r. Atkinson's theory is to
establish the action of what he calls "the primal law." Only by
limiting and defining the marital rights of the males over the females
could advancement be gained. Until this was done these small hostile
groups could not become larger, and expand into the clan or tribe.

I must follow this question a little although it leads us aside from
the immediate subject of my own inquiry. The first step in progress
has been taken; by the triumph of maternal love, an adult male son is
now included in the group. We must conceive that this victory, having
once been gained by one mother, would be repeated by other mothers.
Afterwards, as time went on, the advantage in strength gained to the
group by this increase in their male members, would tend to encourage
the custom. One may reasonably assume that it became established as a
habit in each group that once had taken the first step. Father and
sons, for so long enemies, now enter on a truce.

It must not, however, be concluded that sexual peace followed this new
order. It is part of Mr. Atkinson's theory that the patriarch's sexual
jealousy would not be broken down by his tolerance of the presence of
his sons. Peace could be maintained only so long as the intruders
respected his marital rights. Under this condition, all the group
women, as they all belonged to the patriarch, would be taboo to the
young men; otherwise there would be a fight, and the offending son
would be driven into exile. Doubtless this frequently happened, but
the advantages gained by union would tend to prevent the danger. Some
means of preserving sexual peace within the group certainly would come
to be established. "For the first time," as Mr. Atkinson points out,
"we encounter the factor which is to be the leading power in future
metamorphosis, i. e. _an explicit distinction between female and
female as such_."

Through this bar placed on the female members within the family
circle, the sons, who remained in peace, would be forced to continue
the practice of capturing their wives, and would bring in women to
live with them from other groups. It is assumed that these captures
were in all cases hostile. I have given my reasons for disagreeing
with this view. I hold that the young women may have been glad to have
been taken by the young men, and most probably assisted them, in a
surely not unnatural desire to escape from their tyrant fathers. I
really cannot credit such continued sexua