Austral English Part 12

1893. A. R. Wallace, `Australasia,' p. 340:

"Thus we have here [W. Australia] alone the curious little banded ant-eater (Myrmecobius fasciatus), which presents the nearest approach in its dent.i.tion to the most ancient known mammals whose remains are found in the oolite and Trias of the Mesozoic epoch."

Banded-Kangaroo, i.q. Banded-Wallaby. See Lagostrophus and Wallaby.

Banded-Wallaby, n. sometimes called Banded-Kangaroo. See Lagostrophus and Wallaby.

Bandicoot, n. an insect-eating marsupial animal; family, Peramelidae; genus, Perameles.

"The animals of this genus, commonly called Bandicoots in Australia, are all small, and live entirely on the ground, making nests composed of dried leaves, gra.s.s and sticks, in hollow places. They are rather mixed feeders; but insects, worms, roots and bulbs, const.i.tute their ordinary diet."

(`Encyclopaedia Britannica,' 9th edit., vol. xv. p. 381.) The name comes from India, being a corruption of Telugu pandi-kokku, literally "pig-dog," used of a large rat called by naturalists Mus malabaricus, Shaw, Mus giganteus, Hardwicke; Mus bandis coota, Bechstein.

The name has spread all over India. The Indian animal is very different from the Australian, and no record is preserved to show how the Anglo-Indian word came to be used in Australia.

The Bandicoots are divided into three genera--the True Bandicoots (genus Perameles, q.v.), the Rabbit Bandicoots (genus Peragale, q.v.), and the Pig-footed Bandicoots (q.v.) (genus Ch.o.e.ropus, q.v.). The species are--

Broadbent's Bandicoot-- Perameles broadbenti, Ramsay.

c.o.c.kerell's B.-- P. c.o.c.kerelli, Ramsay.

Common Rabbit B.-- Peragale lagotis, Reid.

Desert B.-- P. eremiana, Spencer.

Doria's B.-- Perameles dorerana, Quoy & Gaim.

Golden B.-- P. aurata, Ramsay.

Gunn's B.-- P. gunni, Gray.

Less Rabbit B.-- Peragale minor, Spencer.

Long-nosed B.-- Perameles nasuta, Geoffr.

Long-tailed B.-- P. longicauda, Peters & Doria.

North-Australian B.-- P. macrura, Gould.

Port Moresby B.-- P. moresbyensis, Ramsay.

Raffray's B.-- P. rafrayana, Milne-Edw.

Short-nosed B.-- P. obesula, Shaw.

Striped B.-- P. bougainvillii, Quoy & Gaim.

White-tailed Rabbit B.-- P. lesicura. Thomas.

Pig-footed B.-- Ch.o.e.ropus castanotis, Gray.

1802. D. Collins, `Account of New South Wales', vol. ii. p. 188 (Ba.s.s's Diary at the Derwent, January 1799):

"The bones of small animals, such as opossums, squirrels, kangooroo rats, and bandicoots, were numerous round their deserted fire-places."

1820. W. C. Wentworth, `Description o New South Wales,' p. 3:

"The animals are, the kangaroo, native dog (which is a smaller species of the wolf), the wombat, bandicoot, kangaroo-rat, opossum, flying squirrel, flying fox, etc. etc."

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

p. 316

"The bandicoot is about four times he size of a rat, without a tail, and burrows in the ground or in hollow trees."

1832. Bischoff, `Van Diemen's Land,' vol. ii. p. 28:

"The bandicoot is as large as a rabbit. There are two kinds, the rat and the rabbit bandicoot."

1845. R. Howitt, `Australia,' p. 233:

"The common people are not dest.i.tute of what Wordsworth calls `the poetry of common speech,' many of their similes being very forcibly and naturally drawn from objects familiarly in sight and quite Australian. `Poor as a bandicoot,' `miserable as a s.h.a.g on a rock.'"

Ibid. p. 330:

"There is also a rat-like animal with a swinish face, covered with ruddy coa.r.s.e hair, that burrows in the ground--the bandicoot. It is said to be very fine eating."

1845. J. O. Balfour, `Sketch of New South Wales,' p. 26:

"The bandicoot is the size of a large rat, of a dark brown colour; it feeds upon roots, and its flesh is good eating.

This animal burrows in the ground, and it is from this habit, I suppose, that when hungry, cold, or unhappy, the Australian black says that he is as miserable as the bandicoot."

1890. C. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals, p. 92:

"The bandicoots are good eating even for Europeans, and in my opinion are the only Australian mammals fit to eat. They resemble pigs, and the flesh tastes somewhat like pork."

Bangalay, n. a Sydney workmen's name for the timber of Eucalyptus botrioides, Smith. (See Gum.) The name is aboriginal, and by workmen is always p.r.o.nounced Bang Alley.

Bangalow, n. an ornamental feathery-leaved palm, Ptychosperma elegans, Blume, N.O. Palmeae.

1851. J. Henderson, `Excursions in New South Wales,' vol. ii.

p.229

"The Bangalo, which is a palm... The germ, or roll of young leaves in the centre, and near the top, is eaten by the natives, and occasionally by white men, either raw or boiled.

It is of a white colour, sweet and pleasant to the taste."

1884. W. R. Guilfoyle, `Australian Botany,' p. 23:

"The aborigines of New South Wales and Queensland, and occasionally the settlers, eat the young leaves of the cabbage and bangalo palms."

1886. H. C. Kendall, `Poems,' p. 193:

You see he was bred in a bangalow wood, And bangalow pith was the princ.i.p.al food His mother served out in her shanty."