730 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



tliroiigli successive generations. And evidently in the earlier stages 

 of social evolution, while the coherence is small and the want of struc- 

 ture great, it is requisite that the principle of inheritance should, espe- 

 cially in respect of the political headship, predominate over the prin- 

 ciple of efficiency. Contemplation of the facts will make this clear. 



Two primary foi-ms of hereditary succession have to be considered. 

 The system of kinship through females, common among rude peoples, 

 results in descent of property and power to brothers or to the children 

 of sisters ; while the system of kinship through males, general among 

 advanced peojjles, results in descent of property and power to sons or 

 daughters. We have first to note that succession through females 

 results in less stable political headships than does succession through 

 males. 



From the fact named, when treating of the domestic relations, that 

 the system of kinship through females arises where unions of the sexes 

 are temporary or unsettled, it is to be inferred that this system charac- 

 terizes societies which are unadvanced in all ways, political included. 

 "We saw that irregular connections involve paucity and feebleness of 

 known relationships, and a tyjje of family the successive links of which 

 are not strengthened by so many collateral links. A common conse- 

 quence is, that along with descent through females there goes either 

 no chieftainship, or chieftainship is established by merit, or, if heredi- 

 tary it is usually unstable. The Australians and Tasmanians may be 

 named as typical instances. Among the Haidahs and other savage 

 peoples of Columbia." rank is nominally hereditary, for the most part 

 by the female line"; and actual chieftainship "depends to a great 

 extent on wealth and ability in war." Of other North American tribes, 

 the Chippewas, Comanches, and Snakes, show us the system of kin- 

 ship through females joined with either absence of hereditary chief- 

 tainship or very feeble development of it. Passing to South America, 

 the Arawaks and the Waraus may be instanced as having female 

 descent and almost nominal though hereditary chiefs ; and much the 

 same may be said of the Caribs. 



A group of facts having much significance may now be noted. In 

 many societies where descent of property and rank in the female line 

 is the rule, an exception is made in the case of the political head ; and 

 the societies exemplifying this exception are societies in which politi- 

 cal headship has become relatively stable. Though in Feejee there is 

 kinship through females, yet, according to Seemann, the ruler, chosen 

 from the members of the royal family, is " generally the son " of the 

 late ruler. In Tahiti, where the two highest ranks follow the primi- 

 tive system of descent, male succession to rulership is so pronounced 

 that, on the birth of an eldest son, the father becomes simply a regent 

 on his behalf. And among the Malagasy, along with a prevailing kin- 

 ship through females, the sovereign either nominates his successor, or, 



