Of these 147 are women, the alleged stronger sex being thus only able to show 66 specimens who are managing to still "husband out life's taper" after the lapse of a century.

The preponderance of centenarians of the supposed weaker sex has led to the revival of some amusing theories tending to explain this phenomenon.

One cause of the longevity of women is stated to be, for instance, their propensity to talk much and to gossip, perpetual prattle being highly conducive, it is said, to the active circulation of the blood, while the body remains unfatigued and undamaged.

More serious theorists or statisticians, while commenting on the subject of the relative longevity of the sexes, attribute the supremacy of woman in the matter to the well-known cause, namely, that in general she leads a more calm and unimpassioned existence than a man, whose life is so often one of toil, trouble, and excitement.
Setting aside these theories, however, the census of French centenarians is not devoid of interest in some of its details.

At Rocroi an old soldier who fought under the First Napoleon in Russia passed the century limit last year.