25 # The Descent of Man. Pabt II 



amount to 36,272, and the females to 33,128, or as 109*49 to 

 100. The males under seventeen years amounted to 10,773, and 

 the females under the same age to 9593, or as 112*3 to 100. 

 From the census of 1872, the proportion of males of all ages 

 (including half-castes) to females, is as 125*36 to 100. It must 

 be borne in mind that all these returns for the Sandwich 

 Islands give the proportion of living males to living females, 

 and not of the births ; and judging from all civilised countries 

 the proportion of males would have been considerably higher ii 

 the numbers had referred to births. 99 



From the several foregoing cases we have some reason to 

 believe that infanticide practised in the manner above explained, 

 tends to make a male-producing race ; but I am far from sup- 

 posing that this practice in the case of man, or some analogous 

 process with other species, has been the sole determining cause 

 of an excess of males. There may be some unknown law leading 

 to this result in decreasing races, which have already become 

 somewhat infertile. Besides the several causes previously 



99 Dr. Coulter, in describing on this subject from the breeding 

 ('Journal R. Geograph. Soc.,' vol. of dogs; inasmuch as in most breeds, 

 v. 1835, p. 67) the state of Cali- with the exception, perhaps, of 

 fornia about the year 1830, says greyhounds, many more female 

 that the natives, reclaimed by the puppies are destroyed than males, 

 Spanish missionaries, have nearly just as with the Toda infants. Mr. 

 all perished, or are perishing, al- Cupples assures me that this is 

 though well treated, not driven usual with Scotch deer-hounds, 

 from their native land, and kept Unfortunately, I know nothing of 

 from the use of spirits. He at- the proportion of the sexes fn at- 

 tributes this, in great part, to the breed, excepting greyhounds, and 

 undoubted fact that the men greatly there the male births are to the 

 exceed the women in number; but female as HOI to 100. Now from 

 he does not know whether this is enquiries made from many breeders, 

 due to a failure of female offspring, it seems that the females are 

 or to more females dying during in some respects more esteemed, 

 early youth. The latter alternative, though otherwise troublesome ; and 

 according to all analogy, is very it does not appear that the female 

 improbable. He adds that " in- puppies of the best-bred dogs are 

 " fanticide, properly so called, is systematically destroyed more than 

 " not common, though very fre- the males, though this does sometimes 

 " quent recourse is had to abor- take place to a limited extent. There- 

 " tion." If Dr. Coulter is correct fore I am unable to decide whether 

 about infanticide, this case cannot we can, on the above principles, ac- 

 he advanced in support of Col. count for the preponderance of male 

 Marshall's view. From the rapid births in greyhounds. On the other 

 decrease of the reclaimed natives, hand, we have seen that with 

 we may suspect that, as in the horses, cattle, and sheep, which are 

 cases lately given, their fertility too valuable for the young of either 

 has been diminished from changed sex to be destroyed, if there is any 

 habits of life. difference, the females are slightly 



I had hoped to gi in some light ir excess. 



