feet from the
ground."

<hw>Wobbegong</hw>, <i>n</i>. a New South Wales aboriginal name
for a species of Shark, <i>Crassorhinus barbatus</i>, Linn.,
family <i>Scyllidae</i>; also known as the <i>Carpet-Shark</i>,
from the beautifully mottled skin. The fish is not peculiar to
Australia, but the name is.

<hw>Wobbles</hw>, <i>n</i>. a disease in horses caused by
eating palm-trees in Western Australia.

1896. `The Australasian,' Feb. 15, p. 319:

"The palm-trees for years cost annoyance and loss to farmers
and graziers. Their stock being troubled with a disease called
`wobbles,' which attacked the limbs and ended in death.
A commission of experts was appointed, who traced the disease
to the palms, of which the cattle were very fond."

<hw>Wolf</hw>, <i>n</i>. called also <i>Native Wolf</i>,
<i>Marsupial Wolf</i> and <i>Zebra Wolf</i>, <i>Tasmanian
Tiger</i> and <i>Hyaena</i>; genus, <i>Thylacinus</i> (q.v.).
It is the largest carnivorous marsupial extant, and is so much
like a wolf in appearance that it well deserves its vernacular
name of <i>Wolf</i>, though now-a-days it is generally called
<i>Tiger</i>. See <i>Tasmanian Tiger</i>.

1891. `Guide to Zoological Gardens, Melbourne':

"The first occupants we notice in this cage are two marsupial
wolves, <i>Thylacinus cynocephalus</i>, or Tasmanian tigers as
they are commonly called. These animals are becoming scarce,
as, owing to their destructiveness among sheep, they are
relentlessly persecuted by run-holders."

<hw>Wollomai</hw>, <i>n</i>. the aboriginal name of the fish
called <i>Schnapper</i> (q.v.). In 1875 a horse named
<i>Wollomai</i> won the Melbourne Cup. Since then numerous
houses and estates have been named <i>Wollomai</i>.

<hw>Wombat</hw>, <i>n</i>. a marsupial animal of the genus
<i>Phascolomys</i> (q.v.). It is a corruption of the
aboriginal name. There are various spellings; that nearest
to the aboriginal is <i>womback</i>, but the form <i>wombat</i>
is now generally adopted. The species are--the Common Wombat,
<i>Phascolomys mitchelli</i>, Owen; Tasmanian W.,
<i>P. ursinus</i>, Shaw; Hairy-nosed W., <i>P. latifrons</i>,
Owen.

1798. M. Flinders, `Voyage to Terra Australis (1814),'
Intro. p. cxxviii, `Journal,' Feb. 16:

"Point Womat, a rocky projection of Cape Barren Island, where a
number of the new animals called womit were seen, and killed."

Ibid. p. cxxxv:

"This little bear-like quadruped is known in New South Wales,