over,it fell mostly within five successive duys, while the downfall of the present 

 month, was very fairly distributed r.hroughout the month. The largest 

 quantity recorded for any day was "73 of an inch, and noted on the 24th 

 August, 1857, had nearly as much rain registered (3 '47) inches) fis the present 

 mouth — last year had 3*29 inches, Ijut all other years were much below. Snow 

 showers were frecj^uent and copious in the city on the 17th, and the unusual 

 spectacle of streets, housetops, &c., mantled with it, was a rich treat to the 

 young Tasmanians. Indeed the beautiful moonlight scene was one redolent with 

 old associations of the home of their youth to many of the citizens too. Snow 

 was never absent from Mount Wellington during the month, and additions 

 thereon, were noted on the 4th, 5th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 27th, and 31st. 



Humidity mean, 79, was nearly that of the 20 years' standard, being only 

 half a degree less. 



Elastic force of Vapor mean was 266, being — 11 less than the 20 years' 

 mean, and — 1 6 less than the previous month of July had, a fact worthy of 

 remembrance in connection with the very different amount of deaths in each 

 month. 



Spontaneous Evaporation amounted to much less than rain-faU being only 

 2 "93 inches. 



Cloud raesm was 6"80. being -f l"2l above the 20 years' mean ; indeed, with 

 the exception of 1854, which had a mean of 7, it was the cloudiest August of 

 23 years. 



Ozone, as might be expected, -with the meteorological conditions previously 

 detailed, was unusually abuudaut. The mean, 8 '54, is + 1 •20 above the seven 

 years' average. Only August, last yeai', and September, 1857, slightly ex- 

 ceeded this amount, in any month since ozonometrioal records have l>eeD kept. 

 Saturation (10), was registered 13 times. The minimum was 5"5 on the 22nd 

 at 7 a.m., the wind noted calm. The hygrometric condition of the air accom- 

 panying this copious supply of ozone, disarmed it ofthat tendency to produce 

 inflammatory diseases of the air passages, which was alluded to in the July 

 report. 



£^^6rtWd^2/ was abundant, but with a greater proportion of positive to negative 

 indications, than was noted in July. The former was recorded 13 times with 

 maximum tension of 5*5; the latter, 37, with 5 " nil" was registered 12 

 times. Lightning was observed on the evening of tl e 2ud and 14th. 



41 deaths occurred this month, the August average of the previous seven 

 years, being + 8 5-7ths more. The previous month of July had 29 more. 

 August last year had exactly 41 also,but 1860 had only 40, being the smallest 

 mortality ofany of the seven. The past eight months of 1864, contrasted with 

 the same period of 1863, is now only one death in excess. The table following 

 shows the relative proportion in ages of all : — 



The present month, contrasted wi'h the previous one of July, exhibits a. con- 

 siderable reduction of deaths in every group of ages, though most so in 

 infants under one year old, the number in August bemg oul}'- one-fourth 

 of those in July. This group, moreover, is little more than one- thud of the 

 seven years' average, and less in number than any year of the whole. From 

 "1 to 5 years," the deaths are less than half of the seven years' average, 1861, 

 however, had as small a mortality, and 1857 one less. But" both of these years 

 exceeded the present one in the total of all under 5 years old, and tliis is the 

 test applied by the ablest sanitarians, as to the comparative rate of moi-tality 

 of any season or place. August, 1864, therefore, under this aspect, was 

 undoubtedly the healthiest August in the table given. In the group of ages, 

 "5 to 20," the mortality was — two-sevenths below the seven years' average. 

 Three yearg of the seven, however, had less, and two more exactly the sam« 



