260 



N. ANNANDALE. 



Department, for an advance copy of which I have to thank the Director General of 

 Observatories ; but the rainfall of Barkuda is considerably less than that of Rambha, 

 for a large proportion of the rain-storms that break on the mainland do not reach it. 

 In the rainy season between June and October these storms may be observed almost 

 daily making their way up the valley that extends from Rambha Bay in a south-easterly 

 direction. Before reaching the lake, however, a very large proportion of them split 

 into two and while one half makes its way along the hills that lie a short distance 

 inland from the shore, the other proceeds along the sand-banks on the sea-coast. 

 Only the very edge of the clouds among the inland hills reach out to Barkuda. The 

 same phenomenon has been observed in the spring and autumn thunderstorms. The 

 hills are often hidden in black masses of vapour, loud peals of thunder are heard and 

 vivid flashes of lightning seen vvithout a drop of rain falling on Barkuda. 



Nevertheless, though the rainfall of the island is thus restricted, the air is damp 

 from July to October and the rain that does strike the island is sufficient to soak the 

 scanty soil and often to reduce it to mud for some days at a time. 



Rainfai,!, at Rambha. 



Month. 



4 



Average. 



1913- 



1914. 



I9I9. 



January 



027 







1-69 



February 



o-8o 



0-25 





1-84 



March 



Q-go 









April 



i-oi 





.1-27 



2-II 



May 



i-6q 



2-38 



12-27 



311 



June 



5-51 



7-64 



10-59 



975 



July 



7-41 



12-99 



4-37 



8-54 



August 



7-54 



7-10 



8-43 



10-45 



September 



8-19 



365 



2o-6o 



1-49 



October 



879 



8-6o 



0-93 



655 



November 



243 



370 





16-57 



December 



i-o8 







( 



Total 



45-62 



46-31 



58-46 



62-10 



The question of the direction of the wind over the island may clearly have a 

 bearing on the immigration and dispersal of its fauna, but here again no precise data 

 are available. 



