284 THE POOD OF THE TASMANIAN ABORIGINES 



Milligan quotes the following: — 



Kastern Tribes. Southern Tribes, 

 tarrana 



Forester Kangaroo } 

 (Macropus major) ) 



Brush Kangaroo 

 (Halmaturus 

 Bennettii) 



Wallaby 



(Halmaturus 

 Billardieri) 



ne-wittye 



oaleetyaree-ena 

 or lyenna 



lukangana 



or 

 lakanguna 



N.and N.W. 

 Tribes. 



tarraleah 



lazzah-kah 



taranna 



or 



tarra 



kuleah 



noguoyleah 



or 



tahah 



This number of names for three animals which are so 

 easily distinguishable is formidable enough, but it gets 

 worse when we consult the others. According to Ling 

 Roth we have the words: — 



1. lalliga (Dove, Jorgensen, Brain) 



2. lemmook, male kangaroo (ditto) 



3. lurgu, female kangaroo (ditto) 



4. lelagia (McGeary). 



5. leina (Roberts) 



6. taramai (Gaimard) 



all of which denote kangaroo, and the wallaby is distin- 

 guished by the words 



7. tarana (Roberts) 



8. tana (Dove, Jorgensen, Brain). 



We have therefore 25 words for three animals! 



This number can, however, be reduced to 16, because 

 terrar, tarrana, taranna, tarra, tarana, tana, tarra-leah, 

 tanah, as well as lalliga and lelagia and lukangana and 

 lakanguna are unquestionably one and the same word. 

 But we find still other difficulties quite apart from the 

 etymological ones. According to Milligan the eastern 

 tribes called the Great or Forester kangaroo, the largest 

 animal of Tasmania, " newittye " ; but if we peruse his 

 vocabulary we find that " Seal (Phoca) on sandy beach " is 

 called " naweetya." I do not think that anybody will dis- 

 pute the fact that these two words are identical ; but I also 

 think that everybody will agree with me if I say that it is 

 impossible that one and the same tribe called two animals 



