216 



METEOKOLOGICAL KEPOET, 1S6S, 



The estimated population of the largest towns in Northumber- 

 land and Durham, and the respective death-rates for the first 

 quarter of 1868 were as follows : — 





Estimated 

 Population.* 



Deaths. 



Annual Rate 

 to 1000 living 

 for first three 



months, 1868. 



Newcastle (Borough boundaries) 



127,701 



820 



25-77 



Sunderland (Municipal boundaries) . . . 



108,762 



694 



25-59 



South Shields ditto 



52,803 



431 



32-74 



Gateshead ditto 



40,041 



294 



29-45 



Tynemouth ditto 



39,415 



252 



25-64 



Scarlatina prevailed extensively and fatally in the county of 

 Durham, Tynemouth, and at Bedlington, where two hundred and 

 twenty deaths occurred, being about one hundred above the 

 average owing to the prevalence of this complaint, of which 

 there were one hundred and twenty-one cases. 



AprU. — 



" March winds and April showers 

 Bring forth May flowers." 



— Old Proverb. 



Greenwich. — The month of April was warm but not remark- 

 ably so, for since the year 1771 there have been twenty-four 

 Aprils of higher temperature. The mean temperature of the 

 month was 48*1°, being 2*2° higher than the average of ninety- 

 seven years, and 0-9° lower than the corresponding temperature 

 of 1867. At Kew Observatory the mean height of the barometer 

 for the month was 29-927. The highest reading for the month 

 was 80-391 ; the lowest 29-150 on the 2nd. The 12th was the 

 coldest day of the month, 37-4°. On the 23rd the thermometer 

 fell 10° between 4 and 5 p.m., and rose 7° before 6 p.m. The 

 month was generally dry. 



Thunderstorms appear to have been unusually prevalent 



* Allowance is made in the estimate of tlie population for tlie more than average increase. 



