in Europe and North America. 335 
Lake of Neuchdéiel—The basins of the lakes of Neuchatel, 
Bienne, and Morat were, I consider, hollowed out in a similar 
manner, differing in points of detail. Near the Lake of Neu- 
ehatel, on the flank of the Jura, the fan-shaped end of the Rhone 
glacier attained its greatest height, swelled in size and pressed 
on as it was by others that descended from the north snow- 
Shed of the mountains between the Oldenhorn and the great 
snow-field above Grindelwald. According to estimates based 
on the highest ice-stranded boulders, the ice rose 2203 feet 
ve the present surface of the lake. The lake is now 1427 
feet above the sea, and 480 feet deep; and the Lake of Bienne 
18 1425 feet above the sea, and 231 feet in depth. The bottom 
of the Lake of Neuchatel is thus 947 feet above the sea. Unless 
the gravel, therefore, on the banks of the Aar, immediately east 
of the latter, be over 480 feet deep, the hollow of the lake near 
ts immediate bounds is a true rock-basin; for on the north, 
South, and west it is surrounded by solid Secondary and Miocene 
rocks. Even if the rock does not rise close to the surface in the 
Tiver near the lake, still, at Solothurn, strata in place come close 
to the river-bank on both sides, the river being 1414 feet above 
the sea. Under any circumstances there must therefore be a 
ng, deep trough between Solothurn and the rocks a little 
Southwest of the Lake of Neuchatel. How was this basin 
formed? When the glacier, debouching from the valley of the 
Rhone, spread out like a fan and pressed forward till it abutted 
on the Jura, its onward progress was stopped by that mountain; 
and direct further advance being hindered, the ice spread north- 
fast and southwest, to the right and left, and being as a whole 
thickest and heaviest above the area where the lake now lies, a 
greater quantity of the Miocene strata on which it rested must 
have been ploughed out there than further on towards the north- 
fast and southwest ends of the glacier, towards which the ice, 
dually declining in thickness, exercised less grinding power. 
this manner I believe the troughs were formed in which lie. 
the three lakes near Neuchatel; and when the ice finally re- 
teated, the ordinary drainage of the country filled them with 
Water, the cliffs on the southeastern side of the Lake of Neu- 
atel and other changes of the form of the ground having since 
n produced or modified by watery erosion and the local de- 
Position of silt and alluvial gravel. 
he Lake of Thun.—The Lake of Thun is 1825 feet above the 
Sea, and 776 feet deep. Its bottom is therefore 1049 feet above 
the sea. It is about 10 miles in length, 1} broad, and its length 
chiefly cuts across the strike of rocks of Secondary and Miocene 
age. The Lake of Brienz (about the same size) is more remark- 
able; for, while its level is 1850 feet above the sea, its depth is 
More than 2000 feet; so that its bottom is at least between 100 
