. The French formed a most unfavourable idea of the
country, and sailed away on March 10. If from their short
intercourse, the English had accepted the word <i>Jackass</i>,
would not mention of the fact have been made by Governor
Phillip, or Surgeon White, who mention the bird but by a
different name (see quotations 1789, 1790), or by Captain
Watkin Tench, or Judge Advocate Collins, who both mention the
incident of the French ships?

The epithet "laughing" is now often omitted; the bird is
generally called only a <i>Jackass</i>, and this is becoming
contracted into the simple abbreviation of Jack. A common
popular name for it is the <i>Settlers'-Clock</i>. (See
quotations--1827, Cunningham; 1846, Haydon; and 1847,
Leichhardt.) The aboriginal name of the bird is
<i>Kookaburra</i> (q.v.), and by this name it is generally
called in Sydney; another spelling is <i>Gogobera</i>.

There is another bird called a <i>Laughing Jackass</i> in New
Zealand which is not a Kingfisher, but an <i>Owl, Sceloglaux
albifacies</i>, Kaup. (Maori name, <i>Whekau</i>). The New
Zealand bird is rare, the Australian bird very common. The
so-called <i>Derwent Jackass</i> of Tasmania is a <i>Shrike
(Cracticus cinereus</i>, Gould), and is more properly called
the <i>Grey Butcher-bird</i>. See <i>Butcher-bird</i>.

1789. Governor Phillip, `Voyage,' p. 287:

Description given with picture, but under name "Great Brown
Kingsfisher" [sic].

Ibid. p. 156:

Similar bird, with description and picture, under name "Sacred
King's Fisher."

1790. J. White, `Voyage to New South Wales,' p. 137:

"We not long after discovered the Great Brown King's Fisher,
of which a plate is annexed. This bird has been described by
Mr. Latham in his `General Synopsis of Birds,' vol. ii. p. 603.

Ibid. p. 193:

"We this day shot the Sacred King's-Fisher (see plate annexed)."

1798. Collins, `Account of English Colony in New South Wales,'
p. 615, (Vocabulary):

"Gi-gan-ne-gine. Bird named by us the Laughing Jackass.
Go-con-de--inland name for it."

1827. P. Cunningham, `Two Years in New South Wales,' vol. i.
p. 232:

"The loud and discordant noise of the laughing jackass (or
settler's-clock, as he is called), as he takes up his roost on
the withered bough of one of our tallest trees, acquaints us
that the sun has just dipped behind the hills."

1827. Vigors and Horsfield, `Transactions of Linnaean
Society,' vol. xv. p. 204:

"The settlers ca