113 



but no other year since tlieu has had no high a maximum m the present October. 

 As the present month had a higher cloud mean than usual, the greater warmth 

 of the sun's rays while shining is remarkable. 



The Terrestrial-radiation thermometer gave a mean of 43" 16 degrees, being 

 + 1.30 above the mean of the previous ten years, though only + '08 above 

 1864. The extremes were 34, on the 1st and 8th, and 55 on the 27th, and 

 in all respects differed remarkably from the extremes in 1864. 



Rainfall total was 2.42 inches, which is + .65 of an inch more than the 

 20 years' average for October. Last year's October, however, had nearly a 

 quarter of an inch more. There were 14 days on which more or less rain waa 

 precipitated, but on the average of the previous ten years, there ought to be 

 15 wet days to October. So that though a larger amount of rain fell than uiual, 

 yet it wa5 restricted to a smaller number of days. In fact on only two of the 

 days, the 9th and 10th, was the rain at all heavy, the quantity guaged being 

 respectively 1.22 inches and .61 of an inch. Of course, this fall thoroughly 

 soaked the soil, and flushed all the drainage channels. On the 15th the rain 

 deposited was barely sufficient to cause the surface drains to run, but on no 

 other days of the month, was there sufficient to effect this desirable result. 

 Snoio was never absent from Mount "Wellington during the month, but none 

 fell in the city as there did in October last yeai'. 



Humidity mean was 71, being — 2 below the 20 years' average, and — 3 less 

 than 1864 and 1863 had. 



Elastic-force of ixqjor had a mean of 305, which is +4 above the 20 years' 

 mean. The extreme range was from 118 on the morning of the 15th, to 517 

 on the evening of the 25th; For the seven days, 21st— 27th, the force was 

 continuously high, never during the 21 observations hiving fallen below 295. 



Cloud mean 6. 75 was + 1. 13 above the 20/years' average, and a little above that 

 of last year. 



O::one had the highest mean ever yet recorded for any month since records 

 were kept, being 8.88. October, 1864, very nearly approached^to this amoimt. 

 The October mean, howevei', of the eight years' records is — 1.08 less than 

 that of the present month. Nine times, saturation (10 of the clu'omatic 

 scale) was recorded, and the minimum was 7, only recorded at the evening 

 observation of the last'day of the mouth. 



FAcctricity had 24 positive indications with maximum tension of 8, and mmi- 

 mum of 2.5. Negative had 36 records with the extremes of tension of 7 and 

 1.5. There 2 "nils." Xo lightning was observed, but thunder was were heard on 

 the 10th. A lunar rainbow was seen on the eveniug of the 5th. 



The number of Deaths this month is 39, being 4| less than in September, as 

 well as that proportion below the average of the previous eight Octobers, 

 1857 to 1864. 



•' Under one year old," the deaths were or 8 more in liumber th m tlie average 

 of the 8 years, though precisely the sam ; as those recorded for October, 

 1864. At '"'1 to 5," not a single death occurred, though the eight years' average 

 is 6 2-8, and not one of the eight had less than three deaths in this group of 

 ages. At "5 to 20," the deaths were more than one third below the avera ge. 

 At " 20 to 45," the average was exceeded by + 1 4-S, and only two years out 

 of th© eight had fts many, that is 1801 aud 1851, each 12, being oue more each, 



