By J. F. Royle, Esq. 



461 



longed wherever there is an insular climate. Here the addition 

 of temperature to that of its immediate predecessor in the months 

 March, April and May, is 8°, 6° and 6° of Fahrenheit's ther- 

 mometer. Towards the conclusion of March the atmosphere com- 

 mences becoming very dry.* 



At this season, or towards the end of it, only a few plants are in 

 flower, as Berberis napalensis, Daphne cannabina, Coriaria napa- 

 lensis and a few others ; among which the Rhododendron arboreum 

 may be mentioned, as it comes in early and continues long in flower. 



The months of April and May to the middle of June may be 

 considered the summer months, the heat is never very great, nor is 

 the decrease of temperature ever considerable ; I never found a 

 thermometer, hung out all day in the open air and in the shade, 

 rise higher than 80° nor fall below 41°. As the minimum of tem- 

 perature, as has been observed, does not take place during the 

 coldest month, but later in the year when the occurrence of a 

 storm during a drier state of the atmosphere, adding cold to dryness 

 causes considerable depression of the thermometer, so the maximum 

 of temperature does not occur in the months of June and July 

 when the monthly means are highest, but in May when the general 

 dryness is greatest ; though the maximum dryness, in the year when 

 I made the observations, amounting to a difference of 22£° between 

 the dry and moist bulb thermometers, occurred on the 18th April. 

 The mean temperature 63.5, of these months, is sufficiently high to 

 promote the healthful growth of plants and the ripening of the 

 seeds of some ; though the continuance is too short before the 

 accession of the rainy season to allow of the ripening of all, or of 

 the fruit trees which have been introduced. The dryness also of 



* The dryness and moisture of the different seasons has been particularly noted, 

 as little attention is in general paid to the subject, though they are as important 

 elements as temperature in the consideration of climate, when we wish to acclimate 

 either the animal or vegetable productions of a country. 



