Austral English Part 205

vol. i. p. 137:

"The combatants ... took especial pains to tell us that it was no fault of ours, but the porangi or `foolishness'

of the Maori."

Ibid. vol. ii. p. 238:

"Watanui said E Abu was porangi, `a fool.'"

1872. A. Domett, `Ranolf,' p. 435:

"`Twas nothing--he was not to mind her--she Was foolish--was `porangi'--and would be Better directly--and her tears she dried."

1882. R. C. Barstow, `Transactions of New Zealand Inst.i.tute,' vol. xv. art. liii. p. 423:

"A man who told such marvellous stories that he was deemed to be porangi or insane."

Porcupine, Ant-eating, i.q. Echidna (q.v.).

Porcupine-Bird, n. a bird inhabiting the Porcupine-Gra.s.s (q.v.) of Central Australia; the Striated Gra.s.s Wren, Amytis striata, Gould.

See Wren.

1886. G. A. Keartland, `Horne Expedition in Central Australia,' Part ii. Zoology, Aves, p. 79:

"Amytis Striata, Gould. Striated Wren... . They are found almost throughout Central Australia wherever the porcupine gra.s.s abounds, so much so, that they are generally known as the `Porcupine bird.'"

Porcupine-Fish, n. name given to several species of the genus Diodon, family Gymnodontes, poisonous fishes; also to Dicotylichthys punctulatus, Kaup., an allied fish 1n which the spines are not erectile as in Diodon, but are stiff and immovable.

Chilomycterus jaculiferus, Cuv., another species, has also stiff spines, and Atopomycterus nycthemerus, Cuv., has erectile spines. See Toad-fish and Globe-fish.

Porcupine-Gra.s.s, n. the name given to certain species of Triodia, of which the more important are T. mitch.e.l.li, Benth., T. pungens, R. Br., and T. irritans, R. Br. This gra.s.s forms rounded tussocks, growing especially on the sand-hills of the desert parts of Australia, which may reach the size of nine or ten feet in diameter. The leaves when dry form stiff, sharp-pointed structures, which radiate in all directions, like knitting-needles stuck in a huge pincus.h.i.+on. In the writings of the early Australian explorers it is usually, but erroneously, called Spinifex (q.v.). The aborigines collect the resinous material on the leaves of T. pungens, and use it for various purposes, such as that of attaching pieces of flint to the ends of their yam-sticks and spear-throwers.

1865. Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, `History of the Discovery and Exploration of Australia,' vol. i. p. 284:

"It [Triodia] grows in tufts like large beehives, or piles of thrift gra.s.s, and the leaves project out rigidly in all directions, just like Chevaux-de-frise. Merely brus.h.i.+ng by will cause the points to strike into the limbs, and a very short walk in such country soon covers the legs with blood. ... Unfortunately two or three species of it extend throughout the whole continent, and form a part of the descriptions in the journal of every explorer."

1880 (before). P. J. Holdsworth, `Station-hunting on the Warrego,' quoted in `Australian Ballads and Rhymes' (ed.

Sladen), p. 115:

"Throughout that night, Cool dews came sallying on that rain-starved land, And drenched the thick rough tufts of bristly gra.s.s, Which, stemmed like quills (and thence termed porcupine), Thrust hardily their shoots amid the flints And sharp-edged stones."

1889. E. Giles, `Australia Twice Traversed,' vol. i. p. 76:

"No porcupine, but real green gra.s.s made up a really pretty picture, to the explorer at least."

1889. Ca.s.sell's `Picturesque Australasia,' vol. iv. p. 148:

"These were covered with spinifex, or porcupine-gra.s.s, the leaves of which are needle-pointed."

1896. R. Tate, `Horne Expedition in Central Australia,' Botany, p. 119:

"In the Larapintine Region ... a species of Triodia (`porcupine gra.s.s' or, incorrectly, `spinifex' of explorers and residents) dominates sand ground and the sterile slopes and tops of the sandstone table-lands."

Porcupine-gra.s.s Ant, n. popular name given to Hypoclinea flavipes, Kirby, an ant making its nest round the root of the Porcupine gra.s.s (Triodia pungens), and often covering the leaves of the tussock with tunnels of sandgrains fastened together by resinous material derived from the surface of the leaves.

1896. Baldwin Spencer, `Home Expedition in Central Australia.'

"Watching the Porcupine-gra.s.s ants, which are very small and black bodies with yellowish feet, I saw them constantly running in and out of these chambers, and on opening the latter found that they were always built over two or more Coccidae attached to the leaf of the gra.s.s."

Porcupine-Parrot, n. See quotation.

1896. G. A. Keartland, `Report of the Horne Expedition in Central Australia,' Part ii. Zoology, Aves, p. 107:

"Geopsittacus occidentalis. Western Ground Parrakeet... .

As they frequent the dense porcupine gra.s.s, in which they hide during the day, a good dog is necessary to find them.

They are locally known as the `Porcupine Parrot.'"

Poroporo, n. Maori name for the flowering shrub Solanum aviculare, Forst.; called in Australia, Kangaroo Apple. Corrupted into Bullybul (q.v.). /See, rather, Bull-a-bull/

1857. C. Hursthouse, `New Zealand, the Britain of the South, p. 136:

"The poroporo, the nicest or least nasty of the wild fruits, is a sodden strawberry flavoured with apple-peel; but if rashly tasted an hour before it is ripe, the poroporo is an alum pill flavoured with strychnine."

1880. W. Colenso, `Transactions New Zealand Inst.i.tute,'

vol. xiii. art. i. p. 32:

"The large berry of the poro-poro (Solanum aviculare) was also eaten; it is about the size of a small plum, and when ripe it is not unpleasant eating, before it is ripe it is very acrid. This fruit was commonly used by the early colonists in the neighbourhood of Wellington in making jam."

Porphyrio, n. the Sultana-bird, or Sultana.

The bird exists elsewhere. In Australia it is generally called the Swamp-Hen (q.v.).

1875. A. Domett, `Ranolf,' p. 213:

"The crimson-billed porphyrio, that jerking struts Among the cool thick rushes."

1890. `Victorian Statutes-the Game Act' (Third Schedule):

[Close Season.] "... Land-rail, all other members of the Rail family, Porphyrio, Coots, &c. From the First day of August to the Twentieth day of December following."

Port-Arthur Plum. See Plum, Native.

Port-Jackson Fig, n. See Fig.

Port-Jackson Shark, Heterodontus phillipii, Lacep., family Cestraciontidae; called also the Sh.e.l.l-grinder.

1882. Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, `Fish of New South Wales,'

p. 10:

"The Cestracion or Port Jackson shark (Heterodontus)."

Ibid. p. 97: