360 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



If this table were extended further, it would demonstrate 

 most completely the distribution of these phenomena, and 

 would be of much service in tracing the former nature of 

 their existence. One might be guided in the choice of 

 hypotheses, by the comparison of this table with others, 

 which also expressed the distribution of other natural phe- 

 nomena. 



In this manner, I have added a memoir on the inclination 

 of various glaciers, at the conclusion of an essay on Etna, 

 pubhshed by me in the '^Annales des Mines'^ (3rd series, 

 vol x, p. 565). It would be desirable that this table be ex- 

 tended, so that the lowest limits of inclination, along which 

 glaciers are susceptible of motion, might be determined. To 

 this moment, I am not aware of any glacier of any extent 

 in the whole Alpine regions, which does not move on an 

 inclination considerably less than 3^. 



I have also drawn up a tabular statement of the fall in the 

 lines of water courses, giving the inclinations on which a 

 great many rivers and streams run. These inclinations have 

 neither lowest (so to speak) nor highest level, as numerous 

 perpendicular waterfalls exist, and as various parts of the 

 bed of the Seine and Rhone, for example, are situated on 

 ground inclined only 4" to 8^', if at all. The moveable nature of 

 molecules of water will demonstrate this variation as clearly 

 as inclinations in water courses. But it should be remarked, 

 that the study of the inclinations in water courses, leads to 

 the consideration of inclinations of much smaller extent, in 

 general, than those of glaciers ; the Rhone runs on a medium 

 inclination of 0,000553, or 1' 54" from Lyons to Aries; 

 the Rhine runs from Basle to Lauterburg, on a medium 

 inchnation of 0,000647 or 2' 13"; both these rivers are very 

 rapid. The Doubs, which runs in the neighbourhood of 

 Besangon on an inclination of 0,001000, or 3' 26", is how- 

 ever on the limit almost of navigable rivers. This inclina- 



