ON THE FLORA OF CEYLON. 808 
it blows all parts of Ceylon obtain more or less abundant rain. In 
many parts, however, of the north-west and east it all falls sen 
a very short period, and the rest of the year is dry; thus, — 
the annual amount appears at a pretty good figure, it is not pro- 
portionally beneficial, sa country being completely under water for 
a few ee 8, and par with drought for the remainder of the 
differences, abruptly separated and caused es the chain of the 
Western Ghauts, which terminates at Cape 
We shall now be prepared, if we ie ae aa ton of Ceylon, to 
find a great difference in the vegetable prose of these strongly 
ah oe climatic districts ; and “his i is in fact the case 
et us first examine =: Ba the general care of the vegeta- 
To anyone unfamiliar with —_ 
vegetation the first i impressions of the towns of Colombo or G 
and their surroundings are those of surprise and admiration. The 
predominance of Babee: the Coconut being of course pre-eminent ; 
but the smaller and perhaps more beautiful Areca-nut Palm, and 
the feathery Jaggery or Kitul Palm (Caryota wrens), almost , ar 
abundant, is characteristic; and scarcely less so are the of 
ed boo 
e-trees (I 
anew duel gs kc scleaeh, creepers gr noes Bite wn tl 
Ipomaas, &¢.). It is, however, of course scarcely necessary to say 
here that by far the greater part of the trees and shrubs which pro- 
duce all this splendour are not natives = ——- at all. ae is 
ne asks an observant peer oy of this ss to mention the sa0% 
eoontese trees or shrubs of Ceylon, he = probably give you 
a list three-quarters of which are foreigners, and at least one-half 
0 t r familiar the Bu ’ 
Guava, the Country Almond (Zerminalia lotions , the ing 
rrhoda Bilimbi), & amarind, and the Laie ge 
Pa n. No dou "very ancient saat ae a as ape og 
from India and the Areca Palm from the Malay Peninsula; but 
