290 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION 
2.—CENTRAL AUSTRALIA. 
By C. WInneEcKE, F.R.G.S. 
[ Abstract. 
The author refers to the discovery of the McDonnell Rangcs 
by the distinguished explorer John McDouall Stuart in 1861, 
and to the subsequent exploration of the western portion by 
Messrs. Ernest Giles and W. H. Tietkins, and of the eastern por- 
tion by himself. The ranges extend east and west for about 600 
miles, rising at times to an elevation of 5000 ft. above sea-level, 
or 3000 ft. above the surrounding plains, and consist of granitic 
rock. The drainage from the ranges is described as trending in 
northerly, easterly, and southerly directions, but principally 
finding an outlet in Lake Eyre, which receives the drainage of 
over 600,000 square miles, and is surrounded on the known shores 
by low, red sandhills. The author refers to an area of 5000 
square miles of the lake being unknown. He states that Mr. E. 
Bell, Government Trigonometrical Surveyor, frequently found, 
when no local rains had fallen, that immense areas were covered 
with deep water, thus confirming the experience of the late G. 
W. Goyder, C.M.G. The author expresses the opinion that the 
presence or absence of water on the known shores of the lake 
are due to the direction of the wind, and is of opinion that a 
large permanent lake may exist in the middle of Lake Eyre. 
The author also refers to the unknown country to the south of 
the eastern end of the McDonnell Ranges, and to a legend 
emanating from the aboriginals of that region that some white 
man had perished there many years previously. He gives 
reasons in support of the theory that Dr. Ludwig Leichhardt’s 
expedition reached that locality and perished there for want of 
water. 
3.—A SECOND CONTRIBUTION TO AUSTRALASIAN 
OCEANOGRAPHY. 
By Tuomas. WALKER Fow.Ler, M.C.E., F.R.G.S., 
F.R. Met. S8., &e. 
[ Abstract. ] 
The paper gives the results of 430 determinations of den- 
sity and sea temperatures of sea-water around the coasts of 
Australia, &c., and is in continuation of the paper published 
in the Report of the Association, Vol. 7, pages 687-701. 
The observations show that the average temperatures and 
densities of sea waters on the southern coasts of Australia have 
been diminishing of late years, the figures for Bass Strait during 
