148 R. H. MATHEWS. 



Nyngan, Cobar, Pacldington, and Ivanhoe. Their initiation 

 ceremonies are of the Burbling type in force among the 

 Wiradhuri tribes, who adjoin them on the east, compre- 

 hensive descriptions of which have been given by me else- 

 where. 1 The Wongaibon community is divided into four 

 sections in the same manner as the tribes last mentioned, 

 and similar laws regulate their intermarriages. I have 

 explained the Wiradhuri organization in previous papers 

 to this and other Societies. 2 



Nouns. 



The number, gender and case of nouns are as follows: — 



Number. — The dual and plural are shown by suffixed 



particles : Singular, murrawe, a kangaroo ; dual, murra- 



wegale, a couple of kangaroos : plural, murrawebunggo, 



several kangaroos. 



Gender. — Gender in the human family is denoted by 

 different words. A man, thurgala. A woman, wirringga. 

 A small girl, winnarga. Burai, a boy. Warru, a child of 

 either sex. Men collectively are called maii. In speaking 

 of animals, sex is distinguished by the addition of separate 

 words for male and female respectively. Bidyer, a male; 

 gunal, a female ; papa, a cock ; gunni, a hen. These words 

 are placed after the name of the animal whose sex they 

 indicate. 



Case. — The cases are the nominative, causative, genitive, 

 accusative, instrumental, dative and ablative. 



1 " The Burbung of the Wiradhuri Tribes," Journ. Anthrop. Inst., Vol. 

 xxv., pp. 295 - 318 ; op. cit., Vol. xxvi., pp. 272 - 285. Proc. Eoy. Soc, 

 Queensland, Vol xvi., pp. 35-38. "The Burbung of the Murrumbidgee 

 Tribes," Journ. Eoy. Soe. N.S. Wales, Vol. xxxi., pp. Ill - 153. "Initi- 

 ation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes/' American Anthropologist, 

 Vol. in., N.S. pp. 337-341. 



2 "The Wiradjuri System," Journ. Eoy. Soc, N. S. W., Vol. xxxi., pp. 

 171 - 176. "Australian Class Systems," American Anthropologist, Vol. 

 ix., pp. 411 - 416 ; Vol. x., pp. 345 - 347. 



