HUMAN FECUNDITY 93 



never confined to any particular season of the year ; conception 

 can, therefore, follow copulation at any period. But we do find 

 evidence of the former existence in man of a special sexual season, 

 and this is of particular interest because it suggests that at one 

 time there was in man, as there usually is in monkeys, one season 

 only during which conception could follow copulation. 



This evidence has been reviewed by Westermarck, by Ploss and 

 Bartels, and by Havelock Ellis.^ Some examples of this evidence 

 may be cited in order to show upon what facts this suggestion is 

 founded. ' According to Mr. Johnston, the Indians of California 

 " have their rutting season as regularly as have the deer, the elk, 

 the antelope, or any other animals ". And Mr. Powers confirms the 

 correctness of this statement, at least with regard to some of these 

 Indians, saying that spring ' is a literal St. Valentine's day with 

 them, as with the natural birds and beasts of the forest'. As 

 regards the Goddanes in Luzon, Mr. Foreman tells us that ' it is 

 the custom of young men about to marry to vie with each other in 

 presenting to the sires of their future brides all the scalps that they 

 are able to take from their enemies, as proof of their manliness and 

 courage. This practice prevails at a season of the year when the tree 

 — popularly called by the Spaniards " the fire tree " — is in bloom.' 

 Speaking of the Watch-an-dies in the western part of Australia, 

 Mr. Oldfield remarks, ' Like the beasts of the field, the savage has 

 but one time for copulation in the year. About the middle of the 

 spring the Watch-an-dies begin to think of holding their grand 

 semi-religious festival of Caa-ro, preparatory to the jjerformance 

 of the important duty of procreation. A similar feast was, 

 according to Mr. Bonwick, celebrated by the Tasmanians at the 

 same time of the year.' ^ Similar evidence is forthcoming as regards 

 many other primitive races. It is interesting to note that among 

 civihzed races there are traces of customs which point to the 

 former existence of a season of sexual licence. Such were the 

 mediaeval Feast of Fools, and the classical festivals of Brumalia 

 and Eosalia.^ ' Feasts, similar to the erotic feasts which were 

 indulged in by the ancients . . . were still practised to some extent 

 in Eussia and in some parts of India at a much later date, while 

 such customs as " gwneyd Bragod " and possibly our own " bean 



* Westermarck, History of Human Marriage, p. 25 ; Ploss and Bartels, loc. cit.. 

 vol. i, ch. xxi ; Havelock Ellis, Studies in tJie Psychology of Sex, vol. i, p. 85. 

 * Westermarck, loc. cit., p. 28. • See Frazer, Golden Bough, vol. ill, pp, 



230 ff., where this subject is discussed at length. 



