blight-bird

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

n.


a bird-name in New Zealand forthe Zosterops (q.v.). Called also Silver-eye (q.v.), Wax-eye, and White-eye (q.v.). It iscalled Blight-bird because it eats the blight on trees.

1882. T. H. Potts, `Out in the Open,' p. 130:

«The white-eye or blight-bird, with cheerful note, in crowdedflocks, sweeps over the face of the country, and in itsprogress clears away multitudes of small insect pests.»

1885. A. Hamilton, `Native Birds of Petane, Hawke's Bay,'`Transactions of New Zealand Institute,' vol. xviii. p. 125:

« Zosterops lateralis, white-eye, blight-bird. One ofour best friends, and abundant in all parts of the district.»

1888. W. L. Buller, `Birds of New Zealand,' (2nd ed.)vol. i. p. 82:

«By the settlers it has been variously designated as Ring-eye,Wax-eye, White-eye, or Silver-eye, in allusion to the beautifulcirclet of satiny-white feathers which surrounds the eyes; andquite as commonly the `Blightbird' or `Winter-migrant.' . . .It feeds on that disgusting little aphis known as Americanblight, which so rapidly covers with a fatal cloak of white thestems and branches of our best apple-trees; it clears our earlycabbages of a pestilent little insect, that left uncheckedwould utterly destroy the crop; it visits our gardens anddevours another swarming parasite that covers our roses.»

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