Siinininry <>f ( Jcological Ohsorvntions. 



Tovviirds 9,000 foot tho poisistoiitly luuiii.l cliiiiulo j^ivos riso to tho zono 

 of tho eryptojiuius, :uid to tlio Imgs that ooiistitiito oiio nf tlic chjilitotoiistic 

 teiituros of Kuwoiizoii, Fioin this ;iltitii<lo, wo iiuiy sjiy ri^ht \\\) to tlio 

 gliieiofs, tho ground is ovoi ywhoro uiiiiitoi ruptodly oovorod with ;i hoggy \K".a- 

 tiirf layor wliiih not soldoiii i'c:ich(^s of oxooi^ls ;i thiciviioss of I'O iiu'hos. On 

 this sul>str:itiini is dovohipod ;i vigorous vogotiitioii of niossos, hi'p:itica' 

 (livoi-worts) and liolions, \vhi^■ll sprcid a thick iiianth^ ovor tho protiiuiing 

 rocks, tho orratio liouidors and tho trunks of iho troos, whothor li\ ing oi' falion 

 with age, and for oontiu'ios aoounuihitiug on tiio siu-faoo of tlio ground. 



Over this ovorl^dug stratum of hog ami vogotahlo (h)tritus thoio is Imt 

 n slight How of water, absorhed ;is it is ;is l)y a lingo sjiongo. Tho snrfato 

 layer thus forms a protootiiig oarpoi for tho rocks « hirli. wiioii ihcv i:iii ho 

 ijoon iindornoath, appear to ho relatively inlart, escaping as they do in gi'oat 

 measure from the erosive phenomena. 



Beyond tho lioggy zone tho smt'.-ii-c action <if iho niclcoric agents comes 

 again into jilay, but it must act very slowly in eonsocjuenc(^ of ihc almridant 

 vegetation of the erustaceous liehons covering the rocks. The nature of those 

 rocks, largely constituted of aniphiiiole and quartz, also e.xplaiiis the slighter 

 action of atmospheric denudation whicii has freer pl.iy in tho gneiss and 

 mica-schist zone. 



Attention may again bo called to tho charactciislic protrusion of the locks 

 composed of more resisting olomonts. This fact is appaicnt in the' IkmIs hI 

 garnotdiearing rocks, where the largo crystals of garnet |)idtrude with an 

 almost variohu- or pitted aspect. Tho phenomenon is typical also in the mica- 

 schist zone on the western slope of .Mi. llakcr, where tho mica-schi.st is 

 associated with abundant cpiartz in lenticular veins and thin layers which 

 everywhere form jirotuborancos, sometimes even very conspicuous on the 

 surface of the groiuid. 



La.stly, in the higher zones to the modifying and erosive action of tho 

 atmosphere is aildod the o.\tromely potent factor of frost and thaw. In this 

 case, wherever the underlying rocks are iKjt protected by the masses of ice, we 

 Knd long stretches of ground covered with loose chaotic and shifting detritus 

 analogous to what is noticed on the crests ami higher slopes of our Alpine 

 heit,dit.s. 



393 



