Austral English
Chapter 82 : File-fish, n. name given in New Zealand to the fish Monacanthus rudis, Richards, family

File-fish, n. name given in New Zealand to the fish Monacanthus rudis, Richards, family Sclerodermi; in New South Wales to species of the genus Balistes. The first of the spines of the dorsal fin is roughened in front like a file. Balistes maculatus is the "Spotted File-fish" of Sydney. It is closely allied to the genus Monacanthus, called Leather-jacket (q.v.), which is much more numerously represented in Australasia.

Finch, n. a bird-name, first applied in Australia, in 1848, by Gould, to the genus Poephila (Gra.s.s-lover), and since extended to other genera of birds.

The species are--

Banded Finch-- Stictoptera b.i.+.c.henovii, Vig. and Hors.

Black-ringed F.-- S. annulosa, Gould.

Black-rumped F.-- Poephila atropygialis, Diggles.

Black-throated F.-- P. cincta, Gould.

Chestnut-breasted F.-- Munia castaneothorax, Gould.

Chestnut-eared F.-- Taeniopygia castanotis, Gould.

Crimson F.-- Neochmia phaeton, Homb. and Jacq.

Fire-tailed F.-- Zonaeginthus bellus, Lath.

Gouldian F.-- Poephila gouldiae, Gould.

Long-tailed F.-- P. acuticauda, Gould.

Masked F.-- P. personata, Gould.

Painted F.-- Emblema picta, Gould.

Plum-head F.-- Aidemosyne modesta, Gould.

Red-browed F.-- AEgintha temporalis, Lath.

Red-eared F.-- Zonaeginthus oculatus, Quoy and Gaim.

Red-tailed F.-- Bathilda ruficauda, Gould.

Scarlet-headed F.-- Poephila mirabilis, Homb. and Jacq.

Spotted-sided F.-- Staganopleura guttata, Shaw.

White-Breasted F.-- Munia pectoralis, Gould.

White-eared F.-- Poephila leucotis, Gould.

Yellow-rumped F.-- Munia flaviprymna, Gould.

Fire-stick, n. name given to the lighted stick which the Australian natives frequently carry about, when moving from camp to camp, so as to be able to light a fire always without the necessity of producing it by friction. The fire-stick may be carried in a smouldering condition for long distances, and when traversing open gra.s.s country, such as the porcupine-gra.s.s covered districts of the interior, the stick is used for setting fire to the gra.s.s, partly to destroy this and partly to drive out the game which is hiding amongst it. The fire-stick (see quotations) is also used as emblematic of the camp-fire in certain ceremonies.

1847. J. D. Lang,' Cooksland,'p. 126, n.:

"When their fire-stick has been extinguished, as is sometimes the case, for their jins or vestal virgins, who have charge of the fire, are not always sufficiently vigilant."

1896. F. J. Gillen, `Horne Expedition in Central Australia,'

Anthropology, pt. iv. p. 170:

"Carrying fire-sticks, they place rings, woven of fur and vegetable down, round the boy's neck and arms and sometimes over and under the shoulders; the fire-sticks are then handed to him, the lubras saying: Take care of the fire; keep to your own camp.'"

Firetail, n. name applied in Victoria to the bird AEgintha temporalis, Lath.; and in Tasmania to Zonaeginthus (Estrelda) bellus, Lath. In New South Wales, AE. temporalis is known as the Red-head.

1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. iii. pl. 78:

"Estrelda Bella, Fire-tailed finch. Fire-tail, Colonists of Van Diemen's Land."

Fire-tree, n. a tree of New Zealand; another name for Pohutukawa (q.v.). For Queensland Fire-tree, see Tulip-tree.

Fireweed, n. a name given to several weeds, such as Senecio lautus, Sol., N.O. Compositae; so called because they spring up in great luxuriance where the forest has been burned off.

Fish-hawk, n. English name applied to Pandion leucocephalus, Gould; called also the Osprey.

1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. i. pl. 6:

"Pandion Leucocephalus, Gould, White-headed osprey.

Little fish hawk, Colonists of New South Wales. Fish-hawk, Colonists of Swan River."

Fist, v. to use the hands. The word is not unknown in English in the sense of to grip. (Shakspeare, `Cor.'

IV. v. 124)

1846. C. P. Hodgson, `Reminiscences of Australia,' p. 366:

"`Fist it,' a colonial expression, which may convey to the uninitiated the idea that knives, forks, plates, etc., are unknown in the bush; such was formerly the case, but the march of improvement has banished this peculiar simplicity."

Five-corners, n. name given to the fruit of an Australian tree and to the tree itself, Syphelia triflora, Andr., N.O. Epacrideae. There are many species of Styphelia (q.v.), the fruit of several being edible.

1889. J. H. Maiden,' Useful Native Plants,' p. 61:

"Five-corners. These fruits have a sweetish pulp with a large stone. They form part of the food of the aboriginals, and are much appreciated by school boys. When from a robust plant they are of the size of a large pea, and not at all bad eating."

1896. H. Lawson, `When the World was Wide,' p. 158:

"Still I see in my fancy the dark-green and blue Of the box-covered hills where the five-corners grew."

Flame-tree, n. The name is given in India and elsewhere to several trees with bright scarlet, or crimson, flowers. In Australia, two different trees are called Flame-trees--

(1) A tree of Eastern Australia, with profuse bright coral-like flowers, Brachychiton acerifolium, F. v. M., N.O. Sterculiaceae.

(2) A tree of Western Australia, with brilliant orange-coloured flowers, Nuytsia floribunda, N.O. Loranthaceae; which is also called Tree Mistletoe, and, locally, a Cabbage-tree.

1885. R. M. Praed, `Australian Life,' p. 96: