THE 



JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY 



APRIL-MAY, 1899 



THE VARIATION OF GLACIERS. IV 1 



The following is a summary of the third annual report of 

 the International Committee on Glaciers. 2 



RECORD OF GLACIERS FOR 1 897 



Swiss Alps. — The glaciers of this region are in general in a 

 state of retreat. Of fifty -six glaciers observed, thirty-nine are 

 retreating ; five are stationary ; twelve are advancing. 



Two glaciers have been under observation during a complete 

 period, the Zigiorenove and the Trient. The Zigiorenove had a 

 maximum in 1852; it retreated from then until 1878 (twenty- 

 six years) ; it then advanced until 1896 (eighteen years), when 

 it had another maximum. Hence its entire period from maxi- 

 mum to maximum amounted to forty-four years. 



The Trient had a maximum in 1845 ; from that time it 



1 The first three articles of this series appeared in this Journal, Vol. Ill, pp. 

 278-288; Vol. V, pp.378-383, and Vol. VI, pp. 473-476. 



2 Archives des sciences phys. et nat, Vol. VI, pp. 52-84, Geneva, 1898. At the 

 meeting of the International Committee on Glaciers, in St. Petersburg, on September 

 1, 1897, Professor Ed. Richter was elected president, and Professor Finsterwalder, 

 secretary, for the following three years. The following investigators were elected 

 corresponding members of the committee : Professor Torquato Taramelli, Pavia ; 

 Dr. Thoroddsen, Reykiavik, Iceland; Baron Gerard de Geer, Stockholm; Constantin 

 Rossikow, Wladikavkas ; Professor Dr. Sapojnikow, Tomsk ; Dr. A. Hamberg, 

 Stockholm; M. Lipski, St. Petersburg; Professor Israel C. Russell, Ann Arbor, 

 Mich.; M. I. Coaz, Bern ; M. Chas. Rabot, Paris. 



Vol. VII, No. 3 217 



