ENGLAND: MARRIAGES Registered in Quarters ended 31st December, 1865-63; and BIRTHS and DEATHS in Quarters ended 31st March, 1866-64.

REMARKS ON THE WEATHER

DURING THE QUARTER ENDING 31ST MARCH, 1866.

By JAMES GLAISHER, ESQ., F.R.S., &c., Sec. of the British Meteorological Society.

The weather at the beginning of the year was stormy, with gales of wind. The temperature was high for the season. On the 11th day there fell an unusual fall of sticking snow, of very great specific gravity. The street traffic in London was extremely difficult; the telegraphic wires were so loaded with snow, and the wind was so violent, that many poles gave way, and telegraphic communication all round London was greatly interrupted. So great was the destruction of wires and poles, that at the end of the quarter all were not restored. The snow was of that unusual dense character, that six inches in depth produced water to the depth of 1 in. nearly. A very rapid thaw set in, and within two or three days all the snow disappeared, followed, however, by rivers overflowing their banks. All the lowlying lands along the valley of the Thames were under water. The weather continned changeable throughout January, with heavy rains and gales of wind. The characteristic feature of this month was its extraordinary warmth, it being 61° above its average value from fifty years' observation. This unusual temperature continued till 12th February, and the average daily excess of temperature up to this time was 6° daily. From the 13th day of February till 15th March, the weather was cold, and nearly constantly below the average for the season of the year. The average daily defect of temperature for this period was 2o.9; four days of warm weather followed, each day being about 20 in excess of its average tempe rature. This was succeeded by four days of very cold weather, the defect averaging 44° daily, and the quarter closed with eight days whose temperature exceeded their averages by 6°.

The extreme mild weather in January and the first part of February stimulated vegetation to a very unusual activity at this season. Hedges and early fruit trees were budding, and some were ready to burst into blossom.

The change in the middle of February, from so mild and damp to a colder and dryer atmosphere, prevented vegetation advancing too rapidly, and was otherwise beneficial to agricultural operations, by enabling farmers to do much field and farm work, which in many places, owing to the soddened state of the ground, were in a very backward state.

At the end of the quarter vegetation was sufficiently checked by the cold weather, and the growing crops generally were sufficiently advanced to render them secure from the danger of sudden frosts.

The mean temperature of January was 42°-6, being warmer than any January since that of 1851; the preceding month, December, was 4207, being 24 of higher temperature than the average; usually January is 208 colder than the preceding month, yet on this occasion it was 0°1 of lower temperature only. It was 41 above the average of the preceding 25 Januaries, and 60-3 above the temperature of January, 1865.

The mean temperature of February was 40°5, being 1°.9 above the average of the preceding 25 Februaries, and 309 above that of last year. Every month from September to this month inclusive has been of higher temperature than their averages, to the mean amount of 30.9 nearly.

The mean temperature of March was 40°.5, the same as in February, being

10.2 below the average of the preceding 25 years, and 30.9 above that of last

year.

The mean high day temperatures were above their averages in January and February to the amounts of 407 and 20-3 respectively, and below in March to the amount of 10.9.

The mean low night temperatures were above their averages in January and February to the amounts of 30.3 and 10.2 respectively, and below in March to the amount of 0°.8.

Therefore in January and February both the days and nights were warm, whilst in March both were cold.

The daily ranges of temperature were greater than their averages in January and February to the amounts of 10.4 and 101 respectively, and less in March to the amount of 0°.8.

The fall of rain exceeded its average value in both January and February, in the former by 2 inches, and in the latter by 24 inches; it was of its average value in March.

The mean temperature of the air at Greenwich in the three months ending February, constituting the three winter months, was 41°8, being 400 above the average of the preceding 95 years.

Sum Lowest Highst 12 16-2 49-6

Note. In reading this table it will be borne in mind that the sign (-) minus signifies below the average, and that the sign (+) plus signifies above the average.

ENGLAND:-Meteorological Table, Quarter ended 31st March, 1866.

No. II.-SCOTLAND.

MARRIAGES, BIRTHS, AND DEATHS IN THE QUARTER
ENDED 31ST MARCH, 1866.

Scotland, for the purposes of registration, is at present divided into 1,014 districts; and this return comprises the BIRTHS, DEATHS, and MARRIAGES registered in these districts (with the single exception of the inaccessible island of St. Kilda), during the quarter ending the 31st March, 1866. From these it would appear that the births and marriages have been considerably above the average of the corresponding quarter of the ten previous years, while the deaths have been slightly under the average.

BIRTHS.-28,876 births were registered in Scotland during the quarter ending the 31st March, 1866, being the annual proportion of 366 births in every 10,000 persons of the estimated population. This is greatly above the average birth-rate of the first quarter of the ten previous years, which was only at the rate of 347 births in every 10,000 persons. It can scarcely be doubted that this is greatly due to the much higher proportion of marriages which has occurred among the population during the last three years. The births in England and Wales show a similar increase, apparently due to the same cause. Thus 196,737 births were registered in England and Wales during the quarter ending 31st March, 1866, giving an annual proportion of 377 births in every 10,000 persons of the estimated popula tion; the average of the quarter during the ten previous years being only 364 births in a like population.

The town and rural districts exhibited the usual difference in the proportion of their births. Thus, in the 126 town districts (which embrace the towns with populations of 2,000 persons and upwards), 16,853 births were registered; while in the 888 rural districts (embracing the remainder of the population of Scotland), only 12,023 births occurred; thus indicating an annual proportion of 399 births in every 10,000 persons in the town districts, but only 328 births in a like population in the rural districts.

TABLE I.-Proportion of Illegitimate in every Hundred Births in the Divisions and Counties of Scotland, during the Quarter ending 31st March, 1866.