nd at night roams about in search of food,
which it finds by grubbing about the roots of gigantic
eucalypti."

1855. W. Howitt, `Two Years in Vic. toria,' vol. i. p. 211:

"The wombat resembles a large badger in the shortness of its
legs, but has a little of the pig and the bear in its shape,
hair, and movements."

1862. W. M. Thackeray, `Roundabout Papers,' p. 82:

"Our dear wambat came up and had himself scratched very
affably. . . .

"Then I saw the grey wolf, with mutton in his maw;
Then I saw the wambat waddle in the straw."

1880. Fison and Howitt, `Kamilaroi and Kumai,' p. 265:

"Wombat is cooked, then opened and skinned."

1888. D. Macdonald, `Gum Boughs,' p. 81:

"The wombat is very powerful, and can turn a boulder almost
as large as itself out of the way when it bars the road."

1889. Cassell's `Picturesque Australasia,' vol. iv. p. 183:

"There are large numbers of wombats in the district, and these
animals, burrowing after the fashion of rabbits, at times reach
great depths, and throw up large mounds."

1894. `The Argus,' June 23, p. 11, col. 4:

"The wombat's grunt is strictly in harmony with his piggish
appearance."

<hw>Wombat-hole</hw>, <i>n</i>. hole made by <i>Wombat</i>
(q.v.).

1891. Mrs. Cross (Ada Cambridge), `The Three Miss Kings,'
p. 181:

"He took them but a little way from where they had camped, and
disclosed in the hillside what looked like a good-sized wombat
or rabbit-hole."

<hw>Wommera</hw>. See <i>Woomera</i>.

<hw>Wonga</hw>, <i>n</i>. aboriginal name for the bulrush,
<i>Typha angustifolia</i>, Linn. It is the same as the
<i>Raupo</i> (q.v.) of New Zealand, and is also known as
<i>Bulrush</i>, <i>Cat's Tail</i> and <i>Reed Mace</i>,
and in Europe as the `Asparagus of the Cossacks.'
For etymology, see next word.

<hw>Wonga-wonga</hw>, <i>n</i>. an Australian pigeon,
<i>Leucosarcia picata</i>, Lath.; it has very white flesh.
The aboriginal word <i>wonga</i> is explained as coming from
root signifying the idea of `quiver motion,' `sudden springing up'
and the word is thus applied as a name for the <i>bulrush</i>,
the <i>vine</i>, and the <i>pigeon</i>. Some, however, think
that the name of the pigeon is from the bird's note. In
Gippsland, it was called by the natives <i>Wauk-wauk-au</i>,
sc. `that which makes <i>wauk-wauk</i>.'

1827. P. Cunningham, `Two Years in New South Wales,' vol. i.
p. 321:

"We have a large pigeon named the Wanga-wanga,