rass will grow, and therefore he `ring-barks' his timber."

1890. C. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals,' p. 9:

"Our way led us through a large but not dense wood of leafless
gumtrees. My companion told me that the forest was dead as a
result of `ring-barking.' To get the grass to grow better, the
settler removes a band of bark near the root of the tree. In a
country where cattle-raising is carried on to so great an
extent, this may be very practical, but it certainly does not
beautify the landscape. The trees die at once after this
treatment, and it is a sad and repulsive sight to see these
withered giants, as if in despair, stretching their white
barkless branches towards the sky."

1893. `Thumbnail Sketches of Australian Life,' p. 232:

"We were going through ring-barked country. You don't know
what that is? Well, those giant gum-trees absorb all the
moisture and keep the grass very poor, so the squatters kill
them by ring-barking--that is, they have a ring described round
the trunk of each tree by cutting off a couple of feet of bark.
Presently the leaves fall off; then the rest of the bark
follows, and eventually the tree becomes nothing but a strange
lofty monument of dry timber."

<hw>Ring-dollar</hw>, <i>n</i>. See quotation;
and see <i>Dump</i> and <i>Holy Dollar</i>.

1870. T. H. Braim, `New Homes,' c. iii. p. 131:

"The Spanish dollar was much used. A circular piece was struck
out of the centre about the size of a shilling . . . and the
rest of the dollar, called from the circular piece taken out a
`ring-dollar,' was valued at four shillings."

<hw>Ring-eye</hw>, <i>n</i>. one of the many names for the
birds of the genus <i>Zosterops</i> (q.v.).

<hw>Ringer</hw>, <i>n</i>. a sheep-shearing term. See
quotations. Mr. Hornung's explanation of the origin
(quotation, 1894) is probably right. See <i>Rings</i>.

1890. `The Argus,' Sept. 20, p. 13, col. 6:

"A `ringer' being the man who by his superior skill and
expertness `tops the score'--that is, shears the highest number
of sheep per day."

1893. `The Herald' (Melbourne), Dec. 23, p. 6, col. 1:

"Whence came the term `ringer,' as applied to the quickest
shearer, I don't know. It might possibly have some association
with a man who can get quoits on to the peg, and again, it
might not, as was remarked just now by my mate, who is camped
with me."

1894. E. W. Hornung, `Boss of Taroomba,' p. 101:

"They call him the ringer of the she