The decline of the birthrate then is a general one, and though France and Ireland show the lowest figures, the decline is most rapid in England, Germany and Scotland. We meet with the same phenomenon in the United States and Australia. The fact presents itself still more strikingly if we proceed to compare the number of births with the number of married women between the 15th and 49th year of age: LEGITIMATE CHILDREN BORN TO 1,000 MARRIED WOMEN BETWEEN THE FIFTEENTH AND FORTY-NINTH YEAR. ==================+========================== | DECADES +-------------------------- | 1876 1886 1896 | to 1885 to 1895 to 1905 ------------------+-------------------------- England and Wales | 250 259 203 Scotland | 271 255 235 Ireland | 250 245 264 Denmark | 244 235 217 Norway | 262 259 246 Sweden | 240 231 219 Finland | 259 246 244 Austria | 246 250 242 Hungary | 234 235 216 Switzerland | 239 230 225 German Empire | 268 258 243 Prussia | 273 265 250 Bavaria | 276 263 259 Saxony | 267 250 216 Wurtemberg | 288 259 262 Baden | 266 248 251 Netherlands | 293 286 272 Belgium | 264 236 213 France | 167 150 132 Italy | 248 249 232 ------------------+-------------------------- The above enumerated facts go to prove that the birth of a human being, “God’s image,” as religious persons say, is, on an average, estimated below the value of a newly-born domestic animal.