2 
Of the natives of North Australia and Torres Straits excellent accounts 
have been given hy the late Admiral P. P. King/ in 1 827 ; the late Prof. J. 
P. Jukes/ in 1847 ; hy that accomplished naturalist the late J. M'Gillivray 
and a recent lengthy paper hy Prof. A. C. Haddon/ of Dublin. 
The Languages and Traditions have afforded ample material for 
several papers, hut that hy Mr. A. Mackenzie,^ in which he received the 
assistance of the Pev. C. Greenway, may he specially mentioned. 
The Craniology of the Australian Aborigines has been touched on to 
some extent by M. A. de Quatrefages in his Illstoire Oeiiemle des Races 
Uumaines,^ in the Crania Ethnica’’ of the same Author and M. E. T. Hainy. 
It is well known that several obscure and peculiar rites, especially as 
regards the marital condition, were practised by the Natives, and still are by 
those in some parts of Northern Australia. These have been described by 
the late N. de Miklouho-Maclay in a series of papers in the Zeitschidft fiir 
Elhnologie, 1880-82 ; by Dr. IM. Robertson, in an Official Report and lately 
epitomised by the Author.® 
A very important custom, especially of the Victorian Blacks, and 
those of New South Wales bordering the Murray River, was the formation 
of Oven-mounds. These have not received the attention that their importance 
demands, but an interesting paper under the name of the late Rev. P. 
MaePherson,^® and another by Mr. P. Beveridge,’* * may be read with profit. 
Again, Rock-carvings and Paintings afford by no means the least 
interesting relic of tribes passed away. Excellent pictorial representations 
will be found depicted in Sir George Grey’s work Journals of Two Expeditions 
of Eiscovery in North-ioest and Western Australia?^ Carvings around Port 
Jackson have been described by Sir C. Nicholson,*® and an explanation of 
the import of these devices was a short time ago given by Dr. A. Carroll.*^ 
An extended description of the largest group in the metropolitan area will 
be found under the Author’s name. 
* Narrative of the Survey of the Inter-tropical and Western Coasts of Australia, 2 vols., 8vo., London, 1827. 
* Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. “Fly,” 2 vols., London, 1847. ^ j^arrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. 
“Rattlesnake,” 2 vols., London, 1852. * Journ. Anthrop. Inst. Gt. Brit, and Ireland, 1890, XIX, p. 297. 
® Journ. Anthrop. Inst. Gt. Brit, and Ireland, 1878, VII, p. 23.3. ^ 8vo., Pai'is, 1889. ^ 4to., Paris, 1882. 
® 8vo., Perth, W.A., 1879. ^ Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales for 1890, in lilt. Journ. R. Soc. N.S. Wales 
for 1884 [1885], XVIII, p. 49. "Journ. Anthrop. Soc. 1869, VII, p. clxxxvii. 2 vols., 8vo., Loudon, 
1841. Journ. Anthrop. Inst. Gt. Brit, and Ireland, 1880, X, p. 31. Centennial Mag., Sydney, 1888, I, 
Nos. 1, 2, 3. 
