NOTES ON THE CLIMATE OF VICTORIA. 
11 
The mean daily range in pressni'e of air for Melbourne, 120 feet, 
and for Ballarat, 1437 feet, above the level of the sea, is given in 
the table below : — 
Snrirj cr 
Melbourne. 
Indies. 
OUDI 
Ballarat. 
Indies. 
0-104 
Summer 
o*ir>3 
0-088 
AntiimTi . 
0-157 
0-092 
Wiritr.r 
0*152 
0-098 
Year 
The mean daily range is greatest for Melbourne in September, 
and least in February, from which Ballarat seems to difier, in so 
far as there the greatest range occurs in August, the differences 
for these months being O’OoG and 0’()32 inches respectively. 
As a iule, the greatest pressure occui's with the wind from S. 
to S.E.j and the lowest from N. to W. From discussion of many 
years’ observation, there appears to be a maximum of mean 
pressure in the early part of August. 
RAINFALL. 
Although Victoria has generally been considered a dry climate,, 
we find that the rainfall usually attains to the average of similar 
latitudes in other parts of the world ; but it is doubtless to the 
large amount of spontaneous evaporation, as well as jierhaps to the 
immense tracts of unbroken surfai^c soil, that the frequent 
inadequacy of our rainfall is due. In some localities, however, 
not only does tlie fall of rain reach a huger aveiage, but, owing to 
sheltered and most freiiuently submontane positions, the evapora- 
tion is almost reduced to a minimum. This is particularly the 
case in the valleys and gullies at the foot of oui’ mountain ranges, 
wliere the character of the vegetation is considerably modified 
thereby. 
From observations of the rainfall carried on since 1840, but 
unfortunately with a break in the years 1851, ’52,’ 53, and ’54, 
we may assume the annual average to be 25*6(>. From Professor 
Neurnayer’s obseiwations of sjiontaneous evaporation it appears 
that it amounts to 42 inches per annum, and occurs principally 
during the spring and sumnun* montlis ; in winter and autumn 
the rainfall generally exceeds the evaporation by Ji considerable 
amount. It would thus ajipear that spontaneous evaporation 
exceeds the rainfall by 10*4 inches. The conditions that geneivally 
affect spontaneous eva])oration can scarcely be brought to bear 
upon any of the methods of observation usuually adopted, and 
determinations made from a small surface of water in an open 
