THE SEASONS IN GUIANA. 9 
therefore followed that the season of rest is reduced to 
almost nothing, the new leaves simply pushing off the 
old and quickly taking their places. 
From the following notes taken in July and August 
last year (1892) it may be seen how autumn merges 
into spring, and how short these seasons really are. 
July was as usual rainy, and the wet weather of the 
previous months kept back some fruits from ripening. 
Oranges, bananas and mangoes were however plentiful 
and avocado pears ripe. The Flamboyant, which had 
been flowering here and there for some time previous 
was generally dropping its leaves preparatory to that 
grand show of flowers so conspicuous during the follow- 
ing months. The Oleander also began to flower and 
was in all its glory on the rst of August. The King and 
Queen of Flowers (Lagerstrcemia Indica and Regina) 
were losing their leaves preparatory to the wealth of 
blossoms which came at the end of August. The fiddle- 
wood, (Citharexylon), almost leafless, perfumed the air 
towards the end of the month and the mango was deco- 
rated with new foliage and flowers. August was showery 
up to the 2oth and then the dry season set in. The 
fruits in season were pine-apples, oranges, and genips 
(Melicocca), while guavas, mammee-apples and star- 
apples were procurable in moderate quantities. Flowers 
were plentiful, the Wakenaam lilac making a pretty 
show with its blue bells on bare twigs. The Erythinas 
covered their almost leafless canopies with coral-red 
blossoms, and towards the end of the month the Trip- 
laris (Long John) began to let its shuttlecocks float down 
from the great panicles far over head. The cannon-ball 
tree in the Promenade Gardens lost its leaves for a few 
B 
