Royal Botanic Society. 393 
have for some time been left exposed to atmospheric action by the 
melting of the ice. In the valley of the Viesch, the direction of the 
scratches is fromnorth to south, or towards the Rhone; the direction of 
those which accompany the glacier of the Rhone is from east to west ; 
that of those beneath the glacier of the Aar is first from west to 
east, as far as the Hospice of the Grimsel; and then from south to 
north, from the Grimsel to the Handeck. If we would account for 
these scratches by the action of water, we must imagine currents of 
enormous depth filling these highest Alpine valleys, and descending 
in opposite directions from the narrow crest that lies between them. 
In the upper part of the valley of the Viesch, is a glacier, beneath 
which runs a rapid torrent, co-extensive in length with the great 
current, to which the above hypothesis would attribute the polish 
and scratches on the rocks of the valley. This small torrent 
corrodes the bottom of the valley into sinuous furrows and irregular 
holes, and polishes the sides of its bed ; but the polish is of a different 
aspect from that produced by the action of the ice, and of the stones 
and sand which it carries with it. The polished surfaces beneath 
the ice are often salient and in high relief. The sides also of the 
valleys adjacent to the actual glaciers are frequently polished and 
scratched at great heights above the ice, in a manner identical with 
the surface beneath it, but different from the polish of the bed of 
the torrent. 
The amount of polish and scratches varies with the nature of 
the rocks. In the valley of Zermatt and Riffelhorn, rocks of ser- 
pentine are most exquisitely polished; so also are the granites on 
_the sides of the glacier of the Aar, where they have not been long 
exposed to the action of the air. Gneiss and limestone do not pre- 
serve their polish under similar exposure, but retain it while they are 
protected by ice or a covering of earth. 
These facts seem to show, that the striated and polished condition 
of rocks beneath and on the sides of glaciers, is due to the action of 
the ice, and of the sand and fragments of stone forming the mo- 
raines which accompany it. 
ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY AND GARDEN, 
The first meeting for the season was held November 10, at which 
a résumé of the proceedings of the General Meetings of the last sea- 
son was read by the Secretary, who prefaced his extracts from the 
papers which had been read by stating that the principal objects of 
the Society were the formation of a Botanical Garden for illustration 
and reference, and the diffusion of botanical information of a general 
character, rather than the illustration of abstruse points, which are 
successfully pursued by societies with which the Botanic Society 
does not desire to interfere. Of the eleven meetings held in the 
spring and summer three had been purely for business, and among 
other things, that of obtaining the Charter, and endeavouring to 
procure from the Government some reduction of the high rent, 
which is a great obstacle to the progress of the Institution. Atthe 
