VITAL STATISTICS.
The vital statistics for the month of Feb ruary of the various boroughs in the colony are published in the New Zealand Gazette : —

Although the Auckland and Hokitika Hos pitals are situated outside the boundaries of the respective boroughs, yet the deaths in them have, for the sake of uniformity, been included in this report. The population has been estimated by adding the excess of births over deaths since the Ist March, 1874, to the then census population. It is impossible to estimate the increase from immigration. The births were 16 fewer than in January. The deaths were 18 more in number than the deaths in January, and exceeded by 38 the deaths in any month of 1874 ; or if the deaths in the two above-mentioned hospitals (the deaths in which were not included in the reports in 1874) be excluded, this excess will be reduced to 33. Of the deaths, males contributed 102; females, 76; 119 of the deaths were of children under 5 years of age, being 66 85 of the whole number; 89 of these were of children under 1 year of age. The deaths of children under 1 year of age were 16 more than in January; the deaths of all under 5 were 29 more than in January. There were 7 deaths of persons of 65 and upwards—4 males in Auckland of 65, 68, B>, and 85, and 1 female of 70; also 2 females in Wellington of 67 and 75 years of age.
EXTRAORDINARY SCENE IN A CHURCH.
