Art. I. — On the Relation between Forest Lands and 

 Climate in Victoria. 



By R. L. J. Ellery, F.R.S. 



[Read 8th May, 1879.] 



The late recurrence of dry seasons in the southern portions 

 of Australia has once more attracted grave public attention 

 to questions concerning the rainfall and conservation of 

 water, and, as is usual during such climatic vicissitudes, 

 numerous opinions and speculations as to periodicity, causa- 

 tion, and so on, find place in the columns of the press. The 

 one, however, which has perhaps obtained more than ordi- 

 nary interest is that which has reference to the influence of 

 our forests upon rain precipitation and climate. 



The full significance of this question only presses on the 

 public mind in times of drought and water famine, but it 

 has occupied the attention of scientific men in most coun- 

 tries as a great climatic problem for a long time past. In 

 some instances a partial solution has been reached, appris- 

 ing the people that such and such dep]orable changes of 

 climate were the inevitable and natural result of artificial 

 changes of the earth's surface, to which it had been sub- 

 jected for centuries. In some countries, therefore, we see 

 what was originally a mild and fertile climate replaced by 

 one of comparative sterility and violent meteorological 

 extremes. 



In Australia generally, but more especially in its southern 

 portions, the rainfall is the all-important climatic element ; 

 and it is not too much to say that, with an adequate rain- 

 fall seasonably distributed throughout the year, the climate 

 of southern Australia would vie in fertility with that of 

 any part of the globe. 



There is a law apparent in the general distribution of 

 rainfall upon the earth's surface dependent upon the lati- 

 tude, which may be roughly stated thus: — While the 



