406 



VITAL STATISTICS. 



It is remarkable that either January or February always gives the 

 lowest number of births, while March uniformly comes next. 



The first quarter gives the least number of births, and the third quarter 

 the greatest. If we examine the following table we find that in four 

 years the births of known dates registered, stood thus: 



1st quarter, 

 13,528. 



2d quarter, 

 10,623. 



3d quarter, 

 17,804. 



4th quarter, 

 17,747. 



If the year be separated into summer and winter months, the former 

 embracing the 2d and 3d quarters, and the latter the 1st and 4th, it 

 will be observed that there were 34,517 births in the warmer, and only 

 31,278 in the colder season. 



It was noticed in the returns of 1858 and 1859 that .January, which 

 gave the fcAvest births, gave much the largest male excess ; while Septem- 

 ber, November and December, showing the most births, produced the 

 smallest proportion of males. December, January and February appear 

 to be the months most favorable to conception. 



Plurality Births. — In the returns of twin and triplet births the races 

 are not given separately until the year 1859. In that year 428 cliildren 

 were born twins or triplets ; wdiich was 2.1 per cent, for all the children 

 born. There being 212 cases of such births, the}'' were over 1 per cent, of 

 the total number of births. Among the whites there was 74 cases of 

 plurality births, and 148 children, the cases being 1.3 per cent, of the 

 births, and the children 2.6 per cent, of those born. Among the negroes 

 the cases were 138, and the children 277, the former being 9 per cent, of 

 the births, and the latter 1.9 per cent, of the children. 



The following table gives the number of plurality births in each month 

 for four years : 



Plurality Births for Four Years. 



o 



Whites il4 



XeOToes llO 



141812121 8101416121 Sil0'l48 



16i24 24 321 35i20i25 22118 18 25; 269 



I I I I Mill 



Total in 1859 24 30142 36 44 43 30 39 38 30 26 35'l417 



Total in 1856, '57, '58 29:48 4158 40 63,58:4448,35 50 51 



,565 



Total in four vears . 



53 78 83,94'84 106 88 83,86 65,76 86 '982 



