140 Correspondence — Mr. J. R. Dakyns — Mr. J. Durham. 
now give tbe reasons for our opinion, all details being reserved 
for a paper in preparation. W. Gunn. 
Geological Society of England and "Wales. 
Baknaiid Castle, February 18iA, 1877. 
BASE OF THE CARBONIFEROUS ROCKS IX TEESDALE. 
Sie, — I have just opened Phillips’ Geology of Yorkshire, Part 2, 
by chance at page 81 : and tbe first words tbat caugbt my eye were 
“ Widdybank” and “anomalous breccia.” 
This is tbe breccia wbich, on my visit to Teesdale, last October 
and November, I suggested to my companions, Messrs. Gunn and 
Clough, was tbe base of the Carboniferous roclcs, for tbe reasons 
quoted by me in tbe Geol. Mag. for February. From the use of tbe 
term “anomalous,” it is clear tbat Phillips had noticed tbe peculiar 
character of tbe bed. It is somewbat stränge tbat none of the 
geologists, as far as I know, who bave written about the rocks in 
Teesdale, sbould bave been struck with tbe possibility of tbe breccia 
being tbe base of the Carboniferous. They seem to have been too 
inuch taken up witb the Whin Sill to tbink about tbat. Perbaps 
they did not see tbe Silurian-like dykes and pencil-beds below 
Cronkley; but if they did, they must have equally missed their 
suggestive character. 
It is some satisfaction to us youngsters tbat tbe older geologists 
bave left us sometbing to discover. J. K. Dakyns. 
Kendal, February 20 th, 1877. 
“ KAMES ” AND DENUDATION. 
Sir, — Mr. Mackintosh is quite right. I bave not seen either the 
English or Welsh ‘ Eskers ’ he mentions, so tbat perbaps, as anotber 
critic of my paper lias said, I am “ not entitled to generalize.” But 
at tbe same time I cannot belp expressing my astonishment at being 
told tbat there are vast numbers of Kames, or similar gravelly 
mounds, whose shapes have notbing to do witb denudation. Since 
many of these mounds were first exposed to atmospheric influences, 
not only bave rivers cut their channels to great deptbs through the 
most compact rocks, but the hard metamorphic mountains of the 
Higblands bave been so wasted that their flanks are usually draped 
witb debris, wliich, spreading over tbe floors of the valleys, bury 
tbem deep under masses of angular rock fragments, wbich are 
frequently shaped into very good imitations of Kames by tbe action 
of streams running along tbe valleys, aided by torrents from tbe 
mountain-sides. I do not suppose tbat any one would maintain tbat 
tbe shapes of these mountains bave notbing to do witb denuding 
agencies. How is it then that the loose gravels of tbe Kames 
“ sometimes on the summits of hills,” as Mr. Mackintosh says, bave 
withstood influences before wbich tbe solid hills literally “ flow from 
form to form ” ? 
Tbat tbe Newport Kames do not enjoy such immunity from the 
action of tbe rain-fall, bas been demonstrated during tbe recent 
excessively wet weatber. All tbe mounds not protected by grass 
bave water-courses cut in their sides, some of tbem of considerable 
