220 H. F. RE ID 



the two southern glaciers on the western side of the valley have 

 made a marked retreat in the interval, and they established sta- 

 tions for the future observations of these glaciers. 1 



Caucasus. — In this region a very large number of glaciers 

 have been examined and photographed. They show a marked 

 state of retreat. 



Turkestan. — Twenty-six glaciers have lately been discovered 

 and described by Dr. Ivanow in the mountain chain of Talassk- 

 Alataou. They all have a great altitude and show indications 

 of such a great retreat that they may perhaps disappear alto- 

 gether. Many new glaciers have been examined and photo- 

 graphed in the mountain chain of Peter the Great. They are 

 apparently in a marked state of retreat. 



The Altai. — Professor Sapojnikow has discovered in the last 

 few years five glacier centers in the Altai' mountain. These con- 

 tain more than thirty glaciers, some of which compare in size 

 with the largest glaciers of the Caucasus. All of them are evi- 

 dently retreating, but it is not yet possible to give even an 

 approximation to the rate. 2 



A very interesting and full account of our present knowledge 

 of Arctic glaciers and their variations has been published by M. 

 Charles Rabot, under the imprint of the International Committee 

 on Glaciers. 3 After a short account of the characteristics of 

 Arctic glaciers he takes up in detail various glaciers, with referen- 

 ces to original sources of information, with the following results. 

 The glaciers of Grinnell Land appear to have attained a 

 maximum shortly before 1883. 



The inland ice of Greenland seems at present to be at a max- 

 imum, particularly in the north. In the south a slight retreat is 

 showing itself, but too slight to arrest the general advance of the 

 ice which has been going on during the historic period. 



1 Report of Dr. Steenstrup. Dr. Steenstrup went back to Greenland in 

 May 1898 to continue the study of the glaciers there, which he discontinued in 1880. 



2 Report of Professor Mouchketow. 



3 Les variations de Longueur des Glaciers dans les Regions Arctiques et Boreales, 

 Archiv. des Sciences phys. et nat. Geneva, 1897, Vol. III. 



