Two pairs of sisters are reported who showed clinical, morphologic, and hormone abnormalities, such as to be classified in the picture of the so-called Stein-Leventhal syndrome.

These cases, as other few similar observations, may suggest the possibility that, at least in some instances, the Stein-Leventhal syndrome can be governed by factors of a genetic order.

After a short review of the literature on this subject, it is pointed out that enough evidence supports the existence of predisposing genetic factors to the manifestation of the syndrome, although a true heredity of the disease cannot at the moment be entirely supported. Also some fraternal cases could find an explanation in lesional actions repeated during subsequent pregnancies.

Sexual variation in fingerprint types and pattern size, as measured by total ridge counts, has been examined in a sample of 84 Australian aborigines and compared with other populations. As it generally happens in a population, total ridge counts have been found to be higher in males than females on account of (1) the males' higher frequency of whorls and lower frequency of loops, and (2) the males' larger whorl counts. The higher incidence of arches in females than males has also been found to play a role.

The different varieties of congenital dyschromatopsias are inherited following different modes. The dyschromatopsias of the protan and deutan type, as well as the atypical achromatopsia (blue mono-cone monochromacy), are sex-linked recessive, the tritanopia probably autosomal dominant and the typical achromatopsia surely autosomal recessive. The mode of transmission of the tritanomalia is still dubious.

Concerning the localisation of the genes on the X chromosome, the bilocular theory for the deutan and protan genes is accepted at the present time. These genes form a cluster with the genes of hemophilia A and G6PD deficiency. It is possible that this cluster is situated on the short arm of the X chromosome or on the long arm near the centromeric region. The exact situation will be known very soon, when the interpretation of the results of the cellular hybridisation, which are still discordant, will be well established.

A case is described of pseudo-pseudo-hypoparathyroidism, with the following symptoms: round face, large forehead, relative backwardness, short stature, relative obesity, congenital muscular torticollis, cervical fused vertebrae, spina bifida occulta cervicalis, bifid rib, bilateral brachymetacarpy IV. Some of these also occur in the basal-cell nevus syndrome. The patient does not however show a basal-cell carcinoma, nor mandibula cysts.

A pair of MZ twins with diagnoses of chronic simple schizophrenia has been studied from the genetic, social, medical, and psychiatric standpoint by members of the several professions. Clinical psychologists studied the patients independently and on the basis of psychometric and projective tests found a remarkable similarity in personality profiles. An in-depth family study failed to reveal any evidence of psychiatric disease in other relatives. Consanguinity was absent. The family unit is typical of that described frequently for a schizophrenogenic household, i.e., dominant mother, passive father. Genetic etiologies are discussed in context with occurrence of schizophrenia in MZ twins in this particular family setting.

A family is described in which three siblings were affected by Robin's syndrome (micrognathia and glossoptosis with cleft palate) in its severe form. Two children died very early in life, the third is surviving after surgical management and appropriate nursing care. The children were born from a consanguineous marriage (their parents were first cousins). This pedigree is highly suggestive of an autosomal recessive kind of inheritance. Malformations of the extremities (hands and/or feet) were present in the probands as well as in two relatives of the paternal line.

A mathematical model is suggested to represent the trend of the fertility coefficient in the Italian woman as a function of her age and year of birth. The study has been based on data from the fertility tables by Livi Bacci-Santini interpreted by one single formula.

Almost one century after Galton's first scientific formulation of the Twin Method, based on the comparison of MZ and DZ twin series, not only twin studies play a fundamental role and the Interzygotic Test is widely applied in human and especially medical genetic research, but new methods have also been worked out, such as the Azygotic Test and the Twin Clinical Method.

Moreover, the study of twins has more recently led to new insights into the study of biological times, with the development of the modern branch of Chronogenetics.

A twin pair, discordant for congenital spinal cervical anomalies, is described. Zygosity chances are calculated on the basis of initial dizygosity chance, sex likeness, red cell antigens, serum types, red cell enzymes, and dermatoglyphic data. The chance for monozygosity adds up to 0.9992. Literature data on cervical anomalies in twins are reviewed.

It is concluded that, although the inheritance of spinal anomalies, such as hemivertebra, is still an open question, this twin pair supports the present trend of ideas that most of these anomalies are caused by peripheral, nongenetic factors.

The first case of MZ twins concordant for oculo-auriculo-vertebral dysplasia is reported. In the light of the data from the literature concerning the etiology of the syndrome, this observation does not allow an absolute conclusion but points towards the possible existence of a genetic form of this syndrome.

Sixteen anthropometric measurements were performed on each of 48 MZ and 51 DZ adult twin pairs. The largest amount of diversity between MZ and DZ was observed in relation to stature which was in average about three-and-a half times more different in the latter. Forehead and nasal height were also three times more variable among DZ twins, while head and nasal breadth, morphological face height, and lip thickness were twice as variable. The heritability estimates and F ratios yielded significant values in both sexes for twelve traits. The exceptions were mandibular and minimum frontal breadth, calf and chest circumference. The largest heritabilities were observed for stature, head breadth and lip thickness. Correlation matrices were obtained for all measurements; those showing significantly positive coefficients, however, did not show similar heritability values.

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) isoenzymes in a Swedish population of 342 unrelated individuals have been determined according to the method of Spencer et al. (1968). The gene frequencies found were 0.9357 and 0.0643 for ADA 1 and ADA 2 respectively. These frequencies are in good accordance with previous investigations.

The application of an ammoniacal silver procedure to the staining of human metaphase chromosomes is described. A map based on the differential staining characteristics of chromosome segments is presented.