On Water and Air. 
[May, 
318 
celebrated Mer de Glace, of Chamounix. It is not by any 
means the largest glacier in Switzerland, but historically it 
is very celebrated. Here is a sketch map (Fig. 30) of the 
Mer de Glace, with its tributary glaciers. Now the vast 
gathering ground of snow which forms these glaciers is 
marked here : one is the great basin surrounded by lofty 
mountains, called the basin of the Talefre ; here a second 
one, called the plateau of the Col de Lecleand ; and here 
another great gathering ground is in the region of the Col 
du Geant. This great basin is where the snows collect and 
contribute to the formation of the great glacier. 
