_Sheep._—The sexes of sheep are not ascertained by agriculturists until several months after birth, at the period when the males are castrated; so that the following returns do not give the proportions at birth. Moreover, I find that several great breeders in Scotland, who annually raise some thousand sheep, are firmly convinced that a larger proportion of males than of females die during the first one or two years; therefore the proportion of males would be somewhat greater at birth than at the age of castration. This is a remarkable coincidence with what occurs, as we have seen, with mankind, and both cases probably depend on some common cause. I have received returns from four gentlemen in England who have bred lowland sheep, chiefly Leicesters, during the last ten or sixteen years; they amount altogether to 8965 births, consisting of 4407 males and 4558 females; that is in the proportion of 96.7 males to 100 females. With respect to Cheviot and black-faced sheep bred in Scotland, I have received returns from six breeders, two of them on a large scale, chiefly for the years 1867-1869, but some of the returns extending back to 1862. The total number recorded amounts to 50,685, consisting of 25,071 males and 25,614 females, or in the proportion of 97.9 males to 100 females. If we take the English and Scotch returns together, the total number amounts to 59,650, consisting of 29,478 males and 30,172 females, or as 97·7 to 100. So that with sheep at the age of castration the females are certainly in excess of the males; but whether this would hold good at birth is doubtful, owing to the greater liability in the males to early death.[376] Of _Cattle_ I have received returns from nine gentlemen of 982 births, too few to be trusted; these consisted of 477 bull-calves and 505 cow-calves; _i.e._ in the proportion of 94·4 males to 100 females. The Rev. W. D. Fox informs me that in 1867 out of 34 calves born on a farm in Derbyshire only one was a bull. Mr. Harrison Weir writes to me that he has enquired from several breeders of _Pigs_, and most of them estimate the male to the female births as about 7 to 6. This same gentleman has bred _Rabbits_ for many years, and has noticed that a far greater number of bucks are produced than does.