1899.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 501 



ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS ON GLACIERS IN BRITISH COLXTMBIA. 



BY GEORGE AND WILLIAM S. VAUX, JR. 



Excluding the territory which lies to the north of the Arctic 

 Circle, all the principal glaciers of North America lie within the 

 great ranges of the Rocky Mountain system. These ranges stretch- 

 ing along the Pacific Coast are peculiarly well situated for the 

 formation of glaciers, which are found in places, probably not 

 inferior to the better known ice streams of Switzerland. 



While one or two glaciers exist in the central part of California, 

 on the sides of Mt. Lyell, and further to the north in Oregon and 

 Washington on Mts. Hood and Ranier, it is not till the interna- 

 tional boundary is crossed that the scenery becomes truly Alpine 

 and glaciers are found of great size and striking characteristics. 

 As the ranges stretch northward they converge till at the narrow- 

 est portion they exceed but little a breadth of 400 miles. At this 

 point they are composed of parallel ranges, the outer ones being 

 nearly continuous, while the inner are more broken and cut by 

 deep valleys through which, in several instances, noble rivers find 

 their way. Beginning at the west, the most important of these 

 ranges are the Cascade, the Gold, the Selkirk and the Rocky; the 

 last two being the highest, the most Alpine and broken and the 

 most covered with glaciers. The reason for the greater glacier 

 activity in these eastern ranges is in part as follows: 



* If a map of the Pacific Ocean be examined on which the cur- 

 rents have been marked, it will be seen that the Japan current, 

 after flowing past the islands of Japan, divides into two unequal 

 parts. The smaller of these takes a northeast direction through 

 Bering Sea and Strait into the Arctic Ocean, while the larger 

 portion assumes an eastern and then a southeastern course, bathing 

 the west coast of British North America, and finally, being de- 

 flected to the south by the continent, and cooled, forms the North 

 Equatorial current, which is a feeder to the Japan current. The 

 evaporation from this stream of warm water is very rapid, and 



