xxviii Appendix. 
freely discussed not only in scientific but general circles. So far as the 
actual rainfall of a particular locality is concerned, the evidence and argu- 
ments addueed have been very conflicting ; and I am bound to record my 
opinion, as stated in Dunedin, that, so far, nothing has been proved to 
establish the theory, that extensive denudation will, of itself, cause a marked 
decrease in the rainfall. Forest-clad mountains will doubtless tend to 
induce rain-clouds to precipitate the moisture with which they are charged, 
but so will mountains without forests. No one would, I imagine, argue 
against the generally recognized fact, that the rainfall in mountainous forest 
regions is, as a rule, greater than it is in an open plain exposed to similar 
atmospheric conditions; but the question is, will the mere removal of the ` 
forests from the mountains, of itself, affect the rainfall on them and in their 
immediate vicinity, and may not the presence of the trees be the effect of a 
considerable rainfall, and not its cause? I confess that I feel no sort of 
certainty one way or the other; and in this respect I do not think I am 
singular, having with me, to my knowledge, Dr. Brundis, the Inspector- 
General of Forests in India, no mean authority, and doubtless many others 
whose minds are not made up on the subject. Recent observations in 
France, however, made with great care and complete sets of instruments, 
at different stations, do appear undoubtedly to establish the facts :—(1), 
that throughout the year 6 per cent. more rain falls in the forests than in 
the open; (2), that, of the total rainfall, 10 per cent. is caught by the 
leaves in a forest, and does not reach the earth; and (8), that the evapora- 
tion in the open country is five times as great as in a forest. So far as this 
eolony is concerned, the evidence, if anything, tends to prove that the 
rainfall has inereased at stations in the neighbourhood of which the 
forests have been extensively cleared. I have quite recently been going 
through the meteorological returns for the past ten years, and find that, 
whereas the mean annual rainfall of Wellington, as recorded for the first 
five years, is 48:709 inches, and the number of days on which rain fell 158 ; 
that for the last five years of the decade is 57.862 inches, and the number of 
days 177! At Taranaki, again, in the immediate neighbourhood of which 
I imagine the clearing has been extensive, the mean from 1866 to 1870 Was 
59:931 inches, and, from 1870 to 1875, 62-612 inches. Christchurch and 
Hokitika, with the lowest and highest rainfall in the colony, remain much 
the same during each of the periods of five years; the mean for the 
former being 118 days, with 27-038 inches during the first, and 125 days 
with 25:821 inches during the second five years; whilst at the latter place 
the means are 197 days with 112-622 inches, and 178 days with 115-418 
inches respectively. We must, however, be careful how we accept these 
returns as conclusive evidence either way. The period over which they 
