204 Field and Forest Rambles. 



dation from the thaws that took place towards the close of that 

 glacial period. This was the idea presented to my mind's eye 

 on viewing these phenomena, and it seems to me to accord 

 best with the facts as they now stand ; better, no doubt, than 

 the theory that the land had all been under the ocean, and 

 that of polishing and scratching the rock was done altogether 

 by icebergs, which no doubt is true enough to some extent, 

 where the land was clearly submerged under the sea. But 

 these wide-spread indications can scarcely be put down alto- 

 gether to the latter, at all events in the case of the inland 

 portions of this continent. 



To return to the journey and its agreeable concomitants, 

 which always add to the naturalist's pleasure when contem- 

 plating objects of interest. With unusual delight I recall to 

 mind many incidents of the above excursion, the more so as my 

 companion's tastes were congenial with my own. Indeed, one 

 is better without a companion than in the society of an 

 individual who will not fulfil the behests of good fellowship 

 and friendship ; more especially the selfish man, who looks on 

 every one else's occupation as secondary to his own ; he is 

 surely best alone ! I met two persons on the Nile who had 

 been travelling together for many weeks, and through their 

 own faults had managed to make each other as uncomfortable 

 as possible. One ridiculed his companion because he was 

 always hunting beetles, whilst the latter retaliated with sneers 

 of contempt on aa utter absence of intelligent curiosity on 

 the part of his comrade ! But bad as is the want of affinity 

 in such cases, what must it be when the companionship 

 extends to a lifetime, in the shape of husband and wife ? and 

 verily like instances are not rare. We are familiar with the 

 appellation of " nonsense books," given by Lady Scott to the 

 productions of her gifted partner, and we see daily examples 

 of men of science and learning, making permanent alliances 

 with natures absolutely incapable of estimating the aim and 

 object of their lives ; hence, marriage often makes or mars 



