AUSTRALASIA. 1^7 



The mean annual temperature along the coast districts is 

 given as follows : — 



Melbourne ... 57 degrees Fahr. 



Sydney ... 63 ,, 



Brisbane ... 69 ,, 



Adelaide ... 65 „ 



Perth ... 64 



It is much higher in the interior, where the summer 

 temperature is said to rise up to 130 in the shade, 

 or as high as in the north-western part of the Indian 

 Empire. 



New Zealand is cooler and moister than Australia proper ; 

 long droughts are scarcely known, and the rainfall ranges 

 between 35 and 50 inches. 



The true forest region of the mainland is almost entirely 

 coastal. A most luxuriant growth is found on the mountains 

 and hill ranges facing the sea and on tablelands stretching 

 from these towards the shore line. Only where the ranges 

 come close to the coast, as in parts of Western Australia, does 

 the forest belt extend some distance inland beyond the 

 watershed as far as the rainfall suffices. As an instance, the 

 Jarrah and Karri belts on the Darling Hills in Western 

 Australia may be mentioned with an average rainfall of 35 to 

 40 inches. In most cases, however, only stunted trees and 

 scrub jungle are found beyond the hill ranges ending in 

 stretches of bare land. 



The mainland and Tasmania are the home of the euca- 

 lypts and wattles. The former reach magnilicent dimen- 

 sions. At one time they were believed to be the tallest trees 

 on the earth, but quite lately it has once more been asserted 

 that they do not reach a greater height than the Sequoias of 

 California. New Zealand, especially in the northern island, 

 is rich in conifers of which the Kauri pine is the finest and 

 most valuable. 



