478 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



into the valley of the Ebro. Again, in Languedoc and Dauphine. 

 Near Nice, in the Maritime Alps, and in Lombardy. In Switzerland, 

 in Sicily, and in Turkey. Not to speak of Egypt, where this rock 

 has long been known to exist. 



A. D. Ac worth. 



NOTES ON THE GLACIAL PHENOMENA OF WASTDALE, 

 CUMBERLAND. 



By Edw. Hull, B.A., F.G.S. 



Dear Sir, — I had hoped this year to have been able to extend over 

 the Northern portions of the Cumbrian mountains some observations 

 on Glacial Vestiges which I made in 1859 over the southern slopes of 

 the same range, and communicated to the Edinburgh New Philosc>2?hical 

 Journal* I have only, however, been permitted to investigate a very 

 small tract along the western slopes ; but though limited to this, the 

 following notes may not be without value, as there are few observa- 

 tions as yet recorded of the evidences of extinct glaciers in the 

 English Highlands. 



I may preface my remarks by observing that the first notices of 

 glacial phenomena in the Lake district were made by Agassiz and 

 Buckland in their general survey of the evidences of extinct glaciers 

 in the British Islands ; but they were accompanied by very few 

 special examples. It is not, however, from any want of striking 

 instances that till lately they have been passed by almost without 

 notice. Every valley which descends from, the central watershed, 

 presents the features of a glacier-channel, and is well furnished with 

 roches montonnees, perched blocks, moraines, and striated rock-surfaces. 

 Even the lakes, which are the special feature of this region, are in 

 many instances due to the presence of terminal moraines, which have 

 acted as embankments to the waters. In addition to the instances 

 which I have already enumerated, I may now add that of Wast 

 Water, " the wildest, the deepest, the most impressive of all our lakes, 

 over whose surface the winter's frost cannot spread a crust," 



Wastdale leads up from the undulating tract of New Red Sand- 

 stone which lines the coast into the very heart of the highest moun- 

 tains. At its head stands Great Gable, an elevation conspicuous for 

 its pyramidal outline as seen from the west. On the right of this 

 rises Scawfell, the culminating point of England, 3166 feet, throwing 

 out some limbs, like great buttresses, with very gracefully curved 



* Vol. xi. Glacial striae have also been observed by Professor Phillips on the 

 limestone of the southern coast, and by Mr. Bryce, near Kendal. In a letter to 

 the author in I860, Mr. W. Longman states how much he was struck by the 

 glacial phenomena in several localities in the Lake district. 



