i>Travellers' Grass</i>. Much used by farmers
as cord or string where strength is required.

<hw>Shag</hw>, <i>n</i>. common English birdname for a
<i>Cormorant</i> (q.v.). Gould, fifty years ago, enumerates
the following as Australian species, in his `Birds of
Australia' (vol. vii.)--

Plate
<i>Phalacrocorax Carboides</i>, Gould, Australian
Cormorant, Black Shag, Colonists of W.A. . . . . . 66

<i>P. Hypoleucus</i>, Pied C., Black and White Shag,
Colonists of W. A. . . . . . . . . . 68

<i>P. Melanoleucus</i>, Vieill., Pied C., Little Shag,
Colonists of W.A. . . . . . . . . . 70

<i>P. Punctatus</i>, Spotted C., Crested Shag (Cook),
Spotted Shag (Lapham) . . . . . . . . . 71

<i>P. Leucogaster</i>, Gould, White-breasted C. . . 69

<i>P. Stictocephalus</i>, Bp., Little Black C. . . 67

1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' p. 185:

"Shags started from dead trees lying half immersed."

<hw>Shagroon</hw>, <i>n</i>. When the province of Canterbury,
in New Zealand, was first settled, the men who came from
England were called <i>Pilgrims</i>, all others
<i>Shagroons</i>, probably a modification of the Irish
word <i>Shaughraun</i>.

1877. W. Pratt, `Colonial Experiences of Incidents of
Thirty-four Years in New Zealand,' p. 234:

"In the `Dream of a Shagroon,' which bore the date Ko Matinau,
April 1851, and which first appeared in the `Wellington
Spectator' of May 7, the term `Pilgrim' was first applied to
the settlers; it was also predicted in it that the `Pilgrims'
would be `smashed' and the Shagroons left in undisputed
possession of the country for their flocks and herds."

<hw>Shake</hw>, <i>v. tr</i>. to steal. Very common Australian
slang, especially amongst school-boys and bushmen. It was
originally Thieves' English.

1855. W. Howitt, `Two Years in Victoria,' vol. ii. p. 9:

"The tent of a surgeon was `shook,' as they style it--that is,
robbed, during his absence in the daytime."

1878. `The Australian,' vol. i. p. 418:

"Crimean shirts, blankets, and all they `shake,'
Which I'm told's another name for `take.'"

<hw>Shamrock, Australian</hw>, <i>n</i>. a perennial, fragrant,
clover-like plant, <i>Trigonella suavissima</i>, Lindl.,
<i>N.O. Leguminosae</i>; excellent as forage. Called also
<i>Menindie Clover</i> (aboriginal name, <i>Calomba</i>).
See