600 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 



possible from their houses, and in the Southern States of America — 

 which only in a single instance approach as near the north tropical 

 boundary as about the twenty-third parallel of latitude — negroes sleep 

 as much as they can in the intervals of labor by day, and hold their 

 revels by night. 



The American author already quoted arrives at the conclusion — 

 which will doubtless be pronounced extreme by many — that the white 

 race in the United States must ultimately die out in all except the 

 most northern cities of the Eepublic. If this be not strong presumptive 

 testimony in favor of the extension of the heat-belt to latitude 30, 

 words cease to convey ideas. He also ascribes the declining birth rate 

 in the tropics and sub-tropics to insufficient pigmentation of the skin, 

 and, on this ground, insists that only a few of the German immigrants 

 to South America in the corresponding zone will see the third genera- 

 tion. The decrease in the AustraHan birth rate, with the nervousness 

 and exhaustion of many native-born Australians, he ascribes to their 

 exposure to the penetrative rays of light incident to most Australian 

 latitudes. 



Professor Baldwin Spencer, whose personal knowledge of large 

 sections of the Northern Territory certainly qualifies him to express 

 his views on the subject, wrote to me last year approving the central 

 steppe lands for settlement, but he adds — " Whether the more northern 

 part of the Territory is a white man's land is a very different matter. 

 From personal experience during a summer in the gulf country, I should 

 say that the coastal parts of the Northern Territory are not suited for 

 white men — at least not if anything like hard manual labor has to be 

 undertaken. In my opinion there is a belt of country in tropical Aus- 

 tralia — northern territory of Queensland — which can only be worked 

 with the aid of colored labor." 



Dr. W. Hartigan contributes to the " Journal of Tropical Medicine " 

 an article on " Fit and Unfit Persons for Residence in Warm CHmates." 

 The writer says — " While living in China I had often noticed how many 

 more or less delicate men had been advised ' to go out East, as they 

 would be sure to improve.' Now, when examining in London for 

 various Far-Eastern firms, I have frequently to reject applicants as 

 ' unfit ' who had likewise been told that they ought not to remain in 

 England, but would get on capitally in China or Burmah or Peru, as 

 the case may be. Such advice has usually not been given by those 

 who have had tropical experience or made a special study of epidemi- 

 ology .... The weedy, narrow-chested, undersized, aneemic 

 applicants, with their sandy or fair hair, pale, pinched features, too 

 clear or high-colored complexion ; and likewise the gawky, unde- 

 developed, lanky skeleton, with straight, lustreless, dark hair, probably 

 bright eyes, but sallow, jaundiced features ; or, again, the physically 

 well-built middle-sized man, uncertain and slow of speech, with a dull, 

 heavy expression and face of unhealthy colorless hue .... are, 

 all unsuited for the tropics. The former become early victims of 

 tropical anaemia .... loss of energy, and inabiUty to work, 

 and readily succumb to prevalent intestinal diseases. Another type 



