20 EVOLUTION BY ATROPHY 



the existence and after the disappearance of family 

 communities. 1 



In studying the development of these new com- 

 munities, one can, in a measure, picture to oneself 

 the development of laws of property, which were 

 current in other countries at other times, and of 

 which we possess little or no direct information. 

 It is, however, hardly necessary to insist upon the 

 hypothetical quality of such conclusions. 



Our methods show, then, that organisms and 

 societies exhibit considerable differences as well 

 as analogies, a necessary result of their different 

 natures. These few remarks must suffice ; to add 

 to them, we should have to overstep the limits we 

 have set to this treatise, enter into well-worn con- 

 troversies, and anticipate our own conclusions. 

 Having merely explained our terminology, and 

 indicated our general views, we will proceed to 

 the subject of our investigations. 



1 Tableau des origines et de Involution de la proprittt ct de la 

 famille, p. 170 (Kowalevsky). 



