Page:Philosophical Review Volume 1.djvu/356

340 his volume, "The history of human marriage is the history of a relation in which women have been gradually triumphing over the passions, the prejudices, and the selfish interests of men" (p. 550). The whole book is able, judicial, and candid, probably the best presentation of the subject with which it deals to be found in any language. The years of work that have gone into its preparation show their fruits on every page. Notwithstanding its excellence, however, one lays it down with a little question whether the reconstruction of the development of the prehistoric family even in its broad lines is possible in the present state of our knowledge or will become possible in the near future. Dr. Westermarck admits that "the sociologist is in many cases unable to distinguish falsehood from truth," but claims that "what is wanting in quality must be made up for in quantity" (p. 4). Not infrequently he draws examples or parallels from civilized peoples and in such cases verification or correction becomes possible. If his authorities have led him into error there, a fortiori will they have done so where the observers are so few and the obstacles to accuracy so many as they are when a civilized man observes the family life of savages. The author states on the authority of Wappæus (p. 31) that in Massachusetts the births show "an increase twice a year, the maxima falling in March and September." On the basis of the official figures for the last score of years, 1870-1889, the statement is entirely incorrect. In the number of births September ranks fourth and March seventh of the twelve months. He also asserts (p. 35) that "the unequal distribution of marriages over the different months exercises hardly any influence upon the distribution of births," and this is an important point for his hypothesis that "the increase of the sexual instinct at the end of spring or in the beginning of summer is a survival of an ancient pairing season (p. 34). Here, again, we cannot but think that his authorities have misled him. At least in Massachusetts with the exception of the Lenten months of March and April, when there are few marriages but many conceptions, there is apparently a close connection between the number of marriages and the number of conceptions. Neglecting these two months there are nine possible cases of agreement or disagreement, and in eight of these the coincidence is obvious, while in the ninth the divergence is but trifling.

He states (p. 169) that "in Munich the illegitimate births are even more numerous than the legitimate." A single year, thirty years ago, which is all that is given in the authority cited, is not sufficient to warrant so sweeping an assertion. The last figures accessible, those for 1889, make the percentage of illegitimates less than thirty.

"In Japan a man might repudiate his wife. ... But Professor Rein remarks that the Japanese seldom made use of this privilege." The