June, 1920] The Great Mageik Landslide 327 



of glacial action, for I could not at first imagine any agency 

 other than ice which could move huge bowlders with as great, 

 ease as fine sand. In places also its surface is pitted with 

 characteristic circular puddles, exact miniatures of the "Kettle- 

 hole Ponds," so familiar to students of glacial deposits. (See 

 page 343). Since these could be readily accounted for by the 

 melting away of an embedded block of ice or snow after the 

 mass reached its present position, their occurrence gave color 

 for a time to the glacial theory. 



But it has several important characteristics which show at 

 once that it was not the work of any glacier. It has no moraines, 

 no ridges of any kind at its end or edges, nor is there any sign 

 of the push and shove everywhere characteristic of ice work. 

 There is none of the piling up and gradual overthrow of masses- 

 of resistant solid material caused by the steady downward creep 

 of the irresistible ice, but, on the contrary, the mass gives 

 evidence of having possessed a high degree of internal fluidity 

 permitting it to spread out in a thin layer over the ground. 

 Although lacking any resemblance to morainic ridges, the 

 terminal edge is perfectly clear cut and distinct, sharply con- 

 trasting with the surface of the original soil beyond. In some 

 places the margin is a steep convex bank, about three feet 

 high. (See page 328). But in others there is merely a thin 

 veneer of debris spread over the ground. (vSee page 329). 



The effect on the bushes that lay in its path, also seen 

 particularly well along the margin, likewise affords clear and 

 positive evidence that it is no glacial moraine. An advancing 

 glacier slowly overwhelms the trees that stand in its way, 

 gradually pushing them over by piling debris against their 

 trunks. But here the willows and alders were broken sharp 

 off, clear up to the very margin of the flow. The line of destruc- 

 tion is as sharp as the edge of the debris itself. (See page 345). 



There are many places where one may observe clean- 

 broken stumps protruding through their covering of debris, 

 within a few feet of similar bushes standing untouched beyond 

 the margin of the drift. These bushes were not simply bent 

 over before the advancing debris, nor were they uprooted b}'' 

 its force, they were snapped off sharp as though struck by a 

 flying rock. (See page 328). 



In the terminal portion of the mass there are few of the rocks 

 so characteristic of the upper portion. On the contrary, the 



