116 



the 7th, a very wide raup:e. Last year these extremes were only 53 and 

 42, or a less range by — 7 '5 degrees. 



Rain fell on 10 days, being —2W less than the average of the previous 

 eleven years, though one more than 1865 had. The total of rain guagedwas 

 3*59 inches, being +2*27 more than the 20 years' average for December, and 

 + "16 more than 1865 had. It all fell during the first three weeks of the month, 

 the ten last days being without a shower. On the 11th nearly an inch, and on 

 the 20th somewhat more than an inch of rain fell, and on other days there 

 fell enough to flush all water-courses and drains. A patch of Snoio remained 

 on ^Nlount Wellington on the 1st day of the month, but was gone in a few days, 

 and during the rest of the month snow never re-appeared. 



Humid it)/ mean 69, was + 2 more than the 20 years' average and + 1 more 

 than 1865 had. 



Spontaneous Evaporation was 4 "97 inches, being less than in December 1865 

 by — '61 of an inch. 



Elastic Force of Vapour mean, 368, is +14 more than the 20 years' average, 

 and 4-24 more than 1865 had. The range was from 244 to 554. Last year, 

 with almost the same minimum, the maximum was only 510. 



Cloud mean, 5"32, was — '14 less than the 20 years' average, and — '98 

 less than in December last year. Ozone had a range from the minimum, 

 6, to the maximum 9. and a mean of 7'51, which though -f"32 more than 

 the average of the previous nine years, was less than 1865 by — '84, At 

 the last meeting of the British Association a paper on ozone was read by 

 Professor Daubeny, of Oxford In the discussion thereon, Mr. Glaisher, of 

 the Greenwich Observatory, the eminent President of the IMeteorological 

 Society of London, and so well known for his investigation of the eai-th's 

 atmosphere by balloon ascents, stated as a result of his observations : — " That 

 where there was ozone he found abundant health, and where there was 

 none a great deal of sickness prevailed." This is in accordance with at the 

 result of my own experience for so many years in Tasmania. No records 

 that I have seen, except those made in Madeira, can compare with this island 

 for its abundance of nature's air-purifier, ozone. 



Electricity this month, was nearly equal to that of December 1865. There 

 were the same number, 20, of positive indications with tension ranging from 

 3 to 7' 5. Last year's tension was from 1'5 to 8. There were 37 negative 

 indications this year, being one less than last. The tension respectively was, 

 1866, 1 to 6-5 ; 1865, 1 to 7. There were 5 " nils" this month, to 4 in 1865. 

 Thunder and lightning with rain, occurred on the evening of the 11th. 



The Death average for the nine years' Decembers, 1857-1865 is — 44; the pre- 

 sent month had 6 more; two of the 50, however, are. not properly included in the 

 list, one, an inquest case, was supposed to have perished in October last ; the 

 other, also an inquest case, belonged to the Clarence Plains district. The 

 table shows that only 1862 and 1859 had more deaths than the present month.. 

 Last year, the healthiest December on record, had 20 less. 



" Under 1 year of aofe," the number of deaths, 10 was exactly that of the 

 nine years' average, and 2 more than last year had. At " I to 5 " years of age, 

 the mortality, 4, was slightly below the average, but four times as many as- 



