ashed out by
the rains into shallow holes, well known by the squatters under
the name of melon-holes."

Ibid. p: 77:

"A stiff, wiry, leafless, polyganaceous plant grows in the
shallow depressions of the surface of the ground, which are
significantly termed by the squatters `Melon-holes,' and
abound in the open Box-tree flats."

1881. A. C. Grant, `Bush Life in Queensland,' p. 220:

"The plain is full of deep melon-holes, and the ground is rotten
and undermined with rats."

<hw>Menindie Clover</hw>, <i>n</i>. See <i>Clover</i>.

<hw>Menura</hw>, <i>n</i>. the scientific name of the genus of
the <i>Lyre-bird</i> (q.v.), so called from the crescent-shaped
form of the spots on the tail; the tail itself is shaped like a
lyre. (Grk. <i>maen</i>, moon, crescent, and <i>'oura</i>,
tail.) The name was given by General Davies in 1800.

1800. T. Davies, `Description of Menura superba,' in
`Transactions of the Linnaean Society' (1802), vol. vi. p. 208:

"The general colour of the under sides of these two [tail]
feathers is of a pearly hue, elegantly marked on the inner web
with bright rufous-coloured crescent-shaped spots, which, from
the extraordinary construction of the parts, appear wonderfully
transparent."

<hw>Mere</hw>, or <hw>Meri</hw>, <i>n</i>. (pronounced
<i>merry</i>), a Maori war-club; a <i>casse-te^te</i>, or a
war-axe, from a foot to eighteen inches in length, and made of
any suitable hard material--stone, hard wood, whalebone. To
many people out of New Zealand the word is only known as the
name of a little trinket of <i>greenstone</i> (q.v.) made in
imitation of the New Zealand weapon in miniature, mounted in
gold or silver, and used as a brooch, locket, ear-ring, or
other article of jewelry.

1830. J. D. Lang, `Poems' (edition 1873), p. 116:

"Beneath his shaggy flaxen mat
The dreadful marree hangs concealed."

1851. Mrs. Wilson, `New Zealand,' p. 48:

"The old man has broken my head with his meri."

1859. A. S. Thomson, `Story of New Zealand,' p. 140:

"Of these the greenstone meri was the most esteemed. It weighs
six pounds, is thirteen inches long, and in shape resembles a
soda-water bottle flattened. In its handle is a hole for a
loop of flax, which is twisted round the wrist. Meris are
carried occasionally in the girdle, like Malay knives. In
conflicts the left hand grasped the enemy's hair, and one blow
from the meri on the head produced death."

188]. J. Bonwick, `Roma