Austral English Part 163

Micky, n. young wild bull. "Said to have originated in Gippsland, Victoria. Probably from the a.s.sociation of bulls with Mickeys, or Irishmen." (Barere and Leland.)

1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Colonial Reformer,' c. xviii.

p. 217:

"The wary and still more dangerously sudden `Micky,'

a two-year-old bull."

Micky/2/, n. In New Zealand, a corruption of Mingi (q.v.).

Midwinter, n. The seasons being reversed in Australia, Christmas occurs in the middle of summer. The English word Midsummer has thus dropped out of use, and "Christmas," or Christmas-time, is its Australian subst.i.tute, whilst Midwinter is the word used to denote the Australian winter-time of late June and early July. See Christmas.

Mignonette, Native, n. a Tasmanian flower, Stackhousia linariaefolia, Cunn., N.O.

Stackhouseae.

Mihanere, n. a convert to Christianity; a Maori variant of the English word Missionary.

1845. E. J. Wakefield, `Adventures in New Zealand,' vol. ii.

pp. 11, 12:

"The mihanere natives, as a body, were distinctly inferior in point of moral character to the natives, who remained with their ancient customs unchanged... . A very common answer from a converted native, accused of theft, was, `How can that be? I am a mihanere.' ... They were all mihanere, or converts."

Milk-bush, n. a tall Queensland shrub, Wrightia saligna, F. v. M., N.O. Apocyneae; it is said to be most valuable as a fodder-bush.

Milk-fish, n. The name, in Australia, is given to a marine animal belonging to the cla.s.s Holothurioidea. The Holothurians are called Sea-cuc.u.mbers, or Sea-slugs. The Trepang, or be^che-de-mer, eaten by the Chinese, belongs to them.

Called also t.i.t-fish (q.v.).

1880. Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, `Proceedings of the Linnaean Society of New South Wales,' vol. v. pt. ii.

p. 128:

"Another species [of Trepang] is the `milk fish' or `cotton fish,' so called from its power of emitting a white viscid fluid from its skin, which clings to an object like shreds of cotton."

Milk-plant, n. i.q. Caustic Creeper (q.v.).

Milk-tree, n. a New Zealand tree, Epicarpurus microphyllus, Raoul.

1873. `Catalogue of Vienna Exhibition':

"Milk-tree ... a tall slender tree exuding a milky sap: wood white and very brittle."

Milk-wood, n. a Northern Territory name for Melaleuca leucadendron, Linn.; called also Paperbark-tree (q.v.).

Miller, n. a local name for the Cicada. See Locust (quotation, 1896).

Millet, n. The name is given to several Australian gra.s.ses. The Koda Millet of India, Paspalum scrobiculatum, Linn., is called in Australia Ditch Millet; Seaside Millet is the name given to Paspalum distichum, Linn., both of the N.O. Gramineae. But the princ.i.p.al species is called Australian Millet, Native Millet, and Umbrella Gra.s.s; it is Panic.u.m decompositum, R. Br., N.O. Gramineae; it is not endemic in Australia.

1896. `The Australasian,' March 14, p. 488, col. 5:

"One of the very best of the gra.s.ses found in the hot regions of Central Australia is the Australian millet, Panic.u.m decompositum. It is extremely hardy and stands the hot dry summers of the north very well; it is nutritious, and cattle and sheep are fond of it. It seeds freely, was used by the aborigines for making a sort of cake, and was the only grain stored by them. This gra.s.s thrives in poor soil, and starts into rapid growth with the first autumn rains."

Mimosa, n. a scientific name applied to upwards of two hundred trees of various genera in the Old World. The genus Mimosa, under which the Australian trees called Wattles were originally cla.s.sed, formerly included the Acacias. These now const.i.tute a separate genus. Acacia is the scientific name for the Wattle; though even now an old colonist will call the Wattles "Mimosa."

1793. J. E. Smith, `Specimen of Botany of New Holland,'

p. 52:

"This shrub is now not uncommon in our greenhouses, having been raised in plenty from seeds brought from Port Jackson. It generally bears its fragrant flowers late in the autumn, and might then at first sight be sooner taken for a Myrtus than a Mimosa."

1802. Jas. Flemming, `Journal of Explorations of Charles Grimes,' in `Historical Records of Port Phillip' (ed. 1879, J. J. Shillinglaw), p. 25:

"Timber; gum, Banksia, oak, and mimosa of sorts, but not large except the gum."

1830. R. Dawson, `Present State of Australia,' p. 202:

"Gum-arabic, which exudes from the mimosa shrubs."

1844. `Port Phillip Patriot,' July 18, p. 4, col. 2:

"`Cashmere' shawls do not grow on the mimosa trees."

1845. J. O. Balfour, `Sketch of New South Wales,' p. 38:

"The mimosa is a very graceful tree; the foliage is of a light green colour... . The yellow flowers with which the mimosa is decked throw out a perfume sweeter than the laburnum; and the gum ... is said not to be dissimilar to gum-arabic."

1845. R. Howitt, `Australia,' p. 175:

"But, Yarra, thou art lovelier now, With clouds of bloom on every bough; A gladsome sight it is to see, In blossom thy mimosa tree.

Like golden-moonlight doth it seem, The moonlight of a heavenly dream; A sunset l.u.s.tre, chaste and cold, A pearly splendour blent with gold."

"To the River Yarra."

1848. W. Westgarth, `Australia Felix,' p. 255:

"The other exports of Australia Felix consist chiefly of tallow, cured beef and mutton, wheat, mimosa-bark, and gumwood."

1849. J. P. Townsend, `Rambles in New South Wales,' p. 34:

"The mimosa--although it sadly chokes the country--when in flower, fills the air with fragrance. Its bark is much used for tanning purposes; and the gum that exudes from the stem is of some value as an export, and is used by the blacks as food."

1870. F. S. Wilson, `Australian Songs,' p. 29:

"I have sat, and watched the landscape, latticed by the golden curls, Showering, like mimosa-blooms, in scented streams about my breast."

Minah, n. (also Myna, Mina, and Minah-bird, and the characteristic Australian change of Miner). From Hindustani maina, a starling. The word is originally applied in India to various birds of the Starling kind, especially to Graculus religiosa, a talking starling or grackle. One of these Indian grackles, Acridotheres tristis, was acclimatised in Melbourne, and is now common to the house-tops of most Australian towns. He is not Australian, but is the bird generally referred to as the Minah, or Minah- bird. There are Minahs native to Australia, of which the species are--

Bell-Mina-- Manorhina melanophrys, Lath.

Bush-M.-- Myzantha garrula, Lath.