natural children

NATURAL CHILDREN. In the phraseology of the English or American law, natural 
children are children born out of wedlock, or bastards, and are 
distinguished from legitimate children; but in the language of the civil 
law, natural are distinguished from adoptive children, that is, they are the 
children of the parents spoken of, by natural procreation. See Inst. lib. 3, 
tit. 1, Sec. 2. 
     2. In Louisiana, illegitimate children who have been acknowledged by 
their father, are called natural children; and those whose fathers are 
unknown are contradistinguished by the appellation of bastards. Civ. Code of 
Lo. art. 220. The acknowledgment of an illegitimate child shall be made by a 
declaration executed before a notary public, in the presence of two 
witnesses, whenever it shall not have been made in the registering of the 
birth or baptism of such child. Id. art. 221. Such acknowledgment shall not 
be made in favor of the children produced by an incestuous or adulterous 
connexion. Id. art. 222. 
     3. Fathers and mothers owe alimony to their natural children, when they 
are in need. Id. art. 256, 913. In some cases natural children are entitled 
to the legal succession, of their natural fathers or mothers. Id. art. 911 
to 927. 
     4. Natural children owe alimony to their father or mother, if they are 
in need, and if they themselves have the means of providing it. Id. art. 
256. 
     5. The father is of right the tutor of his natural children 
acknowledged by him; the mother is of right the tutrix of her natural child 
not acknowledged by the father. The natural child, acknowledged by both, has 
for tutor, first the father; in default of him, the mother. Id. art. 274. 
See 1 Bouv. Inst. n. 319, et seq.