236 IOWA STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY 
the prosperity of a people and in this respect New Zealand makes 
a particularly good showing. The death-rate in 1921 was 8.73 
per thousand, while the birth-rate for the same year was 23.34 
per thousand; that is, the birth-rate was two and one-half times 
as great as the death-rate. When one sees the remarkably fine 
sturdy children it becomes evident that the population is being 
replaced by children of superior grade and in satisfactory num- 
bers. At this rate of increase the country will soon be adequately 
populated with a stock as purely British and of the same superb 
qualities as are exhibited by the present generation. Indeed, from 
a purely biological standpoint, that of eugenics, I doubt if any 
country has a better prospect before it than has New Zealand. 
I very greatly enjoyed a visit to the estate of Mr. Stead, one of 
the leading ornithologists of the country. Indeed, I was told that 
he knew more about the birds of the Dominion than any other 
living authority. His place is at Islam, Islam Road, one of the 
suburbs of Christchurch. After leaving the tram, the walk was 
delightful. Islam Road is hemmed in in places by very high 
hedges trimmed so as to form a perpendicular wall of green 
foliage, even in winter. Some of these hedges must have been at 
least twelve feet high, and they shut out the view of the grounds 
beyond with true English exclusiveness. Arriving at a gate with 
a sign ‘‘Islam,’’ I walked along a winding driveway among the 
trees, many of which were pine, interspersed with beautiful shrub- 
bery. The house, evidently the home of wealth and refinement, 
soon came into view and I was greeted very pleasantly by Mr. 
Stead, my host, who is a comparatively young, athletic-looking 
man who, for a wonder, neither drank nor smoked, the latter be- 
ing quite an exceptional thing among New Zealanders. There was 
another guest, a Mr. Wilson, who evidently had a good scientific 
‘and practical knowledge of botany and ornithology, and who 
seemed to be a man of culture and abundant means. 
We strolled through the charming gardens before going in to 
lunch, and these were so beautiful even in winter that one can well 
imagine their charm in summer time. It seems to me that they 
afford an excellent model of landscape gardening, with a clear 
meandering trout stream harboring many interesting aquatic 
plants, and thickets which furnished a delightful retreat for the 
numerous bird friends of our host. He was a typical, out-door 
naturalist who knew the intimate ways and manners of the wood- 
land birds, some of which he brought near by imitating their own 
