v, Ch.
XXIX). The spring maximum of conceptions is not now so early in France.
[152] Villerme, "De la Distribution par mois des conceptions," _Annales
d'Hygiene Publique_, tome v, 1831, pp. 55-155.
[153] Sormani, _Giornale di Medicina Militare_, 1870.
[154] Throughout Europe, it may be said, marriages tend to take place
either in spring or autumn (Oettinger _Moralstatistik_, p. 181, gives
details). That is to say, that there is a tendency for marriages to take
place at the season of the great public festivals, during which sexual
intercourse was prevalent in more primitive times.
[155] Hill, _Nature_, July 12, 1888.
[156] G. Mayr, _Die Gesetzmaessigkeit im Gesellschaftsleben_, 1877, p. 240.
[157] Edward Smith (_Health and Disease_), who attributes this to the
lessened vitality of offspring at that season. Beukemann also states that
children born in September have most vitality.
[158] Westermarck has even suggested that the December maximum of
conceptions may be due to better chance of survival for September
offspring (_Human Marriage_, Chapter II). It may be noted that though the
maximum of conceptions is in May, relatively the smallest proportion of
boys is conceived at that time. (Rauber, _Der Ueberschuss an
Knabengeburten_, p. 39.)
[159] Krieger found that the great majority of German women investigated
by him menstruated for the first time in September, October, or November.
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