Proceedinijs. 91 



Adelaide is situated about 35° south of the equator, a 

 latitude corresponding to that of Algeria. The area of this 

 colony is 15^ times that of England and Wales, nearly half 

 the colony being within the tropics. From the southern sea- 

 board the rainfall decreases very rapidly as one proceeds 

 towards the centre of the continent. On reaching the tropics, 

 at or near the centre of the colony, the rain begins to increase 

 again until on the northern sea-board, where the shores are 

 washed by the Indian Ocean, a very heavy rainfall is 

 registered. The northern territory is watered by some fine 

 rivers, emptying themselves into the Indian Ocean and the 

 Gulf of Carpentaria. In a large tract of country lying between 

 the centre of this colony and the borders of Western Australia 

 the rainfall may be said to be nil. The far interior is, I 

 understand, as a whole, flat, with here and there a ridge of 

 rocky hills or mountains, in some cases almost bare masses 

 of granite. The plains, for reasons stated above, are almost 

 nude of vegetation, a Prickly Porcupine Grass [Spinifex) 

 managing to exist where everything else fails. Of course, 

 when there happens to be a sufficient fall of rain, even in 

 parts far in the interior, grass and beautiful flowers spring 

 up only to enjoy a brief existence. From the Spinifex country 

 as one progresses south, plains are met with covered with 

 Salt-bush, a succulent plant allied to the Mesembryanthe- 

 mums, growing to a height of two or three feet ; this plant, 

 curiously enough, is good feed for sheep. 



Adelaide is situated about five miles from the sea, or rather 

 from the Gulf of St. Vincent, and five miles from the foot- 

 hills of the Mt. Lofty ranges. Mt, Lofty, the highest of 

 these hills, is about 2300 ft. high. The plain between the 

 hills and the sea is thoroughly under cultivation j the original 

 scattered timber has almost entirely disappeared before the 

 hand of man. The birds on the plains are not numerous, 

 being almost confined to the patches of timber still remaining. 

 This timber is, of course, Eucalyptus, and when in flower, 

 which occurs once every two years, is frequented by several 

 species of Honey-eaters, and two species of Honey-Parrots. 



Near the coast there is in some places a double ridge of 



