408 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1908. 
Raimondi (1873), in speaking of the Cordillera Occidental, says 
that snow peaks are numerous in southern Peru, but that the most 
colossal and gigantic are those in the portion known as the Cordil- 
lera Blanca, in the Department of Ancachs. Cerro Hundoy, in front 
of Caraz, is 6,828 meters high, while the bicuspate mountain Huas- 
can, which dominates Yungay, rises to an elevation of 6,668 meters 
in its northern peak and 6,721 meters in its southern peak. This is 
near the northern termination of the perpetual snow. He also states 
that Huaylillas is the most northern snow peak in Peru. 
In the Cordillera Central and likewise in the Oriental there are 
snow peaks which are mentioned by many writers, but thus far no 
special study of the distribution of the perpetual snow has been made. 
THE Lower LIMIT OF PERPETUAL SNOW. 
Pentland (1830) made numerous observations as to the occurrence 
and lower limit of perpetual snow in southern Peru and in territory 
which is now in Bolivia. He placed the limit at 17,061 feet, and ar- 
rived at the conclusion that it is higher than would naturally be 
expected and especially when compared with peaks nearer the 
Equator. He attempted to explain this anomaly as due to aridity 
and excessive evaporation. Raimondi (1879) has given 14,700 feet 
as the average of the lowest limits in the Department of Ancachs. 
In the Cordilleras, in the southern part of Peru, he places the mit 
at 15,100 feet or more. He commented on the previous observations 
and explained that there seems to be a considerable error in Pent- 
land’s determinations of altitudes and considers the deductions from 
them as erroneous. Raimondi gives the following table of the gen- 
erally admitted elevation of the lower limits of perpetual snow: 
Meters 
O07, OR at the Mquatore! ergy ce ees SU elts A iene eae 4, 800 
207 SSO thy seta: ey ONE NU Rr a ee ah SA us EA N600 
Usa SCONDT 1 pees ets Na USES a RU, EU EUS Ma at 2, 500 
GOR SOU BN Se 0 sil I ETE Eee 1, 500 
GLACIATION. 
After examining the evidences of glaciation in Bolivia and south- 
ern Peru, Hauthal@ (1906) in a short notice gave as his opinion that 
climatic conditions similar to those of the present prevailed during 
the glacial period, but that a lower temperature, due to cosmic causes, 
gave rise to glaciers from certain centers, and that there was no gen- 
eral glaciation. 
Duefas (1907), in his report on the Department of Cuzco, examined 
the glaciated mass of igneous rock known as the “ Rodadero” on the 
@Quartare vergletscherung der Anden in Bolivien und Peru, Zeitschrift fiir 
gletscherkunde, Band I, Heft 3, September, 1906, p. 203, 
