Why does this declaration exist inside std.range.put?

[Meta via Digitalmars-d-learn]

This is the code for std.range.put:

void put(R, E)(ref R r, E e)
{
     //Why?
     @property ref E[] EArrayInit(); //@@@9186@@@: Can't use 
(E[]).init

     //First level: simply straight up put.
     static if (is(typeof(doPut(r, e))))
     {
         doPut(r, e);
     }
     //Optional optimization block for straight up array to array 
copy.
     else static if (isDynamicArray!R && !isNarrowString!R && 
isDynamicArray!E && is(typeof(r[] = e[])))
     {
         immutable len = e.length;
         r[0 .. len] = e[];
         r = r[len .. $];
     }
     //Accepts E[] ?
     else static if (is(typeof(doPut(r, [e]))) && 
!isDynamicArray!R)
     {
         if (__ctfe)
             doPut(r, [e]);
         else
             doPut(r, (&e)[0..1]);
     }
     //special case for char to string.
     else static if (isSomeChar!E && is(typeof(putChar(r, e))))
     {
         putChar(r, e);
     }
     //Extract each element from the range
     //We can use "put" here, so we can recursively test a RoR of 
E.
     else static if (isInputRange!E && is(typeof(put(r, e.front))))
     {
         //Special optimization: If E is a narrow string, and r 
accepts characters no-wider than the string's
         //Then simply feed the characters 1 by 1.
         static if (isNarrowString!E && (
             (is(E : const  char[]) && is(typeof(doPut(r,  
char.max))) && !is(typeof(doPut(r, dchar.max))) && 
!is(typeof(doPut(r, wchar.max)))) ||
             (is(E : const wchar[]) && is(typeof(doPut(r, 
wchar.max))) && !is(typeof(doPut(r, dchar.max)))) ) )
         {
             foreach(c; e)
                 doPut(r, c);
         }
         else
         {
             for (; !e.empty; e.popFront())
                 put(r, e.front);
         }
     }
     else
     {
         import std.string;
         static assert (false, format("Cannot put a %s into a 
%s.", E.stringof, R.stringof));
     }
}

What is the reason for that first function declaration, 
EArrayInit? It's not referenced anywhere else in the function, 
and it doesn't even have a body.