It is interesting to note that Darwin (D.M., Ch.  XX.) concluded from the facts known to him that “almost promiscuous intercourse or very loose intercourse was once extremely common throughout the world:”  and the only thing that seemed to deter him from believing in absolutely promiscuous intercourse was the “strength of the feeling of jealousy.”  Had he lived to understand the true nature of savage jealousy explained in this volume and to read the revelations of Spencer and Gillen, that difficulty would have vanished.  On this point, too, their remarks are of great importance, fully bearing out the view set forth in my chapter on jealousy.  They declare (99) that they did not find sexual jealousy specially developed: 

“For a man to have unlawful intercourse with any woman arouses a feeling which is due not so much to jealousy as to the fact that the delinquent has infringed a tribal custom.  If the intercourse has been with a woman who belongs to the class from which his wife comes, then he is called atna nylkna (which, literally translated, is vulva thief); if with one with whom it is unlawful for him to have intercourse, then he is called iturka, the most opprobrious term in the Arunta language.  In the one case he has merely stolen property, in the other he has offended against tribal law.”

Jealousy, they sum up, “is indeed a factor which need not be taken into serious account in regard to the question of sexual relations amongst the Central Australian tribes.”

The customs described by these authors show, moreover, that these savages do not allow jealousy to stand in the way of sexual communism, a man who refuses to share his wife being considered churlish, in one class of cases, while in another no choice is allowed him, the matter being arranged by the tribe.  This point has not heretofore been sufficiently emphasized.  It knocks away one of the strongest props of the anti-promiscuity theory, and it is supported by the remarks of Howitt,[168] who, after explaining how, among the Dieri, couples are chosen by headmen without consulting their wishes,—­new allotments being made at each circumcision ceremony—­and how the dance is followed by a general license, goes on to relate that all these matters are carefully arranged so as to prevent jealousy.  Sometimes this passion breaks out nevertheless, leading to bloody quarrels; but the main point is that systematic efforts are made to suppress jealousy:  “No jealous feeling is allowed to be shown during this time under penalty of strangling.”  Whence we may fairly infer that under more primitive conditions the individual was allowed still less right to assert jealous claims of individual possession.

Australian jealousy presents some other interesting aspects, but we shall be better able to appreciate them if we first consider why a native ever puts himself into a position where jealous watchfulness of private property is called for.