For the purpose of further comparison, the following summary will show the proportions of the sexes born in the State in each quarter of the year, in the aggregate of a period of twenty years:

That the season of the year has any considerable influence in the causation of sex, seems to be negatived by the statistics presented above.

PARENTAGE.

By reference to Table 1, page 2, in the division of births there will be found the parentage of the children born in Rhode Island, during the year 1888. It will be seen that of the whole number-7,840there were 3,028 of American parentage, 3,348 foreign, and 1,464 of mixed parentage.

By mixed parentage is meant the children born of American fathers and foreign mothers, and of foreign fathers and American mothers. Of American fathers there were 721, and of foreign fathers 743.

The following Table will show the number and parentage of the children born in the State, and the variations of the same from year to year, in each of the last three years; and also the number and variations occurring in six periods of five years each, from 1858 to 1887, inclusive:

American fath. and mo... 3,028 2,935 3,139
Foreign fath. and mo..... 3,348 3,315 3,155

9,712 15,245 13,562 13,990 12,366 9,968 9,697 American fath., for. mo... 721 672 652 3,044 2,327 1,782 1,353 Foreign fath., Amer. mo.. 743 746 675 3,378 2,887 2,357 Parentage not stated...

15,001

14,169 13,431 12,214

10,609

876

814

1,720

941

755

70

223

Total..

7,840 7,668 7,621 36,668 34,945 31,560 27,653

21,567 22,098

The following Table of percentages will show, in a perhaps clearer way, the same changes that have occur portions of the births in the different classes of parent last three years; and during thirty years, from 1858 to: in six equal periods:

TABLE XXII.

06

An examination of Table XXI will show that there has been a constant increase in the number of children of foreign parentage. The same may be said relative to the offspring of mixed marriages. More than 60 per cent. of the children born in this State during 1888 were of foreign and mixed parentage.

The following Table will present the percentages of children of American and of foreign-born fathers, and of American and foreignborn mothers, respectively, in each of the last three years, and in each of six periods of five years each, from 1858 to 1887, inclusive:

The above Table gives the percentages of increase in the number of births of both foreign and mixed parentage. The same story is told here as in Tables XXI and XXII, a gradual falling off in the

birth of children of purely American parentage. There are more foreign mothers married to American fathers than American born mothers intermarrying with fathers of foreign parentage. For a fuller discussion of this subject, see the Reports upon the Registration of births, marriages and deaths in Rhode Island, for 1885-6. It may be added, however, that the following are some of the results arrived at:

For every 1,000 married women of all nativities there were 13.2 births; for every 1,000 in the class of American birth (whether of foreign parentage or not) there were in that class 15.1 births; and for every 1,000 in the class of foreign born there were 23.3 births. Of the American married females, 998 were colored.

BIRTHS OF COLORED CHILDREN.

The number of births of children of colored parentage reported for the year 1888 is 202. The number is 9 less than that of 1887.

In regard to sex, the numbers and proportions were as follows, viz.: Males 109, females 93; or 53.5 males and 46.5 females in every 100 births; or 117.2 males to each 100 females.

The following summary will show the changes that have occurred from year to year, in the proportions of the sexes of colored children. born in Rhode Island, during the last thirteen years:

The following Table will show the location, number, sex, etc., of

colored births during 1888:

TABLE XXIV.

Showing Number, Sex, etc., of Colored Births, 1888.

The following Table shows the number of the child of the mother; that is, how many of the children born were reported as the first, second or third child, etc., of their respective mothers. The statistics on this subject begin with the year 1857, and the following Table includes the children reported during the last six years, and also the total for thirty years, 1857 to 1886, inclusive:

The increase in the whole number of births in 1888, over the previous year, was 172, or two and two-tenths per cent. The increase of population was probably not quite as much.

The increase in number in the class of first child of the mother was nearly nine per cent., while there was a slight increase in the class of second, third and fifth child of the mother.

It is not unusual to find varying proportions from year to year, but there seems to be an increased proportional number of mothers who have ten or more children.

The proportion of each class to the whole number will be shown by the following Table, which gives the percentage of the children born