Association of American Geologists and Naturalists. 321 
and De Luc, on the continent of Europe, and by Sir James Hall in 
Scotland. More recently Von Buch has collected a vast amount of 
interesting facts, and lastly Messrs. Charpentier, Agassiz, Sefstrom, 
De Beaumont, Durocher, and many other distinguished men in Europe 
and America, have added their labors, both in the collection of facts 
and the development of theoretical views. It was natural that causes 
should be sought for effects observed, and not surprising that when 
bold and plausible hypotheses were advanced, they should find warm 
advocates, as well as uncompromising opponents, and thus from a tho- 
rough sifting of the facts and principles by both parties, truth would be 
in the end attained. 
The present state of the controversy as to the phenomena of drift, 
aptly illustrates these remarks. A cause now in action was discovered, 
which was deemed sufficient to have produced the various effects which 
are termed diluvial, or drift phenomena. Many eminent men incau- 
tiously embraced the new theory, which within two or three years from 
its promulgation, has been found utterly inadequate, and is now aban- 
doned by many of its former supporters. | This was the glacial theory 
of the celebrated Agassiz of Switzerland. He then called attention to 
a report by M. Durocher on the phenomena as exhibited in Scandinavia, 
and a comparison of the facts there noted with what he had observed 
in the northern states of this country. De Beaumont objects to the 
use of the word diluvium, and prefers the terms employed by Char- 
pentier, terraines erratiques, blocs erratiques, and phenomene erratique. 
In England and this country the term drift has been substituted, but 
to cover all the cases must be combined with some other word. Thus 
we say, drift, strie, embankments, ridges or phenomena. Durocher 
uses the word diluvium, but by it he does not intend to express a belief 
in any theoretical views. He refers the phenomena to a period ante- 
rior to the existence of man, as is done in this country. In 1839, Mr. 
D. left the French Arctic Exploring Expedition for the purpose of in- 
vestigating the drift phenomena in the Faroe Islands; then visited 
Spitzbergen, the northern coast of Lapland, St. Petersburgh, Finland, 
the interior of Russia, Poland, the north of Germany and Denmark, 
continuing his travels until June, 1840. Thus passing over an immense 
surface, he collected all the most important facts, and consulted the 
observations of the geologists residing in the various countries he vis- 
ited. He found in the north of Europe, that the furrows and scratches 
are visible on all the rocks which are hard enough to receive and per- 
manent enough to retain them. And also that there are two sets of striz 
crossing each other at angles, never greater than 10° or 12°. This co- 
incided exactly with the observations of Dr. J. on the drift scratches of 
Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. On the borders of the 
Vol. xiv, No. 2.—July—Sept. 1843, 41 
