THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



571 



weiinfer that the deaths have not been 

 reported rather than that the death 

 rate is remarkably low. The only 

 group fifty years of age consists of the 

 first ten classes of Vassar College end- 

 ing in 1876 with 323 graduates. Fifty- 

 five per cent, had been married as com- 

 pared with 80 per cent, in the native 

 population, of whom about one third 

 were barren, about twice as many as 

 under normal conditions. The average 

 fertility of those having children is 

 three (including presumably those de- 

 ceased), which is fully as large as 

 that of the male graduates. The data 

 from later classes are difficult to use. 

 42.7 per cent, of Smith College gradu- 

 ates prior to 1888 are married and 

 46.5 per cent, of the Wellesley College 

 graduates. These women are of the 

 average age of over forty years. If 

 only one half of college alumnse marry 

 and one third of these are barren, while 

 those who have children only reproduce 

 themselves, the ' species ' would be 

 completely exterminated in five genera- [ 

 tions. If colleges for women must be 

 regarded as modern nunneries, there is 

 no special cause for gratification in the 

 fact that in twelve years the number | 



of women students has increased from 

 about 10,000 to about 28,000. 



THE STUDY OF THE SCIENCES 



AND OF LATIN IN THE 



SECONDARY SCHOOLS. 



There is annually published in the 

 report of the United States Commis- 

 sioner of Education an interesting 

 table showing among other things the 

 percentages of students pursuing dif- 

 ferent studies. The table from the 

 last volume referring to the year 1902 

 is here reproduced. 



It will be noted that the percentage 

 of students studying Latin is recorded 

 as increasing from 38.80 in 1891-92 to 

 49.52 in 1901-2, whereas in physics 

 there has been a decrease in the same 

 period from 22.04 to 17.39 per cent., 

 and in chemistry from 10.08 to 7.70 per 

 cent. These figures have been widely 

 quoted, and are certainly discouraging 

 to those who are interested in scien- 

 tific education. It must, however, be 

 remembered that figures are illusive. 

 It has been said that there are three 

 kinds of lies — white lies, black lies and 

 statistics. The figures given in the 

 table are on their face difficult to un- 



Students and Studies, 



Males 



Females. 



Preparing for college, 

 classical course 



Preparing' for college, 

 scientific courses 



Total preparing for 

 college 



Graduates 



Per cent, of graduates 



prepared for college 



Studying — 



Latin 



Greek 



French 



German 



Algebra 



Geometry 



Trigonometry 



Astronomy 



Physics 



Chemistry 



Physical geography 



Geology 



Physiology 



Psychology 



Rhetoric 



English literature 



History (other than 

 United States) 



Civics 



1891-92 



44.01 

 55.99 



9.18 

 7.59 



16.77 



10.87 



39.15 



38.80 



4.68 



8.59 



11.61 



47.65 



22.52 



2.96 



1892-93 



43.62 

 56.38 



9.90 

 8.22 



18.12 



22.04 

 10.08 



31.35 



11.46 



36.62 



41.94 



4.92 



9.94 



13.00 



49.92 



24.36 



3.61 



22.25 

 9.98 



33.46 



1893-94 



43.39 

 56.61 



10.34 

 7.33 



17.67 

 11.88 

 30.92 



43.59 

 4.99 

 10.31 

 12.78 

 52.71 

 25.25 

 3.80 



24.02 

 10.31 



35.78 



1894-95 



43.00 

 57.00 



1895-96 



43.40 

 56.60 



10.00 

 7.11 



17.11 



11.60 

 32.44 



43.76. 



4.73 



9.77 

 12.58 

 52.40 

 24.51 



3.25 



5.27 

 22.15 



9.31 

 22.44 



5.52 

 28.03 



3.35 

 31.31 



34.65 



10.05 

 7.16 



17.21 



11.73 



32.69 



46.22 



4.58 



10.13 



13.20 



53.46 



25.71 



3.15 



5.19 



21.85 



9.15 



24.93 



5.20 



31.08 



3.82 



32.27 



35.73 



1896-97 



43.84 

 56.16 



8.94 

 6.57 



15.51 



11.95 

 32.60 



48.01 

 4.60 

 9.98 



13.76 



54.22 



26.24 

 3.08 

 4.89 



20.89 

 9.18 



24.64 

 4.93 



29.98 

 3.82 



33.78 



36.08 



1897-98 



43.50 

 56.50 



7.99 

 6.03 



14.02 



11.75 



.30.60 



49.44 



4.50 



10.48 



14.24 



55.29 



26.59 



2.83 



4.40 



20.48 



8.55 



24.33 



4.66 



29.38 



3.64 



35.30 



38.90 



37.68 

 21.41 



1898-99 



42.93 

 57.07 



7.87 

 6.18 



14.05 



11.78 



31.61 



50.29 



4.27 



10.68 



14.91 



56.21 



27.36 



2.58 



3.94 



19.97 



8.64 



23.75 



4.41 



28.62 



8.23 



36.70 



40.60 



38.32 

 20.89 



1899-00 



43.16 

 56.84 



8.32 

 6.21 



14.53 



11.74 



32.95 



49.97 



3.95 



10.43 



15.06 



55.08 



26.75 



2.42 



3! 43 



18.88 



8.00 



22.88 



4.02 



26.96 



3.19 



37.70 



41.19 



37.80 

 21.09 



1900-1 1901-2 



42.83 

 57.17 



8.30 

 6.54 



14.84 



11.95 



49.93 



3.58 



10.75 



16.09 



55.66 



27.26 



2.54 



2.96 



18.24 



7.86 



22.42 



3.88 



26.27 



2.98 



39.69 



43.90 



38.41 

 20.60 



42.49 

 57.51 



6.89 

 5.97 



12.86 



11.86 



33 48 33.67 



49.52 



3.36 



11.13 



16.94 



55.27 



27.56 



2.42 



2.64 



17.39 



7.70 



22.22 



3.48 



24.83 



2.53 



41.90 



45.60 



38.90 

 19.87 



