In the Victoria Desert I found on one occasion a great deal of 

 this cement at the base of some large grass-trees, standing on the 

 ridge of a sand-dune. The trees had been on fire some time be- 

 fore, and the resin had oozed out, and accumulated near the root 

 whilst soft, and when in this condition a deal of sand had been 

 blown on to it, thus forming cement. 



At the Fraser Range the blacks were very pleased when T gave 

 them some of this. l?'rom the delight shown by these natii'es at 

 obtaining this cement it appears that the trees must be of rare 

 occurrence in their district, or that they can only obtain the 

 gnora by means of barter from some other tribes. 



The Murchison tribes use ochre freely for painting the weapons 

 and implements. Apparently that substance is found abundantly 

 in their district, hence its frequent application. At the Fraser 

 Range I noticed that the natives use their own blood for the 

 coloring of small things, such as Talla, Unain, or the interstices 

 between the balls of the Yindinga, and other ornaments. To 

 obtain the blood they nick their thighs with the sharp edge of a 

 small chip of flint, which makes the blood flow gently, and 

 generally form large beads over the incision. The articles to be 

 colored are rubbed over the wounds on the thigh, and the blood 

 is afterwards jnore carefully spread with the tip of the finger. 

 As the incisions are not made very deep they soon close up when 

 the blood begins to coagulate, and for this reason it often requires 

 a great number of cuts to color a single article. 



It is noteworthy that reA (the color of blood) and hlood go by 

 the same name, viz., y-wniin. 



Notes on Various Customs, Ceremonies, <kc. 

 Obtained by informatioii from reliable sources. 



From Mr. J. B. Beck, mounted constable at Warrina, who for 

 many years has frequently come in contact with the aborigines 

 of the interior, I obtained the following interesting observa- 

 tions ; — 



Among the Diyeri tribe at Lake Hope, Cooper's Creek, the 

 following custom prevails : — 



Interdum quinque, sex, septemve adolescentes mulierem con- 

 ducunt; aut "yinka" (funem capillis humanis factum) aut telum 

 aut aliud nescio quid pro soluto dant. Tum in casam, eui nomen 

 "wurley" datur, psene ducentos a tectis passus sedificatam, 

 mulierem inducunt ; deinde sortiti deinceps casam ineunt ; pos- 

 tremo egresso, primus redit : hoc usque acl primam lucem facere 

 Solent. (A case like this has come under Mr. Beck's own obser- 

 vation.) 



To make the swans lay a corroboree is held, during which two 



