24 
MADAGASCAR 
north-east winds (13 per cent). West winds are scarcely 
ever experienced. A series of observations extending over 
two years gave for Ambahy (Farafanga) an annual fall of 
123-8 inches, the highest being in February (21 inches) 
and March (19 inches). In the north-east of the island 
there is a marked decrease in the rainfall with an increase 
of the mean temperature. Vohemar (13° 21' S. lat.) has 
a mean annual temperature of 77*7° F. and a rainfall of 
58 6 inches. Diego Suarez (12° 14' S. lat.), with a mean 
temperature of 80° F. has only 27 inches; 11*5 inches 
were observed in January, 9.7 in July. 
As regards the extremes of temperature for the year 
on the east coast, 94° F. is given as the maximum, 50° F, 
as the minimum. 
Things are quite different on the west coast. In the 
first place there is a distinct dry season. Towards 
the south the rainfall diminishes scarcity of rain and 
aridity, so that the steppe vegetation has in many 
species developed special apparatus for storing up 
water. Nossi-Be in 13° 15' S. lat. has a mean tempera¬ 
ture of 79° F.; in April it rises to 81° and falls to 
75° in July. The annual rainfall is less than on the 
eastern side, being only loi inches. In Majunga, while 
the conditions of temperature are almost identical with 
those just named, the annual rainfall is reduced to 64 inches. 
Nossi-Be in the south-west has only 14 inches of rain 
in the year, the mean temperature rises to 84° F. in 
February, but falls in July to 60°. 
In Central Madagascar very accurate observations were 
taken at the observatory of Antananarivo, 4500 ft. above 
the sea. The mean annual temperature amounts to 
64-7° F. The absolute maximum 88*5° was observed on 
Nov. 7th, 1894, the absolute minimum 38*8° on the 21st 
June, shewing a difference of temperature of 49*7°* 
January with a mean of 68-5° is the warmest month, 
while July with 58*1° shews the lowest mean temperature. 
