Wrigh'I' — Mi)ior Periodicity in Glacial Retreat. 101 



characteristic of at least some portion of tlie retreat of nearly all the ice 

 tongues I have had occasion to examine »hiring the re-survey of this region. 



Furtlier Cases of Periodic Retreat in Kerry. 



All the ice-tongues which deployed through the mountain passes on to 

 the plain of Killarney and Killorglin have remarkable series of concentric 

 moraines. The most striking case is that of Lough Caragh (see Fig. 3). 

 Here there is a group of eight or nine moraine belts forming concentric rings 

 about the northern end of the lough, which occupies the gap in the hills 

 from which the glacier issued on to the plain. The outermost of these 

 moraines at its east end is conterminous with the outermost moraine of the 

 Glancuttaun glacier/ which also has a series of eight moraine belts. In this 

 latter glacier the innermost belts are broken up into minor moraines, thus 

 showing their composite nature. The retreat of these glaciers was not as 

 rapid as that of the Kenmare glacier, as the eight retreat stages embrace a 

 distance of only three to three and a half miles. 



The glacier formed by the confluence of the Killarney and Dunloe glaciers 

 extended west in its early stages until it met the confluent Caragh and 

 Glancuttaun glaciers. After it parted company with these it formed a number 

 of moraine belts. There is, however, so little regularity of development that 

 it is not possible to estimate the number of retreat stages represented. 

 Moreover, these moraines come to an end against the upland north of the 

 valley of the Flesk, so that only the innermost of them circle completely 

 round the basin of Lough Leane. The periodic nature of the moraine 

 depositions of the great Killarney glacier is, however, well seen on the wooded 

 slopes east of Muckross, and is also recorded in the series of flu^■io-glacial 

 terraces to the east of Killarney. 



The Lough Guitaue and Flesk glaciers have also rings of concentric 

 moraines, but the stages of retreat seem to be fewer in number, and are less 

 individualized. 



The coiirie glaciers of the Eeeks, Purple Mountain, and Mangerton show 

 a good deal of variation in the number of moraines they have left behind. 

 The Coomloughra glacier, on the west side of Carrautuohill, deposited four 

 moraines after it parted company with the Caragh ice-tongue. The arrange- 

 ment of these moraines is shown in figure 4. Tlie Gaddagh glacier has 

 also left four moraines at intervals down its valley. The Curraghnmre, 

 Cummeennapeasta, and Alohart corrie glaciers only left one moraine each. 

 - ^^____^ _ .. -^f . . , _-_._ 



' A brunch of the Caragh Glacier, the tongue of wliich became isulnted during the 

 retreat. 



R.l.A. PROC, VOL. XXXV. SECT. B. [P] 



