o/» J. W. BEWS. 



The distribution of the rainfall over the year is similar for 

 all the stations on the coast belt. At Durban, where the 

 records are available over the longest period, with a total of 

 39*71 in., the distribution is as follows : 



January 

 February 

 March . 

 April . 



During the three months of winter — June, July and August 

 — only 2*98 in. or 7'5 per cent, of the total falls, or, if we 

 include May, the winter rainfall is, on an average, less than 

 5 in., or one-eighth of the total amount. Nevertheless, even the 

 driest months, June and July, are seldom without one or two 

 wet days, and although the total winter rainfall is very small in 

 amount, the relative humidity remains fairly high^ and seeing 

 that the dry winter season is also free from frosts, the vege- 

 tation on the coast belt does not suffer to any extent. The 

 climax or sub-climax types, forest and scrub, remain always 

 rather moist, but the thorn veld type is drier in winter, and 

 with the prevailing anti-cyclonic conditions and absence of 

 winds from the sea there is less cloud. Consequently radiation 

 is increased, and from Verulam northwards, where the thorn 

 veld type prevails, the winter temperatures, as already 

 explained, are lower at night. The temperature and moisture 

 factors always tend to interact and influence each other, and 

 all over Natal the drier parts have also the lower winter 

 temperatures. 



3. Light. 



In midwinter at Durban the sun rises on the shortest day 

 about 6.52 a.m. and sets at 5.4 p.m., giving a length of day of 

 ten hours twelve minutes. In midsummer the sun rises on the 

 longest day about 4.56 a.m. and sets at 6.55 p.m., giving a 

 length of day of almost exactly fourteen hours. Darkness 

 falls quickly after sunset, there being no long twilight. The 

 intensity of the light throughout the day, owing to the 



