320 



HAILSTORM IN SINGAPORE. 



A corespondent of a local paper records the occurrence 

 of a bail storm in Singapore on May 14th. It passed over 

 the North East Corner of the island in the afternoon. The 

 hailstones were said to be as large as hazel-nuts, and rubber 

 leaves were cut to pieces and vegetables destroyed. There 

 does not seem to have ever been a record of hail in 

 Singapore before and this is the most Southern spot in 

 which hail lias been recorded in the Peninsula. 



Ed. 



CASTILLO A ELASTICA FRUITING IN 

 SINGAPORE. 



A number of trees, raised from seed of CastiUoa d($Sr 

 tico were planted in a low swampy bit of ground in the 

 Botanic Gardens in 1898. The plant has not done well here 

 at any time or in any place, and of those planted in this 

 damp spot, some perished and otbers made little or no 

 growth, after a few years. One however which had a cer- 

 tain amount of shade and had the advantage of having a 

 rubbish pit within easy reach of its roots, has developed 

 into a fine looking tree about 4(5 ft. tall and has commenced 

 to fruit plentifully. The seeds seem to be sound; I believe 

 this is the first record of the tree fruiting here, at least I 

 have no other record. Perhaps some of our readers know 

 of other cases. 



Ed. 



THE CLIMATE OF PENANG. 



The following is a comparison of the chief meteorolo- 

 gical readings taken at the Government Hill and the Prison 

 Observatory for April, which will show at a glance the 

 great difference, as regards heat, between the Hills and the 

 plains : — 



The mean minimum temperature in the shade on the 

 Government Hill for April was 65° and the maximum was 

 77°; the mean minimum at the Prison Observatory for 

 April was 75:3° and the maximum 90°. 



The highest sun temperature on the Government Hill 

 for April was 136° on 30th ; the highest temperature in the 

 sun at the Prison Observatory was 160° on the 1th. 



