SOCIOLOGY OF SOME AUSTRALIAN TRIBES. 



105 



the reader is requested to substitute 4 two principal 

 divisions.' 



Sociology of the Wombaia Tribe. 

 In illustrating this important subject I shall begin with 

 the sociology of the Wombaia tribe, which occupies a large 

 area on Oresswell Creek and Burnett Downs in the Northern 

 Territory. It will be necessary to repeat a table showing 

 the subdivisions of these people. 1 We shall see by this table 

 that the eight sections of women can be classified genea- 

 logically into two distinct sets, which we may distinguish 

 as cycles, each set comprising four specific sections of 

 women in the column headed " Wife." Each of the two 

 cycles reproduces its own four sections in a certain rotation 

 and has perpetual succession, as follows : 



TABLE I. 



Wife. Son. Daughter. 



Ningulum Palyarin Palyareenya 



Palyareenya Chooralum Nooralum 



Nooralum Bungarin Bungareenya 



Bungareenya Chingulum Ningulum 



Phratry. Husband. 

 / Choolum 

 . ) Jamerum 



Cheenum 

 Yacomary 



Chingulum Noolum 



Yacomary Yacomareenya 



/ Chir 



J Bungarin Yacomareenya Cheenum Neenum 

 Chooralum Neenum 



Neomarum 



Jamerum 

 Choolum 



Neomarum 

 Noolum 



Palyarin 



I consider this the best form in which to prepare a table 

 of the eight section names. The four women of a cycle 

 are placed by themselves, and the quartette of men who 

 are their normal husbands are set down opposite to them. 

 This is the same arrangement which I have adopted in 

 tables illustrating the Kamilaroi, Wongaibon, Wirraidyuri, 

 and other tribes. I have also used similar tables in describ- 

 ing the Yungmunni, Chingalee, Warramonga, Jarrau and 

 other tribes with eight divisions in their social structure 

 in Central and Western Australia. 



This Journal, xxxn., p. 75. 



