TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 225 



It may be stated, though the figures have not been officially published, that the 

 registers here for the three previous years, namely, 1855, 1856, and 1857, show a 

 rate for our two parishes of 12-6, 13-3, and 13 - 6 respectively. 



The mean marriage ratio in the eight principal towns in Scotland, in the four 

 years 1855-1858, was, in 10,000 persons, — 



Mean. 



Leith 80 



Paisley 77 



Edinburgh 76 



Aberdeen 64-5 



The birth ratio in the eight principal towns in Scotland during the years 1855, 

 1856, 1857, and 1858, was (in 10,000 persons living)— 



Perth 27775 



Edinburgh 290-00 



Aberdeen 299-25 



Mean. 



Greenock 100 



Glasgow 89 



Perth 85 



Dundee 81-7 



Leith 331-25 



Paisley 357-75 



Dundee 37000 



Glasgow 405-75 



Greenock 499-25 



The excess of females over males in the eight principal towns in Scotland, ac- 

 cording to the Census of 1851, was as follows :— 



Dundee 9-2 per cent. 



Greenock 4-2 per cent. 



Perth 4-6 do. 



Glasgow 5-8 do. 



Paisley 8-0 do. 



Edinburgh .... 9-8 do. 



Leith 9-8 do. 



Aberdeen 11-8 do. 



From these various data, the following conclusions seem to be dedueible : — 

 1st. That where there is a low marriage proportion, there will be a high rate of 

 illegitimacy, 



2nd. That the same result will follow when there is a marked excess of females 

 over males. 



The following Table shows the proportion of illegitimate births, and employment 

 of the mothers in Aberdeen : — 



Half-year. 

 Jan. to June. 

 1855. 1856. 1857. 1858. 1859. 



Total births . . . 2156 2419 2401 2396 1039 

 Illegitimate ... 272 323 329 357 195 



Proportion of ille- 1 7 . 9 ^ ? . 2 ^ 5 . 3 



gitimate births J 



Employments of mothers : — 



Domestic servants 69 



Factory operatives 101 



Farm servants . . 13 



Dressmakers ... 19 



Widows 5 



Housekeepers . . 4 



Miscellaneous . . 61 

 There were, at the period of the census of 1851, 3200 domestic servants in 

 Aberdeen within the Parliamentary boundary ; the number is now probably 3400. 

 The female factory operatives at the same peiiod numbered 4400 ; but now they 

 number, as nearly as can be learned, 3600. 



The residences of mothers of illegitimate children registered in Aberdeen for 

 the half-year ended June last, shows very distinctly that in the districts where the 

 lower class of houses are situated, there does illegitimacy most prevail. It ma}' also 

 be stated that an exceedingly small proportion — in fact, scarcely a case — occurs 

 where the mother moves in the middle or upper ranks of society. A very large 

 number of the mothers, it may be added, sign the birth register by means of marks, 

 bring unable to write their own name. 



The writer mentioned several peculiarities in the case of Aberdeen, which com- 

 bine in a greater measure than in that of anv of the other large towns of Scotland, 

 1859. 15 



