14 MAY 1892, Page 25

Illegitimacy. By Albert Leffingwell, M.D. (Swan Sonnenschein and Co.)—Dr. Leffingwell

has brought together a number of remarkable facts, not unknown before, but put together in a novel and interesting collocation. It is not easy to form any conclusions. Religion, whatever its influence upon individuals, and this it would be impossible to exaggerate, is not a factor in national morality. The lowest country on the list of illegitimacy, Ireland, with a per-centage of 25 to 1,000 births, is mainly Roman Catholic (the provinces which bring down the average are almost entirely so) ; but then Austria, which stands highest with 143, is Roman Catholic too. Russia is very low with 28 (but probably the statistics are imperfect), and Holland with 30. Race seems to have much to do with it. Where there is a mixture of Scandi- navian blood, the rate is high. Another interesting paper has been included in the volume, "The Influence of the Seasons on Conduct." We cannot but think that the style might have been with advantage less rhetorical and more scientific.