Austral English / A dictionary of Australasian words, phrases and usages with those aboriginal-Australian and Maori words which have become incorporated in the language, and the commoner scientific words that have had their origin in Australasia

by Edward Ellis Morris

The bird is heard far more often than seen, hence confusion has arisen as to what is the bird that utters the note. The earlier view was that the bird was <i>Podargus cuvieri</i>, Vig. and Hors., which still popularly retains the name; whereas it is really the owl, <i>Ninox boobook</i>, that calls "morepork" or "mopoke" so loudly at night. Curiously, Gould, having already assigned the name <i>Morepork</i> to <i>Podargus</i>, in describing the <i>Owlet Night-jar</i> varies the spelling and writes, "little <i>Mawepawk</i>, Colonists of Van Diemen's Land." The New Zealand Morepork is assuredly an owl. The <i>Podargus</i> has received the name of <i>Frogmouth</i> and the <i>Mopoke</i> has sometimes been called a <i>Cuckoo</i> (q.v.). See also <i>Boobook</i>, <i>Frogsmouth</i>.

The earliest ascertained use of the word is—

1827. Hellyer (in 1832), `Bischoff, Van Diemen's Land,' p. 177:

"One of the men shot a `more pork.'"

<i>The Bird's note</i>—

1868. Carleton, `Australian Nights,' p. 19:

"The Austral cuckoo spoke
His melancholy note—`Mo-poke.'"

1888. D. Macdonald, `Gum Boughs and Wattle Bloom,' p. 236:

"Many a still night in the bush I have listened to the weird metallic call of this strange bird, the mopoke of the natives, without hearing it give expression to the pork-shop sentiments."

<i>Podargus</i>—