THE BIRTH-RATE 139 



have held their title to nobility for at least two preceding 

 generations, thus excluding the more modern commercial 

 middle-class element in the present Peerage, which can 

 be better dealt with elsewhere. We then get the full 

 effect of hereditary stability and a secure position, and 

 do away with any disturbing influence that might occur 

 from a sudden rise to prosperity. The results obtained 

 are probably representative also of the families of the 

 landed aristocracy to whom a title has not fallen. 

 For the first ten years, marriages taking place between 

 1 83 1 and 1840 gave an average of 7.1 births to each 

 fertile couple ; from 1841 to i860 the average for each 

 decade remained constant at about 6.1 ; from 1871 to 



1880 there were 4.36 births to each marriage; from 



1 88 1 to 1 8 90, 3.13 births are recorded; and it seems 

 probable that the next decade would show another 

 decrease, but it is impossible at present to obtain 

 figures of much value, as one cannot be sure that the 

 births have really ceased. Thus during the past fifty 

 years, our stable upper classes in this section of the 

 community have reduced their birth-rate by more than 

 one-half, and have passed well below the point at which 

 the number of births compensates for the number of 

 deaths. Their virtual extinction on these lines is 

 clearly only a matter of a few generations. 



Another more varied section of the community can 

 be studied in Who s Who^ a book of reference which 

 contains biographical details of some 20,000 men 

 and women, who have reached a certain degree of 

 prominence, and may be taken as representative of 

 the upper ofiicial, professional, and commercial classes. 

 Among the details furnished, the date of marriage and 



