128 HUMAN LONGEVITY. 



kingdom ; but a mystery in itself, like all that belongs to 

 the transmission and interblending of life through successive 

 generations. 



Descending from families to individuals the last step in 

 the scale we have thus rapidly been following we find the 

 contingencies which affect longevity to multiply largely and 

 become more obvious, than when hidden under the averages 

 of larger numbers. One important classification, however, 

 here suggests itself, viz. that of the Sexes. Though it would 

 be difficult to prove the point absolutely, we think it may 

 be presumed that the natural term of life is the same in man 

 and woman. It must be admitted, indeed, that our own 

 Census, in common with that of many other civilised com- 

 munities, shows a considerably larger proportion of females 

 than of males attaining 100 years. But we believe the fact 

 to be of ready explanation, without recurring to any recondite 

 causes. Woman drops more easily than man into the passive 

 existence of advanced age. The pursuits, pleasures, and pas- 

 sions of her antecedent life are for the most part of a more 

 tranquil kind, and do not so strongly contrast with the inert 

 seclusion of later years. The expression of a French writer 

 6 Pen de gens savent etre vieuxj has much closer application 

 to one sex than the other. The incidents of childbearing 

 might seem to lie on the other side. But these belong to, 

 and affect, an earlier period of life ; and can hardly be 

 considered as equal in influence to the external casualties 

 which more especially beset man, even to the extremity of 

 age. We may further remark that the cases of extraordinary 

 longevity, which we have denoted as a sort of index to the 

 average, are found to give a general equality of result for the 

 two sexes. 



We come then finally to individual life in reference to 

 longevity; a subject which cannot be dealt with except 

 under new conditions, and a larger reference to physical and 



