MARRIAGE RULES OF AUSTRALIAN TRIBES. 533 
ON THE MARRIAGE RULES OF AUSTRALIAN 
TRIBES. 
By A. W. Howirr. 
In studying the marriage rules of the native tribes of 
Australia I have found it advantageous to use certain 
diagrams, which admit of a more ready comparison of their 
principle and scope, and which have suggested some 
interesting conclusions. These diagrams have been formed 
from the direct evidence derived from tabulated statements 
of actual marriages and descents in the tribes respectively 
dealt with. 
The marriage rules are all based upon the division of the 
tribe into the intermarrying exogamic moieties. This is now 
well established, but I mention it as the starting point of 
my explanation. The further statement seems necessary, 
namely, that every relationship which I shall mention is not 
an individual relationship, but a group relation, consisting of 
what may be spoken of as ‘‘own”’ and also “tribal” relations. 
The series of diagrams commence with the most simple 
form known to me, namely, that of the marriage rule which 
obtains in some of the Lake Eyre tribes, of which I take the 
Ugarabana asmy example. These people occupy the western 
and north-western shores of Lake Hyre. ‘They are the 
Urabunna of Spencer and Gillen, whose form of the class 
names I use, namely, Mathurie and Kirarawa. It will be 
seen, by comparison with Diagram II., that they are identical 
with the Dieri Murdus, or classes, Matteri and Kararu. 
Diacram I. 
(1) m. Mathurie — ne a (4) m. Kirarawa 
(2) ¥. Kirarawa = MA SBEGE o> TS 1(B) Fr. Mahthurie 
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(3) m. Kirarawa < -——Nupa > (6) r. Mahthurie 
The explanation of this diagram will serve for the follow- 
ing ones. (1) and (6) are brother and sister, so are (5) and 
(2). Marriage is brought about by betrothal, commonly of 
children, for instance of (1) and (2), and each such 
arrangement necessarily: includes an exchange of a sister, 
own or tribal, of (1) as a wife for (5), the brother of (2). The 
children of these two couples are “‘nupa” to each other. As 
Spencer and Gillen put it (p. 65), ‘““a man is nupa to the 
daughter of the elder brothers of his mother,” which includes, 
as will be seen from the diagram, also the elder sisters of his 
