NOT EUGENESIC. 37 



Lewis, On the Negroes in the West Indies. " Lewis," says 

 Waitz (Anthropologie tier Naturuolhr), "expressly denies the 

 sterility of the Mulattoes of Jamaica in their marriages between 

 themselves, and observes, that they are as prolific as the Blacks 

 and Whites, but that they are for the most part flabby and 

 weak, and their children have little vitality." 



Long said he knew of no instance where the children of 

 Mulattoes arrived at maturity. To refute this assertion, known 

 instances should have been cited. But Lewis neglects doing 

 so. 1 He says, on the contrary, that the children, from similar 

 marriages, possess little vitality. Though this expression does 

 not necessarily imply the impossibility of arriving at adult 

 age, it tends at least to the conclusion that the children have 

 little chance to reach it ; and when we consider that the pre- 

 ceding passage was intended to refute Long's assei'tions, it is 

 surprising how little satisfies Professor Waitz. At any rate, it 

 proves that he could find no other positive document in oppo- 

 sition to the fact mentioned by Long. 



This is, perhaps, no reason for accepting without reserve 

 the opinions of Dr. Nott. Before giving a definite judgment, 

 we must wait for further numerous, authentic, and scientific 

 observations. Nevertheless, it must be remarked, that the 

 indefinite fecundity of Mulattoes had been admitted as an 

 axiom, which it was thought there was no necessity of dis- 

 proving. It was sufficient to say there are many Mulattoes, 

 without investigating whether they maintain themselves, or by 



1 The relationof Lewis is, in certain respects, more suggestive than that of 

 Long. The latter says that the Mulattoes of the first degree are well con- 

 stituted ; while Lewis pretends that they are mostly weak and flabby, whence 

 it results that the physical inferiority becomes manifest at the very first 

 crossing. We believe this to be incorrect. The author endeavours to explain 

 the defect of vitality in the children of Mulattoes, and has recourse to a 

 theory which, if well founded, would, instead of weakening, only strengthen 

 the fact. On the other hand, we believe that the assertion of Long, despite 

 of the corrective which accompanies it, is too general. If it were true that 

 the union of Mulattoes is always unproductive in Jamaica, the fact woidd 

 have been too evident not to have been long known, for absolute sterility is 

 easily ascertained. Eelative sterility, however, may long escape notice, con- 

 sidering that there is always in the pure races a certain number of cases of 

 sporadic sterility. It is probable that further investigations will establish for 

 Jamaica conclusions analogous to those adopted by Mr. Nott for South Caro- 

 lina ; namely, that the Mulattoes of this English island are less prolific between 

 themselves than with the whites or blacks, and that then- direct descendants 

 are generally less vivacious and prolific than the men of the pure races. 



