Austral English Part 172

1864. J. Rogers, `New Rush,' pt. ii. p. 26:

"A man each windla.s.s-handle working slow, Raises the mullock from his mate below."

1874. Garnet Walch, `Head over Heels, p. 77:

"But still we worked on--same old tune For nothin' but mullock come up."

Mullock over, v. Shearing slang.

See quotation.

1893. `The Age,' Sept. 23, p. 14, col. 4:

"I affirm as a practical shearer, that no man could shear 321 sheep in eight hours, although I will admit he might do what we shearers call `mullock over' that number; and what is more, no manager or overseer who knows his work would allow a shearer to do that number of sheep or lambs in one day."

Munyeru, n. name given to the small black seeds of Claytonia balonnensis, F. v. M., N.O. Portulaceae, which are ground up and mixed with water so as to form a paste. It forms a staple article of diet amongst the Arunta and other tribes of Central Australia.

1896. E. C. Stirling, `Horne Expedition in Central Australia,' Anthropology, p. 56:

"In these districts `Munyeru' takes the place of the spore cases of `Nardoo' (Marsilea quadrifolia), which is so much used in the Barcoo and other districts to the south and east, these being treated in a similar way."

Murray-Carp, n. See Carp.

Murray-Cod, n. an important fresh-water food-fish, Oligorus macquariensis, Cuv. and Val., called Kookoobal by the aborigines of the Murrumbidgee, and Pundy by those of the Lower Murray. A closely allied species is called the Murray-Perch. Has been known to reach a weight of 120 lbs.

1839. T. L. Mitch.e.l.l, `Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia,' vol. i. p. 95:

"We soon found that this river contained ... the fish we first found in the Peel, commonly called by the colonists `the cod,' although most erroneously, since it has nothing whatever to do with malacopterygious fishes."

1880. Guenther, `Introduction to Study of Fishes,' p. 392 (`O.E.D.'):

"The first (Oligorus macquariensis) is called by the colonists `Murray-cod,' being plentiful in the Murray River and other rivers of South Australia. It attains to a length of more than 3 feet and to a weight of nearly 100 lbs."

Murray-Lily, n. See Lily.

Murray-Perch, n. a freshwater fish, Oligorus mitch.e.l.li, Castln., closely allied to Oligorus macquariensis, the Murray-Cod, belonging to the family Percidae.

1880. Garnet Walch, `Victoria in 1880,' p. 124:

"Our n.o.ble old 1400-mile river, the Murray, well christened the Nile of Australia, ... produces `snags,' and that finny monster, the Murray cod, together with his less bulky, equally flavourless congener, the Murray perch."

Murr-nong, n. a plant. The name used by the natives in Southern Australia for Microseris forsteri, Hook., N.O. Compositae.

1878. R. Brough Smyth, `Aborigines of Victoria,' p. 209:

"Murr-nong, or `Mirr-n'yong', a kind of yam (Microseris Forsteri) was usually very plentiful, and easily found in the spring and early summer, and was dug out of the earth by the women and children."

1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 45:

"Murr-nong, or `Mirr n'yong' of the aboriginals of New South Wales and Victoria. The tubers were largely used as food by the aboriginals. They are sweet and milky, and in flavour resemble the cocoa-nut."

Murrumbidgee Pine, n. See Pine.

Mushroom, n. The common English mushroom, Agaricus campestris, Linn., N.O. Fungi, abounds in Australia, and there are many other indigenous edible species.

Musk-Duck, n. the Australian bird, Biziura lobata, Shaw. See Duck.

1880. Garnet Walch, `Victoria in 1880,' p. 30:

"The ungainly musk-duck paddles clumsily away from the pa.s.sing steamer, but hardly out of gunshot, for he seems to know that his fishy flesh is not esteemed by man."

1880. Mrs. Meredith, `Tasmanian Friends and Foes,' p. 159:

"That's a musk duck: the plumage is very sombre and loose looking--not so thick as most other ducks; the tail, too, is singular, little more than a small fan of short quills. The head of the male has a kind of black leathery excrescence under the bill that gives it an odd expression, and the whole bird has a strange odour of musk, rendering it quite uneatable."

Musk-Kangaroo, n. See Hypsiprymnodon and Kangaroo.

Musk-Parrakeet, n. an Australian parrakeet.

See Parrakeet.

1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. v. pl. 5:

"Trichoglossus Concinnus, Vig. and Horsf.

(Australis, Wagl.), Musky-Parrakeet; Musk-Parrakeet, Colonists of New South Wales, from the peculiar odour of the bird."

Musk-tree, n. The name is applied to Marlea vitiense, Benth., N.O. Cornaceae, with edible nuts, which is not endemic in Australia, and to two native trees of the N.O. Compositae--Aster argophyllus, Labill., called also Musk-wood, from the scent of the timber; and Aster viscosus, Labill., called also the Dwarf Musk-tree.

1848. Letter by Mrs. Perry, given in Canon Goodman's `Church in Victoria during the Episcopate of Bishop Perry,' p. 71:

"Also there is some pretty underwood, a good deal of the musk-tree--which is very different from our musk-plant, growing quite into a shrub and having a leaf like the laurel in shape."

1888. Mrs. M'Cann, `Poetical Works,' p. 143:

"The musk-tree scents the evening air Far down the leafy vale."

Musk-wood, n. See Musk-tree.

Mussel, n. Some Australasian species of this mollusc are-- Mytilus latus, Lamark., Victoria, Tasmania, and New Zealand; M. tasmanicus, Tenison Woods, Tasmania; M. rostratus, Dunker, Tasmania and Victoria; M. hirsutus, Lamark., Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, New Zealand; M. cra.s.sus, Tenison-Woods, Tasmania.

Fresh-water Mussels belong to the genus Unio.

Mutton-bird, n. The word is ordinarily applied to the Antarctic Petrel, AEstrelata lessoni. In Australasia it is applied to the Puffin or Short-tailed Petrel, Puffinus brevicaudus, Brandt. The collection of the eggs of this Petrel, the preparation of oil from it, the salting of its flesh for food, form the princ.i.p.al means of subsistence of the inhabitants, half-caste and other, of the islands in Ba.s.s Straits.

1839. W. Mann, `Six Years' Residence in the Australian Provinces,' p. 51:

"They are commonly called mutton birds, from their flavour and fatness; they are migratory,and arrive in Ba.s.s's Straits about the commencement of spring, in such numbers that they darken the air."

1843. J. Backhouse, `Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies' (1832), p. 73: