SEX. 313 



haps serve to explain the preponderance of female 

 births among illegitimate children. 



Statistics of the relative numbers of the sexes at 

 the time of birth among domestic animals have not 

 been published to any considerable extent, and the 

 data that are needed for a satisfactory discussion of 

 this subject remain in the hands of individual breed- 

 ers. 



The most extended collection of statistics relating 

 to this subject within my knowledge has been made 

 by Mr. Darwin, 1 from which the following statements 

 are compiled : 



From the limited number of cases under discus- 

 sion, and the manner in which the facts have been 

 collected, the real proportion of the sexes at birth 

 may not be correctly represented by these statistics. 



Still-born animals, and those that die at an early 

 age, are not as a rule forwarded by breeders to the 

 press for publication. Moreover, the records are usu- 

 ally made only by those who are interested in making 

 sales of breeding-stock; and their methods of man- 

 agement, or the selections made for their own pur- 

 poses, may have an influence in modifying the results. 



Mr. Tegetmeier tabulated for Mr. Darwin from 

 the "Kacing Calendar" "the births of race-horses 

 during a period of twenty-one years, viz., from 1846 

 to 1867 1849 being omitted, as no returns were that 

 year published. The total births have been 25,560, 

 consisting of 12,763 males and 12,797 females, or in 

 the proportion of 99.7 males to 100 females. ... In 

 1856 the male horses were as 107.1, and in 1867 as 



1 " Descent of Man," vol. i., pp. 293-300. 



