Of the male sex there were 17,980,476, of the female 18,-122.445; owing to the war, the decrease of the former since 1866 had been almost double that of the latter (235,880 to 131,105). In respect to occupation the total population of France was, according to the official census of 1866, classified as follows:

The agricultural population in 1866 was less than in 1851, in which year it amounted to 21,992,874; and in 1872 it showed again a considerable decrease, which, as in many other countries, may be ascribed to the progress of commerce and manufactures, and to the attraction of the cities. The following table shows the number of births and deaths during each of the six years ending with 1870:

It will be seen that the excess of births, even before the Franco-German war, had been considerably reduced from its usual ratio; and that in 1870 it gave Way to an alarming excess of deaths, which is not fully accounted for by the ravages of the war, but indicates a progressive decrease of fecundity in the population. Twice before there had been an excess of deaths over births, in 1854 of 69,318, and in 1855 of 35,606. The illegitimate children in 1865 constituted 7.65 per cent., of all births; in 1866, 7.62; in 1867, 7.62; in 1868, 7.62; in 1869, 7.48; in 1870, 7.46. The relation of marriages to the entire population was in 1865 as 1 to every 126.8 inhabitants; in 1866, 1 to 122.5; in 1867,1 to 127; in 1868, 1 to 127'3; in 1869, 1 to 121.4; in 1870, 1 to 165. In no previous year since 1815 had the decrease of marriages been so large as in 1870. The general proportion from 1825 to 1869 had been 1 to from 118 to 128, with the exception of 1847, when it was 1 to 142. The loss of inhabitants by emigration is very small.

From 1849 to 1858 the number of emigrants was less than 200,000, while the German emigrants numbered more than 1,200,000, and those from Great Britain 2,750,000. From 1859 to 1863 only 40,000 emigrated, including 10,000 to Algeria. In the following table all the cities of France having more than 70,000 inhabitants are arranged according to population:

The bulk of the French nation consists of the descendants of Gallo-Romans mixed with German and Scandinavian barbarians (Burgundians, Goths, Franks, and Northmen), who invaded Gaul between the 5th and 10th centuries. But the latter elements are far from being important, and the French may be called a neo-Latin race; their language partakes of the same character, being Latin with a slight admixture of Germanic and Celtic. Although the various races have melted into a single people, some of the original types may be still traced, especially in the remote parts of the country or along the frontiers. The inhabitants of Brittany mostly retain the characteristic features of their ancestors, and the Breton language is still spoken in the western part of that province. The Basques preserve their primitive language. The German element of the population has been reduced to an insignificant number by the cession of Alsace and Lorraine. The Corsicans speak Italian. The inhabitants of other than French descent were in 1872 estimated as follows: Walloons, 1,800,000; Celts, 1,100,000; Italians, 400,000; Basques, 200,000; Spaniards, 100,000; Flemings, 100,-000; Jews, 46,000; gypsies, 10,000; Cagots (in the Pyrenees), 5,000.-Although, as has been stated, 53 per cent. of the population of France, and a very much larger proportion of the land, are devoted to agriculture, yet this department of production is far from being in an advanced state of progress, when compared with the agriculture of other nations.

By some writers this is attributed to the effect of the law of 1793, which requires the division of estates equally among the children of the testator, and has thus divided France into millions of small farms whose owners have not sufficient capital to cultivate them in the best manner. Comparatively few kinds of labor-saving machinery are in use; the methods of culture are generally primitive and unintelligent on the smaller farms, and the great land owners have only introduced more modern methods within the last 15 or 20 years.-In manufactures, on the other hand, great progress has been made; and as respects the extent and value of her products, France ranks as a manufacturing country next to Great Britain. While she cannot enter into competition with the latter in the manufacture of cotton goods and several other valuable articles, she excels her and other countries in nearly all those requiring particular taste and elegance. Her silk goods hold the most prominent place in this respect. St. Etienne, Lyons, Avignon, Nimes, and Tours are the principal seats of this important manufacture, the excellence of which is sufficiently proved by the fact that four fifths of its products are exported.

In the manufactures of jewelry and bronze goods France exceeds every other country of the globe; their principal seat is Paris. The capital is also the great centre of the fabrication of surgical and philosophical instruments, books, and what is especially called l'article-modes. The publishing business is also carried on with some activity in Lyons, Tours, and several other large cities. Lace, tulle; and embroideries are mostly manufactured in and around Nancy and St. Quentin. Iron works are to be found in various parts of France; the most important are at Creuzot, Nevers, and St. Etienne; the product of pig iron has been on the increase, but is not yet sufficient to supply all the manufactories. The making of cutlery is principally carried on at Paris, Langres, Chatellerault, Moulins, and Thiers; hardware is produced at the same places, as well as St. Eitienne, Charleville, etc. There are manufactories of fine porcelain and earthenware at Sevres, Limoges, Nevers, and Montereau; the porcelain of Sevres is much and justly esteemed.