[求助]大全937 - less than 与 fewer than E项的困惑

937. With a total population of less than two hundred and fewer breeding females than ever before, the American crocodile seemed a decade ago to be in danger of disappearing.

(A) of less than two hundred and fewer

(B) lower than two hundred and less

(C) lesser than two hundred and fewer

(D) fewer than two hundred and less（A）

                (E) of fewer than two hundred and of
                    fewer

正确A，我选E。a population of 短语排除BCD，没问题。

2个问题：

1，选项A似乎把a total pupolation of 与 fewer breeding females 并列，而选项E则把fewer than two hundred 与 fewer breeding femails 并列用来修饰a total population 所以错。是吗？

2，为什么用less than修饰two hundred？

谢谢

#1 原文的意思是  With a total population of less than two hundred and (with) fewer breeding females

#2其实在standard english里面我们即可以说 less than twenty people 也可以说fewer than twenty ppl...而且其实后面一个说法更符合可数名词+few 不可数名词+little的说法..但是一般这种前面有数字再加一个可数名词还是用less的比较多. 

为什么可以用a population of排除BCD

 (sales, population，weight) + of + less than

只是因为这个形式吗?

没有其它的错误吗?

请大家指点一下

万分感谢