818 The American Naturalist. [September, 
more humbly the priority of his mother, before whom he did 
not venture to seat himself until she had given him permission. 
Such was the rule from the palace to the humblest dwelling of 
a Nair.” During the past fifty years, these people have made 
rapid strides toward civilization, monandry and monogamy 
taking the place of polyandry and polygamy, and fifty or an 
hundred years hence, this matriarchate will, in all probability, 
entirely disappear. 
I have demonstrated, I think, clearly and distinctly, that 
matriarchy or female government, is neither new nor advanced 
thought,-but that it is as old, almost, as the human race; that 
the “ New Woman ” was born many thousands of years ago, and 
that her autotype, in some respects, is to be found to-day in 
Mangalore. A return to matriarchy at the present time would 
be distinctly, and emphatically, and essentially retrograde in 
every particular. The right to vote carries with it the right to 
hold office, and, if women are granted the privilege of suffrage, 
they must be given the right to govern. Now let us see if we 
can not find a reason for this atavistic desire (matriarchy) in 
the physical and psychical histories of its foremost advocates. 
I will discuss this question in Part II of this paper. 
Il. THE VIRAGINT. 
There are two kinds of genius; the first is progressive genius, 
which always enunciates new and original matter of material 
benefit to the human race and which is consequently healthy ; 
the second is retrogressive genius, which is imitative and which 
always enunciates dead and obsolete matter long since abandon- 
ed and thrown aside as being utterly useless. The doctrines of 
communism and of nihilism are the products of retrogressive 
genius and are clearly atavistic, inasmuch as they area reversion 
to the mental habitudes of our savage ancestors. The doctrines 
of the matriarchate are likewise degenerate beliefs, and if held 
by any civilized being of to-day, are in evidence of psychic 
atavism. Atavism invariably attacks the weak; and individ- 
uals of a neurasthenic type are more frequentl y its victims than 
