Note 437 — Chapter III · THEORY OF THE ORIGINAL PAIRING OR MONOGAMOUS FAMILY

Polygyny is found, for example, among the Innuit, but monogamy is the rule, though marriages are often of very short duration. Occasionally there are two, three, four, or in very rare cases even five wives: Turner, "Ethnology of the Ungava District," XI. Rep. of Bureau of Eth., 182, 188, 189. Among the Point Barrow Eskimo Murdoch found usually one wife, and never heard of more than two: "Point Barrow Expedition," ibid., 411. "Rich men" among the Thlinkets often have two wives: Niblack, "Coast Indians," Rep. Smith. Inst., 1888, 367, 368; Krause, Die Tlinkit Indianer, 220. The Pima Indian has more than one wife when he can support them, for "the wife is the slave of the husband": Grossmann, "The Pima Indians of Arizona," Rep. Smith. Inst., 1871, 415, 416. A Ponca chief married four wives at one time, took them at once to his wigwam, and all got on well: Rep. Smith. Inst., 1885, 64. The Wyandottes allow polygyny if the wives are taken from different gentes, but polyandry is prohibited: Powell, "Wyandotte Society," A. A. A. S., XXIX, 681. Sometimes "duogamy" is found among the Seminoles: MacCauley, in V. Rep. of Bureau of Eth., 495. Among the Sioux "a plurality of wives is required of a good hunter, since in the labors of the chase women are of great service": Dorsey, "Siouan Sociology," XV. Rep. of Bureau of Eth., 225; but the "maximum number of wives that one man (an Omaha Sioux) can have is three, e. g., the first wife, her aunt, and her sister or niece, if all be consanguinities. Sometimes the three are not kindred": idem, "Omaha Sociology," III. Rep. of Bureau of Eth., 261; and compare Kohler, Zur Urgeschichte der Ehe, 65 ff., 82, who finds here an evidence of group-marriage. One wife is the rule among the South American Abipones: Dobrizhoffer, Account, II, 209, 210; and Appiacás: Guimarães, "Memoria," Revist. Trimens. Hist., VI, 307; and in general it is the prevalent form in South America: Martius, Ethnographie, II, 104; idem, Rechtszustande, 53. Two wives is the average number among the Seri: McGee, in XVII. Rep. of Bureau of Eth., Part I, 279.