212 Mr. H. F. Blanford on the [Feb. 26, 



through west to north and north-east, which direction is dominant after 

 November till January, when the northerly tendency fails and southerly 

 winds blow, which again pass into the westerly winds of the hot months. 

 This region participates in the characteristics both of the plains of 

 Northern India and of the Peninsula, which last is under the influence 

 of the true south-west and north-east monsoons. During the cold 

 months and the rainy season respectively, when the two great monsoons 

 are at their height, the winds of the Central India plateau are from the 

 north-east and south-west, while those of the Gangetic plain are from 

 the north-west and south-east, the former blowing to or from the Arabian 

 or Western Sea, the latter to or from the Bay of Bengal, or Eastern Sea. 

 Only in the hot season do the winds approximate, blowing from the dry 

 region to the north-west towards the thermal focus of Central India and 

 Western Bengal. 



5. Western Bengal. This region includes the continuation of the 

 plateau of Central India to the margin of the delta of the Granges, and 

 descends to the Bay of Bengal. The northern part, being a compara- 

 tively open tableland, participates greatly as to its winds in the characters 

 of the neighbouring Gaugetic plain. The west and north-west winds of 

 the cold months are f ollowed by south-west and south winds, which draw 

 round to south-east during the rainy season, again reverting to north- 

 west through west. Occasional incursions of the south-west monsoon 

 are felt, which are perceptible in the Gangetic valley. On the coast the 

 winds are very different. The west and north-west winds of the interior 

 are quite subordinate. North and north-east winds begin in October, 

 when the south-west monsoon ceases, becoming more northerly with the 

 increasing cold and the strengthening of the land-winds of the interior. 

 Later they again veer towards the east ; and the sea-winds blow from 

 south-east in January, and ultimately from the south-west. After Sep- 

 tember the winds fall back rapidly through south-east and east to north- 

 east. At places removed from the coast the wind is more westerly than 

 on the coast. 



6. Gangetic Delta. From its position this region is swept by the 

 currents of air passing between the Gangetic plain and the equatorial 

 ocean. The general course of the winds is as follows : The winter 

 monsoon becomes well established in November, blowing nearly from the 

 north on the east of the Delta, and from north-west on the west ; near 

 the sea the direction is a little east of north. As the season advances 

 the wind draws round towards the west, where it is about February, and 

 eventually backs by south-west to south and south-east, in which direc- 

 tion it blows during the rainy season and till September. In. October 

 the winds are chiefly easterly, but unsteady and apt to be stormy, alter- 

 nating with calms in the earlier part of the month, and passing into 

 north and north-west in the latter part. 



7. Assam. The local configuration of this valley no doubt affects its 



