French

from couver “to hatch” (whence our “eovey”)—the custom, according to which a father takes to his bed on the birth of a child, taking part in the mother’s cares. It is practised in Asia, Africa, and America, as well as in Europe, and is evidently very ancient. It was known to the Greeks as an Asiatik custom, and is found among Corsicans, Basques, Mongols, Chinese, Kamschatkans, Green landers, Japanese, in Yunnan, and throughout California in America, It is noticed by Diodorus, Strabo, and Marco Polo (see Dr Tylor's History of Mankind, pp. 286-296). The author of Hudibras had heard of it, and wrote, “For though the Chinese go to bed They lie-in in the ladies’ stead.” It appears to have been ancient among Turanians, for it prevailed among the Dravidian peoples of Serin gap a tim and Malabar. The father went to bed for a lunar month, on the birth of his first son borne by the chief wife, and lived on a strictly spare diet of rice. The rite may have come to Kolarians and Drividians from the West, for it was practiced by the Tibareni of Pontus in Asia Minor (Tylor, p. 302). The present idea of those practicing Couvade is that it shows the child to belong exclusively to the father, whose conduct will influence the infant’s health during early months of life. It has been conjectured to be connected with suckling by the male (see instances in Darwin's Descent of Mam, ch, vi, p. 31, and Mr C.