BY THE REV. R. F. WHEELER, M.A. 215 



Aurora were seen at North Sunderland on the 24th ; at Wal- 

 lington on the 20th ; at Whitley on the 20th ; at Seaham on the 

 9th. 



Lightning was seen, but thunder was not heard, at Byrness 

 on the 9th. 



Thunder was heard, but lightning was not seen, at Otterburn 

 on the 17th ; at Wallington on the 16th ; at AUenheads on the 

 8th ; at Whitley on the 17th. 



Thunderstorms occurred at Byrness on the 17th ; at North 

 Sunderland on the 17th ; at AUenheads on the 7th ; at New- 

 castle-on-Tyne on the 17th ; at North Shields on the 17th ; at 

 Seaham Harbour on the 17th. 



Hail fell at Byrness on the 17th ; at North Sunderland on the 

 17th, 23rd, and 24th ; at Wallington on the 16th and 17th ; at 

 Whitley on the 17th ; at Seaham on the 17th. 



Snow or Sleet fell at Byrness on the 7th, 22nd, and 25th ; 

 at Otterburn on the 22nd and 25th ; at North Sunderland on the 

 25th ; at Wallington on the 22nd and 23rd ; at Whitley on the 

 24th ; at Seaham on the 17th and 24th ; at Greta Bridge on the 

 23rd. 



The fine weather during the first three months of the year 

 appears to have exercised a very beneficial eff'ect on the public 

 health. Fever and diseases that attack the younger part of the 

 population, seem to have been less fatal than usual in many dis- 

 tricts which in other seasons had suffered from their ravages ; 

 and the result was a singularly low mortality for the country 

 generally. There are only two instances on record in which the 

 death-rate was so low as for the first three months of 1868. 



For 1868 it was 2-234 per cent. 

 „ 1846 it was 2-157 

 ,, 1856 it was 2-179 



