This is getting pointless quibble-y, but they said "not nearly as many as now" not "less than now." 263.6 is nearly as many as 240 by any sensible definition; I

This is getting pointless quibble-y, but they said "not nearly as many as now" not "less than now." 263.6 is nearly as many as 240 by any sensible definition; I took them to be suggesting a significant decrease for some common-sense definition of "significant."