XVUl INTRODUCTION. 



Sex. 



The number of females of any species is supposed by 

 many naturalists to exceed that of the males, but this 

 is pure hypothesis. We only seem to have any true 

 statistics in the case of the human race, the dog, and 

 perhaps the Alaska Seal. In these it is generally 

 accepted that the sexes are of almost the same number. 

 We must not suppose that by observing an abundance 

 of one sex in a certain district or at a certain time, 

 that the particular sex is predominant ; we find a super- 

 abundance of females in England, and a like proportion 

 of the opposite sex in Australia. 



Again, the Eed Deer and others congregate in herds 

 of different sexes at different times of the year. 



Although the Fur Seal is polygamous, yet the propor- 

 tion of the young is equal, the young bachelors con- 

 gregating together separately, as also do the females 

 before and after leaving the Prybilov Islands. 



The males in migrating arrive several weeks before 

 the females, as in the case of birds. 



The sexes of cattle and sheep are of about equal 

 numbers. 



Fashion. 



Fashion exercises a great influence over the prices of 

 furs. Skins, that for some years have been neglected, 

 and almost unsaleable, owing to the vagaries of fashion, 

 suddenly assume a high value, an advance of 50 or 100 

 per cent, in these days of quick communication and 

 transit not being much thought of, although a rise of 



