Transactions of the Canadian Institute. [vol. x 



Austria in 1890, 48.3%, and in 1 900, 53.5% lived in such cities. 



Thus, of the Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, and Welsh, more than 

 two-thirds may be reckoned as dwellers in the country and the smaller 

 towns. Of the Dutch, the Germans, the Scots and English, more than 

 half avoid the cities. All the rest, in increasing degree, are city-dwellers; 

 and of the Russians, very many of whom, as is noted elsewhere, are really 

 Jews, three out of every four live in cities of 25,000 inhabitants and 

 upwards. 



From this it will at once be seen that, while the drift of all races to 

 the cities is increasing, the peoples of Northern and Western Europe are 

 still, broadly speaking, lovers of the country, while the peoples of Southern 

 and Eastern Europe gravitate to the towns. This is the more curious, 

 since in Europe the proportion of the population which lives in large 

 cities is higher in the north and west than in the south and east. Never- 

 theless, the facts must be admitted; with this also, that in course of time 

 the difference between the two groups of people grows more marked. 

 Germany, for instance, in 1890, surpasses Hungary, and resembles 

 Austria and Bohemia in the number of her people living in the cities; 

 but now she has definitely crossed over to what may be called the western 

 side, and stands half-way between England and the nearest eastern 

 country; while the difference between the Russian and the German 

 figures is immense. 



It is curious to notice that Ireland alone of the western countries 

 stands with the peoples of Italy and Poland, as also she did at the pre- 

 vious census. This may give us the clue to one explanation of these 

 figures. It may be remarked in passing that, compared with the Scots, 

 English, or German immigrants, the Irishman in America appears to be 

 lacking in initiative, as well as in stamina.* The close resemblance of 

 the figures for Ireland and Italy suggest, however, an explanation based 

 on temperament. Dwelling far apart, as they do, both are Keltic peoples. 

 Both love colour, lights, companionship and excitement. Neither has 

 any aptitude for the solitary labours of the pioneer, or even the lonely 

 work of the farmer. The point was well brought out in an unpublished 

 lecture, delivered by Mr. L. Smith-Gordon in the University of Toronto 

 this November, In discussing this same question he was able to describe 



*Hall, " Immigration and its Effects upon the United States", Part I., chapter iii., 

 P-53. 



