Attempt to Estimate the Population of Melbourne. 175 



The census population, at oth April, 1891, can be taken as pro- 

 viding a correct birth rate for the first half of tliat year, viz., 

 17'987 per 1000. Taking that rate as a standard, and applying ifc 

 to 1894, we can pr-oceed to calculate back to the population which 

 would provide the number of births recorded, viz., 6955. The 

 figure of population thus brought out is 386,668. It is of course 

 a mere assumption that the birth rate of 1894 was the same as 

 that of 1891, and it cannot be claimed for these figures, therefore, 

 that they aie free from error. The question remains then 

 whether their correctness can be submitted to test. 



The death rate is, on the whole, a more vailable quantity, front 

 year to yeai-, than that of births, and if it cannot therefore be so 

 safely used for purposes of comparison, it may still be applie 1 as 

 a check in a similar way. 



Table II. 



Showin^Lj the nuiiiber of Deaths Eegistered in Melbourne and Siiburli 



for 1890-94. 



Taking again the year 1891, as that for which we have exact 

 figures, it appears that the death rate for the first half of th;ib 

 year was 9"06 per 1000. And using that rate as our basis it 

 results, that the population needed to produce the number of 

 deaths in the first half of 1894, viz., 3500, was 386,313. As thi:s 

 figure is almost identical with that arrived at on the basis of the 



