CLIMATE. 



The driest region is seen to extend from western Palamau 

 (Garhwa and Daltonganj) across northern Hazaribagh, to 

 Giridih and southern Monghyr. It also embraces part of the 

 high Ranchi and Hazaribagh plateaux, which on account of 

 their elevation might be expected to have a larger rainfall. 

 It is to be noted that these plateaux are singularly bare of 

 forest. These differences in the "distribution of the rainfall 

 strikingly coincide with differences in the character of the 

 vegetation noticed on p. 28 and which is there provisionally 

 ascribed to differences in relative humidity. 1 



Figures on humidity are only available for very few 

 stations. The following averages 2 are for the last ten 

 years (Purulia, 8 years), but in view of the great divergence 

 in some of the figurea, the extremes have also been quoted. 3 



1 The chapter on Climate was written after the completion of the 

 t6Bt of the Flora, as the figures were only received immediately before 

 sending to the press. 



2 The averages are calculated from the details kindly supplied by 

 tlie Director General of Observatories. 



3 Figures in brackets are the extremes of monthly means of relative 

 humidity, not extremes of relative humidity. Seeing that in some cases 

 this mean is said to vary from 48 to • 86 for corresponding months m 

 different years, and that hygrometrical instruments require a deal of 

 attention which cannot perhaps be given by the observers at small 

 meteorological stations, who are usually employees of other Departments, 

 some of these figures may not be quite correct. 



24 



