5O THE CLIMATE OF AUSTRALASIA 



so greatly indebted, advocates a weather cycle 

 of 19 years,* and Bruckner of Vienna holds 

 that the cycle is about 34 or 35 years. Again 

 Wolf holds that, in addition to the 1 1 years 

 period in sun spot variation, there is also a long 

 period variation, 55 years in length, which has 

 claims to consideration, in reference to weather 

 cycles. In the face of such divergent opinions 

 as to the length of the supposed weather cycle, 

 we may well ask, is there any weather period 

 at all ? Ordinary weather statistics do not show 

 any obvious periodicity. For instance, years 

 of heavy rainfall at Melbourne appear to be 

 simply capricious in their recurrence ; and 

 Symons, to quote a European authority, denies 

 that there is any regular oscillation in the 

 British rainfall, or that the rainfall increases 

 and decreases regularly like the swing of the 

 pendulum. Such indisputable irregularities and 

 the different lengths assigned to the supposed 

 cycle by different authorities, appear, at first 

 sight, to be convincing proofs that there is no 

 weather cycle at all. If there were, it may be 

 thought, the cycle should be as easily discovered, 

 and as well known as the succession of the 

 seasons. The view is accordingly prevalent that 

 the wind bloweth where it listeth. Practical men 

 follow the fatalist creed of Ecclesiastes, " He 

 that observeth the wind shall not sow, and he 

 that regardeth the clouds shall not reap ;" and 



*H. C. Russell " On the Periodicity of Good and Bad Seasons," 

 Proc. Royal Soc. N.S. Wales, vol. xxx (1897) pp. 70-115. 



