1232 president's addbess. 



esting to know, as Dr. von Lendenfeld points out, " that the 

 patches of eternal snow are found on Mount Kosciusko in a 

 latitude of 37° S., about 1500 feet lower than in the European Alps 

 in a latitude of 47° N. To find a place in Europe where ever- 

 lasting snow comes down to 6000 feet, we would have to go up to 

 latitude 52°. Here in Australia the snow comes as far down in 

 37°, as in Europe in 52°. In New Zealand the snow and ice are 

 also very much more extensive than in Europe at a similar 

 latitude. We have, therefore, another proof of the old statement 

 that the Southern Hemisphere is colder and damper than the 

 Northern." 



The greater rainfall during the Glacial epoch would no doubt 

 have produced much surface water here and there over the flat 

 country in the interior, besides filling the lake -depressions to the 

 north of Adelaide, evaporation from which would to some extent 

 increase the humidity of the westerly winds. 



In 1877 the late Mr. T. Belt suggested that the great precipi- 

 tation of snow upon the polar ice rings during this period would 

 become fixed as ice, and that the water being in this way stored 

 up and not returned to the ocean, would have the effect of lowering 

 the level of the ocean some 2000 feet ; and thus while plants and 

 animals would be able to migrate between lands which are now 

 separated by shallow seas, the mountains, would, in relation to the 

 sea level, be increased in height, and consequently induce a greater 

 rainfall. This suggestion has been more or less reservedly accepted 

 by Wallace and others as affording an explanation of the geogra- 

 phical distribution of some animals and plants. But apart from 

 its consideration, we have the more certain geological and astron- 

 omical evidence above-mentioned. 



It is my present purpose to indicate the nature of these changes 

 that have taken place since the Pliocene times, rather than to 

 discuss the cpiestion of the origin and distribution of the Fauna 

 and Flora of Australia. 



Nearly all the available information bearing upon this subject 

 has been referred to by Captain F. W. Hutton, F.G.S., in his 



