personal observation of various classes of phenomena connected with marriage among savage tribes. The information I have received from them is acknowledged in the passages in which it is used.

A list of authorities is given at the end of the bookbetween the text and the index,-and it may be well to add that the references in the notes have been carefully verified. E. W.

LONDON, May, 1891.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

IN this new edition of my book I have made no essential changes, but here and there the argument has been strengthened by the addition of facts which have come to my knowledge since the appearance of the first edition. The most important of these new facts will be found in the second chapter.

I take this opportunity of expressing my warm appreciation of the thorough way in which the ideas set forth in this book have been discussed by many critics in England and elsewhere. Translations of the work have appeared, or are about to appear, in German, Swedish, French, Italian, and Russian.

LONDON, January, 1894.

E. W.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

ON THE METHOD OF INVESTIGATION

History of human civilization a part of Sociology, p. 1.-Early history based on

ethnography, p. 2.-Errors in method, pp. 2, et seq.-How we can from

ethnographical facts acquire information regarding the early history of man-

kind, pp. 3-6.-Dr. Tylor's method of investigating the development of

institutions,' pp. 4, et seq.-The causes of social phenomena, p. 5.-What
we know about the antiquity of the human race, pp. 5, et seq.-Social sur-
vivals, p. 6.-'Human marriage,' ibid.

CHAPTER I

THE ORIGIN OF MARRIAGE

Tales of the origin of marriage, pp. 8, et seq.-The subject regarded from a

scientific point of view, p. 9.-Parental care among Invertebrata, ibid.-The

relations of the sexes and parental care among Fishes, p. 10.-Among

Reptiles, ibid.-Among Birds, pp. 10, et seq.-Among the lower Mammals,

p. 12. Among the Quadrumana, pp. 12-14.-Among savage and barbarous

races of men, pp. 14-17.-The father's place in the family, pp. 15-19.—

Definition of the word marriage, pp. 19, et seq.-Marriage a product of

natural selection, pp. 20, et seq.-Marriage rooted in family rather than

family in marriage, pp. 22-24.

CHAPTER II

A HUMAN PAIRING SEASON IN PRIMITIVE TIMES

Hypotheses as to the periodicity in the sexual life of animals, p. 25.—Every

month or season of the year the pairing season of one or another mammalian

species, pp. 25, et seq.-The rut not dependent upon any general physio-

logical law, but adapted to the requirement of each species separately, pp. 26,

et seq.-Wild species without a definite pairing season, p. 27.-Rutting

season among the man-like apes, ibid.—Among our earliest human or half-

human progenitors, p. 28.-Periodical increase of the sexual instinct

among existing savages, pp. 28-31.-Among civilized peoples, pp. 31-33.—

The increase of the sexual instinct at the end of spring or in the beginning of

summer, probably a survival of an ancient pairing season, PP. 34, et seq.-

The winter maximum of conceptions, pp. 35-37.-Why man is not limited

to a particular period of the year in which to court the female, pp. 37, et seq.

-Domestic animals without a definite pairing season, p. 38.

CHAPTER III

THE ANTIQUITY OF HUMAN MARRIAGE

Marriage a necessary requirement for the existence of the human race, p. 39.-

The hypothesis that the maternal uncle was the guardian of the children,

pp. 39-41.-The father the head of the family, p. 41.-The hypothesis that

all the men of the tribe indiscriminately were their guardians, pp. 41, et seq.-

Man originally not a gregarious animal, pp. 42, et seq.-The solitary life of

the man-like apes, ibid.--Savage peoples living in families rather than in

tribes, pp. 43-47.-Insufficient food supply a hindrance to a true gregarious

manner of living, pp. 47-49.-The gregariousness and sociability of man

sprang in the main from progressive intellectual and material civilization,

pp. 49, et seq.

CHAPTER IV

A CRITICISM OF THE HYPOTHESIS OF PROMISCUITY

The hypothesis of promiscuity, pp. 51, et seq.-The evidence adduced in sup-

port of it, p. 52.-Notices of savage nations said to live promiscuously,

pp. 52-55.—Some of the facts adduced, no instances of real promiscuity,

PP. 55-57.-Most of the statements obviously erroneous, pp. 57-59.-The

accuracy of the others doubtful, pp. 59, et seq.-Even if correct, they cannot

afford any evidence for promiscuity having prevailed in primitive times, pp.

60, et seq.-The free cohabitation of the sexes before marriage, in some parts of

the world, given as evidence of ancient promiscuity, p. 61.-Sexual intercourse

out of wedlock rare, and unchastity on the part of the woman looked upon as a

disgrace, among many uncivilized peoples, pp. 61-66.-The wantonness of

savages in several cases due chiefly to the influence of civilization, pp. 66–70.

-It is quite different from promiscuity, pp. 70, et seq.-Customs interpreted

as acts of expiation for individual marriage, p. 72.-Religious prostitution,

ibid.-Jus primae noctis accorded to the wedding-guests or to the friends

of the bridegroom, pp. 72-76.—The practice of lending wives to visitors, pp.

73-75.-Jus primae noctis granted to a chief, lord, or priest, pp. 76–80. —

Courtesans held in greater estimation than women married to a single

husband, pp. 80, et seq.

CHAPTER V

A CRITICISM OF THE HYPOTHESIS OF PROMISCUITY

(Continued)

་

The classificatory system of relationship,' pp. 82-84.- 'Marriage in a group'
and the consanguine family,' pp. 84, et seq. -Mr. Morgan's assumption that
the classificatory system' is a system of blood ties, p. 85.-Terms for
relationships borrowed from the children's lips, pp. 85-87.-Other terms,