HAILSTORM IN SINGAPORE. 
A corespondent of a local paper records the occurrence 
of a hailstorm in Singapore on May 14th. It passed over 
the North East Corner of the island m the afternoon, lne 
hailstones were said to be as large as hazel-nuts, and rubber 
leaves were cut to pieces and vegetables destroyed, ihere 
does not seem to have ever been a record ot had 1 
Singapore before and this is the most Southern spot in 
which Imil has been recorded in the Peninsula. ^ 
CASTILLOA ELASTICA FRUITING IN 
SINGAPORE. 
A number of trees, raised from seed of Castilloii dus- 
tUa were planted in ’a low swampy bit of ground m the 
Botanic Gardens in 1898. The plant has not done well here 
at auv time or in any place, and ot those planted m this 
damp' spot, some perished and others made little or no 
growth, after a few years. One however which had a eei- 
taiu amount of shade and had the advantage ot having a 
rubbish pit within easy reach of its roots, has developed 
into a line looking tree about 46 ft. tall and has commenced 
to fruit plentifully. The seeds seem to be sound; l believe 
this is the first record of the tree fruiting here, at least l 
have no other record. Perhaps some of our readers know 
of other cases. 
THE CLIMATE OF PENANG. 
The following is a comparison of the chief meteorolo- 
gical readings taken at the Government Hill and the 1 mow 
Observatory for April, which will show at a glance the 
great difference, as regards heat, between the Hills and the 
1)l<Ul Tlie mean minimum temperature in the shade on the 
Government Hill for April was 65" and the max, mum was 
77° • the mean minimum at the Prison Observatoiy toi 
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 m the 
sun at the Prison Observatory was 160° on the 4th. 
