68 Bates of Mortality 



published results of the censuses of 1856 and 1861. In the 

 census book for 1856, the numbers living at each age from to 

 60, are given, and I was at first disappointed at finding that for 

 the census of 1861 the numbers are given for periods of 5 years 

 only, for ages above 15 years. I ceased, however, to regret the 

 omission when I examined more particularly the return for 1856, 

 for it shows most clearly that the particular numbers are not at 

 all to be relied upon. It is evident that a large proportion of the 

 people gave their ages in round numbers only. There is a large 

 and indeed impossible preponderance of numbers at the particular 

 ages 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. For instance, the number at the 

 ages 39, 40, 41, are 2458, S454, 1908 respectively. At ages 44, 

 45, 46, the numbers are 2143, 4158, 2116. We have thus excessive 

 numbers at the ages 40 and 45, whereas it may be considered 

 as almost certain that the numbers at ages from 40 to 45 would, 

 if stated truly, differ very little from one another. I have been 

 obliged therefore to ignore the particular numbers, and to take 

 the totals for periods of five years, and I have reason to believe 

 that the numbers so obtained may be relied upon as sufficiently 

 near the truth. The English tables to which I have alluded were 

 formed from similar data, the numbers at particular ages being 

 found by interpolation. 



I have good reason for believing that the returns respecting 

 births and deaths may be relied upon. There is no doubt that 

 most of the deaths have been registered, and the corresponding 

 ages stated more accurately than at the censuses. Unfortunately, 

 however, in the tabulated returns the exact ages at death are 

 not stated for ages above 5 years, but for intervals of five years 

 only. Thus the number of deaths each year between the ages 

 of 40 and 45 is given, but not the numbers at the particular 



Table A in the appendix to this paper shews the percentages 

 that die annually in New South Wales and in England of those 

 attaining the ages stated. The percentages of deaths at ages 

 under 5 years are given for every year of age. They were cal- 

 culated from the returns respecting births and deaths during 9 

 years, and quite independently of the censuses. They may be 

 relied upon therefore, as close approximations to the truth, 

 although they shew results differing widely from those obtained 

 in other countries. 



The per-centages for ages above 5 years are given for periods 

 of 5 years only. They were calculated from the results of the 

 censuses of 1856 and 1861, and from the records of deaths during 

 the intervening years. In order to test the accuracy of the 

 results so obtained, I made the calculations otherwise by assum- 

 ing the numbers determined by the census of 1861, to be the 

 true average of the numbers living at the several ages, during a 



