288
290
Notes Comments
PHAIUS GRANDIFOLIUS, Lour.
The Nun Orchid, seems to have been known as a Chinese plant- perhaps introduced into England from Canton by the East India Co.'s ships
at least as early as 100 years ago.
A catalogue of Old Prints and Maps from Messrs. Dulau & Co., con- tains an easily recognizable print of this fine orchid, above the name of “The China Limodoron." The photograph of the print reproduced in the catalogue shows a spike of flowers and the tips of a few leaves, with a background looking much like South China hills, though among these appear a church spire and other buildings not likely to be found there, in those days.
The original coloured drawing formed part of a collection made by a certain Dr. Thornton of London who died in 1837, the print is offered by Messrs. Dulau & Co., for 3.10.0d. Size of print approximately 24 × 181⁄2 inches with margins, printed surface 172 × 14 inches.
[291]
CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA.
APRIL-JUNE, 1932.
Temperature (F)
Relative Humidity
Sunshine
Mean
Max.
Min.
%
Hours
April
71.1°
75.2°
67.6°
86
93,6
Normal
70.3°
74.7°
67.0°
85
114.9
May...
81.1°
85.8°
78.0°
84
225.5
Normal
77.1°
81.6°
73.8°
84
156.4
June
81.9°
L. GIBBS,
86.0°
79.1°
85
121.9
Forest Row, Sussex.
Normal
81.0°
85.3°
77.7°
83
164.0
MAPS OF HONG KONG.
Some explanation should perhaps have been made of the grid shown in red on the map printed opposite page 116 of Vol. III of the Hong Kong Naturalist.
This grid was not on the map as received from the writer of the article but was put on at his suggestion to form a key for the outline maps we propose to publish and which were referred to in a leaflet issued with the first number of Vol. III.
G. A. C. H.
Cloud
Rainfall
Wind
Days
of Rain †
%
Inches
Direction*
Velocity m.p.h.
April
85
3.700
11
90
12.1
Normal
80
5.516
12
90
14.0
May...
68
2.510
9
136
10.7
Normal
76
11.645
16
100
12.4
June
89
25.290
22
172
8.3
Normal
78
15.506
20
147
11.6
289
The Hong Kong Naturalist.
* 0° N., 90° =E., etc.
† A day of rain is one on which more than 0.005 inch fell.
In May south-west monsoon conditions became established over China without producing the amount of cloud and rain normal to this seasonal change. As a consequence the month was abnormally bright and hot. The Sunshine recorded, 225.5 hours, was nearly 70 hours above the normal, the mean temperature for the month 81.1° isthe highest on record and 4° above the normal.
The amount of rain recorded in May was 9 inches less than the average but rains that fell in June due to typhoons more than made up this deficit, the excess of rainfall over normal in the latter month being nearly ten inches.
B. D. E.
December 1932.