1908.] by Whites and Coloured Peoples in Cuba. 35 



prominent fact is the consistent variation in the proportion of the sexes 

 produced in consequence of legitimate or illegitimate union. This is evident 

 both for births and still-births in both races, and emphatically shows that 

 illegitimate union results in the production of a marked increased proportion 

 of F. For whites, the total legitimate births show 107'78, while the 

 illegitimate show only 104*4 M. per 100 F. For coloured, legitimate births 

 show 106-76, and illegitimate 9676 M. per 100 F. The records of still- 

 births show a difference of 10 - 06 more M. among legitimate still-births for 

 whites, and 16 - 63 more M. in that class for coloured people ; but the 

 proportion of M. among still-born children is vastly higher than among births, 

 the totals for whites and coloured for the three years being in proportion of 

 144*45 M. per 100 F. ; thus, when births and still-births are added together, 

 the result of legitimate union among whites gives 109, of illegitimate union 

 105 - 95 M. per 100 F. ; among coloured, legitimate unions give 107"73, and 

 illegitimate 97'91 M. per 100 F. Thus this difference, while it is much 

 greater for coloured than for white people, is marked for both races in the 

 totals, and is shown to be a remarkably consistent variation throughout my 

 tables. 



It is clear that illegitimate union amongst civilised peoples is due to 

 individual characteristics in the woman which have for their basis a specially 

 active sexuality. Thus the result of illegitimate union, the increased 

 production of F. in consequence thereof, is an individual matter, it cannot be 

 accounted for by any law of heredity and must be associated with physio- 

 logical conditions which induce this special activity, that is to say with forces 

 which affect the metabolic activity of the woman. I cannot here detail all 

 the arguments in favour of this view and will only add (the evidence admits, 

 I think, of no other interpretation) that, as I have already shown, an 

 exceptionally active metabolism in the mother should favourably affect the 

 development and ripening of F. ova, and that this is what is found to be the 

 case here. 



4. Breeding Seasons. — An examination of the monthly tables demonstrates 

 the existence of two sharply-defined breeding seasons each year, and shows 

 that they are experienced by both whites and coloured at the same time. 

 One breeding season is more marked than the other, this fact is also common 

 to both races, but both are quite unmistakably shown in the birth tables. 

 The records of marriages show that the marriage season, though it is also 

 quite definitely indicated, has no relation whatever to the breeding seasons. 

 On the other hand, reference to records of temperature, barometric pressure, 

 humidity, etc., shows that these bursts of reproductive activity always take 

 place at times when there is a marked change of climate ; the one in the 



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