486 



Mr Punnett, On the Proportion 



We should therefore expect the phenomena of sterility and 

 diminished proportion of ^s to appear earlier in the Tartharol 

 tribe. Reference to Table II. shows that such is actually the 

 case, a result which lends support to the view that these phe- 

 nomena are due to intercourse with the outer world. 



And this view receives additional support from the following 

 considerations. The Tartharol tribe is split up into a number of 

 clans, certain of which have been more influenced by external 

 influences than others. From these clans Dr Rivers selected 

 seven, of which four were comparatively uninfluenced, one partly, 

 and the remaining two very considerably influenced. In each of 

 these clans I estimated the number of children in families where 

 the eldest was not more than 60 and the youngest not less than 

 10 years of age. 



Name of clan 



JSTodrs 

 Pun 

 Tar ad r 

 Kunodrs 



(uninfluenced) 



Kars (partly influenced) 



Pam ^ (much 



NidrsiJ influenced) 



Though the figures are somewhat irregular, yet on the whole 

 they bear out the view taken above, i.e., that sterility is largely 

 due to the immorality that follows increased intercourse with the 

 outer world. 



In conclusion the following speculation suggests itself. It 

 seems probable that, unless the fertility of the people increases, 

 the Todas are doomed to extinction in the not very remote future. 

 May we not have in this decreased birth-rate, following upon the 

 establishment of foreign intercourse, a partial explanation of the 

 rarity of polyandry ? May we not regard polyandry as a lower form 

 of human sexual association dependent for its existence upon isola- 

 tion, and one that through its inherent defects must of necessity 

 perish when brought into contact with the higher form of mono- 

 gamy ? But this is a point which must be decided by the deeper 

 knowledge of the professed anthropologist. 



