Austral English Part 145

"The soft, bright-foliaged ribbonwood (lace-bark, Plagianthus) contrasts with the dusky hue of the dark-leaved f.a.gus."

Lace-Lizard, n. Hydrosaurus (Vara.n.u.s) varius. See Goanna.

1881. F. McCoy, `Prodomus of the Natural History of Victoria,'

Dec. 4:

"Although the present Lace Lizard is generally arboreal, climbing the forest trees with ease, and running well on the ground, it can swim nearly as well as a Crocodile."

Lagorchestes, n. the scientific name for a genus of Australian marsupial mammals, called the Hare- Wallabies or Hare-Kangaroos (q.v.). (Grk.

lagows, a hare, and 'orchestaes, a dancer.) They live on plains, and make a "form" in the herbage like the hare, which they resemble.

Lagostrophus, n. the scientific name of the genus containing the animal called the Banded-Wallaby.

(Grk. lagows, a hare, and strophos, a band or zone.) Its colour is a greyish-brown, with black and white bands, its distinguis.h.i.+ng characteristic. It is sometimes called the Banded-Kangaroo, and is found at Dirk Hartog's Island, and on one or two islands in Shark's Bay, and in West Australia. For its interesting habits see R. Lyddeker's `Marsupialia.'

Lake-Trout, n. a Tasmanian fish, Galaxias auratus, family Galaxidae. See Mountain- Trout.

Lamb down, v. tr.

(1) To knock down a cheque or a sum of money in a spree.

There is an old English verb, of Scandinavian origin, and properly spelt lamm, which means to thrash, beat.

1873. J. B. Stephens, `Black Gin,' p. 51:

"It is the Bushman come to town-- Come to spend his cheque in town, Come to do his lambing down."

1890. `The Argus,' June 7, p. 4, col. 2:

"The lambing down of cheques."

1890. Ibid. Aug. 9, p. 4, col. 5:

"The old woman thought that we were on gold, and would lamb down at the finish in her shanty."

(2) To make a man get rid of his money to you; to clean him out."

1873. Marcus Clarke, `Holiday Peak, etc.,' p. 21:

"The result was always the same--a s.h.i.+lling a n.o.bbler. True, that Trowbridge's did not `lamb down' so well as the Three Posts, but then the Three Posts put fig tobacco in its brandy casks, and Trowbridge's did not do that."

1880. Garnet Walch, `Victoria in 1880,' p.30:

"The operation--combining equal parts of hocussing, overcharging, and direct robbery--and facetiously christened by bush landlords `lambing down.'"

1890. `The Argus,' Aug. 16, p. 4, col. 7:

"One used to serve drinks in the bar, the other kept the billiard-table. Between them they lambed down more shearers and drovers than all the rest on the river."

Lamprey, n. The Australian Lampreys are species of the genera Mordacia and Geotria, of the same family as the "Lampreys" of the Northern Hemisphere.

Lancelet, n. The fishes of this name present in Australasia are--

In Queensland, Epigonichthys cultellus, Peters, family Amplingae; in Victoria and New South Wales, species of Heteropleuron.

Lancewood, n. There are many lancewoods in various parts of the world. The name, in Australia, is given to Backhousia myrtifolia, Hook. and Harv., N.O.

Myrtaceae; and in New Zealand, to Panax cra.s.sifolium, Dec. and Plan., N.O. Araliaceae, known as Ivy- tree, and by the Maori name of Horoeka (q.v.).

Landsborough Gra.s.s, n. a valuable Queensland fodder gra.s.s of a reddish colour, Anthistiria membranacea, Lindl., N.O. Gramineae.

See Gra.s.s.

Lantern, Ballarat, n. a local term.

See quotation.

1875. Wood and Lapham, `Waiting for the Mail,' p. 21:

"I may explain that a `Ballarat Lantern' is formed by knocking off the bottom of a bottle, and putting a candle in the neck."

Lark, n. common English bird name.

The Australian species are--

Brown Song Lark-- Cincloramphus cruralis, Vig. and Hors.

Bush L.-- Mirafra horsfieldii, Gould.

Field L.-- Calamanthus campestris, Gould.

Ground L.-- Anthus australis, Vig. and Hors. (Australian Pipit), A. novae-zelandae, Gray (New Zealand Pipit).

Lesser Bush L.-- Mirafra secunda, Sharpe.

Little Field L.-- Cathonicola sagittata, Lath.

Magpie L.-- Grallina picata, Lath.; see Magpie-Lark.

Rufous Song L.-- Cincloramphus rufescens, Vig. and Hors.

Striated Field L.-- Calamanthus fuliginosus, Vig. and Hors.

See Ground-Lark, Sand-Lark, Pipit, and Magpie-Lark.

Larrikin, n. The word has various shades of meaning between a playful youngster and a blackguardly rough.

Little streetboys are often in a kindly way called little larrikins. (See quotations, 1870 and 1885.) Archibald Forbes described the larrikin as "a cross between the Street Arab and the Hoodlum, with a dash of the Rough thrown in to improve the mixture." (`Century.) The most exalted position yet reached in literature by this word is in Sir Richard Burton's `Translation of the Arabian Nights' (1886-7), vol. i. p. 4, Story of the Larrikin and the Cook; vol. iv. p. 281, Tale of First Larrikin. The previous translator, Jonathan Scott, had rendered the Arabic word, Sharper.

There are three views as to the origin of the word, viz.--

(1) That it is a phonetic spelling of the broad Irish p.r.o.nunciation, with a trilled r of the word larking. The story goes that a certain Sergeant Dalton, about the year 1869, charged a youthful prisoner at the Melbourne Police Court with being "a-larrr-akin' about the streets." The Police Magistrate, Mr. Sturt, did not quite catch the word--"A what, Sergeant?"--"A larrikin', your Worchup." The police court reporter used the word the next day in the paper, and it stuck. (See quotation, `Argus,' 1896.)

This story is believed by 99 persons out of 100; unfortunately it lacks confirmation; for the record of the incident cannot be discovered, after long search in files by many people. Mr.