78 The Growth of the Mari'iage Relation. 



as may be the case in a sparsely populated region. If, 

 under these circumstances, a man married into a family 

 which had several daughters, and he was a good hunter or 

 hsherman, he would be allowed to enter into the marriage 

 relation with all the sisters, giving the phase of polygyny 

 (a) which was at one time usual among the Indians of 

 North America. The offspring of such an association 

 would belong to their mother's family-group, and Avhether 

 they had one or several fathers would be a matter of indif- 

 ference in a rude society. The question of food supply 

 would be an important factor, and if the husband of the 

 eldest daughter was not a good provider he would not be 

 allowed to marry the second daughter, and possibly might 

 not be suffered even to retain the hrst. The two predomi- 

 nant ideas in this simplest phase of polygyny are the 

 retention of the daughters, and therefore their children, at 

 home, and the provision of food for the supply of the gen- 

 eral family group. 



The second phase of polygyny (b), that of the harem or 

 common polygynovis family, is dependent on different ideas 

 from the earlier j)hase. Here the wives are usually strangers 

 in blood, although not necessarily so, and instead of stay- 

 ing at home, they go to reside in the family group of their 

 husband. The external conditions with which this polygyny 

 is associated are those of plenty, which enables a man 

 to purchase his wives, and thus to acquire the right to 

 their children. It is consistent with this view that mar- 

 riage of the type under consideration has become preva- 

 lent especially where descent in the male line is preferred 

 to the earlier system of female kinship, although it is prac- 

 tised also Avhere this system is established. The possession 

 of several wives may not only insure a large family, but it 

 increases a man's social position, as he is enabled to pro- 

 vide more abundantly for his guests. This is the cause 

 assigned for polygyny among the Islanders of the I'aciHc, 

 as it is with many Asiatic peoples. Catlin states, in rela- 

 tion to some of the North American Indians, that they 

 desire a plurality of wives owing to the advantage to be 

 gained by having " a stock of laborers," by whom a man's 

 wealth may be increased. On the other hand, among the 

 higher races the possession of niany wives is regarded as 

 evidence of wealth, and, as 'SXv. 8])eneer remarks, monog- 

 amy is considered mean. The desire for increased iniiu- 



