ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. aa’ 
of bushfires :—On January 1, 1881, a heavy bush fire came across 
from the Darling to Cobar, and burnt up the heavy grass on some 
—unstocked country ; it continued burning for ten days, and on 
January 10 we had 1°48 inch rain. Another case was observed in 
the Wimmera district, Victoria, where, during a heavy bush fire 
in the mallee scrub, a thunder-storm gathered and put out the fire 
with rain. Another observer worked at three large bush fires, 
and each time the fires were put out by rain. These instances are 
given as evidence in favour of the idea that the fire caused the 
rain ; but none of the meteorological circumstances are stated, and 
it is impossible therefore to say that there would have been no 
rain if there had been no fire ; but, as the date of one instance is 
given, I am able, by reference to the weather maps, which are pub- 
lished daily, to say with some degree of certainty that if there had 
been no fire there would still have been rain. The date of the 
rain is January 10, 1881 ; on January 7, 8, and 9, southerly and 
S.E. winds had been blowing on the coast, causing a fall of 
temperature, which did not reach the interior generally until the 
10th, and the temperatures of the 10th show a great fall from 20° 
to 25° in the interior, and especially in the district Bourke to 
Dubbo ; the result was that rain fell at nineteen other stations in 
addition to the one referred to near Cobar. At Euston 2°59 inches 
fell, at Wentworth 1-85 in., Moree 0°32 in., and others which need 
not be mentioned. Now, it would not be safe to assume, without 
further evidence, that the fire about Cobar caused a general south- 
erly wind and a fall of 20° in the temperature, and rain at such 
distances from the fire as Wentworth and Euston ; butit is highly 
probable that the fire had nothing to do with the rain. 
_ It would be interesting if we could examine every case of this — 
| ‘Sort and see if the rain was due to the fire or to ordinary meteoro- 
_ logical changes. From what has been said already, it is evident 
that some of the most competent authorities in England and Ame- 
ia ‘ Tica think that under certain circumstances rain may be produced 
artificially. Unfortunately for us, they all carefully avoided saying — 
What the circumstances were. But I think we may form some 
