486 



Natural History in Foreign Countries', 



them to the little mounds of sand or gravel formed in streams of running 

 water, when interrupted by a large stone, or any other obstacle. One ose, 

 in particular, named Kinnekulle, and situated on the shore of the Lake 

 Wenern, at the foot of a plateau of basalt, is composed of sand and black 

 coloured blocks, in form of a cue from north to south. Here the origin of 

 these blocks is obvious ; for they consist of the same basalt as the plateau, 

 from which they have been detached, and transported to different distances. 

 Upon the plateau of Kinnekulle there are many blocks of granite of consi- 

 siderable size, and also similar masses of the inferior sandstone, presenting 

 a striking example of primary rocks, placed upon rocks of newer formation, 

 and also upon alluvial soil of more recent origin. 



M. Brongniart remarked, that both in Sweden and in many sub- Alpine and 

 5ub-Apennine hills, in proportion as the transported blocks are nearer the 

 summit they increase in size. Thus, in going towards the summit of Su- 

 perga, near Turin, the blocks at the bottom of the hill are little more 

 than boulders ; towards the middle they are several pounds' weight, while 

 near the top they are large. A British instance, no less striking, of the same 

 fact, may be seen in Conversations on Geology ^ p. 122. 



201 



T)esciiiption. 

 Fig. 1. View of a hill of sand, covered with erratic blocks, on the confines 



of Scania and Smoland. 

 Fig. 2. Reduced copy from Hermelin's map of Sweden, to show by pointed 



tracks the direction of the long, narrow, sand hills, covered with erratic 



blocks, N. and W. of Upsal. 

 Fig. 3. and 4. Chart and section of the mountain Kinnekulle, on the east 



bank of the Lake Wenern. 

 A, Plateau of compact pyroxenous basanite, very like dolerite. This pla- 

 . teau is depressed in the centre, and contains a marsh. 



