Climatic.

The temperature, as shown by the records of three observatories (taken at 9.30 a.m. daily), situate at Auckland and Wellington, being seaports, and at Rotorua, being inland, shows the remarkable equilibrity of the page 18 climate, the mean temperature in the shade for the year 1890 being respectively 6odeg., 55.8deg. and 54.3deg. The highest temperature recorded was respectively 82deg., 82deg., and 85.5deg., while the lowest readings were 4odeg., 32deg., and 26deg. respectively, the extreme range being 42deg., 50deg., and 59.9deg. It will thus be seen that although the average was greatest at Auckland, the range of temperature was least. The mean maximum temperature in the shade for the three hottest months of January, February, and March, taken for four years ending 1890, showed 73.8deg. at Auckland and 69.2deg. at Wellington—figures which for equilibrity will, I think, compare favourably with England. The rainfall, taken for a period of three years at the same observatories, shows the follow-ingaverages: Auckland 40.8inches, Wellington 39.2 inches, and Rotorua 47 inches respectively for the year; while the number of days on which rain fell were respectively 170, 168, and 139. It must not be supposed that even this comparatively small number of days were what maybe called wet days, as every day is recorded on which rain fell, and often it was but a shower or two. Averaging these statistics for the whole island for this period of three years ending 1890, we find that only on 159 days in each year was there any fall of rain at all, leaving 206 days in each year absolutely fine.