front tooth, are
elements of it. And this is as much as is known of it; except that from
the time of initiation to the time of marriage, the young men are
forbidden to speak to, or even approach a female.

Surely, it is the common conditions of a hunter life which determine
these probationary preparations for the hardships which accompany it in
populations so remote as the Australian and the American of the prairie.
I say of the prairie, because we shall find that in the proportion as
the agricultural state replaces the erratic habits of the hunter,
ceremonies of the sort in question decrease both in number and
peculiarity of character.

A third regulation forbids the use of the more enviable articles of
diet, like fish, eggs, the emu, and the choicer sorts of opossum and
kangaroo to the Australian youth.

All that is known of the Australian religion is due to the researches of
the United States Exploring Expedition. The most specific fact in this
respect is the name _Wandong_ as applied to the evil spirit. I believe
this to be truly a word belonging to the Oceanic Pantheon in general,
and--as stated above--to be the same as _Vintana_ in Malagasi, and as
the root _anit_ in many of the Polynesian languages.

_The Tasmanians._--A few families, the remains of the aborigines of Van
Dieman's Land, occupy Flinder's Island, whither they have been removed.

I can give but little information concerning them.

From the Australians they differ but slightly in mental capacity, and
civilizational development. Perhaps their very low level in this
respect is the lower of the two.

The language seems to have fallen into not less than four mutually
unintelligible forms of speech.

Their _hair_ constituted their chief physical difference. This was
curled, frizzy, or mopped.

The _a priori_ view of their origin is that they crossed Torres Straits
from Australia. I have, however, stated elsewhere that a case may be
made out for either Timor or New Caledonia being their mother countries;
in which case the stream of population has gone _round_ Australia rather
than _across_ it. Certain peculiarities of the Tasmanian language give
us the ground for thus demurring to the _prima facie_ view of their
descent. The same help us to account for the differences in texture of
the hair.[70]

FOOTNOTES:

[63] Malacca, Wellesley Province, Penang, and Sincapore. For excellent
information about the ethnology of these parts see Newbold's "B