Even among the Adelaide tribes, where there appears to be a greater uniformity in the system of nomenclature than I have met with any where else, and where Mr. Moorhouse has devoted more time and attention to the subject than perhaps any other person, there are still difficulties and uncertainties.  Thus an Adelaide boy about the age of ten, is called by the name of Koar (the crow), from early infancy, but between ten and twelve, after undergoing one of their ceremonies, the name was changed to Mannara, (which I believe means the crow’s nest).  According, however, to the usual system adopted, this boy’s name ought to have remained Koar, until, by becoming a married man and a father, it gave way to a paidronymic.

There is another subject somewhat analogous to that of nomenclature, and about which still less is known;—­that of every native adopting some object in creation as his crest, or tiende.  The same thing is noticed by Captain Grey in his narrative (vol. ii. p. 228).

“But as each family adopts some animal or vegetable, as their crest or sign, or kobong as they call it, I imagine it more likely, that these have been named after the families, than that the families have been named after them.

“A certain mysterious connection exists between a family and its kobong, so that a member of a family will never kill an animal of the species, to which his kobong belongs, should he find it asleep; indeed, he always kills it reluctantly, and never without affording it a chance to escape.  This arises from the family belief, that some one individual of the species is their nearest friend, to kill whom would be a great crime, and to be carefully avoided.  Similarly, a native who has a vegetable for his kobong, may not gather it under certain circumstances, and at a particular period of the year.”

From the foregoing quotation, it is apparent that very little difference exists in the custom as practised in Western and Southern Australia.  In the former, however, there appears to be an unwillingness to destroy the object represented by the kobong or tiende that I have never observed in the latter.  But very little appears to be known on this subject at present, as far as regards the reason for assuming the tiende, or its connection with the individual or family it may represent.  The same tiende seems to descend from a father to his children; but I have been told occasionally of instances where such has not been the case.  There are several striking differences between the customs and habits of the Aborigines of Western Australia, narrated by Captain Grey, and those in force among the tribes I have myself been best acquainted with in Southern or South-eastern Australia.  One singular peculiarity is described by Captain Grey.

“One of the most remarkable facts connected with the natives, is that they are divided into certain great families, all the members of which bear the same names, as a family or second name:  the principal branches of these families, so far as I have been able to ascertain, are the