Austral English Part 43

b.u.t.tercup, n. The familiar English flower is represented in Australia and Tasmania by various species of Ranunculus, such as R. lappaceus, Sm., N.O. Ranunculaceae.

b.u.t.ter-fish, n. a name given in Australia to Oligorus mitch.e.l.lii, Castln. (see Murray Perch); in Victoria, to Chilodactylus nigricans, Richards. (see Morwong); in New Zealand, to Coridodax pullus, Forst., called also Kelp-fish. The name is in allusion to their slippery coating of mucus. See Kelp-fish.

1850. J. B. Clutterbuck, `Port Phillip,' vol. iii. p. 44:

"In the bay are large quant.i.ties of ... b.u.t.ter-fish."

1880. Guenther, `Study of Fishes,' p. 533:

"The `b.u.t.ter-fish,' or `kelp-fish' of the colonists of New Zealand (C. pullus), is prized as food, and attains to a weight of four or five pounds."

b.u.t.terfly-conch, n. Tasmanian name for a marine univalve mollusc, Voluta papillosa, Swainson.

b.u.t.terfly-fish, n. a New Zealand sea-fish, Gasterochisma melampus, Richards., one of the Nomeidae. The ventral fins are exceedingly broad and long, and can be completely concealed in a fold of the abdomen.

The New Zealand fish is so named from these fins; the European b.u.t.terfly-fish, Blennius ocellaris, derives its name from the spots on its dorsal fin, like the eyes in a peac.o.c.k's tail or b.u.t.terfly's wing.

b.u.t.terfly-Lobster, n. a marine crustacean, so called from the leaf-like expansion of the antennae. It is "the highly specialized macrourous decapod Ibacus Peronii." (W. A. Haswell.)

1880. Mrs. Meredith, `Tasmanian Friends and Foes,' p. 248:

"Those curious crustaceans that I have heard called `b.u.t.terfly lobsters'... the sh.e.l.l of the head and body (properly known as the carapace) expands into something like wing-forms, entirely hiding the legs beneath them."

b.u.t.terfly-Plant, n. a small flowering plant, Utricularia dichotoma, Lab., N.O. Leutibularina.

b.u.t.ton-gra.s.s, n. Schaenus sphaerocephalus, Poiret, N.O. Cyperaceae. The gra.s.s is found covering barren boggy land in Tasmania, but is not peculiar to Tasmania. So called from the round shaped flower (capitate inflorescence), on a thin stalk four or five feet long, like a b.u.t.ton on the end of a foil.

Buzzard, n. an English bird-name applied in Australia to Gypoictinia melanosternon, Gould, the Black-breasted Buzzard.

C

Cabbage Garden, a name applied to the colony of Victoria by Sir John Robertson, the Premier of New South Wales, in contempt for its size.

1889. Rev. J. H. Zillmann, `Australian Life,' p. 30:

"`The cabbage garden,' old cynical Sir John Robertson, of New South Wales, once called Victoria, but a garden notwithstanding. Better at any rate `the cabbage garden' than the mere sheep run or cattle paddock."

Cabbage-Palm, n. same as Cabbage-tree (1) (q.v.).

Cabbage-tree, n (1)Name given to various palm trees of which the heart of the young leaves is eaten like the head of a cabbage. In Australia the name is applied to the fan palm, Livistona inermis, R. Br., and more commonly to Livistona australis, Martius. In New Zealand the name is given to various species of Cordyline, especially to Cordyline indivisa. See also Flame-tree (2).

1769. `Capt. Cook's Journal,' ed. Wharton (1893), p. 144:

"We likewise found one Cabage Tree which we cut down for the sake of the cabage."

1802. G.Barrington, `History of New South Wales,' p. 60:

"Even the ships crews helped, except those who brought the cabbage trees."

1846. J. L. Stokes, `Discovery in Australia,' vol. ii. c. iv.

p. 132:

"Cabbage-tree ... grew in abundance."

1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' p. 72:

"Several of my companions suffered by eating too much of the cabbage-palm."

1865. W. Howitt, `Discovery in Australia,' vol. i. p. 414:

"Clumps of what the people of King George's Sound call cabbage-trees."

1867. F. Hochstetter, `New Zealand,' p. 240:

"There stands an isolated `cabbage-tree' (Ti of the natives; Cordyline Australis) nearly thirty feet high, with ramified branches and a crown of luxuriant growth."

(2) A large, low-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, made out of the leaves of the Cabbage-tree (Livistona).

1802. G. Barrington, `History of New South Wales,' 335:

"This hat, made of white filaments of the cabbage-tree, seemed to excite the attention of the whole party."

1852. G. F. P., `Gold Pen and Pencil Sketches,' xv.:

"With scowl indignant flashing from his eye, As though to wither each unshaven wretch, Jack jogs along, nor condescends reply, As to the price his cabbage-tree might fetch."

1864. `Once a Week,' Dec. 31, p. 45, The Bulla Bulla Bunyip':

"Lushy Luke endeavoured to sober himself by dipping his head in the hollowed tree-trunk which serves for the water-trough of an up-country Australian inn. He forgot, however, to take off his `cabbage-tree' before he ducked, and angry at having made a fool of himself, he gave fierce orders, in a thick voice, for his men to fall in, shoulder arms, and mark time."

1865. Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, `History of the Discovery and Exploration of Australia,' vol. i. pp. 160, 161:

"The cabbage-palm was also a new species, called by Mr. Brown the Livistonia inermis. It was abundant; but the cabbage (the heart of the young budding leaves) too small to be useful as an article of food, at least to a ship's company.

But the leaves were found useful. These dried and drawn into strips were plaited into hats for the men, and to this day the cabbage-tree hat is very highly esteemed by the Australians, as a protection from the sun, and allowing free ventilation."

[Note]: "A good cabbage-tree hat, though it very much resembles a common straw hat, will fetch as much as L3."

1878. `The Australian,' vol. i. p. 527:

"... trousers, peg-top shaped, and wore a new cabbage-tree hat."

1881. A. C. Grant, `Bush Life in Queensland,' vol. i. p. 33:

"A brand-new cabbage-tree hat protected his head."

Cabbage-tree Mob, and Cabbagites, obsolete Australian slang for modern Larrikins (q.v)., because wearing cabbage-tree hats.