402 B. D. Salisbury — Terminal Moraines in Germany. 



attract the attention of one familiar with the surface expres- 

 sion of terminal moraines. The determination of the general 

 course of this belt is, therefore, attended with no difficulty, 

 and its surface deportment, taken together with other charac- 

 teristic accompaniments, is such as to leave no possible doubt 

 as to the genuineness of its morainic character. The other 

 features of terminal moraines upon which, in the absence of 

 decisive topography, reliance must be placed, are never want- 

 ing where the topography is strongly marked. This is as true 

 of the formation in Germany as in America, but the necessity 

 of resorting to these less decisive characteristics as a prime 

 means of determination, is here less frequent. 



In some portions of its , course, the morainic belt is single 

 and strongly developed, and its limits sharply defined. In 

 others it is composed of more or less distinct members, some- 

 times weak and unobtrusive, and often assuming complex rela- 

 tionships. The number of these constituent belts, as they 

 now appear is not constant. In certain meridians, four have 

 been recognized, more or less distinctly separated from each 

 other, while in other parts, through the union of two or more 

 of these members, the number is reduced to three, two or even 

 one. 



~No attempt will be made at this time to indicate the position 

 of these individual belts, though through considerable portions 

 of the course of the moraines, this might be done. Detailed 

 study will make it possible to map these constituent belts, and 

 to determine with some degree of precision, their relationships 

 in time. 



It is to be borne in mind, therefore, that although the belt 

 is here outlined in its entirety, and as if it were a unit, it is 

 not to be regarded as a single moraine, or even as a belt of 

 moraines necessarily closely connected in origin, or in point of 

 time. The belt, as here outlined, embraces a broad tract, 

 within which morainic developments are a general — a domi- 

 nant fact. Occasionally the belt is seriously interrupted, in 

 some or all its parts by broad gaps, some of which represent 

 the drainage avenues of the ice-period, and some of which 

 appear to be the beds of lakes which occupied reentrant areas 

 within the margin of the ice itself. In a general statement of 

 the course of the moraine, and only a general statement is here 

 admissible, these details cannot find place. Within the belt 

 too as here outlined, there are numerous inter-morainic tracts, 

 which are now and then of considerable proportions. 



The width of the morainic belt is so great that the position 

 of the outer and inner borders will be separately indicated. 

 Leaving out of consideration for the moment certain subordi- 

 nate, but very significant phenomena which will be adverted to 



