A. Marro.Biology and Eugenics.129
TABLE III.
Youthful age
of father. Middle Age. Advanced Age.
Cheerful temperament of
the children ............ 83% 68% 60%
Melancholy temperament
of the children............ 16% 31% 33%
These figures need no commentary. Let us note the approximation
which exists between the second and the third categories : it might lead one
to suppose, perhaps, that as a certain number of those of the second category
kept close to the third, the period of decline commences for some of them
at an earlier epoch than that which I have fixed in the case where inherit
ance cannot be sought on the mother’s side. The degree of intelligence
shown by the scholars examined (917) in the different categories in relation
to the age of the parents has given the following results :—
TABLE IV.
Intelligence of Scholars : In Relation to the Age of the Father.
Age of Father. Good. Medium. Bad.
Up to 25 years ............ 44 ( 5 above)= 22 = 23% 28 ( 4 below) =
48%. 28%.
From 26 to 40 years ... 247 (46 above) = 206 = 32% 181 (35 below) =
38%- 28%.
From 41 years and over... 71 (13 above)= 60 = 31% 58 (14 below) =
38%. 30%.
As one sees, the first age shows a numerical superiority of good intelli
gences over the other two classes, which are almost equal; however, if we
consider more particularly amongst the good, those who are shown to be
superior, the greatest proportion is found in favour of the second class
(7%), and we also find the proportion of 6% in the last class superior to
that of the first, which only amounts to 5%. Such a result is easily ex
plained if one considers that at mature age intellectual decline does not
immediately follow the decline of the physical and emotional faculties.
More mature reflection belongs, on the contrary, to this age at which children
are still begotten and gives a still greater force to the pure intellectual faculties
of man. The fact that the greatest number of intelligent children are born
from young parents, nevertheless remains, and it is amongst these, also,
that one finds the smallest proportion of an inferior development of in
tellectual faculties (4%), whilst it attains 5% in the second class and
7% in that of children of aged fathers.
These results being obtained as regards psychical qualities, I wished to
enquire what influence could be attributed to the age of the parents upon
