Trains of Boulders, in Berkshire, Mass. — 311 
ciation, speaks of having met with several others farther to tlie 
south, and originating, probably, in the same mountain crest. 
When the observer turns his attention to the relative abun- 
dance of the rocks, he is surprised to notice that they are both 
more numerous and larger on the eastern than on the western 
slopes of the ridges, a condition of things apparently incom- 
patible with their transit along the surface of the ground, as, 
in that case, each barrier of hills would check their eastward 
speed, and cause a greater accumulation upon the western 
declivities. We shall endeavor presently to explain the cause 
of this greater abundance upon the eastern sides of the ridges. 
The height of the Canaan ridge, above the valley on the east, 
is hearly seven hundred feet, while that of the knob, where 
the train passes the Richmond mountain, is perhaps as much 
as eight hundred feet, and the next or Lenox mountain is but 
little lower. 
Other long and narrow lines of huge erratic fragments are 
seen elsewhere in Berkshire, and abound, we think, in nearly 
all the mountainous districts of New England. One such 
train, originating apparently in the Lenox ridge, about two 
miles to the south of Pittsfield, crosses the Housatonic valley, 
South-eastwardly, as far at least as the foot of the broad chain 
of hills in Washington. Some very extensive ones are to be 
seen on the western side of the White Mountains, in journey- 
Ing from the Notch towards Littleton. Every train observed 
by us has exhibited essentially the same phenomena as those 
We found to characterize the trains of the Canaan mountain ; 
and whatever explanation will apply to the latter, must involve 
* cause general and energetic enough to reach the others. igh 
We shall now proceed to suggest a possible origin for these 
Temarkable streams of surface blocks, aiming to confine our- 
selves to a strict induction from the foregoing facts, and the 
known laws of action of the great physical agents concerned 
0 geological revolutions. : 
We entirely concur with Dr. Hitchcock in rejecting Mr. 
Lyell’s explanation of the drift, which would make slowly- 
