168 PRIMITIVE AGRICULTURAL RACES 



the Atsaliuaca Indians) there were four children.' ^ Of the 

 Aymara Indians of the same district we are told that ' there 

 seem to be but few large families — very seldom more than four 

 children, and often less than that number '.^ Spix and Martins, 

 travelling in Brazil, ' seldom saw more than four children in 

 a family '.^ Azara was much impressed by the small number of 

 children that he observed in South America. He investigated the 

 matter among the Guaranis with particular care, and found that 

 the average number in a family was four.^ Taking into account 

 various factors he came to the conclusion that the number of 

 children born was less than among the Spaniards.^ Rengger, 

 who also visited the Guaranis, is of the same general opinion 

 though he estimates the average number in a family to be smaller 

 than does Azara ; ^ to the Guanas he allows only two or at the 

 most three children.'^ According to von Martius the marriages 

 of the Macusis ' are not rich in children '.^ D'Orbigny carefully 

 investigated the average number of children in a family among 

 the Moxos and Chiquitos ; he found it to be roughly about two 

 in the case of the former and three in that of the latter. He 

 attributed the small number to early intercourse and also to 

 abstention from intercourse at certain periods.^ Two is the 

 average number of children in a family of the tribes of the Upper 

 Hualaga, and marriages are often sterile. ^^ 



7. We have now to examine the extent of the practices of 

 abortion and infanticide ; with regard to the former, we may 

 repeat what was said above — namely, that there is every reason 

 to suppose the methods used are usually effective. Among the 

 Sioux, Keating says that ' married females frequently obtain 

 miscarriages with the knowledge and consent of their husband ' ;^^ 

 this fact is confirmed by Schoolcraft. ^^ It was very common in 

 the Crow tribe. ^^ In a report upon the tribes of the South- 

 western United States and Northern Mexico, Hrdhcka states 

 that ' artificial abortion is practised by all the tribes visited 'M 

 The tribes visited include, among others, the Apaches, Navahos, 

 Pueblos, Pimas, Nahua, Otommi, and Aztec. The Pima Indians 



» Nordenskiold, Zeit. fur Eih., vol. xxxviii, p. 98. * Forbes, Journ. Eth. 



Soc, vol. ii, p. 224. ^ gpjx and Martius, Travels, vol. ii, p. 246. * Azara, 



loc. cit., vol. ii, p. 59. ^ Ibid., p. 179. ° Rengger, loc. cit., p. 133. 



' Ibid., p. 335. 8 von Martius, loc. cit., vol. i, p. 642. » D'Orbigny, 



loc. cit., vol. i, pp. 46 and 47. i» Poppig, loc. cit., vol. ii, p. 323. 



» Keating, loc. cit., vol. i, p. 394. '^ Schoolcraft, loc. cit., vol. iii, p. 243. 



" Holder, loc. cit., p. 44. " Hrdlicka, loc. cit., p. 163. 



