344 POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



ppect of the political headship, predominate over the principle 

 of efficiency. Contemplation of the facts will make this clear. 



476. Two primary forms of hereditary succession have to 

 be considered. The system of kinship through females, com 

 mon among rude peoples, results in descent of property and 

 power to brothers or to the children of sisters; while the 

 system of kinship through males, general among advanced 

 peoples, results in descent of property and power to sons 01 

 daughters. We have first to note that succession through 

 females is less conducive to stable political headships than is 

 succession through males. 



From the fact named when treating of the domestic rela 

 tions, that the system of kinship through females arises where 

 unions of the sexes are temporary or unsettled, it is to be 

 inferred that this system characterizes societies which are 

 unadvanced in all ways, political included. We saw in 294, 

 that irregular connexions involve paucity and feebleness of 

 known relationships, and a type of family the successive 

 links of which are not strengthened by so many collateral 

 Jinks. A common consequence is that along with descent 

 through females there either goes no chieftainship, or such 

 chieftainship as exists is established by merit, or, if here 

 ditary, is usually unstable. The Australians and Tasmanians 

 supply typical instances. Among the Haidahs and other 

 savage peoples of Columbia, &quot; rank is nominally hereditary, 

 for the most part by the female line ;&quot; and actual chieftain 

 ship &quot; depends to a great extent on wealth and ability in 

 war.&quot; Of other North American tribes the Chippewas, 

 Comanches, and Snakes, show us the system of kinship 

 through females joined with either absence of established 

 headship or very feeble development of it. Passing to South 

 America, the Arawaks and the Waraus may be instanced as 

 having female descent and almost nominal, though hereditary, 

 chiefs ; and the same may be said of the Caribs. 



A group of facts having much significance may now bo 



