10 prksident's address. 



and 35th parallels, first to the east and then to the north-east by 

 a current from the Indian Ocean passing through Bass Strait or 

 round the south of Tasmania. 



Probably the current runs south until it passes beyond the 

 range of the north-easterly winds, whenever and wherever that may 

 be. It is then likely to cool, to slacken and to split into diverging 

 tongues, one of which may describe a spiral course in the Tasmaa 

 Sea; the others, after encountering the opposition of Antarctic 

 winds and currents, may finally plunge under the surface. 

 The " Venus " appears to have felt it off the south-east of 

 Tasmania on January 7th, 1839, in 45° 16' S. lat.* In con- 

 nection with the descending spiral, it is significant that " the 

 isotherms of 40°, 45°, and 55° are found at greater depths on the 

 New Zealand side" of the Tasman Sea than on the Australian. 



It has been variously described as the Australian Current, the 

 East Australian Current, and the Coastal Current of New South 

 Wales. But as there are many Australian currents, a distinctive 

 name would be useful. So I propose the name Notonectian 

 (south swimming) to be applied to the stream running past the 

 coast of New South Wales, without reference to its earlier or 

 later history. 



As the Gulf Stream influences western Europe, so does the 

 Notonectian control the meteorology of our coast. The enervating 

 climate of Sydney in midsummer is due to the warm moisture 

 absorbed by the sea breezes from the surface of the Notonectian 

 and immediately precipitated on the town. 



Under favourable circumstances, animate or inanimate objects 

 might drift in a couple of weeks from the tropics to Sydney. 

 The attention of the Society has often been directed to tropical 

 products, messages from reef and palm, cast on beaches around 

 Sydney. In our Proceedings mention is made of pumice (xxx.,. 

 p.351), seeds of Aleurif.es{xx., p. 2 10), and of Barringtoniai\x.w.^ 

 p. 542), NaiUilus shells(xviii., p.239), living Hawksbill turtles 

 (xxii., p.254), a sea snake(xiv., p.633), BoiieUia{xxxi., p. 462;, and 



Du Petit-Thouars, V"oy. Venus, Histoire iii., 1S41, p. 437-8. 



