100 AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES. 



Stars in tail of Scorpio, ' Kummim bieetch,' ' one sitting on the back of the 

 other's neck ' — masculine. 



Pleiades are called ' kuiu'okeheear,' ' flock of cockatoos,' by the Kuurn kopan 

 noot tribe, and are feminine. The Pirt kopan noot tribe have no general name 

 for the Pleiades ; but there is a tradition that the stars in it were a queen called 

 Gneeanggar, and her six attendants ; and, that, a long time ago, the star Canopus — 

 ' Waa,' ' crow ' — fell in love with the queen, but was so unsuccessful in gaining her 

 affections that he determined to get possession of her by stratagem. Shortly 

 after her refusal to become his wife, he discovered by some means that the queen 

 and her six attendants were going in search of white grubs, of which they were 

 very fond. On hearing of this, ' Waa ' at once conceived the idea of transforming 

 himself into a grub ; and in this form he bored into the stem of a tree where he 

 was certain to be observed by the queen and her servants. He was not long in 

 his hiding-place before he was discovered by one of them, who thrust into the 

 hole a small wooden hook, which women generally use for extracting grubs. He 

 broke the point of the hook. He did the same with those of the other five 

 attendants. The queen then approached, and introduced a beautiful bone hook 

 into the hole. He knew that this hook was hers ; he therefore allowed himself 

 to be drawn out, and immediately assumed the form of a giant, and ran ofi" with 

 her from her attendants. Ever since the loss of the queen there have been only 

 six stars in the Pleiades, representing her six servants. 



Some doubt having been expressed by friends to whom the manuscript was 

 shown with regard to the authenticity of this story, which shows a very 

 remarkable coincidence with tales of Grecian mythology, the strictest inquiry has 

 been made through Mr. William Goodall, the superintendent of the Framlingham 

 Aboriginal Station ; and the result of this inquiry lias been to confirm the story, 

 and to show that it is well known in the Western District, and, with some 

 variation, in South Aastralia also. 



The three stars in the belt of Orion are called ' Kuppiheear ' and are the 

 sisters of Sirius, who always follows them. 



A yellowish star in the constellation of Orion is called ' Kuupartakil ; ' and 

 another, of a red colour, is called ' Moroitch,' ' fire ' — ^masculine. 



Southern Cross, ' Kunkun Tuuromballank,' ' knot or tie ' — masculine. 



Centauri, the pointers, ' Tuulirmp,' ' magpie larks ' — masculine. 



Mars, ' Parrupum ' — masculine. 



Fomelhaut, 'Buunjill' — masculine. 



