OF ARTS AND SCIENCES : MARCH 12, 1872. 



437 



Hence I deduce the following 



LAWS OF DESCENT. 



The rule, that the children take the mother's second name, gives us 

 two instances of names not recorded in Mr. Ridley's list of the sub- 

 divisions, namely, sixteen Murri and Mata-Opossum, and twenty-four 

 Kumbo and Buta-Bandicoot. There must be something wanting here* 

 as we find no provision for the " privileged " marriage of these names. 



I think Ave may take it for granted that there is a third subdivision 

 of all the classes, as follows : — 



1. Murri and Mata subdivide into 1. Iguana. 2. Kangaroo. 3. Opossum. 



2. Kumbo and Buta " " 1. Emu. 2. Blacksnake. 3. Bandicoot. 



For, since there are Ippai-Bandicoot and Ippata-Bandicoot, the 

 mother of the two, that is, Buta, must also be Bandicoot, because the 

 children take the mother's second, or tribal name. And, there being a 

 Buta-Bandicoot, there must also be a Kumbo-Bandicoot, because each 

 of all these pairs takes the same second name for both male and 

 female. So also with Murri and Mata-Opossum. 



Hence we get six classes, each containing four names, consisting of 

 two pairs of brothers and sisters. 



names. Mr. Eidley tells me that some of the natives whom he questioned pro- 

 nounced Kapota, Kubbotha ; Mata, Matha, etc. I retain Kapota for uniformity's 

 sake. 



