SEXUAL SELECTION IN RELATION TO MAN 763 



tice of procuring wives from a distinct tribe was effected 

 through barter, as now occurs in many places, the more 

 attractive women would generally have been purchased. 

 The incessant crossing, however, between tribe and tribe, 

 •which necessarily follows from any form of this habit, 

 would tend to keep all the people inhabiting the same 

 country nearly uniform in character; and this would in- 

 terfere with the power of sexual selection in differentiating 

 the tribes. 



The scarcity of women, consequent on female infanticide, 

 leads, also, to another practice, that of polyandry, still com- 

 mon in several parts of the world, and which formerly, as 

 Mr. M'Lennan believes, prevailed almost universally; but 

 this latter conclusion is doubted by Mr, Morgan and Sir 

 J. Lubbock." Whenever two or more men are compelled 

 to marry one woman, it is certain that all the women of 

 the tribe will get married, and there will be no selection 

 by the men of the more attractive women. But under 

 these circumstances the women, no doubt, will have the 

 power of choice, and will prefer the more attractive men. 

 Azara, for instance, describes how carefully a Guana woman 

 bargains for all sorts of privileges before accepting some one 

 or more husbands; and the men in consequence take un- 

 usual care of their personal appearance. So among the 

 Todas of India, who practice polyandry, the girls can ac- 

 cept or refuse any man." A very ugly man in these cases 

 would perhaps altogether fail in getting a wife, or get one 

 later in life; but the handsomer men, although more suc- 

 cessful in obtaining wives, would not, as far as we can see, 

 leave more offspring to inherit their beauty than the less-* 

 handsome husbands of the same women. tt 



Early Betrothals and Slavery of Women. — With many 

 savages it is the custom to betroth the females while mere 



" "Primitive Marriage," p. 208; Sir J. Lubbock, "Origin of Civilization," 

 p. 100. See, also, Mr. Morgan, loo. cit., on the former prevalence of polyandry. 



" Azara, "Voyages," etc, torn. ii. pp. 92-95; Colonel Marshall, "Among 

 the Todas," p. 212. 



