Possibly the institution grew up among people who did not look so far forward, who ‘took short views.’ It is certain that, if the object of the classes was to stop marriages between young and old, it is a failure. ‘The old men marry young wives at present,’ says Mr. Mathews. If so, Herr Cunow may be right. Dr. Durkheim offers a theory. But his theory takes for granted, as we saw, that the two ‘phratries,’ originally, were only two totem groups, containing within them no members of other totem kins. ‘They were not yet subdivided’ into other totem kins. But I have tried to show that there was no such ‘subdivision’ into ‘secondary clans’ or totem kins. Dr. Durkheim regards these totem kins as colonies split off from the two original totem groups which became phratries.[13] My reasons against accepting this position have already been given. This being the case, it is unnecessary to unfold Dr. Durkheim’s theory of the origin of the classes. Probably that of Herr Cunow comes nearest to the truth. Mr. Mathews offers another solution of the problem. ‘Phratry’ Dilbi, for example, has ‘classes’ Murri and Kubbi, while the linked phratry, Kupathin, has classes Ippai and Kumbo. ‘It is possible that the group Dilbi was divided into (female) Matha and Kubbitha to distinguish the mothers from the daughters, and that the terms Murri and Kubbi were adopted to provide names for the uncles and nephews of their respective generations.’ Thus we return to distinction of generations. In any case the ‘classes’ ‘have the effect of preventing consanguineous marriages, by furnishing an easy test of relationship when the tribe has become so numerous or widespread that kinship could not otherwise be well determined.[14] Later (p. 168) Mr. Matthews writes, ‘The mother of a man’s wife, and also his daughters, belong to the same section’ (‘class’), ‘and therefore his marriage with that section is prohibited.’ That is, he cannot marry out of his generation above or below, as indicated by ‘class’ names. ‘Neither can he marry into the section to which his mother belongs, although a woman might be found in either case, who was in no way connected with him.’ In short, as far as the names rudely indicate the generation above, and the generation below a man, he cannot marry into these classes. But, as old men do marry young wives, the apparent intention of the rules is to some extent frustrated. We can say no more, till we are told what the class names mean in a literal sense. Does nobody inquire into this essential question?