of the Australian Alps. 139 



The number of times which the wind blew from the N.E. 

 being greatly in excess of that from any other cardinal point, 

 may be partly accounted for by the trend of the Living- 

 stone Creek Valley and the Dividing Range to the east 

 deflecting the north and north-north-westerly currents of air. 

 The relatively small velocities are also probably owing to the 

 somewhat sheltered position of the observatory, partly 

 surrounded by high ranges, which intercept the strong N.W. 

 to S.W. winds. The greatest mean velocity of the wind 

 occurs during spring and summer, and principally with 

 north-westerly currents of air. The greatest velocity 

 recorded at Omeo with a cup anemometer was forty-eight 

 miles per hour during a strong gale from the N.N.W. 

 Anemometrical records from Mount Hotham would show 

 interesting results, as the strong westerly gales which flow at 

 this elevation are a noticeable feature during the equinoctial 

 season. On the whole, westerly winds may be said to pre- 

 dominate in the Australian Alps, although local influences at 

 lower sub-alpine altitudes cause deflection and obstruction 

 to aerial currents, as shown by the results at Omeo, where 

 the prevailing winds are northerly. A remarkable phe- 

 nomenon connected with the temperature of wind which has 

 been frequently noticed in the sub-alpine valleys of the 

 Australian Alps is the occasional whiffs, during frosty morn- 

 ings, of warm currents of air, producing an irritation of the 

 throat and nose similar to that fe]t when ozone is largely 

 present in the atmosphere. How far these peculiar 

 abnormal air-movements are due to electrical agencies, or to 

 the actual presence of isolated masses of warm dry air, 

 which have come to us from the heated interior of Australia, 

 I am unable to suggest ; I simply note the fact as one which 

 requires some explanation. Owing to the situation of Omeo 

 with reference to the higher regions of the Australian Alps, 

 hot winds are comparatively unknown; the N.N.W. and 

 N.W. hot winds, during summer, come down to us cooled by 

 their passage over the Bogong High Plains. 



Pressure of the Atmosphere. 



The maximum of mean monthly pressure of the atmo-' 

 sphere occurs during August, while the greatest absolute 

 pressure for the period during which observations were 

 taken occurred on 30th July, 1883, when the reading of the 

 barometer, reduced to sea level and temperature 32° Fahr., 



