22 
Introduction; Seasons and Winds. 
Volkenk. Ned. Oost-Ind. 1882, 4**^ ed. vol. I pp. 178 — 181) describes four differ- 
ent climates peculiar to different altitudes — climates having not only differences 
of temperature, but also of winds and rains. As the existence of such have 
great influence upon bird-life we translate his remarks: . 
“The climatic conditions of Java are very varied, and especially dependent 
upon the altitude, as well as upon the Monsoons. In respect of this the sur- 
face of Java may be divided into four zones or belts: the First, or Hot Zone 
extending from the sea-level up to 2000 feet; the Second or Temperate Zone 
from 2000 to 4500 feet; the Third or Cool Zone from 4500 to 7500 feet; and 
the Fourth or Cold Zone from 7500 to 10 000 feet and upwards. 
“In the First or Hot Zone the mean temperature is 29-7° C. (85-5'^ F., 
23-8® R.) on the strand and 24-2° C. (75-5° F., 19-3*^ R.) on the upper boundary. 
At Batavia the greatest heat is experienced in April, the least in January; the 
nights and mornings are, however, coolest from June to August. In this Zone 
the atmosphere is very damp. This dampness naturally increases as one des- 
cends from a higher level to the strand, so that the atmosphere at Batavia 
contains a mean amount of 84 per cent of vapour, in other words, a cubic 
metre of air holds in suspension 20-25 grammes of water-vapour, whereas at 
the sea-level the air would be completely saturated with 26-39 grammes of 
vapour to the cubic metre. The damp is greatest in the months of January 
and February, and least in August. Near the sea-shore the air is filled with 
pernicious vapours developed in great quantities by the heat from the morasses, 
where many plant and animal remains are always rotting, . . . these exhalations, 
however, do not appear to rise to a height of more than 900 ft. The Monsoons 
operate very regularly. The rainy Monsoon prevails continuously from November 
to March, the dry Monsoon from May to September or October; the shifting 
of the winds takes place in April and October or November. The most rain 
falls in December, January, February and March; and, although at this time 
brighter and rainless days sometimes occur, the sky is usually heavily clouded 
over, and the rain comes down in copious streams, sometimes for days in suc- 
cession, causing great floods. ... In the East Monsoon the dryness is most 
marked in July and August, when — save for the daily alternating land- and 
sea-breeze — hardly any wind is perceptible. The moisture in the atmosphere 
is then deposited as heavy dew, to be taken up again with the warmth of the 
sun in the morning, forming itself in the upper air into clouds which are 
driven landwards by the sea-breeze (felt up to 2500 ft. above sea-level) and 
become heaped up in the Second Zone. They sometimes disburden themselves 
in thunderstorms in the afternoon, especially in mountainous districts, such as 
Buitenzorg, where storms accompanied with heavy showers are of almost daily 
occurrence. 
“In the Second or Temperate Zone the mean temperature is 23-6'’ C. (74-5® F., 
18-9® R.) at the lower and 18-7® C. (65-7® F., 15® R.) at the upper boundary, 
wdth a very marked difference between the warmth of the day and of the night. 
