SMALLER LSLANDS NEAR MADAGASCAR i6i 
season lasts from May to October; the temperature 
ranges between 68° and 84° F., and the winds constantly 
blow from the south-east. With October begins the 
hot rainy season; the temperature rises from 77° to 
95° F., the prevailing wind blows from the north-west. 
Great Comoro has no permanent streams, in spite of 
its abundant rainfall, as the water trickles away into the 
porous volcanic rock, and it is only on Mayotta, Mohilla 
and Johanna that streams, and these of no great size, 
flow throughout the year. 
The volcanic soil generates a very luxuriant covering 
of vegetation. great part of it was formerly covered 
with forest, but with the increase of the population it 
has been more and more brought into cultivation. Fine 
gardens and large plantations are met with in the vicinity 
of the towns; there is much cultivation of rice in the low- 
lying situations; cotton grows wild everywhere, but does 
not seem to be made an object of industry. The flora 
has a Malagasy stamp. 
This holds also for the animal world, although several 
endemic species occur. Among the lemuridse Lemur 
mayottensis is peculiar to this region. The flying dogs 
or flying foxes (Pteropus comorensis) attain a remarkable 
size. The Madagascar tenrec is found as far as the 
Comoro Isles. 
There were formerly many swine in Mayotta that had 
run wild, but they are now extirpated. 
Among birds, the kites and ravens [Corvits scapulahis) 
are uncommonly obtrusive in the neighbourhood of human 
settlement. Black parrots are also indigenous in the 
islands. Insects are fairly numerous. The purse crab 
{Birgus latro), which I have also met with frequently in 
Nossi-Be, is worth mentioning. 
The population of the group of islands embraces some 
47,000 souls, 20,000 of whom live in Great Comoro, 
12,000 in Johanna, 9000 in Mayotta and 6000 in Mohilla. 
