sum, pyrites, marcasite. The crystals must have pushed
aside the yielding matrix as they gradually enlarged. In deep-sea
dredgings concretions of phosphate of lime and manganese dioxide are
frequently brought up; this shows that concretionary action operates on
the sea floor in muddy sediments, which have only recently been laid
down. The phosphatic nodules seem to originate around the dead bodies of
fishes, and manganese incrustations frequently enclose teeth of sharks,
ear-bones of whales, &c. This recalls the occurrence of fossils in
septarian nodules, flints, phosphatic concretions, &c., in the older
strata. Probably the decomposing organic matter partly supplied
substances for the growth of the nodules (phosphates, carbonates, &c.),
partly acted as reducing agents, or otherwise determined mineral
precipitation in those places where organic remains were mingled with
the sediment. (J. S. F.)

CONCUBINAGE (Lat. _concubina_, a concubine; from _con-_, with, and
_cubare_, to lie), the state of a man and woman cohabiting as married
persons without the full sanctions of legal marriage. In early
historical times, when marriage laws had scarcely advanced beyond the
purely customary stage, the concubine was definitely recognized as a
sort of inferior wife, differing from those of the first rank mainly by
the absence of permanent guarantees. The history of Abraham's family
shows us clearly that the concubine might be dismissed at any time, and
her children were liable to be cast off equally summarily with gifts, in
order to leave the inheritance free for the wife's sons (Genesis xxi. 9
ff., xxv. 5 ff.).

The Roman law recognized two classes of legal marriage: (1) with the
definite public ceremonies of _confarreatio_ or _coemptio_, and (2)
without any public form whatever and resting merely on the _affectio
maritalis_, i.e. the fixed intention of taking a particular woman as a
permanent spouse.[1] Next to these strictly lawful marriages came
concubinage as a recognized legal status, so long as the two parties
were not married and had no other concubines. It differed from the
formless marriage in the absence (1) of _affectio maritalis_, and
therefore (2) of full conjugal rights. For instance, the concubine was
not raised, like the wife, to her husband's rank, nor were her children
legitimate, though they enjoyed legal rights forbidden to mere bastards,
e.g. the father was bound to maintain them and to leave them (in t