"Owls are also numerous, the Mopoke's note being a familiar
sound in the midnight darkness of the forest."

<i>By transference to a man</i>.--

1845. R. Howitt, `Australia,' p. 233:

"`A more-pork kind of a fellow' is a man of cut-and-dry
phrases, a person remarkable for nothing new in common
conversation. This by some is thought very expressive,
the more-pork being a kind of Australian owl, notorious
for its wearying nightly iteration, `More pork, more pork'"

1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Colonial Reformer,' c. xiii. p. 125:

"What a regular more-pork I was to be sure to go and run my
neck agin' a roping-pole."

<hw>Morepork</hw>, <i>n</i>. (1) The Australian bird, or
birds, described under <i>Mopoke</i> (q.v.).

(2) The New Zealand Owl, formerly <i>Athene
novae-zelandiae</i>, Gray; now <i>Spiloglaux
novae-zelandiae</i>, Kaup.

1849. W. T. Power, `Sketches in New Zealand,' p. 74:

"This bird gave rise to a rather amusing incident in the Hutt
Valley during the time of the fighting. . . . A strong
piquet was turned out regularly about an hour before daybreak.
On one occasion the men had been standing silently under arms
for some time, and shivering in the cold morning air, when they
were startled by a solemn request for `more pork.' The officer
in command of the piquet, who had only very recently arrived in
the country, ordered no talking in the ranks, which was
immediately replied to by another demand, distinctly
enunciated, for `more pork.' So malaprop a remark produced a
titter along the ranks, which roused the irate officer to the
necessity of having his commands obeyed, and he accordingly
threatened to put the next person under arrest who dared make
any allusion to the unclean beast. As if in defiance of the
threat, and in contempt of the constituted authorities, `more
pork' was distinctly demanded in two places at once, and was
succeeded by an irresistible giggle from one end of the line to
the other. There was no putting up with such a breach of
discipline as this, and the officer, in a fury of indignation,
went along the line in search of the mutinous offender, when
suddenly a small chorus of `more pork' was heard on all sides,
and it was explained who the real culprits were."

1866. Lady Barker, `Station Life in New Zealand,' p. 100:

"The last cry of a very pretty little owl, called from its
distinctly uttered words the `more-pork.'"

1884. T. Bracken, `Lays of Maori,' p. 84:

"Sleep