229 



On Glacial Phenomena in Scotland and Parts of England.* 

 By Robert Chambers, Esq. F.R.S.E. Communicated by 

 the Author. 



The subject of ancient glacial phenomena having been 

 much before the public a few years ago, I must entreat the 

 Society to believe that I should not have sought their atten- 

 tion to it again, if I had not during the last three years seen 

 reason to believe that it has as yet been but imperfectly pre- 

 sented, and that English geologists in general have arrived 

 at conclusions regarding it which cannot be maintained. 



It would detain us too long, and be in a great measure la- 

 bour thi'own away, to renew the combat with those who think 

 that diluvial action in any form is sufficient to account for the 

 phenomena in question. 1 can scarcely even pause to argue 

 with those who hold that floating ice is the only agent re- 

 quired in the case. If the gentlemen who abide by such 

 doctrines would examine the action of an existing glacier in 

 the Alps, they would find that the effect upon the subjacent 

 rocks is absolutely the same with the appearances of what 

 are called polished and striated surfaces in these islands, 

 where glaciers do not now exist. If they were to travel 

 through Norway and Sweden, they would see such an extent 

 of surface abraded, and an uniformity of striation observed 

 over such large areas, that so light, partial, and irregular an 

 action as that of floating masses of ice would appear totally 

 inadequate to account for the effects. It need scarcely be 

 insisted on, that opponents of theory are as much bound as 

 theorists themselves to observe the ordinary rules of science, 

 — namely, to argue on the unknown from the known, to look 

 more carefully to distinctions than to resemblances, and to 

 give no presumed agent too much to do. Now, I have seen 

 what I consider an ice-polished surface crossed by a small 

 runnel of water carrying minute gravel, and it was clearly 

 observable that where the water crossed, the surface was 

 changed, — became rougher and dimmer, something like the 

 difference between chased and polished goldsmiths' work. I 

 have examined the rocky beds of many mountain streams 



* Read before the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Dec. G and 20, 1852. 



