The RaiiifaU of Victoria. 197 



Art. Yll.—The Rainfall in Victoria. By R. L. J. Ellery, 

 Esq., F.RA.S./ President of the Royal Society. 



[Read 11th June, 1866.] 



In bringing under youi' notice the records of the rainfall 

 of Victoria, I intended to have referred to some of the causes 

 which appear to govern its distribution, and to have appended 

 a statement of the rainfall in other parts of Australia, but, 

 unfortunately, all the requisite data have not come to hand, 

 so that I shall liave to leave this part of the subject for a 

 future paper. It is also a matter of regret, that the records 

 of rainfall in the colony itself are generally too incomplete, 

 or extend over too short a period to render a fair annual 

 average. The rainfall in Melbourne, however, forms an 

 exception, as we possess records from the year 1840 to 1850, 

 and from 1854 to the present date. This break in the 

 series evidently occurred at the separation of this colony 

 from New South Wales, for all the observations made from 

 1840 to 1850, were published in the New South Wales 

 Government Gazette. Any observations, if obtained subse- 

 quent to that and prior to 1853 and 1854, cannot yet be 

 found. This is the more unfortunate, for if that gap were 

 filled up, any periodicity or secular diminution of the rain- 

 fall, should such exist, might have been traced. 



The tables, although incomplete, present some interesting- 

 facts worthy of our attention ; more especially as the late 

 serious droughts, still existing in some parts, have given to 

 the question of our rainfall a greater significance than, 

 perhaps, it ever before assumed. 



The rainfall in Victoria, and probably over the whole sur- 

 face of Australia (except, perhaps, in the desert parts, if 

 such exist), fully attains to the average of similar latitudes 

 of other parts of the world, and would be adequate to the 

 well-being of the country were it not for the enormous spon- 

 taneous evaporation. Of course there are causes which 

 bring about large rainfalls in some localities, while others 

 get none or little. We have whole districts which enjoy a 

 greater humidity than usual, owing in some cases to heavier 

 rainfall, and in many others to a lessened evaporation ; but 

 taking Victoria generally, the rainfall is rather above than 

 below the average for similar latitudes. 



If we assume the annual average rainfall in Melbourne to 

 be 28 "5 inches, which is not far from the truth, we 



