48 
Data for the Problem of Evolution in Man 
TABLE VIII. 
Mean Height at various Ages of Males and Females. New South Wales 
Experience of 5 years, 1895 — 9. 
Ages 
Mean Height 
Ages 
Mean 
Height 
Males 
Females 
Males 
Females 
15—16 
5 ft. 2-12 in. 
4 ft. 11 -21 in. 
50 and under 55 
5 ft. 6-58 in. 
5 ft. 2-32 in. 
16—17 
3-83 „ 
5 ft. 
1-40 „ 
55 „ 60 
„ 6-63 „ 
)) 
2-04 „ 
17—18 
5-10 „ 
•)•> 
2-01 „ 
60 „ 65 
„ 6-40 „ 
)) 
1-31 „ 
18—19 
5) 
5-78 „ 
1-99 „ 
65 „ 70 
„ 6-23 „ 
)) 
1-55 „ 
19—20 
5) 
6-37 „ 
?J 
1-93 „ 
70 „ 75 
„ 5-71 „ 
I) 
0-75 „ 
20 and xnider 25 
6-95 „ 
57 
2-60 „ 
75 „ 80 
„ 5-49 „ 
?) 
1-07 „ 
25 „ 30 
?5 
7-30 „ 
•>■) 
2-76 „ 
80 and over 
„ 5-67 „ 
)) 
0-50 „ 
30 „ 35 
)5 
7-21 „ 
)> 
2-53 „ 
35 „ 40 
)» 
7-07 „ 
5) 
2-33 „ 
40 „ 45 
1) 
6-82 „ 
)) 
1-91 „ 
45 „ 50 
)) 
6-74 „ 
)) 
2-05 „ 
The observation curves are remarkably smooth, except in the points for women 
under 19 ; but for these youthful criminals there are very few cases. We see at 
once that the man reaches his maximum stature at about 28 years of age and the 
woman her maximum stature at about 25. The modal fertility of Victorian women 
is at 27 and of Victorian men at 32. For New South Wales women the modal 
fertility is 24'4, two to three years less than for Victoria. We have not the data 
for New South Wales men, but they would probably show a mode of about 29 — 30 
instead of 32. Thus we see that the age of maximum fertility at any rate 
approaches, if it does not coincide with, the age of most fully developed stature. 
As Mr Powys remarks, this tendency of maximum stature age to coincide with 
that of maximum fertility can hardly be fortuitous. It seems probable that in 
man, as in other types of life, the age of maximum fertility is the age of most fully 
developed physique. It will be seen that we have here a detinite law of fertility, 
which is a priori reasonable as compared with the result reached by Korbsi (see 
p. 34 above)*. 
If we examine Mr Powys' diagram, especially the adjusted curves, it would at 
first sight appear possible to fit them with algebraic expressions. The cubic 
parabolas determined by Dr Lee are : 
* A similar conclusion is formed by M. V. Turquan : Fecondite compar6e de I'homme et de la femme 
suivant I'age. Revue scientifique, T. 5, p. 8, 1896. He makes a maximum fertility for both men 
and women at the earliest age; he however attributes it to the fact that, "a cet age la prevoyance 
malthusienne...est peu connue ou du moins peu pratiquee chez les jeunes maries de cet age " (p. 12). 
His data exhibit, however, a secondary maximum for the father and mother at a later age and 
there is little doubt that Mr Powys' procedure, ^ — to subtract antenuptial conception— is correct. K. P. 
