PROPORTION OF THE SEXES. 253 



producing tendency is inherited. But as the above numbers are 

 so extremely scanty, I have searched for additional evidence, 

 but cannot decide whether what I have found is trustworthy; 

 nevertheless the facts are, perhaps, worth giving. The Maories 

 of New Zealand have long practiced infanticide; and Mr. Fen- 

 ton"' states that he "has met with instances of women who have 

 "destroyed four, six, and even seven children, mostly females. 

 "However, the universal testimony of those best qualified to 

 "judge, is conclusive that this custom has for many years been 

 "almost extinct. Probably the year 1835 may be named as the 

 "period of its ceasing to exist." Now amongst the New Zea- 

 landers, as with the Todas, male births are considerably in ex- 

 cess. Mr. Penton remarks (p. 30), "One fact is certain, although 

 "the exact period of the commencement of this singular condi- 

 "tion of the disproportion of the sexes cannot be demonstratively 

 "fixed, it is quite clear that this course of decrease was in full 

 "operation during the years 1830 to 1844, when the non-adult 

 "population of 1844 was being produced, and has continued with 

 "great energy up to the present time." The following statements 

 are taken from Mr. Fenton (p. 26), but as the numbers are not 

 large, and as the census was not accurate, uniform results cannot 

 be expected. It should be borne in mind in this and the follow- 

 ing cases, that the normal state of every population is an excess 

 of women, at least -in all civilized countries, chiefly owing to the 

 greater mortality of the male sex during youth, and partly to acci- 

 dents of all kinds later in life. In 1858, the native population of 

 New Zealand was estimated as consisting of 31,637 males and 

 24,303 females of all ages, that is in the ratio of 130.3 males to 

 100 females. But during this same year, and in certain limited 

 districts, the numbers were ascertained with much care, and the 

 males of all ages were here 753 and the females 616; that is in 

 the ratio of 122.2 males to 100 females. It is more important 

 for us that during this same year of 1858, the non-adult males 

 within the same district were found to be 178, and the non-adult 

 females 142, that is in the ratio of 125.3 to 100. It may be added 

 that in 1844, at which period female infanticide had only lately 

 ceased, the non-adult males in one district were 281, and the 

 non-adult females only 194, that is in the ratio of 144.8 males to 

 100 females. 



In the Sandwich Islands, the males exceed the females in 

 number. Infanticide was formerly practiced there to a frightful 

 extent, but was by no means confined to female infants, as is 

 showrx by Mr. Ellis,"" and as I have been informed by Bishop 



°° 'Aboriginal Inhabitants of New Zealand ; Government Report,' 

 1S59, p. 36. 

 «s 'Narrative of a Tour through Hawaii," 1826, p. 298. 



