Cole — Glacial Features in Spitsbergen. 207 



must remember that the conditions in northern Germany and the Baltic 

 region, owing to mere oscillations of level and consequent spread or reduction 

 of the marine area, have probably changed more frequently during the glacial 

 epoch than have those in Ireland, the European outpost against the Atlantic 

 winds and waters. Owing to greater facilities for precipitation, ice may have 

 been maintained continuously in Ireland by winter accretion, although it had 

 retreated from areas farther to the east. A large " ice-island," a low-pitched 

 dome of residual ice, may have remained across central Ireland, marking the 

 epochs of oscillating temperature only on its margins. Hence it is quite 

 possible that the evidence of iuterglacial epochs may be very slight in Ireland. 

 The raised tundra-land, moreover, on which faunas and floras might have left 

 their relics, has been submerged by the downward movements of the European 

 margin in post-glacial times. 



The best -established evidence of a pause in the glaciation of Ireland is of 

 course to be found in those cases where the Scottish ice, or the Irish ice of the 

 continental or ice-cap type, has retreated, while the same ground has been 

 traversed by local glaciers afterwards. The rapid extension of glaciers arising 

 from local mountain-groups cannot have occurred simultaneously with the 

 withdrawal of the larger ice-masses. It seems difficult to find any name for 

 such an interval, whether it was promoted by warmth or by mere dryness, 

 than that familiar to continental workers. The conditions for the time were 

 surely " intergiacial." 



DESCEIPTION OF PLATES. 



(All the figures are from photographs by the author.) 



Plate IX. 



Fig. 



1. Typical glacial landscape of the Ice Fjord, Spitsbergen. The Kjerulf 



Glacier entering Safe Bay. 



2. Edge of plateau above Cape Wijk, showing snow-line, with rill-grooves 



from melting snow passing into avalanche-grooves. 



Plate X. 



.3. Mounds of mingled snow and frost-broken detritus, formed by snow- 

 slide action. Eaised beach below. Near Mt. Marmier, S. shore of 

 Sassen Bay. 



4. Head of alcove excavated by frost and snow-slide action. Triassic 

 strata above Cap,e Wijk, Dickson Bay. 



R.I.A. PEOC, VOL. XXIX.', SECT. B. [2 F'\ 



