TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 143 



wliicli nine English mariners iutennarrying witli the same number of Tahitiau 

 women, had in the course of seventy years, or little more than two generations, 

 amounted to 2(38, or been multiplied near fifteenfold. 



On the Em-ly Migration of Man. Btj John Crawfijrd, F.R.S. 



The object of the writer of this paper is to show that the migTations of man in 

 his early and rude state were impossible, from his own weakness or want of means, 

 and the obstacles of physical geography opposed to his progress ; and he quotes in 

 proof of his opinion some of the best-authenticated cases of early migrations, in 

 all of which man had made a large progress in civilization. 



On the supposed Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages of Society . 

 By John Ceawfttkd, F.li.S. 

 The object of the writer is to show, contrary to the general belief of archae- 

 ologists, that in most cases iron was used before bronze, or that an iron age in 

 general preceded a bronze one. With this view, he quotes a number of examples, 

 chieflj' di-awu from the practice of Oriental nations. 



On the Tostedal Brae, a large Glacier-system in Southern Norway. 

 By Charles M. Dofghtt. 



This glacier-system lies between the sixtj'-first and sixty-second parallels of 

 north latitude. The height of the snow-line in this region is undetermined; 

 but it probably varies from 4000 to 5400 feet. Observations were made upon four 

 of the greater glacial outlets which descend into the valley Yostedal and its 

 branches, and the approximate daily motion of a ti-ansverse line determined by 

 help of a theodolite lent by the RWal Geographical Society. The phenomena 

 commonly described as characteristic of glaciers by ^^i-iters on the Swiss Alps were 

 observed upon one or other or all of these. They vary in length from about seven 

 to about ten English miles, and in breadth from about lialf a mile to one mile. Three 

 of them are much rifted, and are inclined, near thek lower extremities, at an angle 

 of from 12° to 16°. Of these the daily motions of the centre were found to lie 

 between twelve and fifteen inches. In the fourth case, the lower part of the ice- 

 stream being remarkably consolidated, with a slope of 7° when measm'ed, and 

 nearly free from crevasses, the diumal motion at (near) the centre was four inches. 

 These glacial outlets have all considerably diminished in modern times, and are still 

 diminishing. They descend to within from 1000 feet to 1700 feet of the sea-level. 

 Tlieir names are Nigaardsbrae, Faabergstolsbrae, Lodalsbrao, and Trangidalsbrae. 

 They are noticed in Professor James P'orbes's work, 'Norway and its Glaciers.' 

 Bohr, a Noi-wegian gentleman, published many years ago an "account of a short 

 visit to this neighboui-hood, and more lately M.i)m-ocher has described and compared 

 them with the glaciers of the Alps. A work upon the " Folge Fond," another 

 of South Noi-way's glacial systems, is about to be published by the Univer- 

 sity of Christiania. The motions of glacial outlets in general appear to depend, 

 next to climate, upon their thicknesses. The writer believes the character and 

 constitution of the great icy expansions, one of which is noticed here, to be the 

 subject most deserving of attention' in the glacial systems of southern Norway. He 

 believes that they accurately resemble, on the small scale, the glacial coverings of 

 Greenland and the Polar lands. 



On a recent Earthquake at St. IleJena. By Sir C. Elliot. 



On the Fixity of the Types of Man. By the Eev. T. Farkae. 

 As far as we can go back, the races of man, under all zones, appear to have 

 maintained an unalterable fixity. On the oldest Egyptian monuments we find Jews, 

 Arabs, Negi'oes, Egyptians, Assyrians, and Europeans depicted with a fidelity as to 

 colour and featm-e hardly to be sm-passed by a modern artist. It might be objected 

 that this fiixity was due to the surroimding conditions having remained unaltered. 



