FLORA OF MADAGASCAR. 267 
The temperature of the Region of course varies considerably 
according to elevation and latitude; but statisties are altogether 
too scanty to be of much service. Mr. Shaw tells us that at 
Tamatave “ the greatest amount of heat registered by the insu- 
lated solar radiation thermometer was on the 22nd December, when 
it stood at 163?. "The highest temperature in the shade in a good 
circulation of air was 93°, which it attained on 24th December and 
15th and 25th January. The lowest temperature during the 
night was 58° on 28th June, and 9th and 10th July." 
Of the three botanieal Regions into which I bave divided the 
island, the Eastern is by far the most abundantly clothed with 
vegetation, although probably the number of species of plauts 
which it contains does not greatly exceed that of the Central or 
Western Regions. Probably no less than two fifths of its area is 
covered with dense impenetrable continuous forest. The greater 
part of the country not thus covered is to a large extent occupied 
by innumerable patehes of wood, once probably forming part of 
the great forest; and even where there are no such patches, 
vegetation is profuse. 
As will be seen from the table on page 260, the Ferns 
occupy the most prominent position in the flora of the Eastern 
Region, their proportion being as much as 13:1 per cent. With 
this exception, there is no Natural Order unduly represented. 
Composite and Leguminos® come next to the Ferns; but these 
constitute only 6 and 5'2 per cent. respectively of the flora. 
Neither is there any genus of plants unduly predominant. The 
flora, as is the case also with the other Regions, is not charac- 
terized by any special or predominant forms of vegetable. life. 
The Guttifere, Rutacex, Melastomacex, Araliacew, Myrsine», 
Loganiacese, Monimiacee, Lauriner, Balanophoree (2 spp.), and 
Loranthaces are almost confined to this region; the Cacteæ 
(2 spp.), Goodenoviæ (2 spp.) Nepenthaceæ (1 sp.), Conifers 
(1 sp.), Proteacese (2 spp.), and Cycadacee (1 sp.) entirely so. The 
genera most abundantly represented are :—Asplenium (33 species), 
Vernonia (82), Polypodium (25), Dombeya (19), Nephrodium 
(17), Ficus (17), Angraecum (16), Hypoestes (16), Danais (15), 
Acrostichum (15), Cyperus (14), Viscum (18) ; then come Hi- 
biscus, Grewia, Oncostemum, Diospyros, Cyathea, and Davallia, 
with 12 species each; Zleocarpus, Weinmannia, Ardisia, Clero- 
dendron, and Loranthus, with 11 each; Medinilla, Liparis, and 
Lycopodium, with 10 each; Desmodium, Eugenia, Panaz, and 
