Periodical Literature. 717 



may be made. For this purpose subventions may be made. 

 Regulations for the control of hunting and protection of animals 

 form part of the decree. 



For 1910-11 a budget of $55,000 was granted, out of over one 

 and a half million for the entire Department of Public Works. 



Notes Porestieres d' Amerique Mexique. Revue des Eaux et Forets, Oct. 

 15, 1912, pp. 619-624. 



As is well known, the interior of Australia 



Forests as well as the west, northwest and south 



of coast are mainly occupied by savannah and 



Australia. scrub growth, besides the treeless sand and 



salt deserts. Only the interior mountains 



show denser tree growth. The savannah forest — grassy plain 



studded with trees consists of Eucalypts, Casuarinas and small 



Acacia species. Real forest is found only in the North and East. 



Where, as in Queensland, precipitation is plentiful a true tropical 



rain forest of many species and luxuriant undergrowth, lianas, 



palms, pisang, etc., is found. In drier portions "gallery" forests 



— belts following the rivers — are typical. 



According to official estimates, the Commonwealth of the six 

 States has only 159,375 square miles or 102 million acres, or 

 5-35% of forest area. Queensland leads with 40 million acres. 

 West Australia is next with 20 million. New South Wales has 15 

 million, Victoria 11.8 million, Tasmania 11 million and South 

 Australia 3.8 million acres. These estimates are, however, be- 

 lieved to be very conservative. This may be true as far as forest 

 land is concerned, but as exploitation has undoubtedly destroyed 

 much, these figures probably represent the productive portion. 



So far only 16.7 million acres have been placed in forest reser- 

 vation. 



New South Wales leads in this direction with over half its 

 forest area in reserve ; Victoria next with one-third ; Queensland 

 following with nearly 25 per cent. 



Each of the States has a forest department, most of them of 

 recent origin. The first was inaugurated in New South Wales in 

 1877, but a re-organization and more far-reaching though still 

 crude legislation was enacted in 1910. In the main, exploitation 

 is still the rule, and most of the States have a surplus, although 



