Austral English Part 219

Roaring Horsetails, n. a slang name for the Aurora Australis.

Robin, n. The name, in consequence of their external resemblance to the familiar English bird, is applied, in Australia, to species of the various genera as follows:--

Ashy-fronted Fly-Robin-- Heteromyias cinereifrons, Ramsay.

Buff-sided R.-- Poecilodryas cerviniventris, Gould.

Dusky R.-- Amaurodryas vittata, Quoy and Gaim.

Flame-breasted Robin-- Petroica phoenicea, Gould.

Hooded R.-- Melanodryas bicolor, Vig. and Hors.

Pied R.-- M. picata, Gould.

Pink-breasted R.-- Erythrodryas rhodinogaster, Drap.

Red-capped R.-- Petroica goodenovii, Vig. and Hors.

Red-throated R.-- P. ramsayi, Sharp.

Rose-breasted R.-- Erythrodryas rosea, Gould.

Scarlet-breasted R.-- Petroica leggii, Sharp.

Scrub R.-- Drymodes brunneopygia, Gould.

White-browed R.

Poecilodryas superciliosa, Gould.

White-faced Scrub-R.-- Drymodes superciliaris, Gould.

The New Zealand species are--

Chatham Island Robin-- Miro traversi, Buller.

North Island R.-- M. australis, Sparrm.

South Island R.-- M. albifrons, Gmel.

Gould's enumeration of the species is given below. [See quotations, 1848, 1869.]

See also Shrike-Robin, Scrub-Robin, and Satin-Robin.

1827. Vigors and Horsfield, `Transactions of the Linnaean Society,' vol. xv. p. 242:

"`This bird,' Mr. Caley says, `is called yellow-robin by the colonists. It is an inhabitant of bushes'"

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

Plate Petroica superciliosa, Gould, White-eyebrowed Robin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Drymodes brunneopygia, Gould, Scrub Robin. . 10

Eopsaltria leucogaster, Gould, White-bellied Robin . . . . . . . 13

1864. R. L. A. Davies, `Poems and Literary Remains,' p. 263:

"Very soon comes a robin... . In the bush no matter where you pitch, the robin always comes about, and when any other of his tribe comes about, he bristles up his feathers, and fights for his crumbs... . He is not at all pretty, like the Australian or European robin, but a little sober black and grey bird, with long legs, and a heavy paunch and big head; like a Quaker, grave, but cheerful and spry withal." [This is the Robin of New Zealand.]

1866. Lady Barker, `Station Life in New Zealand,' p. 93:

"The New Zealand robin was announced, and I could see only a fat little ball of a bird, with a yellowish-white breast."

1869. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia' [Supplement]:

Drymodes superciliaris, Gould, Eastern Scrub Robin.

Petroica cerviniventris, Gould, Buff-sided Robin.

Eopsaltria capito, Gould, Large-headed Robin.

E. leucura, Gould, White-tailed Robin.

1872. A. Domett, `Ranolf,' p. 239:

"The large red-breasted robin, kinsman true Of England's delicate high-bred bird of home."

1880. Mrs.Meredith, `Tasmanian Friends and Foes,' p. 123:

"The Robin is certainly more brilliantly beautiful than his English namesake... . Black, red and white are the colours of his dress, worn with perfect taste. The black is s.h.i.+ning jet, the red, fire, and the white, snow. There is a little white spot on his tiny black-velvet cap, a white bar across his pretty white wings, and his breast is, a living flame of rosy, vivid scarlet."

1888. Ca.s.sell's `Picturesque Australasia,' vol. ii. p. 235:

"Here, too, the `careful robin eyes the delver's toil,' and as he s.n.a.t.c.hes the worm from the gardener's furrow, he turns to us a crimson-scarlet breast that gleams in the sun beside the golden b.u.t.tercups like a living coal. The hues of his English cousin would pale beside him ineffectual."

1896. `The Melburnian,' Aug. 28, p. 54:

"The flame-breasted robin no longer lingers showing us his brilliant breast while he sings out the cold grey afternoons in his tiny treble. He has gone with departing winter."

Rock-Cod, n. called also Red-Cod in New Zealand, Pseudophycis barbatus, Gunth., family Gadidae. In New Zealand the Blue-Cod(q.v.) is also called Rock-Cod. Species of the allied genus Lotella are also called Rock-Cod in New South Wales. See Beardy and Ling.

1883. `Royal Commission on the Fisheries of Tasmania,' p. 40:

"A variety known to fishermen as the deep-water, or Cape-cod.

... It would appear that the latter is simply the mature form of the `rock-cod,' which enters the upper waters of estuaries in vast numbers during the month of May... The rock-cod rarely exceeds 2 1/2 lbs. weight."

Rocket, Native, a Tasmanian name for Epacris lanuginosa, Lab., N.O. Epacrideae. See Epacris.