An apology is scarcely required for explaining an easy method of constructing select mortality tables; and it is hoped that the method now described and illustrated will prove useful to others, and that they also will find that it gives results sufficiently accurate for all ordinary purposes.

Hitherto, select mortality tables have been constructed only by very elaborate processes; and the amount of labour involved is practically prohibitive in such cases as occur now and then in actuarial practice. Possibly many actuaries do not often require special tables of the kind, but occasions do arise where it is of real importance to construct them. This happened to me in respect of the experience of the female annuitants of the Royal National Pension Fund for Nurses, and hence the method which I now suggest was devised.

It will be recalled that the President remarked in his recent Address that a paper of modest scope on the tabulation of the coming Census would be welcome as a means of promoting a discussion at this Institute. The present paper has accordingly been written in the hope that it may serve to elicit suggestions, for possible submission to the authorities, as to points in censal tabulation in which actuaries are specially interested. The fact that important data as to ages of children in relation to the ages of parents will be available for the first time as a result, of the forthcoming Census seems to make it specially advisable that the actuarial profession should consider the subject of tabulation while there is yet time to give effect to practicable proposals. For this reason the present paper is confined to questions of tabulation. Presumably there will be opportunity later for consideration of the many interesting questions that arise upon the subjects of graduation and adjustment and with regard to the National life Tables.