- Hieracadiea orientalis, Sehl.

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 approximans, 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.-- Accipiter cirrhocephalus, Vieill.

Striped Brown-H.-- Hieracidea berigora, V. and H. [See Berigora.]

Swamp-H. [See Harrier.]

White Gos-H.-- Astur novae-hollandiae, 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 Novae Zealandiae) 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. Rhamnaceae.

1889. J. H. Maiden. `Useful Native Plants,' p. 590:

"Called `hazel' in `Victoria. A tall shrub, or small tree.