than last year had. For tho 'first fourteen days of the moBth no rain was re- 

 gistered. On the 15th tliere was the largest (luantity precipitated for any 

 day, i.e., '31 of an inch ; on tho IDth there fell •25 of au inch ; and on the 24th 

 nearly as much. Altogether tlie total rain-fidl of tli*^ month was 1*02 inches, 

 being — '76 of an inch below the 20 years' average, and even — '21 of an inch 

 less than 1865 had. ^/iy/w never appeared on Mount Wellington during the 

 month. 



Spontaneous-evaporation amounted to 2*16 inches, being — '44 less than 

 1865 had. 



Elastic force of vapour had the mean of 347, which is + 23 higher than 

 the mean of tho 20 years' standard, and + 6 more tlian last year's. The range 

 was from 218 minimum on the 7bh to 540 maximum on the 23rd. 



Humidity mean was 74, being — 1^ kss than the 20 years' average, but 

 identical with that of 1865. 



Cloud mean, 6*27, was +'56 above the 20 years' average and — "55 more 

 than April last year had. 



Ozone mean, J 6 'OS, was — '01 less than the April average of the previous 

 9 years, and — 1*18 less than last year had. Indeed with the warm calm dry 

 character of the month, and the many consecutive days on which electrical in- 

 dications were absent, it is surprising that the mean did not fall much lower. 

 The extremes were minimum 5, maximum 8 '5. 



Electricity had 17 positive indications, with maximum tension of 6, and ' 

 minimum of 2'5. April 1865 had two more in number, with less divergent 

 maxima and minima. Negative indications were registered 30 times with 

 extremes of tension, respectively, of 5'0 and I'O. In 1865 there were 6 more 

 negatives, but with one less in maximum tension and the same minimum. 

 " Nil" was registered 13 times, whilst Ipril last year had only 5, From the 

 18th to the 23rd inclusive, the record at every observation but oue was 

 *' nil." In this period the heaviest mortality for any similar number of days 

 in the month took place, being 14, or very neai-ly one-third of the total 

 deaths of the month, in six days. There was much liylitainrj, vf ith thunder 

 and rain, on the night of the 24th, There was on the evening of the 25th a- 

 complete Corona round the mooo, with several series of consecutive coloured 

 circles, in a diameter of only a few degrees. 



The 45 deaths in the present mouth, is within a small fraction (1-9) of the 

 average of the previous 9 years, but 7 mure than April 1865 had, four, 

 however, of the seven, being the excess of " violent" deaths this year over 

 last ; only three can be attributed to atmospheric influences. 



"Under 1 yearof age," the deaths were below thenineyears' average, though 

 more than April 1805 had. At " 1 to 5 years of age," the mortality was also 

 less than the average, though much greater than last year had. At " 5to 20," 

 the deaths were less than the average, and only half the number that occurred' 

 in April 1865. At " 20 to 45," the nine years' average was exactly attained, 

 though 1865 had one less. At " 45 to 60," the deaths were considerably be- 

 low the average, as well as one less than in 1865. Ac "60 and all ages above," 

 the mortality was greatly in excess of the nine years' average, and one more 

 than 1865 had. In England, where the relative numbers living at the differ- 



