  In order to explain the lack of carbon stars in the Galactic bulge, we have
made a detailed study of thermal pulse - asymptotic giant branch stars by using
a population synthesis code. The effects of the oxygen overabundance and the
mass loss rate on the ratio of the number of carbon stars to that of oxygen
stars in the Galactic bulge are discussed. We find that the oxygen
overabundance which is about twice as large as that in the solar neighbourhood
(close to the present observations) is insufficient to explain the rareness of
carbon stars in the bulge. We suggest that the large mass loss rate may serve
as a controlling factor in the ratio of the number of carbon stars to that of
oxygen stars.
