From J. F. McLennan   24 July 1877

My dear M^r. Darwin,

In “The Descent of Man” you represent Sir George Grey as stating the proportion of women to men in Australia to be 1 : 3; & “others” as stating it to be 2 : 3; Also you refer to Azara (on Lubbock’s authority) as mentioning some tribe in South America as near extinction owing to the practice of female infanticide.¹

These statements much interest me at present as I am making an induction of the facts as to systems of infanticide. Can you help me to your references? Where does Grey make his statement & who are the “others”; & who is Azara that I may consult him.²

I have not your book here, only a brief note I had made with a view to consult you. The only books of Grey’s I had in Algiers were his N. Western Travels (1^st. Edition) & Polynesian Mythology & a small Australian Vocabulary.³ I searched in vain for any thing on female infanticide in him; but came on some figures pretending to show that in Australia fewer women were born than men by nearly as 2 : 3.

We were sorry not to be able to go to you on Saturday & also sorry to be so far from you & Hayes. We tried, without success, to get a cottage near Hayes or Down.⁴

The infanticide facts are very striking. If you have any to give me I will duly acknowledge the donor.

The Origin of Exogamy—ie of Laws of Incest—will I am sure much interest you.⁵ It leads, by sure signs, back to the brute state & so hooks man on to his “fellow creatures” by stronger links of evidence than have hitherto been forthcoming—apart from your general proposition of development I mean.

Give our best regards to M^rs. Darwin & the family. We are hoping to see M^r. & M^rs. Litchfield⁶ here someday soon. Just at present I regret to say M^rs. M^cLennan is an invalid;⁷ I am by comparison the strong one though nowise good for much.

Y^rs. very sincerely | J. F M^cLennan.

Dont answer this till it is absolutely convenient for you,—if it sh^d. ever so be.