[3028] According to Mr. Jacob’s comprehensive manuscript collection of Jewish statistics, which he has kindly allowed me to examine, the average proportion of male and female Jewish births registered in various countries is 114·50 males to 100 females, whilst the average proportion among the non-Jewish population of the corresponding countries is 105·25 males to 100 females. But Mr. Jacobs thinks that the accuracy of these statistics may be called in question, as the abnormal figures for Austria (128 to 100, in the years 1861-1870) and Russia (129 to 100, in the years 1867-1870), when compared with those for Posen (108 to 100, in the years 1819-1873) and Prussia (108 to 100, in the years 1875-1881), render it likely that some uniform error occurs in the registration of Jewish female children in Eastern Europe. It has also been suggested that less care is taken in the registration of females among poor Jews. Moreover, still-born children are not included in the rates of births, and this certainly affects the figures as to sex, because, parturition being more difficult in the case of males than in that of females, there are not so many still-born females as still-born males (v. Oettingen, loc. cit. p. 57). E. Nagel attributes the excess of male births among Jews to the greater care which Jewish wives take of their health during pregnancy, as also to the smaller number of illegitimate births. But Mr. Jacobs believes that the ratio of male births is greater among Jews than among non-Jewish Europeans, even if we take this objection into account.
[3029] Brehm, ‘Bird-Life,’ p. 270. Darwin, ‘The Descent of Man,’ vol. i. pp. 382, et seq.
[3030] Chervin, loc. cit. p. 38.
[3031] Goehlert, in ‘Zeitschr. f. Ethnol.,’ vol. xiii. p. 127.
[3032] Armstrong, loc. cit. p. 195.
[3033] Jones, in ‘Smith. Rep.,’ 1866, p. 326 (Kutchin). Dall, loc. cit. p. 403 (Kaniagmuts). Schoolcraft, loc. cit. vol. v. p. 183 (Blackfeet). Bosman, loc. cit. pp. 423, 527; Waitz, loc. cit. vol. ii. p. 121 (Negroes). Andree, loc. cit. p. 142 (Jews). Steller, loc. cit. pp. 347, et seq. (Kamchadales). Riedel, loc. cit. p. 263 (people of Aru).
[3034] Algonquins (Heriot, loc. cit. p. 329), Pelew Islanders (Bastian, ‘Rechtsverhältnisse,’ p. 31), Malays (Zimmermann, loc. cit. vol. i. p. 27), people of Aru (Riedel, p. 263), Negroes (Reade, loc. cit. pp. 45, 243. Moore, loc. cit. p. 242. Waitz, vol. ii. pp. 121, et seq.), Massagetæ (Beauregard, in ‘Bull. Soc. d’Anthr.,’ ser. iii. vol. v. p. 264, note 6), Azteks (Bancroft, loc. cit. vol. ii. p. 267).
[3035] Ashe, loc. cit. p. 249.
[3036] Hearne, loc. cit. p. 93.
[3037] Walla Wallas (Wilkes, loc. cit. vol. iv. pp. 400, et seq.), Thlinkets, Mosquitoes, New Zealanders (Waitz, vol. iii. p. 328; vol. iv. p. 291; vol. vi. p. 131), Chinese (Gray, loc. cit. vol. i. p. 185).