Cviii PROCEEDINGS OE THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [May I906, 



mined by the existence of shatter-belts, it will be necessary, before 

 discussing the changes in the drainage in the case of the above- 

 named valleys, to say something concerning the distribution of the 

 hanging valleys. The chief valleys of this nature are situated in 

 the area occupied by the volcanic rocks, in itself a suggestive 

 circumstance, as it is in that area that the contrast between the 

 resistance to erosion of the shatter-belts and the unshattered rock 

 between the belts is most marked. 



Some of these valleys, no doubt, owe their character to the fact 

 that they are situate in hard rocks of the Volcanic Series, while 

 the larger valleys into which they ' mouth ' are in softer rock, either 

 of the Skiddaw-Slate or Upper-Slate Group. Thus the valley in 

 which Coniston Lake is situated is in the Upper-Slate Group, while 

 the hanging valleys on its west, namely those of Goats Water, Low 

 Water, Lever's Water, and that south-east of Wetherlam (of which 

 the water flows through Tilberthwaite Gill), are in the volcanic 

 rocks. Again, the Watendlath valley is in volcanic rocks, and 

 the water flows over Lowdore on to the Skiddaw Slates. The 

 hanging valleys south-west and south of Buttermere are also 

 in volcanic rocks, while the main valley is in Skiddaw Slates. 

 The most remarkable of the hanging valleys of the Buttermere 

 series is that at the extreme head of the valley; this differs 

 from the others in not being a lateral valley, but the upper part 

 of the main valley which ' mouths ' at a height of about 900 feet 

 above Warnscale Bottom, the alluvial tract above Buttermere 

 Lake. 



But the greater number of the hanging valleys are situated in 

 the heart of the volcanic ground, and in all cases appear to be 

 connected with shatter-belts traversing that part of the main valley 

 into which they ' mouth.' 



In addition to those of the valleys which I wish more particularly 

 to describe, I may notice the series on the west side of Helvellyn 

 mouthing into the Thirlmere valley, and those on the east side of the 

 same mountain mouthing into Grizedale, which is certainly along a 

 line of fault. Farther east are the hanging valleys of Small Water, 

 Blea Water, and Measand Beck mouthing into the Hawes water 

 Valley, which lies in a line of disturbance apparently running 

 through the Gatescarth Pass, and those at the head of Swindale, 

 where the main valley seems to occupy a shatter-belt running over 

 the fell to Mardale. Others occur on the side of the Grasmere 

 Valley. 



