724 I- H. OGILVIE 



does there seem to have been formerly any common direction of 

 movement. In the past, as at present, glaciers moved toward all 

 points of the compass, and the present glaciers may be regarded 

 as the actual remnants of the upper portions of the great glaciers of 

 the past. 



The Canadian Pacific Railway affords easy access to many of 

 these glaciers. It crosses the mountains near the fiftieth parallel, 

 and at this point the glaciers are confined to a belt about one hundred 

 miles wide, within the Rocky and Selkirk ranges. 



The valley glaciers near the line of the Canadian Pacific may be 

 classified into two groups. These groups are primarily geographical, 

 being respectively east and west of the continental watershed, but the 

 glaciers of these two groups have striking physical differences also. 



GLACIERS OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN ROCKIES 



The valley glaciers of this region have little or no neve portions, 

 being fed by avalanches from overhanging cliff glaciers. These 

 avalanches carry down great quantities of bowlders, mixed with the 

 ice and snow, with the result that glaciers of this type are covered 

 throughout almost their entire length with a thick mantle of debris. 

 The cliff glaciers have neve portions, but the topography is such 

 that large snow-fields do not accumulate. The cliff glaciers rest on 

 exceedingly steep slopes, usually terminating upward in aretes, so 

 there is little place for the accumulation of snow. It is character- 

 istic of this region that its glaciers consist of an upper neve and cliff 

 portion with very high gradient, separated by a fall from a lower 

 debris-covered valley portion. 



GLACIERS OF THE WESTERN ROCKIES AND SELKIRKS 



These glaciers have very large snow-field and neve regions, and 

 such material as they carry is largely subglacial or englacial. In 

 their method of formation these glaciers resemble the typical valley 

 glaciers of Switzerland, but differ in that they are proportionally 

 broader and shorter. In this region one neve may feed many glaciers, 

 whereas to the east many cliff glaciers feed a single valley glacier. 



Of late years Messrs. George and William S. Vaux' have recorded 



I George and William S. Vaux, "Observations on Glaciers in British Colum- 

 bia," Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, 1899. 



