On Traces of Glacial Drift. 
385 
V. On Traces of Glacial Drift in the Shetland Islands. 
By C. W. Peach, Esq. 
In the summer of 1864, by invitation, I accompanied Mr 
J. Gwyn Jeffreys, of London, on a dredging expedition to 
the Shetland Islands. It had long been a wish on my part 
to see more of that interesting group, from having been 
much struck with their appearance and productions when 
hastily passing round them with Sir R. I. Murchison, Bart., 
on a geological trip some years before. Although Mr Jeffreys' 
mission was a zoological one, and one into which I entered 
heartily, I was induced, by a request from Sir E. 1. M., to look 
out for traces of glacial action on the islands we landed on. 
The result of these hasty opportunities, and, consequently, 
imperfect observations, with all their faults, I have thought 
might be acceptable to the Society, and must, therefore, 
draw on your kind forbearance for all shortcomings. 
I am not aware of any paper on this subjec* in connection 
with Shetland, with the exception of one by Dr Hibbert, 
On the Direction of the Diluvial Wave in the Shetland 
Islands," published in the " Edinburgh Journal of Science" 
for 1831, New Series, vol. iv. p. 85. At that time glacial 
action was little thought of ; and when Dr Hibbert made 
his survey, he merely noticed a few of the large blocks scat- 
tered over some of the islands, and referred them all to the 
then opinion, that they had been removed from their ori- 
ginal beds, and transported by diluvial waves to the places 
he found them in. Although he mentions seeing trans- 
ported blocks on several of the islands, from not having 
made notes at the time of observation, little is to be gathered 
from his paper. He appears to have had his attention more 
drawn to them by their size, unusual positions, and the old 
world stories connected with them, as well as the black 
agency that was said to have thrown them about. The 
diluvial wave, he says, had a south-westerly direction. He 
does not mention grinding and polishing, striae or scratch- 
ing. Meagre, therefore, as my story may be, I hope it will 
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