X. 



ANALYSTS OF OBSERVATORY RECORDS, AND HEALTH REPORT 

 FOR MAY, WITH NOTE ON CENSUS OF 1870. BY DR. K 

 SWAKBRECK HALL. 



Most of the meteorological phenomena of this month deviate from the 25 

 years adopte;! st.uiilanl. and thougli diseases of tlie respiratory organs pre- 

 vailed extensively, the effect on the mortuary returns was but slight, the total 

 mortality of the month being somewhat below the average of the previous 13 

 years, and no May of the previous six years having so small a number of 

 deaths as the present month. 



Atmospheric prci^anrc mean, 80"0r)4, was considerably (+ "207) above the 

 average, and had a wide range, with some very sudden and extensive rises and 

 falls, within 24 hours, which told heavily on aged and enfeebled persons. 



Wiml- force 27 "OS lbs,, was — 10 80 lbs. below the May average, and north- 

 west winds constituted nearly two-thirds of the numerical records, and more 

 than two-thirds of the total strength. 



Temperature mean. 51*63 degrees, was + 1 "35 above the average, the ex- 

 tremes being 71 and 36. 

 Daihi ranae of Tem^perature 18 '4.5 degrees, was -f 3 "29 above the average. 

 Solar-intemitii mean, 8395 degrees, was + 2'08 above the average, the 

 maximum being 99 degrees. 



Terrestrial-radiation mean, 38*74 degrees, was 0*57 below the average, the 

 minimum being 33 degrees. 

 Elastic force of Vapour mean, "291, was — '11 below the average. 

 Humiditfi mean, 74, was only — 2 below the average, though the rainfall 

 was so small. 



Rainfall, "59 of an inch, was — 1*22 below the average, or about two-thirds 

 less than the i\Iay mean, and the number of days on which it fell, was little 

 more than one-half the usual rate. 



Spontaneous-evaporation, I'Sl inches, was only equal to the usual rainfall for 

 May, which of course resulted from the slight wind-force. 

 Cloud mean, 5.99, was 4- "49 above the average. 



Ozone mean, 6 "08, was "72 below the aA^erage, the natural result of the small 

 rainfall and small force of the winds, and their predominance from the north- 

 west quarter. 



Electricity ^^% vioied "nil" only at three records. Negative greatly pre- 

 ponderated in frequency and strength. 



Snoio appeared on Mount Wellington several times during the month, but 

 soon disappeared. 



The Deaths amounted to 37, being — 3 7-13ths below the average of the 

 previous 13 Mays. At and under one year old the deaths were six. From one 

 to five there were three deaths. One of these, a child aged 4^ years, died 

 from traumatic tetanus, resulting from a wound in the hand. From five to 

 twenty there were only two deaths. From twenty to sixty the deaths were 

 ten. At sixty and above, to ninety, there were sixteen deaths, a very large 

 proportion indeed of the total mortality. No one disease influenced the 

 mortality unduly, the cases being principally of a long standing chronic 

 character. 



The Population of the Hobarton Registration District, which includes, with 

 the city, the Electoral Districts of Queenborough and Glenorchy, has under- 

 gone little numerical alteration on the totals between the census of 1861 and 

 1870. In the former the total was 24,773, in the latter 25,004. But in the 

 constituent elements of age there has been a striking change. In 1861 all 

 under 20 years of age amounted to 10,960 ; in 1870 the amount is 13,025. From 

 20 to 60 in 1861 there were 12,592. in the present year only 10,154. At 60 and 

 all ages above there were in 1861 only 1221 ; in 1870 there were 1825. From 

 15 to 30, too, there has been a large increase of females, and a large decrease 

 of males. 



