116 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. No. 4

| Class. | Causes of Death. | | Auckland. | | Wellington. | | Christchurch. | | Dunedin. | | Total. |
| | Orders, Diseases, &c. | | Under 5 Years. | 5 Years and over. | Under 5 Years. | 5 Years and over. | Under 5 Years. | 5 Years and over. | Under 5 Years. | 5 Years and over. | |
| VII.—ILL-DEFINED AND NOT-SPECIFIED CAUSES. | Dropsy .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| | Atrophy and Debility .. | .. | 23 | .. | 22 | 1 | 14 | .. | 3 | .. | 63 |
| | Inanition .. | .. | 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 |
| | Tumour .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| | Abscess .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| | Hæmorrhage .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 |
| | Sudden (cause uncertain) .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| | Found dead .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| | Total Class VIII. | .. | 26 | 2 | 24 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 74 |
| | Total Deaths .. | .. | 245 | 235 | 139 | 235 | 79 | 148 | 88 | 207 | 1,376 |

Number of Deaths of Persons of 65 Years and upwards registered in the Four Chief Boroughs of New Zealand during the Year 1885.

| Boroughs. | Total Deaths of Persons over 65. | 65 to 70. | | 70 to 75. | | 75 to 80. | | 80 to 85. | | 85 to 90. | | 90 and upwards. |
| | | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. |
| Auckland .. | 52 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | 1 |
| Wellington .. | 32 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | 3 | .. | .. |
| Christchurch .. | 19 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Dunedin .. | 30 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. |
| Totals .. | 133 | 27 | 23 | 23 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |

Birth-rates.—The birth-rates for 1885 were again much higher for Auckland and Wellington than for Christchurch and Dunedin. Although the estimates of population given may be somewhat incorrect, yet there cannot be errors of sufficient magnitude to account for the differences. The extremely low rate in Christchurch is attributed to the presence in the population of unduly high proportions of unmarried persons and of married persons of mature years; these proportions being raised by the settlement outside of the borough of young married people, for economical reasons.

The numbers and conditions of the population will be obtained at the ensuing census, when the causes for these wide differences can be better ascertained.

Death-rates.—The death-rates for Auckland and Wellington were very much higher than for Christchurch and Dunedin, and considerably in excess of the rates in 1884. The rates for the two years were as follow:—

Deaths per 1,000 of the Mean Population.

| | 1884. | 1885. |
| Auckland | 15·27 | 16·83 |
| Wellington | 15·54 | 16·21 |
| Christchurch | 13·08 | 13·79 |
| Dunedin | 12·95 | 11·81 |

Comparatively high as are the rates for Auckland and Wellington, they yet compare favourably with the death-rates in urban districts in England and the adjoining Australian Colonies. The higher birth-rates largely increase the death-rates, as a large percentage of infants die within one year of their birth. Thus, if the Auckland birth-rate had been the same as that for Wellington, the smaller number of infantile deaths that would have occurred in consequence would have reduced the general death-rate to 16·24 per 1,000 of the population, or nearly the same as in Wellington, where the rate was 16·21 per 1,000. If the birth-rate had been the same as in Christchurch, even with the high rate of mortality among children under one year of age (14·45 per cent.) maintained, the general death-rate would have been reduced to 15·01 per 1,000.

Infantile Mortality.—The following table gives the number of deaths in 1884 of children under one year of age, and the proportion to the total births. The proportion of these deaths was greatest in Auckland, which also had the highest birth-rate and the highest general death-rate. In Dunedin, where the general death-rate was lowest, the infantile mortality was also least.

| Boroughs. | Total Births. | Deaths of Children under 1 Year of Age. | Proportion per cent. of Deaths of Children under 1 Year of Age to Total Births. |
| Auckland | 1,343 | 194 | 14·45 |
| Wellington | 992 | 102 | 10·28 |
| Christchurch | 432 | 58 | 13·43 |
| Dunedin | 717 | 69 | 9·62 |
| Totals | 3,484 | 423 | 12·14 (Mean.) |

A further comparison is hereunder made, showing the deaths of children under 5 years, and the proportions of such deaths to the total deaths:—

| Boroughs. | Total Deaths. | Deaths of Children under 5 Years of Age. | Proportion per cent. of Deaths of Children under 5 Years of Age to Total Deaths. |
| Auckland | 480 | 245 | 51·04 |
| Wellington | 374 | 139 | 37·17 |
| Christchurch | 227 | 79 | 34·80 |
| Dunedin | 295 | 88 | 29·83 |
| Totals | 1,376 | 551 | 40·04 (Mean.) |

The high death-rate per 1,000 of the population in Auckland is thus largely due to a much greater mortality among young children.