THE VARIATIONS OF GLACIERS 405 



South America. — Dr. Benrath has collected some observations of the 

 glaciers in the Coast Cordillera of Peru, which show that they have 

 been retreating for the last twenty- five years ; and the bare condition of 

 the ground in front of the ice shows that this retreat has existed for a 

 still longer period. The existence of extensive moraines at some dis- 

 tance from the glaciers indicate a former glacial period in this region 

 (12° south latitude). 



Captain Crosthwait states that most of the larger glaciers seen by 

 him during a trip through the straits of the southern end of Patagonia 

 showed signs of shrinkage. 



Africa. — The crater of Kibo, Mount Kilimandjaro, was visited by 

 Dr. Uhlig in 1901 and 1904. In the former year the crater contained 

 more snow and ice than at the time of Dr. Meyer's visit in 1898, but 

 the snow did not extend to as low a level on the slopes of the mountain ; 

 and this was after a very dry season. In 1904, on the contrary, after a 

 season of unusually heavy precipitation, there was less snow and ice in 

 the crater of Kibo than has been reported at any earlier period. 



Cana'da. — A very interesting account of the glaciers of Canada has 

 been given by Miss Ogilvie.^ She divides them into three groups: 

 First, those of the central and eastern Rockies which, in general, lie in 

 very deep valleys surrounded by nearly vertical cliffs, and are fed by 

 avalanches from the slopes, or from the hanging glaciers above; that 

 is, they are debris glaciers. Their whole course is practically below 

 the snow- line, and they are covered very completely with rubbish, so 

 that for a large part of their surface the ice is entirely invisible. Of this 

 group the Victoria glacier has retreated but little. The glacier of the 

 Ten Peaks valley is advancing. The glacier of the Consolation valley 

 was but slightly shorter than at the time of its recent maximum exten- 

 sion, and the other glaciers of this group are probably in the same 

 general condition. The second group of glaciers, which lie in the west- 

 ern Rockies and Selkirks, are practically like the ordinary valley gla- 

 ciers of Switzerland, except that they are, as a rule, broader and shorter. 

 The moraines are practically similar to the moraines of the Swiss 

 glaciers. Of this group the Wapta shows a recent rapid retreat. The 

 Illecillewaet, the Asulkan, the Geikie, and the Deville glaciers are all 



I The Effect of Super-glacial Debris on the Advance and Retreat of Some Cana- 

 dian Glaciers," Journal 0} Geology, Vol. XII (1904), pp. 722-43. 



