THE EVIDENCE OF PRESENT RETREAT. 267 



the retreating glacier, and in some places have reached no nearer than 

 140 feet from its present edge. 



Along the same margin, near the ice-front, there are three parallel mo- 

 raine ridges (figure 2, page 263), the outermost being about 150 yards from 

 the glacier margin, and situated upon the hillside. It is not bouldery, 

 and hence is rapidly disappearing under the attacks of the weather. The 

 second ridge is very long and sinuous, being quite like an esker in form. 

 It extends a distance of half a mile parallel to the ice-margin and about 

 200 feet from it on the average. In its course it passes through the 

 middle of the marginal lake (figure 1, page 262). 



The moraine which lies nearest the glacier is just now being aban- 

 doned. In some places it is connected with the glacier, and everywhere 

 is partly underlaid by ice. Since this is melting, the surface of the ridge 

 is very muddy and irregular, because of the breaking down of the mound 

 as the ice melts beneath. In some places it is entirely disconnected from 

 the glacier. There is no vegetation on this moraine. On the middle 

 ridge there is one species of grass, found in a few patches, and some lichens 

 are growing on the pebbles. On the outermost moraine there are several 

 species of plants. Beyond this there are other more indefinite ridges, 

 evidently marking still earlier halts; but these are so ancient that they 

 are entirely covered by vegetation. 



Summary of Conclusions. 



The observations presented in this paper seem to warrant the follow- 

 ing conclusions : 



It is evident that rugged, angular topography does not necessarily in- 

 dicate freedom from ice invasion. A rugged peak rising into the ice 

 might for a long time retain its angularity. Such peaks are naturally 

 more angular, both because of longer exposure to pre and post-glacial 

 denudation, and also to the greater activity of denudation in the higher 

 altitudes. Notwithstanding angular topography, the Upper Nugsuak 

 peninsula has all been glaciated, and the ice-sheet has extended beyond 

 the limits of the outermost land, the Duck islands, which lie 30 or 35 

 miles from the present ice-front. 



There is no evidence which points to any particular limit of the ice 

 advance, and, for all we can prove by distinct observations in this 

 place, the glacier at one time may have joined the Baffinland ice-sheet. 

 The glacier has recently withdrawn and is even now in process of retreat. 

 However, the discovery of fossils and recent shells on the moraine and 



XXXIX— Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., Vol. 8, 1896 



