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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



mony of divorce, as to the cohesiveness of the domestic institution. 

 So far as Savoy, Alsace-Lorraine, and Auvergne, our principal areas 

 occupied by the Alpine or Celtic race, are concerned, the parallel 

 with the map of divorce is quite close. The Mediterranean coast 

 strip, nay, even the intrusive zone up the Rhone Valley, are indi- 

 cated as areas where the family is less cohesive than in the upland 

 areas of isolation. But what shall we say about Brittany? Ra- 

 cially, and in stability of the family as well, it belongs with Savoy 



and Auvergne as an area of isolation, characterized by comparatively 

 backward social phenomena. Nevertheless, inspection of our map 

 shows it to be the region where such " home intermixture " is exceed- 

 ingly prevalent. Less than one half the families live under entirely 

 separate roofs, whereas in the other Celtic areas the proportion of 

 independent families is often above ninety per cent. 



This peculiar anomaly in the case of Brittany is all the more 

 notable, as this region is one of the most conservative in all France, 

 judged by the character of its social phenomena. Some disturbing 

 factor is evidently at work. It seems to be purely environmental. 

 Surprising as it may appear, this exaggerated " home intermixture " 

 in the Armorican peninsula is apparently to a large degree referable 

 to its geological and climatic peculiarities. Levasseur makes some 



