566 Notices of Memoirs — The British Association. 



land and of Alaska was alluded to, as also the aqueous nature of 

 much of the till in the lowlands, all of which strengthened the con- 

 clusion arrived at concerning marginal kames, and concerning an 

 extended sub-glacial drainage of the American ice-sheet. 



The paper was illustrated by views of kames and moraines, most 

 of them from photographs taken in the field. 



9. — Eepokt of the Committee' appointed for the purpose of 

 Inquiring into the Rate of Erosion of the Sea-Coasts of 

 England and Wales, and the Influence of the Artificial 

 Abstraction of Shingle or other Material in that Action. 

 Drawn up by C. E. De Eance and W. Topley. 



I'lHE importance of the subject referred to this Committee for 

 investigation is universally admitted, and the urgent need for 

 inquiry is apparent to all who have any acquaintance with the 

 changes which are in progress around our coasts. The subject is a 

 large one, and can only be successfully attacked by many observers, 

 working with a common purpose and upon some uniform plan. 



The Committee has been enlarged by the addition of some 

 members who, by official position or special studies, are well able to 

 assist in the work. 



In order fully to appreciate the influence, direct or indirect, of 

 human agency in modifying the coast-line, it is necessary to be 

 well acquainted with the natural conditions which prevail in the 

 places referred to. The main features as regards most of the east 

 and south-east coasts of England are well known'; but even here 

 there are probably local peculiarities not recorded in published 

 works. Of the west coasts much less is known. It has therefore 

 been thought desirable to ask for information upon many elementary 

 points which, at first sight, do not appear necessary for the inquiry 

 with which this Committee is entrusted. 



A shingle-beach is the natural protection of a coast ; the erosion 

 of a sea-cliff which has a bank of shingle in front of it is a very 

 slow process. But if the shingle be removed, the erosion goes on 

 rapidly. This removal may take place in various ways. Changes 

 in the natural distribution of the shingle may take place, the reasons 

 for which are not always- at present understood; upon this point 

 we hope to obtain much information. More often, however, the 

 removal is directly due to artificial causes. 



As a rule, the shingle travels along the shore in definite directions. 

 If by any means the shingle is arrested at any one spot, the coast- 

 line beyond that is left more or less bare of shingle. In the majority 

 of cases such arresting of shingle is caused by building out "groynes," 

 or by the construction of piers and harbour-mouths which act as 

 large groynes. Ordinary groynes are built for the purpose of 



' Consisting of Major-General Sir A. Clarke, E.E., C.B., Sir J. N. Douglass, 

 Captain Sir F. J. 0. Evans, E.N., K.C.B., F.R.S., Capt. J. Parsons, li.N., 

 Professor J. Prestwich, F.R.S., Capt. W. J. L. Wharton, R.N., Messrs. E.Easton, 

 E. B. Grantham, J. B. Redman, J. S. Valentine, L. F. Vernon-Harcourt, W. 

 Whitaker, and J. W. Woodall, with C. E. De Ranee and W. Topley as Secretaries. 



