178 AUSTRALIA 



Queensland, west of the mountains, it is especially claimed 

 by the Brigalow-scrub, consisting of acacias. Towards 

 the south, the savana passes gradually into desert 

 through a belt of acacias, by the disappearance of the 

 grass and the scattering of the shrubs. 



Scrubland. Between the wooded areas of the coastal 

 margins and the inland desert there must, of necessity, 

 extend a transition belt, where the rainfall is not 

 abundant enough to support a continuous and dense 

 tree-growth, while, on the other hand, the irregularity 

 and distribution of the precipitation are not favourable 

 enough for the development of large grass carpets. 

 This belt, if we recall what occurs on other continents, 

 is likely to be characterized by a scattered vegetation of 

 evergreen shrubs with a scanty admixture of grass. 



Three main types of scrub have been distinguished, 

 each with a specific appearance. They are all restricted 

 to belts which have a yearly rainfall of under 30 inches. 

 Of the three main types, two, viz. the ' Brigalow ' and the 

 'Mallee' scrub, appear to require at least 15 inches of 

 yearly precipitation, whilst the third, the ' Mulga ', in its 

 poorer forms, seems to be able to stand extremely arid 

 conditions, and therefore penetrates far into and among 

 the true deserts. The respective relations of the three 

 types with their physical conditions have not as yet 

 been properly worked out, though the Brigalow scrub 

 is a specific characteristic of the hot, tropical conditions 

 of northern and north-eastern Australia, while the 

 Mallee characterizes the warm-temperate climate of the 

 southern and south-western parts. 



The Brigalow Scrub is best represented in Queensland 

 behind the coastal range and south of the Gulf of 

 Carpentaria, amid climatic conditions which recall those 

 of the drier parts of the Brazilian sertao and the portion 



