1014 OP GENERATION. 



Males. Females. Total. 



From 16 to 17 inches 1 (French) ... 2 4 6 



" 17 to 18 . 8 19 27 



" 18 to 19 28 18 46 



" 19 to 20 12 8 20 



" 20 to 21 1 1 



From these observations, the mean and the extremes of the Lengths of the Male and 

 Female respectively were calculated to be 



Males. Females. 



Minimum . .16 inches, 2 lines 16 inches, 2 lines 



Mean ... 18 6 & if 



Maximum . . 19 8 20 6 



Notwithstanding that the maximum is here on the side of the Female (this being an acci- 

 dental result, which would probably have been otherwise, had a larger number been exa- 

 mined) the average shows a difference of 4^ lines in favor of the Male. 



b. The inequality in the Weight of the two is even more remarkable ; the observations of 

 M. Quetelet 2 were made upon 63 male and 56 female infants. 



Infants weighing from Males. Females. Total. 



1 to 1J kilog. 3 1 1 



Ijto2 1 1 



2 to2 3 7 10 



2to3 13 14 27 



3 to3A 28 23 51 



3 to 4 14 7 21 



4 to 4 5 3 8 



The extremes and means were as follows : 



Males. Females. 



Minimum 2.34 kilog. 1.12 



Mean 3.20 2.91 



Maximum 4.50 4.25 



c. The average weight of infants of both sexes, as determined by these inquiries, is 3.05 

 kilog. or 6.7 Ibs. ; and this corresponds almost exactly with the statement of Chaussier, 

 whose observations were made upon more than 20,000 infants. The mean obtained by 

 him, without reference to distinction of sex, was 6.75 Ibs. ; the maximum being 11.3 Ibs., 

 and the minimum 3.2 Ibs.* The average in this country is probably rather higher; ac- 

 cording to Dr. Joseph Clarke, 5 whose inquiries were made on 60 males and 60 females, the 

 average of Male children is 7 Ibs. : and that of Females 6f Ibs. He adds that children 

 which at the full time weigh less than 5 Ibs. rarely thrive ; being generally feeble in their 

 actions, and dying within a short time. Several instances are on record, of infants whose 

 weight at birth exceeded 15 Ibs. It appears that healthy females, living in the country, 

 and engaged in active but not over-fatiguing occupations, have generally the largest child- 

 ren ; and this is what might be expected d priori, from the superior energy of their nutri- 

 tive functions. 



1017. Notwithstanding that, in any ordinary population, there is a decided 

 preponderance in the number of Females, the number of Male birtJis is con- 

 siderably greater than that of females. Taking the average of the whole of 

 Europe, the proportion is about 106 Males to 100 Females. It is curious, 

 however, that this proportion is considerably different for legitimate and for 

 illegitimate births; the average of the latter being only 102 J to 100, in the 

 places where that of the former was 105f to 100. This is probably to be ac- 



1 The French inch is about one-fifteenth more than the English. 



2 Op. cit. torn. ii. p. 35. 



3 The kilogramme is equal to 2 Ibs. avoirdupois. 



4 These numbers have been erroneously stated in many Physiological works ; owing to 

 the difference between the French and English pound not having been allowed for. 



6 "Philosophical Transactions," vol. Ixxvi. 



