572 Meports and Proceedings — Geological Sooietij of London. 



glaciers appear to be stationary at a maximum. In Iceland almost 

 all the glaciers are now retreating, though not to any great extent, 

 and in some of them the previous advance continued till about the 

 year 1880. From Spitzbergen the evidence is defective ; so far 

 as it goes some glaciers appear to be advancing, others retreating. 

 In Norway the ice reached a maximum at the beginning of the 

 century, and since then thei'e has been a slow retreat, interrupted by 

 slight advances. In none of these regions has there been a diminution 

 comparable with that which has been observed in the Alps during 

 the last half-century. M. Eabot has drawn up a table to show the 

 advances of the glaciers for Greenland, Iceland, Jan Mayen, Spitz- 

 bergen, Scandinavia (north and south), and the Alps. Though 

 the information is not equally full and precise in all cases, it 

 suffices to show that while the movements of the glaciers in the 

 northern region exhibit a general correspondence, they afford signs 

 of a local individuality, and those of the Alpine glaciers appear 

 to be in most cases independent. The results from the northern 

 region are then used by M. Eabot to test the three laws of the 

 variation of glaciers which were tentatively advanced by Professor 

 Forel. (a) The law of periodicity. In the north this apparently 

 does not hold good, the duration of the advances and retreats 

 being irregular. (&) Law of simultaneousness. This holds good, 

 (c) Law of variation of volume; namely, that any change affects 

 the length, breadth, and thickness of the glacier. This apparently 

 is not valid in the north, for there the end of a glacier may be 

 stationary or even advancing, while its thickness higher up is 

 diminishing. For this apparent anomaly the author offers an 

 explanation. Lastly, he discusses the question whether the results 

 of the more minute observations which have been carried on in the 

 Alps during the last twenty years establish a relation between 

 the variations of the climate and the length of the glacier ; such 

 a relation appears to be suggested, but more evidence is needed 

 before it can be regarded as established. 



The rule "Always verify your references" holds good, as 

 commonly, in M. Eabot's book, for names are often misspelt. 

 We leave Germans to deal with Pettermanus, but object to Professor 

 Garwood being persistentlj'^ transformed into Garnwood. This, 

 however, is a superficial blemish. The memoir itself embodies 

 a mass of information, accumulated by patient and laborious study, 

 and cannot fail to be very valuable for purposes of reference to 

 all who take an interest in glacial questions. T. G. Bonney. 



ia:Bi='oiaTs -A.isrx) iPiaocEJiBiDiiNra-s. 



I. — Geological Society of London. 



November 6th, 1901.— J. J. H. Teall, Esq., M.A., V.P.E.S., President, 



in the Chair. The following communications were read : — 



1. " Note on a Submerged and Glaciated Eock-Valley recently 



exposed to view in Caermarthenshire." By Thomas Codrington, Esq., 



M.Inst. C.E., F.G.S. 



