fill with joyous song."

<hw>Pipit</hw>, <i>n</i>. another name for <i>Ground-Lark</i>
(q.v.).

<hw>Pitau</hw>, <i>n</i>. Maori name for the <i>Tree-fern</i>.
In Maori, the word means--(1) Soft, tender, young shoots. The
verb <i>pihi</i> means "begin to grow"; <i>pi</i> means "young
of birds," also "the flow of the tide." (2) Centre-fronds of a
fern. (3) Name of a large fern.

1845. E. J. Wakefield, `Adventures in New Zealand,' c. i.
p. 57:

"The pitau, or tree-ferns, growing like a palm-tree,
form a distinguishing ornament of the New Zealand forest."

<hw>Pitchi</hw>, <i>n</i>. name given to a wooden receptacle
hollowed out of a solid block of some tree, such as the
<i>Batswing Coral</i> (<i>Erythrina vespertio</i>), or
<i>Mulga</i> (<i>Acacia aneura</i>), and carried by native
women in various parts of Australia for the purpose of
collecting food in, such as grass seed or bulbs, and sometimes
for carrying infants. The shape and size varies much, and the
more concave ones are used for carrying water in. The origin
of the word is obscure; some think it aboriginal, others think
it a corruption of the English word <i>pitcher</i>.

1896. E. C. Stirling, `Home Expedition in Central Australia,
Anthropology, pt. iv. p. 99:

"I do not know the origin of the name `Pitchi,' which is in
general use by the whites of the parts traversed by the
expedition, for the wooden vessels used for carrying food and
water and, occasionally, infants."

<hw>Pitta</hw>, <i>n</i>. The name is <i>Telugu</i> for the
Indian Ant-thrush; a few species are confined to Australia;
they are--

Blue-breasted Pitta--
<i>Pitta macklotii</i>, Mull. and Schleg.

Noisy P.--
<i>P. strepitans</i>, Temm.

Rainbow P.--
<i>P. iris</i>, Gould.

1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. iv. pl. 1:

"<i>Pitta strepitans</i>, Temm., Noisy Pitta.
There are also Rainbow Pitta, Pitta iris,
and Vigor's Pitta, <i>P. Macklotii</i>.

1869. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia' (Supplement):

"<i>Pitta Macklotii</i>, Mull. and Schleg."

<hw>Pittosporum</hw>, <i>n</i>. a genus of plants
so called from the viscous pulp which envelops the seeds.
(Grk. <i>pitta</i>, pitch, and <i>sporos</i>, seed.)
There are about fifty species, which are found in Africa and Asia,
but chiefly in Australasia. They are handsome evergreen shrubs,
and some grow to a great height; the white flowers, being very
fragrant, have been sometimes likened to orangeblossoms, an