RAINFALL AND DISCHARGE OF THE MURRAY RIVER. LV. 
in parts of their territory, but their descriptions leave it an 
open question as to how far the phenomena recorded may be 
due to contemporaneous erosion rather than to uncon- 
formity. 
Unequal Distribution of Rain.—For the purpose of illus- 
trating the unequal distribution of rainfall over the State 
of New South Wales, a profile ‘‘ Appendix B’’ has been 
drawn from Sydney to Wilcannia on the Darling River ina 
generally westerly direction. The various stations and 
their altitude are shewn along the profile, also the mean 
rainfall at each station. This diagram shows graphically 
the increase in rainfall due to difference in altitude. It 
will be seen that the average rainfall along the sea coast 
at Sydney, extending over a period of 44 years, is 49°68 
inches. Towards the west, Katoomba on the Blue 
Mountains, at an elevation of 3,330 feet, has a mean annual 
rainfall of 59°66 inches. Orange, at a distance of 196 
miles from Sydney, and an altitude of 2,846 feet, has a 
mean annual rainfall of 37°5 inches. Going further west 
there is a fall of 1,850 feet to Wellington and a decrease 
in rainfall to 23°36 inches, or 14°14 inches below that of 
Orange. There is generally a gradual decrease in the 
country westward both with regard to rainfall and altitude. 
Wilcannia, the most westerly station on the profile, having 
a rainfall of 10°58 inches while the altitude is 246 feet. 
The conclusion to be drawn from a study of this profile is 
that the moisture-ladea storm clouds from the Pacific 
Ocean borne inward are cooled by coming in contact with 
the mountain range, and precipitate a large portion of 
their moisture, leaving the interior plain country with a 
very low rainfall. This would in a great measure account 
for the humidity of the coast and mountain region, and the 
drier climate of the Darling. 
The author also attaches a map of New South Wales, 
(Plate 21) showing the isoyets of equal rainfall over 
