THE 



LONDON, EDINBURGH and DUBLIN 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 



AND 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



SUPPLEMENT to VOL. XXVII. FOURTH SERIES. 



LXXIII. On the Origin of the Swiss Lakes. 

 By Professor B. Studer of Berne*. 



WHEN we reflect upon the origin of the Swiss lakes, we 

 find that it constitutes a problem very difficult of solu- 

 tion, and it is not easy to determine, in the series of geological 

 events, the moment of the formation of the basins which con- 

 tain them. Eminent geologists, both of Switzerland and of 

 foreign countries, have proposed solutions of this problem ; all 

 the forces of nature have been set in action, and nevertheless we 

 appear to be further than ever from its settlement. To be con- 

 vinced of this, we have only to glance at the excellent summary 

 of the various opinions and of the present state of the question 

 which has just been published by M. de Mortilletf. 



The authors may be divided into two classes. Some, amongst 

 whom we find von BuchJ, F. Hoffman §, and Ball|| (according 

 to his remarkable memoir lately published), believe that the same 

 causes which have convulsed the ground in elevating our moun- 

 tains, have also produced the depressions which separate them. 

 They think that the elevation was accompanied by crevasses of 

 greater or less depth, which have formed our valleys, and that 

 empty spaces were left in the interior, of which the roof has 

 subsequently given way. Lastly, they believe that the basins 

 of our lakes are the remains of these crevasses not yet filled up 

 by the detritus brought down by the rivers. The others, disci- 

 ples of Buffon, Playfair, and the Wernerian school, ascribe the 

 origin of the valleys and basins to erosion, that is to say, to 

 the destructive action of fluids in motion. These partisans of 

 erosion have quite lately separated again into two classes, being- 

 unable to come to an agreement as to the nature of the destruc- 



* Translated by W. S. Dallas, F.L.S., from the Bibliotheque Universelle, 

 1864 ; Archives des Sciences, p. 89. 



t Atti della Soc. Ital. November 1863. 



t Catal. des Roches de Neuch. (1804) MS. 



§ Physic. Geogr. (1837). 



|| Phil. Mag. February 1863. 

 Phil Mag. S. 4. No. 185. Suppl. Vol. 27. 2 I 



