and 24th. Both wore tliree to four degrees less than the corresponding 

 observations in January last year. 



The rainfall was — '87 of an inch below the 20 years' average, being only 

 •63 of an inch ; anrl the greater part of this, even, fell upon the first day of 

 the month, after which there were mere sprinkling showers, insufficient to 

 cause a flow iu the surface channels. For January last year, though the 

 total fall was but slightly more tlian that of the present month, yet it was 

 distributed more beneficially for health purposes there being a sufficient deposit 

 on the 24th day of tlie month toflnshthe drainage channels. Both months were 

 preceded ]>y copious falls in the preceding months of December. The wet days 

 of the present month were 8, being only — 70 below the average of the pre- 

 vious eight years. Stioio never appeared on Mount Wellington during this 

 month. 



Humiditif had the mean of 67, being— 1 less than the 20 years' average. 



Elastic-force of vapour mecin was 247 being — 33 below the 20 years' mean. 



Spontaneom Evaporation amounted to 3*49 inches. January 1864 had 

 nearly twice as much. 



Cloud mean, 675 is + 1 -Ql above the 20 years' mean. Only three years out 

 of the 24 recorded, had so cloudy a January as this. 



Ozone was more abundant than ever before registered for the month of 

 January, having a mean of 8-05, or + I'lS more than the average of the 

 previous eight years, The strong and numerous breezes from the ocean quarters 

 together with the electrical condition of the atmosphere, no doubt efiEected this 

 purif^nng result, notwithstanding the paucity of rain. 



_ Electricity had 16 positive indications, with a maximum tension of 6, being 

 in both respects inferior to January 1864.— On the other hand the 45 records of 

 negative with maximum tension of "9,— far exceeded the corresponding amount 

 last year. There was only one " nil" registered, that is at the 1 p.m. observa- 

 tion on the 1st, when there was much rain, but little wind, with cold gloomy 

 weather. No liyldninfj was observed during the month, but thunder was heard, 

 early m the morning of the 28th. 



^ The 41 deatlis for the month of January 1865, as the folio .ving table shows, 

 "^ 12^ less than the average of the previous eight years, though + 17 more 

 than January 1864 had; but the latter month was quite exceptional, having 

 the smallest mortality of any month of the twelve in any of the last eight years. 

 Both Decembers, too, had a death rate below the average. 



In all the groups of ages under 45, the deaths were considerably below th© 

 average of the previous eight years. At all ages above 45, the deaths were one 

 third more than the average, and greater than in any year in the table. The 

 oldest was aged 82 years'. In every group, but that from " 1 to 5" years of 

 age, the deaths were more numerous than in January 1864. The deaths under 

 five years of age were little more than one fourth of 'the total of all ages, while 

 1 oL^ years' average is not far short of one half. Everv January, except that of 

 1864. had more deaths under five years old than the" present month. With 

 the annually increasing diminution in the average age of the population as a 

 whole the foregoing fact affords the verv strongest proof of the favorable 

 meteorological conditions to health, existing during the month. Another 



