Proceedings of the British Association, 577 



described a slight earthquake, which had occurred on the 13th of the 

 present month, on the shores at Morecambe Bay. The shock, which 

 was sudden and violent, took place at 2 a. m. ; there had been six 

 weeks of drought previously, and on the day before the shock the 

 thermometer stood at 94° in the shade, being 9° higher than it had risen 

 in that neighbourhood since the year 1826. At 2 p. m., of the same 

 day, the rain set in heavily. This earthquake was felt for ten miles 

 round Kendal. 



' On the Structure and Mode of Formation of Glaciers,' by James 

 Stark, M. D. — The author stated that he employed the word glacier 

 to signify the entire icy masses which filled the upper as well as lower 

 valleys of snow-covered mountains, and extended downwards to the 

 cultivated valleys or sea shore. He was induced to overlook the 

 artificial division of these masses into Firn, Mer de Glace, &c. believ- 

 ing such divisions did not exist in nature, and were inapplicable to 

 the glaciers of the Polar regions. From an examination of the accounts 

 given by Saussure, Auldjo, Desor, and others, Dr. Stark was of opinion 

 that there existed no constant differences in the crystalline structure of 

 the ice in different parts of glaciers ; perfect glacier ice, both as 

 to purity and compactness, occurred at all heights; from which he 

 inferred, that after the crystalline particles of snow became once 

 consolidated into compact ice, no farther change, or enlargement of 

 those particles, occurred till the mass was finally dissolved. The ice 

 of glaciers had always been described as arranged in regular layers, 

 but their position and mode of formation, as explained even by the 

 latest writers, was stated by Dr. Stark to be so obscure, that having 

 carefully examined the facts, he had formed conclusions, of which, as 

 they differed from those usually entertained, he proceeded to give 

 a summary, classifying the differences observable in the structure of 

 glacial masses under the following divisions : — 1 . Horizontal strata. 

 The author remarked that this was usually termed banded structure, 

 and seemed to be confined to the upper regions of the mountains. 

 The planes invariably coincided with the surface of the glacier, the 

 layers being usually 1 to 3 feet in thickness. They were mentioned by 

 almost all writers on glaciers, and represented in the plates of M. 

 Agassiz's work. Most writers considered them as marking the annual 

 additions to the glacier; but as the amount of snow falling on the 

 average during the six winter months would produce a much greater 

 thickness of ice than the horizontal layers indicated, Dr. Stark consi- 

 dered that each band denoted a separate fall of snow, unless it should 

 appear that snow and ice washed with nearly as much rapidity in 



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