( XXV ) 
1870 fell to the average rate of the season in the hot, dry, and rain- 
less spring of 1870. The prevailing epidemics were diarrhoea and 
scarlatina ; from the latter disease 5973 deaths were registered in 
England, and in London alone it destroyed 1076 lives, or 507 in 
excess of the average of the last ten years. In the districts com- 
prising the chief towns of England the mortality was below the 
average ; in the districts comprising the small towns and country 
parishes the mortality was above the average of the season. Of 
twenty large towns in the United Kingdom the annual death-rate 
of the season was highest in Glasgow, 27'9 per 1000 of population ; 
Bradford, 27-7 ; Bristol, 26-1 ; Manchester, 25-7 ; Edinburgh, 24-9 ; 
and Leeds, 24-7. 
The average price of wheat was 445. 8c?. per quarter, slightly 
lower than it was in the same three months of last year, and 27s. 2d. 
less than it was in the spring of 1868. It is a fall of 38 per cent. 
The average price of beef ranged from 4jd. to 6fd per lb. The 
price is somewhat lower than that of last year. The prices of 
mutton have ranged from b\d. to 1^. per lb. The price of the 
higher qualities is less, the price of the lower qualities higher than 
in the spring of 1869. 
Best potatoes were 6s. 3cf. per cwt. at the Waterside Market, 
Southwark ; dearer than in the spring of 1869 ; cheaper than in 
the spring of 1868. 
The number of emigrants from ports in the United Kingdom was 
111,842, of whom about 41,373 were English by origin, 9429 were 
Scotch, 37,878 were Irish, and 23,162 were foreigners. Of the total 
number 84,651 chose the United States for their destination, 21,471 
the Australian Colonies. Of the 37,878 Irish emigrants, 35,564 
went to the United States. In the total number of emigrants in 
the quarter there was a decrease of 2032, as compared with the 
three months ending 30th June, 1869. The migratory force of the 
several parts of the kingdom may be shown thus : — To every 1000 
inhabitants of each division the annual rate of emigration of the 
season was 7*5 in England, 11-7 in Scotland, and 27*4 in Ireland. 
METEOROLOGY. 
First Quarter (^January, February, Marcli). — The weather at Green- 
wich, at the beginning of the year, was very mild, with frequent 
rain ; the wind for the first few days was moderate from the west ; 
it blew very strongly on the 7th and 8th of January, mostly from 
the south-west. This mild weather continued till the 17th, the 
average excess of temperature for this period being 6 J° daily. On 
the 18th there was a change, and from this date the predominating 
