336 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the difference (1 to 6) is the result of mental sexual traits, which, even 

 at this early age, present themselves. During the next four years the 

 proportion in reference to crimes against persons is nearly double, being 

 1 to 11 ; while against property the proportion decreases, being 1 to 5. 

 The average physical strength of the sexes for the second period (twelve 

 to sixteen years) is about equal, so that this sudden proportional in- 

 crease in crimes against persons in the male sex is the result almost 

 entirely of those qualities which mentally characterize the male. This 

 conclusion is rendered nearly positive by the fact that the maximum 

 is attained by the males in the next five years, sixteen to twenty-one, 

 and is only 1 to 12, during which period it is that the greatest difference 

 in strength between the sexes is developed ; yet this difference is repre- 

 sented by an increase of only 1 in the proportion. This agrees with 

 what we know of men, that the development of the passions keeps just in 

 advance of the development of the physical strength, just as the strength 

 declines in advance of the passions. Studying for a moment longer 

 this second period of life (twelve to sixteen) we learn this important 

 fact: that in woman's criminal career it is, proportionally with man, 

 the best period in her life, for at this time also occurs the greatest dif- 

 ference in crimes against property, 1 to 5, the maximal difference in the 

 sexes, as to crimes against persons, being reached at twenty-one years. 

 For the periods following of ten years each, the proportion steadily 

 decreases in the following order, 1 to 9, 1 to 7, until at the decade, 

 between forty and fifty years, we reach again the proportion of child- 

 hood (1 to 6). Now, the inference is, not that men grow better and 

 women worse ; but that the period of greatest passional intensity has 

 been passed, while in both sexes the will has attained its greatest 

 force. In other words, the period of caution has been reached. This 

 accords with the law that the greatest mental vigor corresponds with 

 structural completion. That this explanation is plausible is shown by 

 the fact that the last decade mentioned is the period in which the pro- 

 portion between the sexes in crimes against property is more nearly 

 equal, being 1 to 2 and a fraction, and which for former decades stead- 

 ily held at 1 to 3. There is a further confirmation of this, in the fact 

 that for two periods, fifty to sixty, and sixty and upward, crimes against 

 persons increase among men ; the proportion being 1 to 9 and 1 to 10 

 respectively. That this is not the result of any increase of morality 

 in the other sex, the uniform ratio of the sexes for crimes against 

 property, during the ages last named, renders probable. From the 

 same source we may obtain information which tends to show the truth 

 of the remark made by M. Quetelet, that the proportion of women as 

 to men increases " according to the necessity of the greater publicity 

 before the crime can be perpetrated." ' In the division of crime called 

 offenses against the cui-rency, we have the conditions favorable to a 

 more even proportion of the sexes. In an offense of this kind the 



' Loc. cit., p. 90. 



