Geological Society of London. 393 



High-Uvd lower loulder-clay was probably produced by this land-ice. 

 The land continued subsiding until it stood 100 feet lower than at 

 present, submerging the lowlands of Lancashire and Cheshire to a 

 depth of rather less than 25 fathoms, the coast-line being surrounded 

 by an ice-foot, which received on its surface quantities of pebbles 

 and boulders from the lake-district. These, on the breaking up of 

 the ice-foot, were spread over the lowlands, forming the Low-level 

 lower loulder-clay. The climate then improved, although subsidence 

 still continued, and the sandy and gravelly deposits of the middle 

 drift were produced; these deposits, at whatever elevation they 

 occur, having been found in shallow water during the constant sub- 

 sidence of the coast-line. The surface of the middle Drift shows 

 traces of what seems to have been sub-aerial erosion, leading to the 

 supposition that the land must have risen and suffered denudation 

 before that depression during which the Upper Boulder-clay was 

 deposited, at which period the climate again became extremely cold, 

 and fresh glaciers were formed. Before the elevation of the Upper 

 Boulder-clay the climate was greatly ameliorated. 



8. " On the Post-glacial Deposits of Western Lancashire and Che- 

 shire\" By C. E. De Eance, Esq., F.G.S. 



The author believed that after the deposition of the Esker Drift 

 the country rose to from 200 to 300 feet higher than at present ; 

 but in the course of this elevation there was a pause, daring which 

 denudation took place, and the low plains, now covered with peat- 

 moss, came into existence. From the consideration of the present 

 depths of the channel between Great Britain and Ireland, the author 

 inferred that an elevation of 200 feet would have caused the coast- 

 line to run from the Mull of Galloway to St. David's Head ; and 

 Ireland would have been so connected with Wales as to render pos- 

 sible the migration of mammals, plants, and of man himself. Glaciers 

 probably still persisted in the lake-district during the whole of this 

 period of elevation. During a subsequent subsidence drainage be- 

 came greatly obstructed, peat was formed, the sea encroached upon 

 the land and worked its way eastward over the sea-bottom of post- 

 glacial times, a movement yet in progress. Here and there sand 

 has begun to blow, forming dunes. 



9. " Observations on Modern Glacial Action in Canada." By the 

 Eev. W. Bleasdell, M.A., Kector of Trenton. Communicated by 

 Principal Dawson, E.E.S., F.G.S. 



The author described some phenomena of ice-transport observed 

 in Canada, especially those produced by the flood, anchor or pack-ice 

 produced in the rapids of the Canadian rivers. To this he attributed 

 the entire disappearance of Crab Island in the Eiver St. Lawrence, 

 near Cornwall. This island occupied about an acre and a half within 

 the memory of men now living ; it has now entirely disappeared, 

 and the water above it is gradually deepening. The island, accord- 

 ing to the author, has been carried away piecemeal by the action of 



1 An error occurred in the title of this paper as printed in the Society's abstract, 

 namely, " Pre-glacial" instead of " Pos^-Glacial. — Ed. 



