294 THE PRINCIPLES OF [Part II. 



bers are tolerably large, and as they are drawn from all parts of 

 England, during several years, we may with much confidence 

 conclude that with the domestic horse, or at least with the race- 

 horse, the two sexes are produced in almost equal numbers. The 

 fluctuations in the proportions during successive years are closely 

 like those which occur with mankind, when a small and thinly- 

 populated area is considered: thus in 1856 the male horses were' 

 as 107.1, and in 1867 as only 92.6 to 100 females. In the tabu- 

 lated returns the proportions vary in cycles, for the males ex- 

 ceeded the females during six successive years ; and the females 

 exceeded the males during two periods each of four years : this, 

 however, may be accidental ; at least I can detect nothing of the 

 kind with man in the decennial table in the Registrar's Report for 

 1866. I may add that certain mares, and this holds good with 

 certain cows and with women, tend to produce more of one sex 

 than of the other ; Mr. "Wright, of Yeldersley House, informs me 

 that one of his Arab mares, though put seven times to different 

 horses, produced seven fillies. 



Dogs. — During a period of twelve years, from 1857 to 1868, 

 the births of a large number of greyhounds, throughout England, 

 have been sent to the 'Field' newspaper; and I am again in- 

 debted to Mr. Tegetmeier for carefully tabulating the results. 

 The recorded births have been 6,878, consisting of 3,605 males 

 and 3,273 females, that is, in the proportion of 110.1 males to 100 

 females. The greatest fluctuations occurred in 1864, when the 

 proportion was as 95.3 males, and in 1867, as 116.3 males to 100 

 females. The above average proportion of 110.1 to 100 is prob- 

 ably nearly correct in the case of the greyhound, but whether it 

 would hold with other domesticated breeds is in some degree 

 doubtful. Mr. Cupples has inquired from several great breeders 

 of dogs, and finds that all without exception believe that females 

 are produced in excess; he suggests that this belief may have 

 arisen from females being less valued and the consequent disap- 

 pointment producing a stronger impression on the mind. 



Sheep. — The sexes of sheep are not ascertained by agricultur- 

 ists until several months after birth, at the period when the males 

 sire castrated ; so that the following returns do not give the pro- 

 portions at birth. Moreover, I find that several great breeders 

 in Scotland, who annually raise some thousand sheep, are firmly 



