576 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 
fall; but supposing it to continue, and another 1 per cent. to be 
allowed for excess of immigration over emigration, or 3 per cent. 
in all, this is quite as high a rate of increase as is at all likely to 
be realised, and one which would admit of the population doubling 
itself in 224 years, or in a shorter period by 23 years than the 
unprecedently short time in which the population of the United 
States has become doubled. 
The official statistics of past years afford no guide as to what 
the increase in the numbers of sheep and cattle has been in the 
past or is likely to be in the future, as those statistics have been 
based upon estimates which, in the few cases in which an attempt 
has been made to verify them ata general census, have been 
found to be quite erroneous. Their unreliable character, more- 
over, is borne out by the fluctuations which the figures would 
make it appear had taken place in the rates of increase at the 
different periods, as shown in the following table :— 
APPARENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SHEEP AND CATTLE 
IN AUSTRALIA AT QUINQUENNIAL PERIODS. 
Sheep. Cattle. 
voar Apparent Quinquennial Apparent Quinquennial 
Benimated Increase. Hemineted Increase. 
Number. Number. 
Numerical. |C’nt’sml Numerical. | Centesimal. 
1863 | 24,819,312 —_ — 3,853,688 = = 
1868 | 39,346,008 | 14,526,696 | 58°53 | 3,592,796 | — 260,892 = 6:14 
1873 | 43,948,576 4,602,568 | 11°70) 5,243,204 | 1,650,408 45°93 
1878 | 49,737,531 5,788,955 | 18°17| 6,738,941 | 1,490,737 28°43 
1883 | 68,154,228 | 18,416,697 | 37:03) 7,568,618 834,677 12°39 
1888 | 80,028,442 | 11,874,214 | 17°42] 8,172,321 603,703 7:98 
The figures in the table would appear to indicate, in regard to 
sheep, that whilst the large increase of 59 per cent. took place 
between 1863 and 1868, the increase was only 12 per cent. 
between 1868 and 1873, and no more than 13 per cent. between 
1873 and 1878; that it rose to 37 per cent. between 1878 and 
1883, and was only 17 per cent. between 1883 and 1888 ; also, in 
regard to cattle, that there was an actual falling-off of 7 per cent. 
between 1863 and 1868, followed by the large increase of 46 per 
cent. in the next quinquennial period, by the increase of 28 per 
cent. between 1873 and 1878, 12 per cent. between 1878 and 
1883, and only 8 per cent. between 1883 and 1888. 
