372 FRANK R. LILLIE 



ered to be peculiar to cattle;^ it has been stated to occur in 

 sheep rarely, but I cannot discover on what evidence. There 

 has also been a superstitition,- which reappears in the press 



' According to E. J. Davies ('13) 'hermaphrodites' are common in certain 

 breeds of goats, for instance Toggenburgs and Anglo-Swiss. He even estimates 

 that in 1913 "Among the total birth of kids eligible for entry in the Herd 

 Book it is believed that at least 2 per cent belonged to the class under discus- 

 sion^ — and the proportion is probablj' much greater." This statement is under- 

 stood from the context to apply to the Toggenburg breed. He goes on to say 

 that "malformed kids have recently come (a) singly, (b) as twin with a normal 

 male, (c) as twin with a normal female, (d) as one of triplets the normal kids 

 being male and female, (e) as one of triplets the normal kids being both males." 

 Assuming the malformation to mean genital abnormalities we are justified in 

 explaining cases b, d and e on the same principle as the free-martin of rattle. 

 As regards case a we can only say that this phenomenon is not uncommon in 

 other mammals, whatever may be the explanation; it could be explained as due 

 to two-sexed twin association in utero with early death and absorption of the 

 male twin. Case C, an 'hermaphrodite' twinned with a normal female, is of un- 

 usual interest, for we have no evidence that this condition ever occurs in cattle; 

 but it is to be expected theoretically in any case of blood community of male 

 and female embryos in which the female is decidcly in advance of the male in 

 development. The male would then be subject to action of the female sex 

 hormones, and its development would tend to be intersexual. The case cited 

 in illustration of this association seems to be well authenticated. Unfor- 

 tunately the anatomy of the malformed individual was not studied, as a kid 

 it appeared as a female externally except for the much enlarged phallus; but 

 it grew to male size and even developed very strongly the characteristic smell 

 of the male goat. 



" I do not know how wide spread this superstition may be; but that it still 

 exists is undoubted. It has been reported to me as a common belief in certain 

 farming communities, and it has been gravely discussed in the correspondence 

 of the Chicago Tribune as recently as March, 1916. Formerly the idea was 

 more wide spread, and was even countenanced by medical men as reported by 

 Dr. James Y. Simpson of Edinburg who quotes from Burn's "Principles of Mid- 

 wifery" 1843, p. 236, "It is a popular opinion, and I do not know any instance to 

 discountenance it, that if twins be of opposite sexes the female is sterile." Simp- 

 son ('44) made an investigation of the subject which may be regarded as disposing 

 forever of the superstitition. He investigated the family history of 123 married 

 women born twin to males of whom 112 had families and 11 had none; he foimd 

 also that this proportion of childless inarriages was not greater than in the gen- 

 eral population. Ninetj^-four of these cases in which he had complete histories 

 had 409 children, an average of 4.2, w^hich was about the same as for the general 

 population of that time and place. He concluded that females born co-twin 

 with males are, when married, as likely to have as many childreh as other females 

 belonging to the general community. There is no basis for belief in the ster- 

 ility of such females; the superstition works cruel hardship to innocent people, 

 ;iii(l it cannot be too Htinngly stated thai there i.'^ no l)asis whatever for it. 



