908 
Proceedings of the Poyal Society 
inquiries whieli our Society had set on foot ; and now, by way of 
acknowledging the services, and in some cases also the hospitality 
rendered by the persons to whom I refer, I propose to leave in the 
hands of our Secretary the names and addresses of these persons, 
not doubting that, if any one desires to obtain further information 
regarding boulders situated at or near the places where they reside, 
they would, if applied to, be still willing to aid in the inquiry. 
At the close of the Committee’s Report, there is in Appendix II. 
a memorandum, called a Summary of Facts, and of inferences from 
the facts, hearing on the question. What was the nature of the agency 
by which boulders were brought to their present sites ? 
This being the critical question, for the elucidation and discussion 
of which the Committee was expected to gather data, it would 
have been desirable had the Committee, as a united body, pro- 
nounced findings in which the members could all concur. I knew, 
however, that it was hardly possible to expect this ; and I saw that 
the best course would he for me, as Convener, to undertake the duty 
of framing a memorandum, and submitting it to the Committee for 
insertion in the Report, as an Appendix, on the understanding, 
however, that no one but myself should be committed to the views 
contained in it. This course was approved of by the Committee. 
But I felt my own responsibility in this matter so much, that at 
our last Committee meeting, I earnestly urged one of my colleagues, 
who I believed was eminently competent, to draw out a memo- 
randum of his own views, independently and irrespective of mine. 
I regret to say, that on the ground of his not thinking himself able 
for the duty, he too modestly declined it ; though from what I 
knew, and what the Council knows of this gentleman’s qualifica- 
tions, I feel sure that any memorandum from him would have 
added greatly to the value of this Report. 
I may now state in a few sentences the conclusions to which, as 
Convener, I have come in this inquiry, after giving mature 
consideration to the investigations of the Committee. These are — 
1. That at some period, geologically recent in the earth’s his- 
tory, an Arctic climate prevailed in this part of bTorthern Europe, 
which had the effect of producing local glaciers in Scotland ; of 
Some of which glaciers there are traces still visible in the most 
mountainous of our districts, as pointed out in our last Report. 
