TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. — DEPT. ANTHROPOLOGY. 607 



SA T URDA Y, AUGUST 2G. 



The Department did not meet. 



MONDAY, AUGUST 28. 

 Tlie following Papers were read : — 



1. On some Ciisioms of tlie Ahorigines of the River Darling, Nexv South 



Wales. By F. Bonnet. 



The author had resided as one of the early European settlers in the district on 

 the north side of the River Darling, and had enjoyed unusual opportunities of 

 learning their habits. In this communication he restricted himself to sundry 

 customs connected with the more important epochs of life. lie stated that in- 

 fanticide is frequent, owing to the difficulty of carrying children from place to 

 place. If, however, the child is not killed (and this is decided directly after birth) 

 the parents quiclfly become much attached to it, and the children generally are very 

 Idndly treated. About the age of ten, sundry marks are made in the flesh both of 

 boys and girls. The former, when about tlie age of sixteen, are initiated into man- 

 hood by having one front tooth knocked out, or sometimes by some other cere- 

 monies in place of this. At this time the youth remains apart from the camp, in 

 companj' with one or two friends, for from ten days to a month, ami for the first 

 two days is fed only on blood drawn from his friends' arms. The customs of 

 marriage are described, and their methods of healing the sick. Disease is supposed 

 to be caused by the incantations of an enemy. The method of performing tliis and 

 of annulling its eftect were described, and some account given of the prevalent 

 diseases. The corpse is buried immediately after death, and before entombment is 

 interrogated as to who caused its end. The direction in which it swings when 

 struck is supposed to give an answer, and an attempt is made to punish the sup- 

 posed aggressor. A small piece of flesh is usually cut from the corpse, which has 

 several peculiar uses. The habits of mourning were also described. Tlie paper 

 was illustrated by numerous photographs taken by the author, and .specimens of 

 native industry. 



2. Pre-historic Remains in the Deposits of the Bovey Basin, South Devon. 



By W. Pengelly, F.B.S. 



The Light thrown hy the E^'ploration of Caves on the Con quest of Britain. 

 By Professor W. Boyd Dawkins, M.A., F.B.S. 



4. The Jutes of the Isle of Wight. By J'. Park Haerison, M.A. 



5. On the Physical Characteristics of the Saxon. By J. Park Harrison, M.^. 



6. The Lolo Character of Western China. 

 By Hyde Clarke, V.P.A.I. 



The Royal Geographical Society has published a supplementary paper, ' Travels 

 in Western China,' by E. Colborne Baker. This contains plates describing a MS. 



