ON THE EKKATIC BLOCKS OF ENGLAND AND WALES. 85 



occasionally break on the British coast to move a mass having this volume 

 and weight; but it maybe safely concluded that they could never have 

 transported it across a submarine valley having a depth at all approaching 

 that of the valleys which now separate "VVaddeton from any area at present 

 occupied by the New lied Sandstone formation. The very soft and friable 

 character of their surfaces when first dug out of the soil renders it eminently 

 improbable that if they had ever borne glacial scratches they could have 

 retained them, aud forbids the attempt to come to any conclusions from the 

 more absence of such marks. 



The difi<erent levels at which they are found, the present configuration of 

 the siirfacc of the district, and the great weight of some of them, gives pro- 

 bability to the opinion that the boulders have reached Waddeton from some 

 part of the district lying between Berry Head and Galmpton. Common, and 

 that they were transported by ice, although no certain decision can as yet be 

 reached. 



2, The Scratched Stones of Englehourne. 



Mr. Pengelly reports that, under the guidance of Mr. Paige-Brown, he 

 examined these scratched stones. 



The stones in situ were eight in number, all in that part of Mr. Paige- 

 Brown's property known as " Wise's Englebourue." The first was in " The 

 Meadow," aud all the others in a field called " Great Yackland." They are 

 all of fine-grained trap, of close texture, and extremely tough ; one of them, 

 which has been broken, displays a schistose fracture, and may be a trap ash. 

 Their heights above mean tide do not differ vcrj' much, and are estimated at 

 about 100 feet. The lowest specimen is about 6 feet above the bottom of 

 the valley. 



No. 1, near the lower gateway of " The Meadow," measures 2-5 feet in 

 length, 1"5 in greatest breadth, and at least 1 foot in depth. No attempt 

 was made to ascertain to what depth it penetrated the soil. It is angular, 

 the upper surface smooth, with the edges and ridges ro\mded off, which is 

 not the case with the lateral faces. There are numerous grooves on it, quite 

 distinct but not sharp ; aud whilst most of them are sensibly parallel, and 

 have the direction S. 40° E. and N. 40° W, magnetic, a few cross them in 

 different directions. 



No. 2 (the first we inspected in " Great Yackland ") has had a portion 

 broken off recently, but its further destruction was stayed by the proprietor. 

 The remnant is larger than No. 1, and it is much more rounded than that 

 mass. It has on it two sets of parallel grooves, one having the direction of 

 E. 10° N. and W. 10° S. magnetic, whilst those of the second or less nu- 

 merous set cross them in the direction of the magnetic meridian. 



No. 3, not far from No. 2, is subangular, and has numerous grooves, all in 

 the direction N. 20° W. to S. 20° E. magnetic. 



No. 4, a short distance from Nos. 2 and 3, has probably been disturbed by 

 man. It has two systems of parallel grooves. 



No. 5, near No. 4, has also two systems of parallel grooves. 



No. 6, also near No. 4, does not appear to bear any grooves. 



No. 7 is some distance south of the group 4, 5, and 0. Its length and 

 breadth are nearly equal; some of its edges are partially rounded, and it has 

 two systems of parallel grooves. 



No. 8, near No. 7, has an almost square upper face, and docs not appear 

 to be scratched. 



Of all the specimens No. 2 is the largest and, undoubtedly, the most iu- 



