232 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



hardly surprising that, notwithstanding the severe 

 punishment awaiting adultery, what is technically 

 called virtue in a woman was rather scarce. The men 

 boasted their love-exploits and often carried about the 

 village small bundles of sticks each representing a 

 conquest, or one big stick with stripes indicating the 

 number. The Hidatsas had a similar custom. 1 In 

 Montana a Crow husband, with the aid of a party of 

 his male friends, inflicts condign punishment on a faith- 

 less wife by compelling her to submit to their embraces, 

 and erects a monument of stones on the spot as a 

 witness of her shame. He then dismisses her. But 

 this does not seem to prevent her remarriage, and 

 with that event she is restored to social consideration. 

 Nor does it affect the prevalence of sexual immorality 

 among both old and young of the tribe. 2 



Among the northern Maidu of the foot-hills adultery 

 was said to be very common, and the general moral 

 status in sexual matters was low. When a girl among 

 the north-eastern Maidu came to puberty dances were 

 held during four consecutive nights and great licence 

 was permitted. Dancing couples would drop out of 

 the ring or line and wander away into the brush, to 

 resume their places later in the dance. Young and 

 old, married as well as single, all took part ; and while 

 a woman might refuse to yield herself it was considered 

 evidence of bad temper and was widely commented 

 on. 3 Hunter, who lived in captivity with the Kickapoos 

 Kansas and Osages during his childhood and early 

 manhood in the opening years of the last century, tells 



1 Will and Spin den, loc. cit. 



2 S. C. Simms, Amer. Anthr. N.S. v. 374. 



3 Dixon, Bull. Am. Mus. N. H. xvii. 240, 236. 



