In the first place, it is noteworthy that the birth-rate varies with practical Catholicism in France, being much higher in those Departments where the Church is more flourishing. As was shown by Professor Meyrick Booth in 1914, there are certain districts of France where the birth-rate is _higher_ than in the usual English country districts. For example, the birth-rate in Finistère was 27.1, in Pas-de-Calais 26.6, and in Morbihan 25.8. On the other hand, in many Departments the birth-rate was lower than the death-rate. This occurred, for example, in Lot, Haute Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, and in Gers. In the two last-named Departments the birth-rates were 13.6 and 13.0 respectively. In the following table I have tabulated more recent figures concerning the vital statistics in these two groups of Departments, and rates for the two periods of five years, 1909-1913, and 1915-1919, in each group are compared. It will be noted that in the three Departments, where practical Catholicism is most flourishing, TABLE III 1909-1913. 1915-1919. Departments. Rates per 1000 Still- Deaths Rates per 1000 population Births under population per 1 year Living Deaths National 1000 per Births Deaths Births Increase Births 1000 living births Finistère. 27.2 18.1 +9.1 4.0 116.7 15.9 18.2 Pas-de-Calais 26.8 17.4 +9.4 4.2 135.3 -- -- Morbihan. 25.7 17.8 +7.9 4.4 113.7 15.0 19.0 _Total Averages. 26.5 17.7 +8.8 4.2 121.9 15.4 18.6_ Lot. 15.0 21.0 -6.0 4.5 148.0 7.5 20.6 Haute Garonne. 15.1 20.4 -5.3 4.0 121.3 9.0 22.5 Tarn-et-Garonne 14.9 20.1 -5.1 4.7 134.7 7.9 20.7 Lot-et-Garonne. 13.7 19.1 -5.4 4.4 112.0 7.4 20.1 Gers. 13.2 19.2 -6.0 4.1 102.4 6.8 19.8 _Total Averages. 14.3 19.9 -5.5 4.3 123.6 7.7 20.7_ there is a high birth-rate, and moreover that in these Departments both the death-rate and the infant mortality rate is _lower_ than in the five Departments with the lowest birth-rate. Professor Meyrick Booth's comments are as follows: