Austral English Part 80

"Boiled salt junk, with fat-hen (a kind of indigenous spinach)."

1889. J. M. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 16:

"Chenopodium murale, Linn., Australian spinach.

Bentham considers this may have been introduced."

Felonry, n. See quotation.

1837. Jas. Mudie, `Felonry of New South Wales,' p. 6:

"The author has ventured to coin the word felonry, as the appellative of an order or cla.s.s of persons in New South Wales--an order which happily exists in no other country in the world. A legitimate member of the tribe of appellatives ...

as peasantry, tenantry, yeomanry, gentry."

1858. T. McCombie, `History of Victoria,' c. xv. p. 24:

"The inundation of the Australian colonies with British Felonry."

1888. Sir C. Gavan Duffy, `Contemporary Review,' vol. liii.

p.14 [`Century']:

"To shut out the felonry of Great Britain and Ireland."

Ferns. The following list of Australian ferns is taken from `The Fern World of Australia,' by F. M. Bailey of Brisbane (1881), omitting from his list all ferns of which the vernacular and scientific names coincide with the names of ferns elsewhere.

Bat's-wing Fern-- Pteris incisa, Thunb.

Black Tree F. of New Zealand-- Cyathea medullaris, Sw.

Blanket F.-- Grammitis rutaefolia, R. Br.

Braid F.-- Platyzoma microphyllum, R. Br.

Caraway F.-- Athyrium umbrosum, J. Sm.

Curly F.-- Cheilanthes tenuifolia, Sw.

Deer's-tongue F.-- Acrostichum conforme, Sw.

Ear F.-- Pteris falcata, R. Br.

Elk's-horn F.-- Platycerium alcicorne, Desv.

Fan F.-- Gleichenia flabellata, R. Br.

Golden Swamp F.-- Acrostichum aureum, Linn.

Gra.s.s-leaved F. (q.v.)-- Vittaria elongata, Sw.

*Hare's-foot F.-- F. Davallia pyxidata, Cav.

Jersey F.-- Grammitis leptophylla, Sw.

*Lady F.-- Aspidium aculeatum, Sw.

*Maiden-hair F.-- Adiantum, spp.

Meadow-rue Water F.-- Ceratoptoris thalictroides, Brong.

Parasol F.-- Gleichenia circinata, Sw.

Pickled-cabbage F.-- Lomaria capensis, Willd.

Potato F. (q.v.)-- Marattia fraxinea, Sm.

p.r.i.c.kly F. (q.v.)-- Alsophila australis, R. Br.

p.r.i.c.kly-tree Fern-- Alsophila leichhardtiana, F. v. M.

Ribbon F.-- Ophioglossum pendulum, Linn.

s.h.i.+ny F.-- Polypodium aspidoides, Bail.

Snake's-tongue F.-- LyG.o.dium, spp.

The following are not in Baileys List:

Parsley F.-- Cheilanthes tenuifolia, Sw. (Name Parsley applied to a different Fern elsewhere.)

Sword F.-- Grammitis australis, R. Br.

Umbrella F., Tasmanian name for Fan F. (q.v.).

Other ferns not in this list appear elsewhere. See also Ferntree.

____ * Elsewhere the name is applied to a different species.

Fern-bird, n. a New Zealand bird of the genus Sphenoecus. Also called Gra.s.s-bird, and New Zealand Pipit. There are three species--

The Fern-bird-- Sphenoecus punctatus, Gray.

Chatham Island F.-b.-- S. rufescens, Buller.

Fulvous F.-b.-- S. fulvus, Gray.

1885. `Transactions of the New Zealand Inst.i.tute,'

vol. xviii. p. 125:

"The peculiar chirp of the fern bird is yet to be heard among the tall fern."