376 J. w. BEWS. 



minimum 2'5° higher than at Port Shepstone, and the 

 average range is 53'3° as compared with 52"6° for Port 

 Shepstone. Both stations are near the sea and the climates 

 are very similar. 



The next station is Verulam, about twenty miles north of 

 Durban and five miles from the sea. The averages here are — 

 mean maximum, 83'3°; mean minimum, 60"6° ; absolute 

 maximum, 107° ; absolute minimum, 40°. It is hotter than 

 Durban or Umzinto by several degrees, but the average 

 absolute minimum drops to 40°, so that in winter it may be 

 colder. The average range is 67° as compared with 58° for 

 Umzinto, 53'3° for Durban and 52"6° for Port Shepstone. 

 The comparison here given is of considerable interest, for at 

 Verulam the more xerophytic types of vegetation, thornveld 

 and thorn scrub begin to dominate and continue to do so, 

 with euphorbias at intervals in the drier more exposed parts, 

 to the borders of Zululand and beyond. 



The last station is Stanger, fifty-two miles north of Durban, 

 seventeen miles south of the Tugela and about five miles from 

 the sea. The averages are: mean maximum, 81*2°; mean 

 minimum, 59'4°; absolute maximum, 110°; absolute minimum, 

 42° ; range, 68°. This is of the same type as Verulam, the 

 differences being only slight. Both places are very hot with 

 occasionally low temperatures and even frosts in winter ; 30°, 

 as already stated, has been recorded for Stanger. 



To summarise, stations near the sea show that the heat is 

 tempered by the sea breezes during the day and in summer, 

 while at night and in Avinter the temperature does not fall 

 very low. On the other hand, stations away from the sea, 

 especially in the valleys, show a greater range of tempera- 

 tures, being hotter in summer and during the day and often 

 colder in winter or during the night. The temperatures at 

 Port Shepstone and at Durban show little difference, being 

 only slightly hotter at the latter place, but north of Durban, 

 at Verulam and at Stanger, the temperatures are several 

 desTees hio-her on the averas-e, Avith lower absolute minima 

 in winter and a considerably greater range. 



