THE MALTHUSIAN THEORY 



The low death-rates as registered in most of the 

 above colonies cannot fail to be observed with amaze- 

 ment, if not with suspicion. Especially is this the 

 case in regard to New Zealand. 



My first feeling upon noting them was one of utter 

 incredulity, and for a time the only explanation that 

 occurred to me was that the registration was in a 

 very defective state. But further consideration supplied 

 me with another and more satisfactory explanation. 



In European countries the proportion of deaths 

 to the population may be accepted as correctly indi- 

 cating the average duration of life, for it is not 

 materially affected by the amount of emigration or 

 immigration that takes place ; but the case is other- 

 wise with the sparsely peopled colonies 'of Australasia. 

 New Zealand receives every year from the Mother 

 Country and from Australia a considerable influx of 



