H54 



The result of tliis investigation into tlie relation between menarclie 

 and degree of pigmentation was surprising, as it was in contra- 

 diction with what one might expect. It is a well known pheno- 

 menon that the meuarche appears at an earlier age in the dark- 

 coloured races than in the fair ones. Most writers ascribe this to 

 climatic uitluences, especially to the high temperatures in which 

 the dark-skinned races live. 



TABLE III. 



I mj'self, however, conjectured that the racial factor would be of 

 importance here and that an earlier appearance of the menarclie 

 would be a biological characteristic of the more pigmented races. 



It appears, however, from the data given in Table 111 that for 

 the Dutch population the contrary holds good; it is just the fair 

 types which, in comparison to the dark ones, are characterized by 

 an earlier maturity. 



The difference is even considerable, for while 56.4 •/, of the girls 

 of the fair type have come to maturity before their 14"' year, this 

 is only the case in 42.8 •/, of the dark type. As one can, however, 



