392 ON THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF 



to learn in detail the structure of an esker. Some structutal 

 secrets may have been revealed in road cuttings, but so far 

 the disturbed and cross-bedded stratification seems onlj" 

 to have increased the mystery of their origin. 



Nature^ s Record. — The history of these strange ridges 

 lies hidden in their bosoms, and to the earnest investigator 

 the record is plain. Every descent and ascent, every layer 

 of gravel, sand or clay, every polished stone, irregularity, or 

 sign of orderly arrangement, has a jDlainly written lesson 

 that even an amateur may learn. It would give me much 

 pleasure t3 pursue this and other investigations to a finish 

 but necessity compels me to leave the task to others. 



Before closing, I should like to offer a few suggestions to 

 students in this branch of Glacial Geology. Among the well 

 defined eskers that can be investigated, that at Nine Mile 

 River, Hants County, is probably the. most conveniently 

 situated for exploration, and I trust that when peace again 

 gives the war weary world a little leisure, the suggestions 

 following may be considered worthy of attention. 



Suggestions for Future Work. — Some of the points requiring 

 elucidation are the following: 



1. The necessity of deciding by excavation, in which 

 waj^ the current which formed tiie esker, had run 



2. By examination of the debris to discover its source, 

 its time of exposure to erosive action, and the power of the 

 current depositing it. 



3. By contour surveys and correct mapping, to discover 

 the influence of surrounding slopes and drainage channels, 

 and to find out how far watersheds, and valleys determined 

 the position and course of crevasses and their resulting eskers. 



4. By comparison with other glacial deposits to discover 

 whether the same agencies and influencies operated on both. 



5. By examination of the junction of eskers with modi- 

 fied or unmodified drift to detect their relative ages. 



