point usually in the second quarter of the year. Thereafter a marked increase is always registered in the third quarter, and the upward trend continues until the highest point is again reached in the fourth quarter. Births in the year under review followed this typical pattern, but with more moderate quarterly fluctuations when compared with previous years due to a further decline of the overall number of births.
162. Table XXXVI gives the births registered in 1965, 1966 and 1967 by district. This shows that in 1967 the numbers registered on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and New Kowloon, and in the New Territories dropped by 869, 1,536 and 1,900 respectively, representing falls of 3.8%, 2.9% and 10.8%.
163. On Hong Kong Island decreases occurred in all areas except Eastern and Western Districts, where births registered rose by 92 and 188 respectively. In Kowloon and New Kowloon there were increases of 699 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and 730 at Kwong Wah Hospital. Substantial decreases were, however, recorded elsewhere, 843 at the Sung Wong Toi Road Registry, and 2,016 at Yau Ma Tei. In the New Territories decreases were recorded in all areas with a few unimportant exceptions.
164. 474 multiple births were registered in 1967, 468 of twins and 6 of triplets, producing altogether 954 liveborn babies. 83 births were registered as illegitimate, as compared with 67 in 1966. The births registered also included 19 foundlings.
Post Registration of Births
165. Owing to the absence of facilities for registration in the New Territories until 1932, very few births in the villages were registered before then. In that year facilities were provided for registration at various places in the New Territories, but a great many villagers still neglected to register the births of their children. Under modern condi- tions a birth certificate has, at least for the young, become practically essential, and for many years past there has been a constant flow of applications to post-register births in the New Territories. To deal with these, three mobile teams have been operating throughout the year, visiting outlying villages according to a regular programme.
166. During 1967-68, 2,473 births were post-registered more than one year after the date of birth, as follows:
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