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FLOWERING SEASON AND CLIMATE. 

 By 



E. Blattek, S.J. 

 Paet II. 

 ( With 4 Plates.) 

 (Continued from page 350 of this Volume.) 



We pass over to Burma. This is, however, not the present British 

 Burma, which we are going to examine, but only that narrow strip 

 along the Bay of Bengal which is covered by Kurz's flora. This 

 flora is, like Brandis', a forest flora, and treats as such of the woody 

 plants only. An excellent description of the climatic conditions in 

 that region is given by Kurz in the introduction to his flora, from 

 which I quote the following passage : — 



" Although Burma extends from lat. 11° to 25°, still by far 

 the greatest portion of it is situated within the influence of the 

 monsoons, and hence the seasons are divided into a rainy and dry 

 season. The former commences about the end of May and breaks 

 up about November, with a temperature ranging from 70-75° 

 in the morning to 90-95° in the afternoon. The rainfall varies 

 greatly according to the provinces. The dry season divides into 

 a cold one from November to February, with a temperature of 

 57-60° in the morning to 85-88° in the afternoon, with a minimum of 

 52-54° ; and a hot one commencing towards the end of February 

 and continuing to the middle or end of May, showing a temperature 

 of 70-74° in the morning to 95-100° in the afternoon. The maxima 

 observed range from 104-106°, while the minima go down as far as 

 69 Fahrenheit. Rain is scanty during the whole dry season, being 

 restricted to one or a few showers, which usually occur in March, 

 but heavy dew in the cold and haze in the hot season act beneficially 

 upon vegetation generally." 1 



The meteorological tables 2 I am going to add will be a useful 

 illustration to Kurz's general remarks. 



(1) Kurz, Forest Flora of British Burma ; Introductory, pp. xiii, xiv. 



(2) For these tables I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. N. A. Moos, Director of the 

 Meteorological Observatory at Colaba. 



