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Transactions. — Botany . 



the north-west wind is much more frequent. Often a north- 

 west wind blows in the eastern lower mountain region, while 

 in the lowland maritime region the east wind blows steadily. 



To the heading "Calm" the following note is appended : 

 " These returns refer to the particular time of observation, and 

 not to the whole twenty-four hours, and only show that no 

 direction was recorded for the wind on that number of days." 



It will be plainly seen, from reference to the above table, 

 that the prevailing wind of the western region is north-west, 

 and that the prevailing winds in the extreme east are, in order 

 of frequency, south-west, north-east, and east, all more or less 

 cold winds, as before mentioned. 



Any account of the climate of the Canterbury Plains would 

 be incomplete without special reference being made to the 

 north-west wind, since it influences vegetation to such an 

 extent, even in the most shady and sheltered -positions, as 

 to entirely prevent the growth of certain hygrophytes — e.g., 

 Hymenophyllums, Todea superha, kc, and they can only be 

 cultivated in Wardian cases, and the like. Sweeping through 

 the river-gorges, it bursts with great fury upon the plain — a 

 hot dry wind, its progress marked by clouds of sand and silt 

 rising out of the bed of the Waimakariri and the otber great 

 rivers. In the distance clouds can be seen over the moun- 

 tains, indicating the rain-storm that is raging there ; but over 



