RAINFALL AND DISCHARGE OF THE MURRAY RIVER. LI, 
South Wales during the drought, of dust storms so obscur- 
ing the sun at mid-day as to necessitate lamps being lighted 
indoors to carry on business. The author attaches a photo- 
graph of a dust storm that occurred at Narrandera during 
the drought of 1903. 
Influence of Great Dividing Range on Rainfall of New 
South Wales.—The Great Dividing Range running approxi- 
mately parallel to the coast line of New South Wales, 
appears to exercise a very marked influence on the distri- 
bution of rain over the State. The rain clouds as they are 
borne inward from the sea are forced upward into the 
colder strata of the range and consequently the coastal 
rainfall is largely in excess of the rainfall west of the 
Dividing Range. In support of the foregoing assumptions, 
the author has compiled the tables hereunder from obser- 
vations of the meteorological staff of the Sydney Observa- 
tory. Table “‘A.”’ gives the mean annual rainfall of a 
number of stations along the coast of New South Wales, 
from Milton in the south to Tweed Heads in the north. 
Table “* B.”’ shows the mean annual rainfall of stations in 
the Central Division of New South Wales, extending from 
Narrandera in the south (Lat. 35° S.) to Boggabilla in the 
North (Lat. 29° 8S.) In Table “‘C.”’ are shown several 
Stations in the Western Division of the State, from Lake 
Victoria in the south to Thurloo Downs in the north. 
Perhaps no better illustration could be given than is 
evidenced by these tables, of the wonderful decrease in 
rainfall in the three belts of New South Wales, going west 
from the coast. 
Fluctuations in Mean Rainfall.—The experience of recent 
droughts in Australia shows the very great importance 
of having a knowledge of the fluctuations and peculiar 
characteristics of the Australian rivers, especially where 
the available supply of water is small compared with the 
