230 R. Chambers, Esq., on Glacial Phenomena 



accustomed to bring down all sizes of gravel, but never found 

 in any instance those flowing outlines of abrasion which we 

 see in the so-called glacial surfaces. There is a palpable 

 enough difference, moreover between the confused masses of 

 mud and sand, mingled with rounded blocks, which are found 

 in connection with polished surfaces, and the sorted materials, 

 gravel, sand, and clay, which are indisputably attributed to 

 watery action. I cannot entertain any doubt that, had these 

 specialties in the respective effects of the two agents been 

 carefully looked to, we should have had much less contro- 

 versy on this subject, and we should by this time have arrived 

 at results much more satisfactory. 



With minds rightly prepared by observation of what ice 

 actually does in the countries where it now works, I could 

 no more expect to see these differences overlooked, than to 

 find in ordinary life men attributing saw-dust to the action 

 of a plane, or chips to the operation of a saw. As for ice- 

 bergs, they have doubtless played a part, if not in the abra- 

 sion of rocks, at least in some of the associated phenomena 

 of the superficial deposits; but to attribute to them the whole 

 phenomena is utterly unwarrantable. If any man were to 

 say, that because he can w 7 ith some difficulty smooth a rough 

 surface of wood with his thumb-nail, therefore his dining- 

 tables must have been fashioned and polished by the joiner 

 with that little instrument alone, I would consider him as 

 advancing a theory fully as tenable as that which consists 

 in attributing all the so-called glacial phenomena to ice- 

 bergs. It is really, however, no want of charity to say that 

 much of the opposition to glacial theories arises from an in- 

 adequate acquaintance with the phenomena of smoothed rocks 

 and the various deposits laid over them, and an over-faithful 

 attachment to, or misapplication of, certain theories of older 

 date. 



Ancient Moraines connected with Corries or small Valleys. 



When proofs of ancient glacial action in Scotland were 

 first looked for in 1840 by M. Agassiz and Dr Buckland, a 

 great number of ancient moraines were announced in the 

 middle and southern districts, as well as in the Highlands. 

 There cannot, however, be the least doubt that both of these 



