MOUNTAINS AND THEIR EFFECT ON NATIVE VEGETATION. 27% 
Lake George, the country is all open forest. The same 
contrast exists between Illawarra on the coast and Moss 
Vale to Goulburn and Yass on the plateau, and again 
between the North Coast of New South Wales and the New 
England tableland. Passing into Queensland we find the 
same conditions in regard to plant distribution wherever 
the mountain range is sufficiently high to form a barrier. 
At Cairns, in latitude 17°, brush growths are abundant, but 
in going westerly from here, the whole of this class of 
vegetation is left behind before Mareeba is reached, or 
within 20 miles ina straight line. Between the Mareeba- 
Parada districts, and the southerp shores of the Gulf of 
Carpentaria, a distance westerly of about 300 miles ina 
direct line, the country gradually falls from about 1,700 
feet to sea level, though some of the hills near Parada 
exceed 2,000 feet. During the whole of this distance no 
sign of brush vegetation is seen, though a little occurs on 
a few of the moist river flats near the Gulf, and the large 
forest trees are made up chiefly of Hucalyptus species, 
while along the banks of the Htheridge, Gilbert, Norman, 
Flinders and other rivers are luxuriant growths of Mela- 
leucas, neither of which genera contributes to the ingredi- 
ents of an Australian brush or jungle. In a distance due 
south, 200 miles, from the Gulf to Cloncurry, the ascent is 
almost imperceptible but amounts to about 700 feet, while 
the divide between the Gulf and Lake Kyre waters is crossed 
at Whitewood between Hughenden and Winton, at an 
elevation only slightly exceeding 1,000 feet. From White- 
wood to the Gulf of Carpentaria at the mouth of the Flinders 
River, is a direct distance northwesterly of about 330 miles, 
and the country has the appearance of a level plain through- 
out, the fall amounting to only slightly over three feet per 
mile. It will be seen, therefore, that there is a total absence 
of any high range to create moist conditions over this large 
area. Turning next to the westward, there is the Barkly 
