S JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



take- a more easterly direction, and (he hot season sets in. The 

 humidity of the atmosphere is rapidly decreasing. mg winds 



assist the burning rays of the sun in preparing the rest for indigenous 

 plants, which now in many cases shed their leave-, but often only a 

 lew days after are covered with brightly-ce flowers, o: with 



new light green foliage. Though our garde 



ing this season, they are yet not destitute of something beautiful 

 catch the eye, and even if many of our cherished plants assume a 

 sickly or blighted appearance, this is not necessarily calculated, to cause 



f fear, as in most cases the faded splendour is more certain ty 

 indicatior of rest than a sign of serious injury. In the course of 1 '■ 

 the wind loses its force, the air becomes sultry, the sky clouded, 

 the atmosphere intensely moist, until, generally preceded by a few 

 heavy thunderstorms with heavy rain, the wind rises again, now blow- 

 ing from the S. W. with slight vacillations to S. and "W"., and the 

 monsoon or rainy season has set in, as a rule, in the first or 

 week of June, and continues to the end of October. The aver 

 yearly rainfall of Bombay (Byeulla) is 82'7 inches, or nearly seven 

 feet, which frequently falls very irregularly* Falls of 5-6 inches in 

 a day are not at all unusual, and very often a heavy downpour la 

 for several days in succession, while at other times the weather re- 

 mains more or less cloudy with occasional heavy showers, or a 

 "break" of fine clear weather, which at times may last for a week 

 or two, sets in. This season is the period in which the tropical 

 character of the climate is most fully pronounced. The luxuriance 

 and formidable growth of all foliage plants, the splendid colours of 

 their leaves, and the profusion of choice and delightfully scented 

 flowers of a great variety of plants, all combine to make an impression 

 which, once experienced, will never be forgotten, and of which such 

 common features as walls and wells covered with bright emerald 

 green moss and graceful maiden-hair ferns are but poor examp; 

 At the end of October the monsoon generally terminates with lieavj 

 thunderstorms, the clouds gradually clear away, and the temperature 

 lor a short time increases, while the wind is gradually resuming a 

 more western to northern direction, the humidity of the atmosphere- 

 is slill very great, owing to the rapid evaporation from the ground, 

 nd the air is steamy, until the cold northern wind.-- again refresh us, 



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