Austral English Part 191

p. 433:

"The dead bodies are burnt or buried, though some in North Australia place the corpse in the paper bark of the tea-tree, and deposit it in a hollow tree."

Paper-fish, n. a Tasmanian name. See b.a.s.t.a.r.d Trumpeter and Morwong.

1883. `Royal Commission on Fisheries of Tasmania,' p. x.x.xvi:

"The young [of the b.a.s.t.a.r.d trumpeter] are always coloured, more or less, like the red, and are known by some as `paper-fish.'

The mature form of the silver b.a.s.t.a.r.d is alone caught. This is conclusive as favouring the opinion that the silver is simply the mature form of the red."

Paradise, Bird of, n. English bird-name, originally applied in Australia to the Lyre-bird (q.v.), now given to Manucoda gouldii, Gray. Called also the Manucode (q.v.).

1802. D. Collins, `Account of New South Wales,' vol. ii.

p. 300:

"By him [Wilson, a convict] the first bird of paradise ever seen in this country had been shot."

[This was the Lyre-bird.]

Paradise-Duck, n. bird-name applied to the New Zealand duck, Casarca variegata, Gmel. See Duck quotation, 1889, Parker.

1845. E. J. Wakefield, `Adventures in New Zealand,' c. 1.

p. 57:

"These (wild ducks of different sorts) are princ.i.p.ally the black, the grey, the blue-winged, and the paradise-duck, or `pu tangi tangi,' as it is called by the natives. The last is nearly as large as a goose, and of beautiful plumage."

Paradoxus, n. a shortened form of the former scientific name of the Platypus, Paradoxus ornithorrhynchus. Sometimes further abbreviated to Paradox. The word is from the Greek paradoxos, `Contrary to opinion, strange, incredible.' (`L. & S.')

1817. O'Hara, `The History of New South Wales,' p. 452:

"In the reaches or pools of the Campbell River, the very curious animal called the paradox, or watermole, is seen in great numbers."

Paramatta/sic/, n. "A fabric like merino, of worsted and cotton. So named from Paramatta, a town near Sydney, New South Wales." (Skeat, `Etymological Dictionary,' s.v.) According to some, the place named Parramatta means, in the local Aboriginal dialect, "eels abound," or "plenty of eels." Others rather put it that para = fish, and matta= water. There is a river in Queensland called the Paroo, which means "fish-river."

NOTE.--The town Parramatta, though formerly often spelt with one r, is now always spelt with two.

1846. C. P. Hodgson, `Reminiscences of Australia,' p. 367:

"A peculiar tweed, made in the colony, and chiefly at Paramatta, hence the name."

1883. J. Hector, `Handbook of New Zealand, p. 19:

"Paramattas, fine cloths originally made from the Paramatta wool, with silk warps, though now woollen."

Pardalote, n. anglicised form of the scientific bird-name Pardalotus (q.v.), generally called Diamond birds (q.v.); a genus of small short-tailed birds like the Flycatchers. The species are--

Black-headed Pardalote-- Pardalotus melanocephalus, Gould.

Chestnut-rumped P.-- P. uropygialis, Gould.

Forty-spotted P.-- P. quadragintus, Gould; called also Forty-Spot (q.v.).

Orange-tipped P.-- P. a.s.similis, Ramsay.

Red-browed P.-- P. rubricatus, Gould.

Red-tipped P.-- P. ornatus, Temm.

Spotted P.-- P. punctatus, Temm.; the bird originally called the Diamond Bird (q.v.).

Yellow-rumped P.-- P. xanthopygius, McCoy.

Yellow-tipped P.-- P. affinis, Gould.--

1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. ii. pl. 35:

"No species of the genus to which this bird belongs is more widely and generally distributed than the spotted pardalote, Pardalotus punctatus."

Pardalotus, n. scientific name for a genus of Australian birds, called Diamond birds (q.v.), and also Pardalotes (q.v.), from Grk. pardalowtos, spotted like the pard.

Parera, n. Maori name for the genus Duck (q.v.).

1855. Rev. R. Taylor, `Te Ika a Maui,' p. 407:

"Family, Anatida--Parera, turuki (Anas superciliosa), the duck; very similar to the wild duck of England."

Parra, n. a popular use for the fuller scientific name Parra gallinacea. Called also the Jacana (q.v.), and the Lotus-bird (q.v.).

1893. `The Argus,' March 25, p. 4, col. 6:

"The egg of the comb-crested parra shines amongst its neighbours so vividly that it at once catches the eye, and suggests a polished agate rather than an egg. The bird itself is something of a gem, too, when seen skipping with its long water-walking claws over the floating leaves of pink and blue water-lilies."

Parrakeet, n. (various spellings). From French. Originally from Spanish periquito, dim. of sp. perico, a little parrot. Hence used generally in English to signify any small parrot. The Australian species are--

Alexandra Parrakeet-- Spathopterus (Polytelis) alexandra, Gould.

Beautiful P.-- Psephotus pulcherrimus, Gould.

Black-tailed P.-- Polytelis melanura, Vig. and Hors.; called also Rock-pebbler.

Blue-cheeked P.-- Platycercus amathusiae, Bp.

c.o.c.katoo P.-- Calopsittacus novae-hollandiae Gmel.

Crimson-bellied P.-- Psephotus haematogaster, Gould.

Golden-shouldered P.-- Psephotus chrysopterygius, Gould.

Green P.-- Platycercus flaviventris, Temm.