SEX. 325 



The record of nine cows, reported by Dr. Sturte- 

 vant, " shows one set of three producing one bull and 

 ten heifer calves ; another set produced nine bull and 

 two heifer calves; while the remaining three pro- 

 duced seven bull and six heifer calves." : 



Again, the predominance of one sex may be seen 

 in the produce of an entire herd for a single year, 

 which may, however, be the result of peculiarities of 

 the season or other unobserved conditions. 



The Kev. W. D. Fox informed Mr. Darwin that, 

 " in 1867, out of thirty-four calves born on a farm in 

 Derbyshire, only one was a bull." a 



" At the sale of Mr. Atkins's Short-Horn herd at 

 Milcote, in 1868, it was stated, to account for the large 

 number of bull-calves, that twenty-three of the twenty- 

 five cows, the last season, had produced bulls." 3 



" Burdach states that those women who are most 

 fruitful bear many more boys than girls, as in the 

 following examples : " 



Boys. Girls. 



First woman Lore . /. . . .26 6 



Second " " in first marriage . 27 3 



" " " " second " . 14 



Third " " ./'. v.^ . 38 15 4 



These cases should, however, be classed under the 

 head of idiosyncrasy of the parents, as there is not 

 sufficient evidence to warrant the belief that the pre- 

 dominance of males is the result of extraordinary 

 fecundity. 



1 Scientific Farmer, 1876, p. 193. 



8 "Descent of Man," vol. i., p. 295. 



8 Country Gentleman, September, 1868, p. 190. 



4 " Cyclopaedia of Anatomy and Physiology," vol. ii., p. 479. 



