OF ARTS AND SCIENCES : MARCH 12, 1872. 429 



APPENDICES. 

 Australian Aborigines. By Rev. Lorimer Fison. 



Memorandum A. 



The Rev. W. Ridley, M. A., Presbyterian clergyman, who has spent 

 many years among the Australian aborigines, kindly wrote a short 

 paper for me on a " comprehensive social classification," which he had 

 found among those savages. " The same system," he observes, " with 

 the same names, prevails among tribes speaking different dialects ; and 

 even where different names are used, the same system substantially 

 exists." 



Among the tribes speaking the Kamilaroi language, all the men bear 

 one of these four names, — 



Ippai. Murri. Kubbi. Kumbo. 



All the women bear one of these, — 



Ippata. Mata. Kapota. Buta. 



There are certain rules of marriage and descent, which for con- 

 venience of reference I arrange as follows : — 



A. B. 



Male. Female. Male. Female. 



1. Ippai marries Kapota. Their children are : 1. Murri and Mata. 



2. Murri " Buta. " " " 2. Ippai " Ippata. 



3. Kubbi " Ippata. " " " 3. Kumbo " Buta. 



4. Kumbo " Mata. " " " 4. Kubbi " Kapota. 



These rules of marriage do not forbid polygamy. Thus Kumbo 

 may have as many Matas as he likes, but he may not have Ippata, 

 Buta, or Kapota. So also with all the other names excepting Ippai, 

 who has the privilege of cohabiting with Ippata as well as Kapota. 

 This, however, Mr. Ridley considers to be " an infringement of rule, 

 allowed in favor of some powerful Ippai, and so continued." It seems 

 evident that this must be so ; and it is worthy of remark that the 

 children of Ippai and Ippata are Kumbo and Buta, as also are the 

 children of Kubbi and Ippata. 



Among tribes not speaking Kamilaroi, the following names are 

 used : — 



1. Urgilla. 2. Wunggo. 3. Obur. 4. Maburri (male). 



1. Urgillagun. 2. Wungooun. 3. Oburgun. 4. Maburrigun (female). 



These are in the Balomer language. 



