JUNE 20.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 685

REGISTRAR-GENERAL'S Report on the Vital Statistics of the Principal Towns of New Zealand during the Month of May, 1889.

RETURN of the Number of Births, with the actual Mortality of Males and Females, and the Proportion of Deaths to
Population, in the under-mentioned Boroughs, during the Month of May, 1889.

| BOROUGHS (For population of principal boroughs, including suburbs, see note 1.) | ESTIMATED POPULATION JAN., 1889 | TOTAL BIRTHS | Males | | | Females | | | Total Deaths | Proportion of Deaths to the 1,000 of Population, May, 1889. | Proportion of Deaths in the Year 1888. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | Under 1 Year | 1 & under 5 Years | 5 Years and over | Under 1 Year | 1 & under 5 Years | 5 Years and over | | | |
| Auckland‡ | 35,858 | 81 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 33 | 0.92 | 10.49 |
| Wellington‡ | 29,075 | 82 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 0.69 | 13.12 |
| Christchurch‡ | 16,455 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 10 | 0.61 | 11.36 |
| Dunedin‡ | 23,546 | 53 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 0.64 | 11.40 |
| Thames | † | 17 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 | .. | 15.87 |
| New Plymouth | 2,867 | 14 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 3 | 16 | 1.86 | 13.87 |
| Napier | 8,597 | 31 | 4 | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 3 | 16 | 1.34 | 8.53 |
| Wanganui | 5,240 | 14 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 0.92 | 10.70 |
| Blenheim | 3,260 | 10 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 12 | 1.55 | 11.95 |
| Nelson | 7,733 | 15 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 6 | 0.59 | 10.86 |
| Sydenham | 10,117 | 34 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 0.25 | 15.88 |
| Lyttelton | 3,992 | 10 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1.35 | 12.36 |
| Timaru | 3,707 | 9 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 0.35 | 9.95 |
| Oamaru | 5,637 | 13 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 0.82 | 9.14 |
| Greymouth | 3,637 | 7 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 0.75 | 12.80 |
| Hokitika | 2,666 | 6 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1.41 | 11.04 |
| Caversham | 4,962 | 8 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 7 | 0.80 | 6.92 |
| Invercargill‡ | 4,990 | 14 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 | .. | .. |
| Totals | .. | 456 | 16 | 13 | 52 | 14 | 6 | 51 | 152 | .. | .. |

The deaths of persons not residents of the boroughs, occurring at hospitals, have been excluded in all cases.
The total births in the above boroughs amounted to 456, against 420 in April, an increase of 36. The deaths in
May were 152, a decrease of 21 on the number in April. Of the total deaths, males contributed 81; females, 71.
Forty-nine of the deaths were of children under 5 years of age, being 32.24 per cent. of the whole number; 30 of
these were under 1 year of age.

† The information necessary for calculating the population has not yet been obtained from the Town Clerk.
‡ It must be understood that the numbers of the population above given refer only to those within the several borough boundaries.
To estimate the relative importance of the principal boroughs as centres of population it is necessary in each case to take into con-
sideration the number of the population in the adjacent boroughs, which are practically suburbs of the central borough. This can only
be done with any degree of accuracy for census years.
The populations of the four principal boroughs and their suburbs in 1886 were as follows:—

Christchurch Borough... ... ... 15,265
Adjacent boroughs and other suburbs... ... ... 29,423
Total Christchurch Borough and suburbs ... 44,688

Wellington Borough ... ... ... 25,945
Suburbs ... ... ... †
Total Wellington Borough and suburbs ... 27,833

Dunedin Borough ... ... ... 23,243
Adjacent boroughs ... ... ... 22,275
Total Dunedin Borough and suburbs ... 45,518

The population of Invercargill and suburbs at same date was—
Invercargill Borough ... ... ... 5,212
Adjacent boroughs ... ... ... 3,727
Total Invercargill Borough and suburbs... ... 8,939

THE following Table shows the Causes of the Deaths of Persons of both Sexes under 5 Years of Age and 5 Years and
over, in each Cause, in the Boroughs of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, that were registered during the Month of May, 1889.