239 



sufficient number of chosen spirits who appreciate the value of a 

 problem for the difficulty of its solution, and deem nothing mean 

 enough to know, though such knowledge may not always be of a 

 lucrative character. 



With these inti'oductory I'emarks I beg to oft'er the following 

 short account of the result of a few months' observations to those 

 interested in the subject, with the hope that it will be accepted 

 as a contribution towards completing our knowledge of the 

 aborigines of Australia, 



Tribal Chaeacteeistics. 



Unfortunately, I am only able to generalise upon this interest- 

 ing subject, because neither cranial nor other anatomical measure- 

 ments were made by me during the trip, partly owing to the 

 want of time, and partly to being unprovided with the necessary 

 instruments for this purpose. 



With the object of distinguishing the various tiibes I have 

 divided them according to tlie geograpliical names of the districts 

 in which they were encountered. This geographical nomenclature 

 T was obliged to adopt because I could not ascertain the correct 

 tribal names from the natives, through ignorance of their 

 language. Thus, omitting those met at Warrina and Cootinoo- 

 rinna, I have named the tribes as follows :- — 



The Everard Range Tribe, S.A. Met near tliat range, and 

 represented on plates 30 and 31. 



The Blyth Range Tribe, S.A. Met hrst at Camp 12, and later 

 at Camp 15, and past the range they have been named aftei' ; 

 represented on plates 32 and 33. 



The Barrow Range Tribe, S.A. Met at Camp 33 and near 

 Mount Squires. See plates 22, 23, a)id 29. 



The Victoria Desert Tribe, W.A. Met near Camp 40 and 

 between Camp 43 and 44. See plates 24 and 25. 



The Eraser Range Tribe, W.A. Met at tlie Fraser Range ; 

 represented on plates 34-37. 



The Hampton Plains Tribe, W.A. Met at the Fraser Range 

 and nea.r Hunt's Well ; represented on plates 38 and 39. 



The Yunga Tribe, W.A. Met at the Fraser Range. 



The Murchison District Tril)e, W.A. Met near Aunean 

 Station. 



Besides these tribes, of which for the most part only small 

 numbers were congregated together, single individuals belonging 

 to diflerent tribes were met with at various times. 



Amongst the tribes here enumerated those of the Everard 

 Range and Murchison District were the most robust. Only four 

 adults and one young individual of the hrst were seen, but from 

 the fact that the country they inhabit is better supplied with the 



