< Page:Native Tribes of South-East Australia.djvu
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NATIVE TRIBES OF SOUTH-EAST AUSTRALIA
CH.
| Male | Marries | Children are | ||
| Kumbo | mallee-hen | Matha | red kangaroo | The Children are always of the complementary sub-class to that of their mother, and of her totem. |
| or | Matha | black duck | ||
| Kumbo | emu | Matha | snake | |
| or (anomalous) | ||||
| Kubbitha | bandicoot | |||
| Kumbo | opossum | Matha | bandicoot | |
| Kubbitha | black duck | |||
| Kubbitha | red kangaroo | |||
| Kubbitha | lace-lizard | |||
| or (anomalous) | ||||
| Murri | red kangaroo | Butha | mallee-hen | |
| Murri | black duck | Bulha | emu | |
| or | or (anomalous) | |||
| Murri | snake | Ipatha | opossum | |
| Murri | bandicoot | Ipatha | mallee-hen | |
| Ipatha | padi-melon | |||
| or (anomalous) | ||||
| Butha | opossum | |||
| Kubbi | red kangaroo | Ipatha | padi-melon | |
| Kubbi | black duck | Ipatha | mallee-hen | |
| or | or (anomalous) | |||
| Kubbi | lace-lizard | Butha | opossum | |
| Kubbi | bandicoot | Ipatha | opossum | |
| Butha | mallee-hen | |||
| Butha | emu | |||
| or (anomalous) | ||||
There is another totem belonging to Ipai and Kumbo, which Mr. Cameron was unable to obtain.
The class system has been given in the previous chapter. The peculiar feature in these marriages is that a man is permitted to marry into both of the sub-classes of the opposite class—that is, in fact, to revert partially to the old law of the classes. But it may be perhaps done from other reasons—for instance, the small number of the people of certain totems compelling those who otherwise would have married in accordance with the general rule of the sub-classes to follow the older law. This will come again
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