The two systems which Mr M'Lennan distinguishes as "rude" and "regulated polyandry," are so essentially different that I fail to trace the possibility of progression from one to the other. "Rude polyandry" is barely distinguishable from promiscuity, and not at all if we regard it as only promiscuity, necessarily limited through infanticide, or other causes destroying the balance of the sexes. The latter has peculiar features--arising in some way out of, and fixed in the idea of the relationship of brothers--an idea which it is just conceivable might arise directly out of a state of promiscuity--where theoretically the children might be supposed to be in contact with the mother only, but which the system of "rude polyandry," by introducing conflicting and complicated claims, would immediately tend to weaken and obliterate. Let us see, then, if we can trace the custom better on the lines of degeneracy. If we start with the belief in the existence of many primitive ceremonies and regulations we may then suppose that in the downward progression to promiscuity, the stages of the descent will be traceable in the corruptions of these customs. Such surmises at least are as good as the contrary surmises of Mr M'Lennan. Now, we have already seen[44] that Mr M'Lennan alludes to the law of Deuteronomy, which imposed the obligation of the younger brother marrying the widow of the elder--and it will, moreover, be seen (Mr M'Lennan, p. 219) that this was also prescribed in the law of Menu. [44] "Dr Latham would invert the order of development by producing the ruder fact--polyandry--from the less rude obligation. But clearly this is an inversion of the order of nature, _which is progressive_," &c.--_M'Lennan_, "_Prim. Marriage_," p. 206. Whatever may be the true solution of this coincidence the least likely account would seem to be that they had both, under different conditions (different at any rate from the point of divergence, be it exogamy or polyandry), advanced to it independently and by similar stages. Such fortuitous coincidences would imply not merely a succession of similar developments, but also a corresponding succession of accidental circumstances.