Hunt — On the Action of Waves on 8ea-beaches, 8fc. 251 

 The above six observations way be tabulated as follow : — ■ 



Hitherto I had failed in my attempt to reconcile the conflicting 

 observations of the authorities referred to in the preceding pages. 

 My own observations had been as contradictory, and seemingly as 

 irreconcileable, as theirs. The only fact clearly made out seemed to 

 be, that the forces acting on marine shingle, or on other objects 

 under water, were very evenly balanced, and that a slight change 

 either in their mode of application or in the character of the shingle 

 or other objects on which they acted might, in any particular case, 

 completely reverse the effect of their action. 



Having in the preceding pages shown the uncertainty which 

 prevails at present as to the action of waves on sea-beaches, I will 

 now proceed with my attempt to reconcile some of the observations 

 recorded above, my own included, which observations often seem as 

 inconsistent and contradictory as they are well attested. 



The first step towards this result will be an endeavour to dis- 

 prove the assumption • that is commonly made, that under certain 

 circumstances an ordinary oscillating marine wave can convert 

 itself into a wave of translation ; or, as Mr. Eussell puts it, that 

 " the wave of the second order may disappear, and a wave of the 

 first order take its place." {Trans. Brit. Assoc, 1844, p. 372.) 

 Mr. Eussell defines the two orders of waves as follows : — " The 

 wave of translation is the wave of the first order, and consists in a 

 motion of translation of the whole mass of fluid from one place to 

 another, in which it finally reposes " [Ibid. p. 317.) " This 



