48 GLACIERS OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES AND SELKIRKS. 



ice ridge, with a veneering of rock rubbish, the whole looking like a great rail- 

 road embankment, as seen in plate xiv, figure 2. The ordinary visitor is 

 scarcely prepared to admit the existence of the ice core, which constitutes, in 

 reality, the main bulk of the ridge (see plate XL, figure i, from the Asulkan 

 Glacier). In this way are formed the lateral moraines. Should the glacier com- 

 pletely disappear from the valley by melting it is obvious that the lateral 

 moraine would be gently set down along the side of the valley, forming a ridge, 

 but of insignificant proportions compared with its apparent bulk upon the 

 glacier. 



Upon the western margin of the Victoria, the glacier's left, opposite the en- 

 trance of the tributary, there occurs a considerable mass of angular debris, contrib- 

 uted from the Mt. Victoria side of the valley. Most of it is arranged in three or 

 four somewhat poorly defined ridges, parallel with the margin of the glacier. A 

 sudden contraction occurs here in the breadth of the glacier (see plate in), and 

 there is continued a prominent, sharp-crested ridge for one-quarter mile, marking 

 the margin of the glacier and losing gradually in height (plate xiv, figure 2 ) . This 

 portion of the left lateral consists almost entirely of ground-morainic material 

 derived from the hanging glacier upon Mt. Victoria (plate xiv, figure i). Soaked 

 with water after heavy rains, mud flows occur, upon the surface of which cobbles 

 and small boulders are slowly moved down the marginal slopes, thus reducing the 

 covering of the ice core and permitting further melting. Along the base of Mt. 

 Whyte there are found two small moranic ridges, consisting mostly of angular 

 material, from which the ice has withdrawn rather recently. They appear to be 

 the continuation of the two outer ridges which farther up-stream rest upon the 

 ice itself. 



The right lateral of the lower Victoria is derived entirely from the right lateral 

 of the double tributary, already described. It consists at first of two high, very 

 sharply crested ridges, mainly of ground moraine, which can be traced around 

 into the great accumulation dumped at the base of Mt. Aberdeen by the parasitic 

 Lefroy Glacier (plate vin, figure i ; plate xv, figure i). The angular material has 

 been derived mainly from Mt. Aberdeen, while the ground moraine comes from 

 the hanging glacier of Lefroy, as previously described. The inner of the two 

 morainic ridges is being destroyed by sliding and mud flows into the depression 

 between it and the near-by medial moraine. In places it has become so sharp 

 that only with the greatest difficulty can one maintain a foothold upon its crest. 

 About 2,000 feet back from the nose, an outer third ridge makes its appearance 

 (plate xv, figure 2), and together the three pass around and over the nose, 

 separating into minor ridges and mingling with those of the medial and frontal 

 moraines (plate iv, figure i). The lower portion of this moraine has the appear- 

 ance of composure and comparative stability, giving support to moss, ferns, 

 alpine plants, shrubs, and evergreens. One Lyall's larch was noted 8 feet high 

 and 2 inches in diameter at the base. 



Since the upper Victoria receives relatively little material from Lefroy, the 

 right lateral above the tributary is rather meagre, and inconspicuous. As 



