THE BOULDEES OF THE BKOMSGEOVE DISTEICT. 119 
•“tliem stooans wuii left were they bin now by tlie find,’’ meaning 
by tlie floods the Noabic Deluge. 
But, apart from legend, these travelled blocks have assumed 
an important position in geological science during the last few 
years ; so much so. that a committee was appointed by the 
British Association to examine, map, and^ as far as possible^ 
adopt means to preserve, for the study of scientific men, these 
remnants of the great ice age, for such they are proved to be. 
Large numbers of these stones have been utilized in various 
ways ; some in foundations of houses, walls, &c., others as 
parish boundaries and the like, while several are used as curb- 
stones and as seats for wayfarers, &c. Besides those which the 
British Association Committee examined, and described, I have 
discovered several, since their visit to the locality, many of 
which are partly buried. 
The whole, or nearly so, of these remarkable boulders have 
been traced to the Arenig Mountains in North Wales, and were 
doubtless dropped from floating ice. As the ice floes travelled 
southward, they would become melted by the warmer atmosphere, 
and these, with other rock debris of much smaller dimensions, 
such as sand and gravel, wLich is sometimes called “ Northern 
Drift,” would be dropped upon the then sea bottom. And as the 
land rose again, and the ocean bed became dry land, such blocks 
became exposed to view. It is a little remarkable that so many 
of these boulders should remain in situ during the many ages 
that the land has been under cultivation. Some, we know, have 
been removed from their original positions ; one at the Woodrow, 
;a few years ago, having been a hindrance to the cultivation of a 
certain field, the farmer hitched the whole of his horse power to 
it, and removed it from the field to an adjacent lane, where it now 
■ remains. This is one of the largest in the district. I do not 
know of more than one block, wLich shovrs ice markings : it is a 
large block, and lies in a lane near Finstal Park. They are aU, 
