A Pica for Irish Glaciology. 33 



he mentions that he is studying the stones found in glacial 

 deposits, in conjunction with Mr. Pomeroy of Trinity College, 

 Dublin, and he has since commenced the other glacial inquiries 

 already referred to. There are other scientific societies and 

 clubs in Ireland, as well as many isolated observers, no doubt 

 able and willing to help the movement, and as the work would 

 be more valuable and more easily correlated with the glaciology 

 of other countries if carried out on a somewhat uniform method, 

 it may be worth while to draw attention to the little handbook 

 published by the Glacialists' Association 1 , giving an outline of 

 the work suggested, which can easily be modified to suit local 

 requirements. 



In Belfast we have commenced to form a type collection of 

 stones from our glacial deposits, carefully labelling each speci- 

 men with the locality where it was found, and intend ultimately 

 to appeal to experts in petrology to assign to unknown foreign 

 rocks their parent locality. The height above sea-level of each 

 deposit is also being recorded, and general features of the sur- 

 rounding landscape. In addition to this, we are tabulating the 

 percentages of different rocks occurring in each bed, taking 

 ioo stones at random, large and small, and noting the number 

 of each rock found ; this is yielding interesting results. Photo- 

 graphs and sketches of the sections examined are obtained if 

 possible. A bag of the matrix, be it clay, sand, or gravel, is 

 also brought away for chemical and mechanical analysis, and 

 also for the very important and necessary search for minute 

 organic remains, which has yielded in the north such marked 

 and striking evidence of the marine character of the glacial 

 deposits as to make the belief in a submergence almost if not 

 quite universal among local geologists. The value of this 

 biological evidence cannot be too strongly insisted upon, as 

 not only dealing with the supposed submergence, but also as 

 affecting the question of milder interglacial periods. In the 

 paper previously referred to, Mr. Stewart writes that — "the 

 " so-called interglacial gravels seem to be only local deposits 

 "of one continuous period, during which arctic or semi-arctic 

 "conditions prevailed over this country without any interval 

 "of relaxation"; and that "the sands and gravels at Bally- 

 Hints for the Guidance of Observers of Glacial Geology, by Percy F. 

 Kendall, F.G.S. To be obtained from the Assistant Secretary, 19, Seaton 

 Buildings, Water-street, Ijverpool. Price One Shilling. 



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