176 R. H. MATHEWS. 
dialect is the most widely spread of all aboriginal tongues in New 
South Wales. 
ConcLusION. 
Owing to the gradual disappearance of the aborigines before 
the white population and the consequent extinction of many of 
the totems, it is now difficult to find a native who can remember 
all the totem names, and he will be rather doubtful in regard to 
those with which he has never had any connection. Although I 
have exercised all possible care in trying to get reliable details 
respecting the intermarriage of the totems given in the tables 
and also in regard to the lists of totems atfached to the groups, 
it is possible that some mistakes may have been made; but 
even if such should be found to be the case, it cannot alter 
the general principles on which the rules of marriage and descent 
are based. 
I wish to express my thanks to Miss Baker, daughter of Mr. 
W. T. Baker, Inspector of Police at Kempsey—whom I met when 
following up my investigations respecting the customs of the 
aborigines on the Macleay River some years ago—for her labours 
in gathering further particulars of their totemic laws, and also in 
defining the boundaries within which certain dialects were spoken. 
Before preparing this article I requested Mr. Chas. A. Brewster 
a Police Trooper at Mungindi, on the Barwon River, to check a 
list of Kamilaroi totems tabulated by myself in that district a few 
years back. I also asked him to gather such additional examples 
of irregular or family marriages as he might consider trustworthy; 
and I desire to place on record the promptitude and care with 
which he collected information on a difficult subject. 
In this article I have endeavored not to vitiate my descriptions 
of the tribal divisions by the incorporation of inferences deriv 
from mere conjecture, but have left the formation of theories, 
and all controversial points, respecting this subject, until further 
particulars have been collected over a wider field. I shall feel 
myself sufficiently repaid for my exertions if I should be fortunate 
enough to induce a student here and there to continue the work 
of investigating and describing the totemic systems of different 
tribes in various parts of Australia. 
