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FORESTRY.

that may be said to occupy five distinet zones, namely,
the arid zone with a rainfall of 35 to 50 inches per annum ; the
dry zone, 50 to 70 inches rainfall ; the intermediate zone,
70 to 80 inches; the wet zone. 80 to 300 inches; and the
mountain zone.
Of these, the arid zone occupies two portions of the Island,
one on the north-west and the second on the south-eastern
extremity of the country.
The dry zone forms a wide belt from the west right
across Ceylon to the north and east, passing along the southeast
 and terminating in the south. This zone alone absorbs
about three-fifths of the country.
The intermediate zone follows in the form of a rough
horseshoe, nearly surrounding the wet and mountain zones.
which last occupy the south-western portion of Ceylon.

WET ZONE VEGETATION.

The wettest part of the Island is in the neighbourhood of
Adam’s Peak, where the rainfall has been reported to exceed
350 inches in the year. Instances of over 12 inches of rain