CLIMATE OF COSTA EICA. 



301 



Climate, Flora, Fauna. 



Like Mexico and Guatemala, Costa Rica offers a vertical succession of tlie three 

 " hot," " temperate," and " cold " zones. But liere the local climates and the 

 distribution of the vegetable species are endlessly modified by the varying condi- 

 tions of altitude, aspect, and general environment. In general the climate is 

 essentially oceanic, and well regulated by the winds prevailing on both seaboards. 

 At San José, the mean annual temperature exceeds 68° Fahr., rising gradually 

 to 78° towards the low -lying coastlands, and fulling considerably towards the 



Fig-. 133. — Gulf of Dulce. 

 Scale 1 : 950.000. 





ô3°4-0' _ West oF Greenwich 



eS'lO' 



Depths. 



to 25 

 Fathoms. 



25 Fathoms 

 and upwards. 



12 Miles. 



crests of the mountains. At an altitude of 9,000 feet Pittier observed films of 

 ice on the margin of the streams, and on the summit of Irazu he found the surface 

 covered with hoar-frost. 



At the same elevation the temperature is lower on the Atlantic than on the 

 Pacific slope, but it is more oppressive, the atmosj)here being more charged with 

 moisture from the prevailing trade winds. On the west side the seasons follow 

 very regularly, the rains falling almost exclusively from May to November, whereas 



