ke their ornaments and tools, and not a general
name for the whole southern district."

1867. F. Hochstetter, `New Zealand,' p. 362:

"A magnificent Mere punamu, a battle-axe, fifteen inches long,
and cut out of the most beautiful, transparent nephrite, an
heirloom of his illustrious ancestors, which he kept as a
sacred relic."

1881. J. L. Campbell [Title of book describing early days of
New Zealand]:

"Poenamo."

<hw>Pratincole</hw>, <i>n</i>. The bird called a
<i>Pratincole</i> (inhabitant of meadows: Lat. <i>pratum</i>
and <i>incola</i>) exists elsewhere, and more often under the
familiar name of <i>Chat</i>. The Australian species
are--<i>Glareola grallaria</i>, Temm.; Oriental,
<i>G. orientalis</i>, Leach.

<hw>Pre-empt</hw>, <i>n</i>. a slang abbreviation for
pre-emptive right.

1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Colonial Reformer,' c. xxiv.
p. 322:

"My friend has the run and the stock and the pre-empts all in
his own hands."

<hw>Pretty-Faces</hw>, <i>n</i>. a fancy name for a small
kangaroo. Not very common.

1887. W. S. S.Tyrwhitt, `The New Chum in the Queensland
Bush,' p. 145:

"Kangaroos are of several different kinds. First, the large
brown variety, known as kangaroo proper; next the smaller kind,
known as pretty faces or whip tails, which are rather smaller
and of a grey colour, with black and white on the face."

<hw>Prickfoot</hw>, <i>n</i>. a Tasmanian plant, <i>Eryngium
vesiculosum</i>, Lab., <i>N.O. Umbelliferae</i>.

<hw>Prickly Fern</hw>, <i>n</i>. <i>Alsophila australis</i>,
R. Br., <i>N.O. Filices</i>.

1862. W. Archer, `Products of Tasmania,' p. 41:

"Prickly fern-tree (<i>Alsophila Australis</i>, Br.). This
very handsome ferntree occasionally attains a height of thirty
feet. It is not, by any means, so common a fern-tree as
<i>Dicksonia antarctica</i> (Lab.)."

<hw>Prickly Mimosa</hw>, <i>n</i>. See <i>Mimosa</i>
and <i>Prickly Moses</i>, under <i>Moses</i>.

1835. Ross, `Hobart Town Almanack,' p. 6:

<i>Acacia verticillata</i>. Whorl leaved Acacia, or Prickly
Mimosa, so called from its sharp pointed leaves standing out in
whorls round the stem like the spokes of a wheel."

<hw>Prickly Pine</hw>, <i>n</i>. See <i>Pine</i>.

<hw>Prickly Wattle</hw>, <i>n</i>. See <i>Wattle</i>.

<hw>Primage</hw>, <i>n</i>. The word is of old commercial use,
for a small sum of money formerly paid to the captain or master
of the ship, as his personal perquisite, over and abov