POR 
POP 
ilie tnith. It has been asserted, that al- 
thoiigli more males are born than females, 
there are morfe females living than males. 
T'his opinion appears to have been formed 
from accounts of places of small extent, or 
in which the males belonging to such places, 
who at the time were employed in the 
army and sea-service were not included ; 
and if only the resident population is consi- 
dered, there certainly will appear an excess 
of females in almost every part of Great 
Britain. In the maritime counties there 
appears to be on an average 110 females to 
100 males, and in the inland counties 104 
females to 100 males. There can be no suf- 
ficient reason assigned for a greater pt'opor- 
tion of females residing in the counties 
whiehcontain sea ports, but their connection 
with males engaged in a seafaring life ; and 
in reality the proportion of females is not 
greater in these counties tlian in the others, 
but it unavoidably appears so in conse- 
quence of persons in the navy and mer- 
chants service having been accounted for in 
a body, and therefore not being included in 
the returnsof the parishes to which they be- 
long. Of tlie total number of males in 
Great Britain, it appears thatonein twenty- 
seven, or nearly four in 104, are in the 
army and militia, which corresponds with 
the appearance of an excess of females'in 
the inland counties, whence most of our 
soldiers, but scarce any sailors, are sup- 
plied ; and of the total number of males in 
Great Britain, the •army, navy, and seamen 
in the merchants service, amount together 
to one in Hi, or somewhat less than 10 out 
of 110 ; which agrees so nearly with the 
average excess of females in the maritime 
counties, that little doubt can remain that 
the appearance of an excess of females, has 
been caused merely by soldiers and sea- 
men not being included in the parochial re- 
turns. 
The total nnmher of males, including the 
army, navy, &r. was 5,4.50,292 ; the total 
of females 5,492,354, exceeding the males 
by 42,062, which difference of less than one 
in 100, may be accounted for by emigration 
from this country to the East and West In- 
dies, America, &e. very few females going 
fropi hence to reside in foreign parts in 
comparison with the number of males who 
are cmuiuualy leaving die coontiy in com- 
mercial pursuits, or from otiuT motives. The 
result of tlie eimmenation theretbi e strongly 
proves that the, number of males and te- 
rnales living is as nearly eipial as in a sub- 
ject of tins nature could be expected ; and 
the circumstance of a greater proportion of 
males being born, appears a necessary pro- 
vision for maintaining this equality, as pro- 
viding against the greater adventitious mor- 
tality among males in consequence of the 
casualties to which they are exposed, and 
particularly from war and navigation. 
An attempt was made to ascertain the po- 
pulation of France, by command of the go- 
vernment, in the tenth year of the Repub- 
lic, blit the account does not appear to liave 
been veiy accurately taken. The total 
population of the 102 departments into 
which France was tlien divided, was stated 
at 33,104,343 persons, over an extent of 
about 185,600 square miles. This account 
included thirteen departments incorporated 
with tlie north of France, four departments 
in the south, and some smaller acquisitions 
comprehending in the whole 23,790 square 
miles, containing 5,114,419 inhabitants. 
POPULUS, in botany, jmplar, a genus 
of the Dioecia Octandria class and order. 
Natural order of Amentacese. Essential 
character ; calyx of the ament a flat scale, 
torn at the edge; eorolla turbinate, oblique, 
entire ; female, stigma four-cleft ; capsule 
two celled ; seeds many, pappose. Tliere 
are eleven species; among which we shall 
notice the P. tremula, trembling poplar- 
tree, or asp, as it is called from the German 
espe, which is the general name for all pop- 
lars ; it has a green smooth bark ; the leaves 
at first breaking out are hairy above, and 
cottony underneath, but when full grown 
are smootln Linna;iis observes tliat they 
are rolled inw'ards at the edge, having two 
glands, running one into the other, on tlie 
inner side above the base ; he also observes 
that the leaf-stalks are flatted towards the 
end, which occasions the perpetual tremb- 
ling of the leaves with every breath of wind ; 
tlie petioles being flqt in the white and black 
poplars, as well as in this. Dr. Stokes ac- 
counts better for the phenomenon, from 
the plane of the long leaf-stalks being at 
right angles to that of the leaves, allowing 
them a much freer motion than could have 
taken place had thgir planes been parallel. 
The Highlanders of Scotland account for it, 
from a superstitious notion that our Saviour’s 
cross was made of this tree, and that there- 
fore the leaves can never rest. 
PORANA, in botany, a genus of the. 
Pentaiidria Moiiogynia class and order. 
Essentia! liiaracter; calyx five-ci 'ft, in.tlie 
fruit larger; corolla bell-sh'aped ; style serni- 
bitid, longer, permanent; stigmas globular; 
pericarp two-valved. There is only one 
F f 2. 
