Studies for Students. 



THE DRIFT— ITS CHARACTERISTICS AND 

 RELATIONSHIPS. 1 



Contents. 



The topographic relations of the drift. 



The body of the drift. 



The terminus of the drift. 

 The topography of the drift. 

 The topography of the drift-covered area. 

 Relation of the drift to the underlying rock. 

 Significant features of the surface of the rock underlying the drift. 



Striation and planation of the bed rock. 



Shape of rock hills projecting through the drift. 



The Topographic Relations of the Drift. 



The body of 'the drift. The drift is not confined to any topo- 

 graphic situation. Its vertical range may be hundreds of feet 

 within a single mile. It occurs on the tops of mountains thou- 

 sands of feet high, as well as on their slopes and at their bases. 

 It covers hills of lesser magnitude, and mantles high plateaus and 

 low plains with apparent indifference. It is found down to the 

 level of the sea in some places, and is known to pass beneath it. 

 Throughout all these topographic situations it maintains a toler- 

 ably constant character. Stratified drift often extends beyond 

 the margin of the general drift-sheet. In such cases it is gener- 

 ally confined to the valleys leading out from the drift area. The 

 stratified drift which is beyond the edge of the general drift- 

 sheet is thus seen to maintain a definite relation to topography. 

 As a general fact, the northern part of the drift-covered territory 

 is higher than the southern, although elevated areas are not want- 

 ing near its southern limit. 



1 Continued from page 724. 



837 



