Bouve.] 
220 
[April 17, 
The study of glacial phenomena within a few years has thrown 
a flood of light upon much that was before obscure, and we now 
can well understand how pot holes may have been formed in lo- 
calities remote from any water courses of the present period by 
rushing torrents through crevasses in the great ice sheet. The best 
description of such that has been published may be found in the 
30th volume of the Journal of the Geological Society of London, in 
which they are called Giants’ Kettles. Along the shores of the 
Scandinavian peninsula these kettles are numerous and of some at 
Kongshaven a particular account is given, embracing a statement 
of the thorough examination of their contents, which were morainic 
and which had remained intact since the glacial waters had ceased 
to flow. 
Of one of these kettles I will quote from the description, in or- 
der to give an idea of their general character and contents, omitting 
what is unimportant : — 
“This kettle is scooped out in the form of a cylinder almost per- 
pendicularly into the rock 16 feet deep and 5 broad. The hori- 
zontal plan is somewhat elliptical. From the bottom a distinct 
spiral line is worn into the walls to the height of 6 feet. Higher 
up are marks of a process-like turning with indications of spirals. 
In consequence of this movement the kettle inside was a little 
wider below than above. The walls consisted entirely of Egeberg 
gneiss. The filling up was as follows : — uppermost under the water 
of high tide, were found mud and rubbish from outside, then the 
contents of the kettle began at feet from the opening to show, 
first, common moraine matter with only a few large stones ; at from 
8 to 10 feet a portion came where at least fifty stones were found of 
a more rounded and regular shape than those of moraine matter gen- 
erally ; here lay also four large stones like a floor. Under these be- 
gan moraine gravel ; and nearer the bottom came many more of the 
rounded stones among which were nine stones, two of them a foot 
long and the rest smaller, unusually regular and elliptical in form. 
These with those of the 8-10 foot level may all be distinctly rec- 
ognized as different from those found in the moraines.” 
Other interesting kettles are described, but the description given 
of one will be sufficient to indicate the character of the contents 
that would probably have been found in those I am to speak of as 
occurring at Cohasset, if time had not destroyed the integrity of the 
vessels, and what they once contained had been preserved for our 
examination. 
Two years since and possibly earlier, I heard of there being what 
