Introauctory. xiii 



(C.) 



A SKETCH OF THE CLIMATIC REGIONS OF CEYLON. 



The island may be divided into three regions, dis- 

 tinguished by varying amounts of rain and of temperature, 

 and marked by characteristic differences in their floras. And, 

 though it is of course the case that there are no abrupt Hnes 

 of demarcation, yet it is also the fact that the great propor- 

 tion of our species are restricted to one or two of these 

 climatic regions, only a few occurring throughout the area. 

 These regions are, briefly: — (i) The dry low-country region; 

 (2) The moist low-country region ; and (3) the montane 

 region or hill country. 



I . The Dry Region. — This is by far the most extensive, 

 occupying nearly four-fifths of Ceylon in a continuous area, 

 and comprising the whole of the Northern, North-central, 

 and Eastern Provinces, with the greater part of the North- 

 western, and portions of the Central, Southern, and Uva 

 Provinces. The whole is included in the ' low country,' and 

 for the most part is considerably below 1000 ft.; but a few 

 isolated rocky hills rise out of the plain, of which the follow- 

 ing are the highest: — Ritigala, 2506 ft.;* Kokagala, 2241 ft; 

 Friar's Hood, 2148 ft.; Westminster Abbey, 1829ft.; Gunners 

 Quoin, 1736 ft; Yakdessa, 17 12 ft; and three or four more 

 between 1500 and 1000 ft. (Dambulla, 11 18 ft). The rain- 

 fall nowhere exceeds 75 inches per annum, and falls mostly 

 between October and January during the north-east monsoon. 

 Portions of this region about Mannar on the north-western 

 coast and Hambantota on the south-eastern have a rainfall of 

 under 50 in., which all falls in a short time, so that they 

 possess an almost desert climate with a long period of 

 drought. The vegetation of this great tract is mainly 

 Peninsular-Indian in character, and very few of our endemic 

 species are found within it. 



* For a brief account of the flora of this remarkable isolated mountain 

 see Journ. R. As. Soc, Ceylon Branch, vol. xi. p. 156. 



