56 



PHYSICAL GEOGEAPHY. 



[Part I. 



As regards the foliage of the trees, it might be 

 expected that the variety of tints would be wanting 

 which forms the charm of a European landscape, and 

 that all nature would wear one mantle of unchanging 

 green. But it has been remarked by a tasteful observer^ 

 that such is far from the fact, and though in Ceylon there 

 is no revolution of seasons, the change of leaf on the 

 same plant exhibits colours as bright as those which 

 tinge the autumnal woods of America. It is not the 

 decaying leaves, but the fresh shoots, which exhibit these 

 brightened colours, the older are still vividly green, whilst 

 the young are bm^sting forth ; and the extremities of the 

 branches present tufts of pale yellow, pink, crimson, and 

 purple, which give them at a distance the appearance of a 

 cluster of flowers.^ 



A notice of the variations exliibited by the weather 

 at Colombo may serve as an index to the atmospheric 

 condition of the rest of the island, except in those por- 

 tions (such as the mountains of the interior, and the 

 low plains of the northern extremity) wliich exliibit 

 modifications of temperature and moisture incident to 

 local pecuharities. 



January. — At the opening of the year, the north-east 

 monsoon, which sets in two months 

 previously, is nearly in mid career. 

 This wind, issuing from the chill 

 north and robbed of its aqueous va- 

 pour in passing over the elevated mountain regions on 

 the confines of China and Thibet, sweeps across the 

 Bay of Bengal, whence its lowest strata imbibe a quan- 



WiiKl N.E. 



Temperature, 24 hours : 

 Mean greatest 85-6° 

 Mean least . . 69-2° 



Rain (inches) . . 31 



1 Prof. Harvey, Trin. Coll. Dublin. 



^ Some few trees, such as the 

 margosa (Azadirachta Indica), the 

 coimtry almond (Terminalia catap- 

 2Ht), and others, are deciduous, and 

 part with their leaves. The cinna- 

 mon shoots forth in all shades from 

 bright yellow to dark crimson. The 

 maella (OIilv Zeylanicci) has always a 



copper colour; and the ironwood 

 trees of the interior have a perfect 

 blaze of young crimson leaves, as 

 brilliant as flowers. The lo\'i-lovi 

 {Flacourtia inennis) has the same 

 peculiarity; while the large bracts 

 of the mussfenda {Bliissccnda fron- 

 dosci) attract the notice of Europeans 

 for their singular whiteness. 



