1884.] 37 [Shaler. 



The structure of Karnes is more complicated than that of any 

 other class of glacial deposits ; it is a difficult task to gather from 

 their ever varying accidents the general and typical features 

 that characterize them, but it will be necessary, to undertake 

 this task before endeavoring to account for their structure. 

 The greater part of the facts on which I shall have to rest the 

 hypothesis of their origin, which it is the aim of this paper to 

 give, are unknown to any save the special students of glacial 

 geology and often unfamiliar to them — for the reason that nor- 

 mal Kame structures are wanting in a large part of the glaciated 

 regions of the world. 



The best opportunities for the study of Karnes are to be found 

 along the New England sea coast south of Portland, Maine, for 

 in that region they are the most abundant and present their most 

 characteristic features. As exhibited in this region they pres- 

 ent the following phenomena : viz., the observer first remarks that 

 the mass of drift before him has a singularly irregular outline, 

 being warped in the most varied ways ; very often this warping 

 takes the shape of a great number of irregular hills enclosing 

 depressions between their adjacent bases. These hillocks vary 

 from six to fifty feet in height ; their sides are remarkedly 

 steep, often presenting declivities of from twenty to thirty degrees 

 of slope. Generally these hillocks are crowded together on a ter- 

 raced drift deposit, such as commonly borders the New England 

 sea shore. There may be cases where Karnes exist away from 

 these terraced drift deposits, but I have not been able to find 

 any in such position. 



In this district the Kame areas may cover the surface of 

 only a few acres, more usually they occupy a belt of country 

 extending inland in a northwest course for an indefinite dis- 

 tance. Even when the Karnes occupy a limited area on the shore 

 the observer w r ill notice that the ridges are elongated in a general 

 north and south course, and that their crests have a linear arrang- 

 ment in the same shore. When the Kame field is elongated 

 and has a distinct north and south extension of several miles in 

 length the hills become modified into a series of narrow embank- 

 ment-like elevations which commonly receive the name of Indian 

 ridges. These elevations have a remarkably artificial aspect ; it 

 is often difficult to believe that any natural causes could have 



