52 2 REVIEWS 



the individual granule can scarcely be said to have developed at all, 

 and in so far as it is developed it is a secondary product and is so uncertain 

 and elusive as to be beyond tangible evaluation. 



If the conveniences of the laboratory have developed technical 

 senses of common terms, that does not abolish the common English of 

 mankind and this should be used in giving great results to the world. 

 Certainly terms of special sense should not be incorporated in literature 

 two decades old. 



In treating the phase of granular growth due to melting under 

 pressure, the writer of this section of the report urges the limitations of 

 pressure that may possibly arise in glaciers by reason of their weight as 

 though that were the sole source of melting pressure in Chamberlin's 

 view, and an objection to it (p. 119), whereas, in common with others, 

 he assigned the melting pressure in very explicit termis chiefly to the con- 

 centration of stress felt at the point of a granule under pressure which 

 touches another. The intensity of this pressure depends on the ratio 

 of the area of this point of contact to the area which concentrates pres- 

 sure upon it. Theoretically, the concentration may be indefinitely large. 

 Its actual amount undoubtedly varies through a wide range. The prin- 

 ciple is impressively illustrated in the cutting of deep grooves in the 

 rock floor of glaciers. 



The singular thing in all this strange treatment of old views is that 

 after all the views advocated in the report are closely similar to those 

 beclouded. 



There are some other vital phases of doctrine over which the text 

 prepared by C. S. W. throws similar obscurity or misleading intimations 

 but space does not permit their review here. It is only fair, however, 

 to say explicitly that nothing of the kind has been found in the text 

 prepared by R. E. P. 



It has already been remarked that this report gives ample evidence 

 of the superior richness of the Antarctic field in material for the study of 

 the initial and earlier stages of glacier formation and action. One of the 

 quite striking phases on which it would be worth while to dwell, if there 

 were time, is the softness of the snow field near the pole even when the 

 snow appears to be somewhat old. Amundsen reports that he was able 

 to push a tent pole into the snow surface to its full length of 6 feet without 

 difliculty. This seems to imply slow sohdification and relative freedom 

 from driving wind action, which solidifies the surface by driving snow 

 spicules into the interstices. It is thus highly suggestive as to conditions 

 at the pole. Of somewhat similar significance is the condition of the upper 



