-, 92 — 



taken as a faic representation of the state of things 

 that holds good for the sea-level in Madagascar. If 

 we follow the accepted rule of deducting 1° F. for 

 every hundred yards in elevation, this will give us an 

 average of 65° for the temperature of Antananarivo? 

 which is about that of Naples or Palermo ; and an 

 average of 48o F. which is that of London for the 

 summits of the highest mountains of the island, 

 (During the rainy months at Taravohitra, a northern 

 suburb of the capital the thermometer ranges from 

 68olto 84o F. at the midday in the shade ; and the 

 mornings have ranged from 72o F. in January to 

 36o F. during the night of August 11, the lowest I 

 have noticed in the central province. I found wit- 

 nesses in the intense cold of this dry season on a recent 

 journey through the forest to the North East of the 

 Capital. Thousands of small trees and shrubs have 

 been killed by the frost or " fanala " as the people 

 call it. The inhabitant speaks of this sesaon as the 

 coldest ever experienced before. — J. Richardson, 

 Nov: 1882). In a trip which Dr. Meller made in 

 1862 in July and August from Tamatave to Antana- 

 narivo the maximum temperature here noted in the 

 shade was 88o and the minimum 49° . Madagascar 

 falls within the zone of regular periodical rains and 

 winds. The wet season lasts from November to April 

 where the monsoon wind blows from the North West. 

 At this time there is a heavy fall of rain, which some- 

 times continues incessantly for several days. 



