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8
BIRTHS.
Sunshine*—On an average the sunshine record of the three months June-August forms
45 per cent. of the year's record (at Westminster), and that of the four months May-August,
60 per cent. Last year's record for June-August was only 37.7 per cent. of the year's total,
and that for May-August, 52.7 per cent. According to the Kew records, the bright sunshine
measured during the year gave a mean daily duration of 3.5 hrs., 0.5 hr. less than the average
for the preceding 35 years. In May the mean daily duration was 5.5 hrs. (average, 6.5), in
June, 6.4 hrs. (average, 6.6), in July, 4.9 hrs. (average, 6.8), and in August, 3.5 hrs. (average, 6.1).
April and October were the only two months of the year in which the mean daily duration
exceeded the average, the excess in April amounting to 2.9 hrs. (record, 7.8; average, 4.9), and
in October, 0.4 hr. (record, 3.7 hrs.; average, 3.1). The mean daily duration, as observed at Kew,
was 1.25 hrs. below the record for 1911. In "England S." and "England S.E." last year was the
cloudiest observed since 1889.
Rainfall.—At Camden Square the total fall amounted to 27.85 ins., an excess of 2.77 ins.
above the average (35 years) and equivalent to 11 per cent. increase. The mean rainfall for
England (represented by 27 selected stations) was 42.63 ins., as compared with an average of
35.18 ins., an increase of 21 per cent. In the British Isles last year's total fall was 15 per cent.
above the average. In 1903 the excess of rainfall amounted to 26 per cent., in 1882, 18, and in
1877 and 1872, 15—those being the only years comparable with last year. The rainfall
associated with the "Norwich Floods" (August 26th) will long be remembered. In spite of the
excessive precipitation, there were two periods of absolute drought in London, viz., April
10th-27th (18 days) and September 12th-27th (16 days), and a partial drought lasting from
April 1st to May 6th. The longest run of consecutive wet days was thirteen, observed in
August.
Temperature.—Notwithstanding the unfavourable records just set out, the mean temperature
of the year in London (Camden Square) was 0.9° above the average (50 years), and, further, the
monthly means were each in excess of the corresponding average, except in August, September,
and October. (See below) March and December were both characterised by abnormally
high mean temperatures.
Variations of Mean Monthly Temperatures (1911) from the Mean Values (50 Years).
January + 1.7° April +2.1° July +1.0° October —3.0°
February +3.6° May +3.8° August —4.4° November + 0.2°
March +4.4° June +0.1° September —3.6° December +6.1°
BIRTHS: Natality, Fertility.
Crude Figures.—The births registered locally during the fifty-two weeks ended December
28th, taken to represent the year 1912, numbered 2,774 (comprising 1,422 of males and 1,352 of
females), and were fewer by 141 than the total for 1911 (2,815). Table I. in Appendix A shows
the numbers registered in each of the ten years 1902-11. The annual average number for the
five years 1907-11 was 194 in excess of the total for 1912. The uncorrected birth-rate for the
year (19.48 per 1,000 persons) was 0.27 less than that for 1911 (19.75) and 1.30 less than the
average rate for the quinquennium 1907-11 (20.78). It will be seen further that the crude
annual birth-rate has fallen each year, with the exception of 1908, from 22.61 in 1902 to 19.48
last year—a drop of 3.13 per 1,000. The check in the decrease noted in 1908 was, it is believed,
due to some acceleration in registration following on the adoption by the Council of the
Notification of Births Act, 1907. The Notification Register, first kept in 1908, is regularly
*The notes here following are taken from a letter ("A Warm December") published in The Times of January
3rd, from "The Sunshine of 1912," idem of January 6th, and "The Rainfall of 1912," idem of January 15th.