RESTRICTIONS IN MARRIAGE. 51
by the penalty of death, and which seem to be partly endogamous in origin and partly otherwise. The example is typical of those of many other tribes that differ in detail.
A and Bare two tribal classes ; i and 2 are two other and independent divisions of the tribe (probably by totems). Any person, taken at random, is equally likely to have either letter or either numeral by birthright, and his or her numeral and letter are well known to all the community. Hence the members of the tribe are sub-classed into four sub-divisions, Ai, A2, Bi, B2. The rule is that a man may marry those women only, whose letter and numeral are both different to his own. Thus Ai can marry only B2, the other three subdivisions Ai, A2, and Bi being absolutely barred to him. As to the children, there is a difference of practice in different parts : in the cases most often described, the child takes its father's letter and its mother's numeral, which determines class by paternal descent. In other cases the arrangement runs in the contrary way, that is by maternal descent.
The cogency of this rule is due to custom, religion and law, and is so strong that nearly all Australians would be horrified at the idea of breaking it. If anyone dared to do so, he would probably be clubbed to death.
Here then is another restriction to the freedom of marriage which might with equal propriety have been applied to the furtherance of some form of Eugenics.