.
Examination of 100 convicts selected at random in the Massachusetts
State Prison showed that 29% were feeble-minded and 11% borderline
cases. The highest percentage of mental defectives was found among
criminals serving sentence for murder in the second degree,
manslaughter, burglary and robbery. (Rossy, C. S., in _State Board of
Insanity Bull._, Boston, Nov., 1915). Paul M. Bowers told the 1916
meeting of the American Prison Association of his study of 100
recidivists, each of whom had been convicted not fewer than four times.
Of these 12 were insane, 23 feeble-minded and 10 epileptic, and in each
case Dr. Bowers said the mental defect bore a direct causal relation to
the crime committed. Such studies argue for the need of a little
elementary biology in the administration of justice.

[86] For a sane and cautious discussion of the subject see Wallin, J. E.
W., "A Program for the State Care of the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic,"
_School and Society_, IV, pp. 724-731, New York, Nov. 11, 1916.

[87] Johnstone, E. R., "Waste Land Plus Waste Humanity," _Training
School Bulletin_, XI, pp. 60-63, Vineland, N. J., June, 1914.

[88] "Report of the Committee on the Sterilization of Criminals,"
_Journal of the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology_, September,
1916. Of the operations mentioned, 634 are said to have been performed
on insane persons and one on a criminal.

[89] Guyer, M. F., Wisconsin Eugenics Legislation. Trans. Amer. Asso.
Study and Prevention of Infant Mortality, 1917, pp. 92-97.

[90] Eugenics Record Office, Bulletin No. 10 A, _The Scope of the
Committee's Work_, Cold Spring Harbor, L. I., Feb., 1914; No. 10 B, _The
Legal, Legislative and Administrative Aspects of Sterilization_, same
date.

[91] Eugenics Record Office Bulletin No. 9: _State Laws Limiting
Marriage Selection Examined in the Light of Eugenics_. Cold Spring
Harbor, L. I., June, 1913.

[92] Penrose, Clement A., _Sanitary Conditions in the Bahama Islands_,
Geographical Society of Baltimore, 1905.

[93] See von. Gruber and Ruedin, _Fortpflanzung, Vererbung,
Rassenhygiene_, p. 169, Muenchen, 1911.

[94] Davenport, Charles B., _Heredity in Relation to Eugenics_, pp. 184
ff., New York, 1911.

[95] Harris, J. Arthur, "Assortative Mating in Man," _Popular Science
Monthly_, LXXX, pp. 476-493, May, 1912. The most important studies on
the subject are cited by Dr. Harris.

[96] An interesting and critical treatment of sexual selection is giv