38 CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



ascertaining the healthiness or unhealthiness of the various 

 parts of the Island in reference to the duration of life. 

 Returns of the mortality amongst the troops at the different 

 stations would throw some light on their comparative healthi- 

 ness, though it would not do to take such returns as data for 

 the entire European population, for the habits of most of the 

 common soldiers are unfavorable to health in a tropical 

 climate. 



It would also be very desirable to keep a record of all 

 Births of European descent, with a view to shew the relative 

 proportion of males and females, and thus throwing some 

 light upon a question, lately raised at home as to the effect 

 of tropical climates upon Europeans, in the relative produc- 

 tion of the sexes. It has been advanced by the French 

 statists, that the consequence of a tropical residence is to 

 throw the preponderance of births on the female side, con- 

 trary to the law in northern latitudes ; but this opinion would 

 not appear to be borne out by either Ceylon or Madras, 

 where a somewhat hasty glance at the records of births in 

 onr possession, would go to prove that, as in Europe, the 

 balance is in favour of the male sex. During a period of 10 

 years, the average result in this Island, is at 122 males to 100 

 females. 



The Educational and Criminal statistics of this Colony, 

 have already been the subject of a Paper by our President, 

 and it is therefore hardly necessary for me to recur to the 

 matter at this time, unless to express my conviction of the 

 importance of the enquiry, an importance equalled only by 

 the difficulty of obtaining correct data in reference thereto. 

 It is, however, a subject well worthy of our attention. At a 

 future time, we may look for returns from the inferior Courts, 

 where a vast amount of crime must necessarily come under 

 the surveillance of the Magistrates, especially since the estab- 

 lishment of the new Police force. 



