AUSTRALIAN GROUP RELATIONS. 801 



III. — THE CLASS ORGANIZATION. 



In some communities there are only the two primary class-divisions, 

 each with its group of totems. In others there are the two primary 

 classes, each divided into a pair of subclasses, and each of these pairs 

 has a group of totems. In some cases this totem group is common to 

 both of the two sub-classes to which it belongs ; iu other cases each sub- 

 class has its own peculiar totems. Iu some exceptional cases the 

 primary classes are wanting. Iu others the usual totem sub-groups are 

 abseut, but the primary classes, or their sub-classes, are themselves 

 totems. Other exceptions are where the totems alone, or the classes 

 alone, have survived. All these abnormal instances I have found to be 

 conuected with changes in the line of descent. The primitive and com- 

 plete forms have uterine descent; and it is in cases where descent is 

 counted through the male line that I find the most abnormal forms to 

 occur. There are also intermediate cases. The changes in the class 

 system, their variations, and their decay are therefore connected with 

 the principle of agnation. To this subject I shall again refer. The 

 decay in the class system of a tribe is, in fact, a symptom of profound 

 changes in its social organization ; and these changes, so far as I know, 

 are invariably connected with the more pronounced influence of the 

 local groups. The local organization becomes stronger as the social 

 organization grows weaker. 



The entire subject of the class organization, and the development of 

 the class divisions and totems, is too large to be entered upon here; and 

 for some further particulars concerning them I must refer to a brief 

 memoir of mine, entitled Xotes on the Australian Class Systems, which 

 may be found in the Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great 

 Britain, for May, 1883. In order, however, to bring the class organiza- 

 tion clearly into view, I subjoin that of the Dieri tribe of Central 

 Australia, which will serve as the type of the less developed systems, 

 and also as an illustration of the remarks I am about to make in this 

 paper on the connection existing between the class groups and those 

 indicated by the terms of relationship now in use. 



Much of the evidence I am about to use will be taken from the cus- 

 toms of the Dieri and other kindred tribes, which, collectively, form 

 a great allied group or "nation.' 7 * The letters and numerals, which 

 are prefixed to the class divisions and totems in the following table, 

 will serve for convenient reference. 



'Independently of my own acquaintance with the Dieri and the allied tribes more 

 than twenty years ago in their wild state, I am indebted to Mr. S. Gason for very 

 full particulars as to the Dieri, in whose country he resided for six years as an officer 

 of the South Australian mounted police, and of whose community he became an 

 initiated member. As to the Kuna"ndaburi tribe, to which I refer, I have unfortu- 

 nately much less information. For what I have, I am indebted to Mr. J. W. O'Donuell, 

 formerly of Mount Howitt station, in that country. 

 H. Mis. 69 51 



