216 THE REGULATION OF NUMBERS 



a normal feature of existence is a kind of libel and if they report 

 them at all, they persuade themselves into thinking that they are 

 infrequent and abnormal. We have only to remember the 

 objection taken to the interpretation of the finds in neolithic 

 graves in England as evidences of infanticide an objection based 

 on the dislike of believing that our ancestors could have been 

 guilty of such a habit. Or, again, we may remember that Tacitus, 

 when desirous of holding up the Germanic tribes as an example 

 to the Romans of his day, declared that they never committed 

 infanticide the implication being again that infanticide is to be 

 regarded as a degenerate and unworthy custom. 1 



Nevertheless, in spite of all such tendencies working for the 

 rapid disappearance of these customs, and in spite of the bias 

 against believing in their existence, there is, as the Appendix 

 shows, ample evidence that one or more of these practices are 

 recorded for almost every people. 



8. We may now consider the evidence regarding the origin and 

 nature of these practices. We shall find that abortion and infanti- 

 cide arise owing to the difficulty of providing for more than one 

 childj,t j, time. We shall also find that these customs are practised 

 as normal features of social life and in such a manner as to keep 

 the number of children at a fairly constant average figure. There 

 is frequently a belief that a particular number of children is the 

 right number of children. Further, it will be seen that the number 

 of children to be preserved is a matter for consideration in which 

 the wishes of not only the parents but also of the relations and of 

 the community in general have to be taken into account, and 

 that the practices are enforced by social pressure. 



A large amount of evidence has been given to the effect that 

 the number of children is always small the number, that is to 

 say, after these practices have taken effect. This is in itself 

 evidence, it may be noticed, that these practices do result in 

 reducing the number of children to a small constant average. 

 Some additional evidence may now be noted. 



According to Curr infanticide in Australia ' resulted principally 

 from the difficulty, if not the impossibility, of transporting several 

 children of tender age from place to place on their frequent 

 marches ', 2 and later he observes that * infanticide was common 



1 As will be pointed out later, this statement of Tacitus is undoubtedly incorrect. 



2 Curr, Recollections, p. 252, 



