THE GLACIAL PHENOMENA OF THE COUNTRY, ETC. 79 



The Glacial Phenomena of the Country between the Tyne 

 and the Wansheck. By J. A. Smythe, M.Sc, Ph.D. 

 (Armstrong College, Newcastle-on-Tyne). 

 [Received Dec, 1907]. 



The tract of country to be described in this paper forms 

 roughly a rectangle 18 by 12 miles, bounded on the north by 

 the Wansbeck, on the west and south by the land within the 

 drainage area of the North Tyne and Tyne proper, and on 

 the east by the Northumberland coalfield, or at least by that 

 portion of it which has been fully described, so far as its 

 superficial deposits are concerned, by Dr. D. Woolacott.* 

 Topographically this area is very simple, for the land-surface 

 slopes in the main from west to east, and the streams follow 

 the same direction. Almost all the drainage is carried away 

 by the river Blyth and its most important tributary the Pont. 

 Two streams, the Dewley Burn and the Ouseburn, call for 

 notice here, since the country drained by their upper branches 

 exhibits glacial characteristics similar to that within the 

 drainage-area of the Blyth. The geological structure corre- 

 sponds to this simple topography ; the rocks belong to the 

 upper Bernician, the Millstone Grit and a portion of the Coal 

 Measures Series of the Carboniferous System, and they dip on 

 the whole to the south or south-east. Resting on these is a 

 variable thickness of drift, especially thick in the low-lying 

 lands to the east. The Great Whin Sill crops out just to the 

 west of the area. 



The Glacial Phenomena may be considered under several 

 heads, viz : — Striations, Roches Moutonnees, the Drift, and 

 Forsaken Water-Courses. 



I. — Striations. 



These have been frequently noticed by different observers, 

 but little record seems to have been kept of their directions. 

 During the past few years the following striae have been 



* Superficial Deposits and Pre-Glacial Valleys of the Northumberland and 

 Durham Coalfield, Quar. Jour. Geol. Soc, Ixi., pp. 64-96 (1905). 



