147 
nearly coincident than is commonly imagined”! He found it 
(as Desor expressed it) “difficult to conceive how glaciers 
could exist and move in a wide and level country like the 
north part of the United States.” And he winds up with 
these fine words, worthy of the man and of pure science, 
unsatisfactory enough to the theorist, but full of instruction 
for the neophyte: “I am aware that I am in conflict with 
the views of eminent geologists on several points ; as I am, 
indeed, with my own opinions as held several years ago. 
And yet, for a long time, I have stood chiefly aloof from 
the various hypotheses that have been broached respecting 
Surface Geology. But I could not refuse to follow where 
facts seemed to lead the way. It becomes me, however, to 
be very modest in urging my conclusions upon others. If 
they cannot adopt my explications, I hope they will, at least, 
find my facts to be of some little service in reaching better 
conclusions.” 
I must now say a few words about a third subject of in-. 
vestigation which may possibly in future time conduce more 
to his reputation as an original observer and bold thinker in 
geology than any other: I refer of course to his extraordi- 
nary statements respecting the distortion of quartz pebbles 
in conglomerate rocks. It is possible that I may be giving 
to the father credit for what is due to the son. But the two 
worthy geologists of Amherst represent to the world as yet 
but one Hitchcock, so amicably have they married their 
hammers and clinometers together. 
It was at the last meeting held by the American Associa- 
tion for the Advancement of Science before the breaking out 
of the accursed rebellion in the States of this Union devoted 
to slavery, — the meeting of the summer of 1860, at New- 
port, — that a paper was read upon the conglomerate pebbles 
of the cliffs upon the southern shore of Rhode Island ; at- 
