562 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



south-east of New Zealand by the coast-line and mountain- 

 chain combined. As accounting for the persistency of these 

 north-west and west and south-west wuids in the Southern 

 Hemisphere, and assisting in their formation, the uniformly 

 low barometric pressure which, to judge from the observations 

 of Su- J. Eoss, seems to prevail between the 70th and 75th 

 pai-allels of south latitude, must be regarded as of primary 

 importance, though the higher latitudes of the Southern 

 Hemisphere have as yet been so little explored that it is not 

 safe to build any theories upon the few observations that have 

 been made. 



The prevalence of westerly weather with us, however, 

 clearly explains the main feature of our rain-map, which is 

 that of the heaviest fall on the west coast, and lighter as the 

 east coasts are approached. A similar law obtains in a very 

 marked degree in Tasmania, of which a rain-map recently 

 published shows a fall of over 50in. on the west coast, from 

 40in. to oOin. in the central thkd of the island, and from 

 20iD. to 40in. over the eastern third. Symou's map of the 

 rainfall of the British Isles may also be called to mmd with 

 advantage. It shows a marked excess of precipitation along 

 the high lands of the western counties, the deep tints de- 

 TiotiDg over 75in. on the western coasts gradually giving place 

 to the lighter lines denoting under 25m. along the eastern. 

 In some of the mountain districts of Westmoreland the 

 annual fall is as much as loOin. to 200in., while in the eastern 

 half of England there are many places with less than 20in. 

 The western counties, in consequence, are characterized as 

 pastiu-e counties, the eastern as grain-growing. Symon's 

 general law is, " The rainfall of a district [in England, pre- 

 stimably] is mainly influenced by its proximity to the western 

 coasts of the country, and by the lie of the mountain-ranges 

 by which it is traversed or encu'cled." 



This law undoubtedly obtains in New Zealand. Wind 

 from some quarter of the west prevails through the greater 

 part of the year, even at places like Bealey and Queenstown, 

 quite in the interior — and the north-east winds of the eastern 

 coasts, as we have said, do not interfere with this law largely 

 — and the west wind, except where it has to cross high moun- 

 tains and so gets robbed of its moisture, will be undoubtedly 

 rain-bringing. Moreover, as a rule, those places most exposed 

 to the west will have the heaviest rainfall. Compare, e.g., — 



Taranaki, with 58in., to Napier, with 37in. 



Wellington, „ 52in., „ Wairarapa, „ 42in. 



Nelson, „ 60in.,(?) „ Blenheim, „ 27in. 



Hokitika, „ 112in., „ Christchurch, „ 26i'n. 



Milford Sound, „ 87in.,* „ Oamaru, , 23in. 



Wallacetown, „ 50in., „ Dunedin, „ 35in. 



* In six months. 



