Births and deaths may in the course of a very few years entirely alter the relative working power of the various families.
The sons of the widow may grow up to manhood, whilst two or three able-bodied members of the other family may be cut off by an epidemic.
Thus, long before a new revision takes place, the distribution of the land may be no longer in accordance with the wants and capacities of the various families composing the Commune.

To correct this, various expedients are employed.

Some Communes transfer particular lots from one family to another, as circumstances demand; whilst others make from time to time, during the intervals between the revisions, a complete redistribution and reallotment of the land.

Of these two systems the former is now more frequently employed.
The system of allotment adopted depends entirely on the will of the particular Commune.

In this respect the Communes enjoy the most complete autonomy, and no peasant ever dreams of appealing against a Communal decree.* The higher authorities not only abstain from all interference in the allotment of the Communal lands, but remain in profound ignorance as to which system the Communes habitually adopt.