We have looked for and found a possible spatial correlation between the present pulsar distribution and the estimated locations of the spiral arms at earlier epochs. Through a detailed statistical analysis we find a significant correlation between the present distribution of pulsars and the mass distribution (in the spiral arms) expected about 60 Myr ago for a corotation resonance radius of 14kpc. We discuss the implications of this correlation for the minimum mass of the progenitors of pulsars. Interpreting the spread in the locations of pulsars with respect to the past locations of the spiral arms as predominantly due to their space velocities, we derive an average velocity for the pulsar population.

A detailed statistical analysis of pulsarcurrent is presented. The conclusions reached are the following: (1) The birthrate of pulsars is about one in 75 ± 15 years. (2) There is evidence forinjection of pulsars into the population of solitary pulsars. Such an injection is particularly pronounced in the magnetic field range 12 < logB < 12.6. (3) This is interpreted as due torecycled pulsars being released into the population. (4) We tentatively conclude that as much as 10 – 15% of all pulsars may have been born and processed in binary systems.

We explore a simple model for the representation of the observed distributions of the motions, and the characteristic ages of the local population of pulsars. The principal difference from earlier models is the introduction of a unique value,S, for the kick velocity with which pulsars are born. We consider separately the proper motion components in galactic longitude and latitude, and find that the distributions of the velocity components parallel and perpendicular to the galactic plane are represented satisfactorily byS = 200 km/sec, and leave no room for a significant fraction of much higher velocities. The successful proposition of a unique value for the kick velocity may provide an interesting tool in attempts to understand the physical process leading to the expulsion of the neutron star.