J*leiKt(>(ene < '/kiih/cs of J.< r</. — I)t(it^<'r. 'I'd 
maj' sometimes be <.lue to the fnet that when the shores are low 
and consist of h)ose marine (h'posits. it is often ver}' diflicult to 
distinguish the new from the'ohl formations, and also to ascertain 
the very limit of th(? last submergence. The beach is also easily 
effacecl, partly perhaps through wintl-blown sand. 
In the glaciated regions, however, the conditions are often dif- 
ferent and more favorable for the formation of enduring shore- 
lines, as the land is there generally covered with till and angular, 
stx)uy debris, forming an excellent material for recording the ac- 
tion of the waves. Most of the old shores are described as situ- 
ated in tlu' glaciated regions, though this may i)erha})s partly de- 
pend iipon another and deeper cause. 
Although a great many mariiu' shore-lines, shell' (h'posits. and 
sediments of IMeistocene age have been leveled in Euro|)t' and 
America, it is nevertheless very rare to find any metho(]ical at- 
tx'mpts to (h'termine their ver}' limit in a more accurate way. 
As far as 1 can see, that descrilx'd below is the nu»st suitable 
arnl perhaps the only possible method f(»i- this purpose. I have 
tested it in the northern part of Europe during the last ten years 
and l»y way of comparisfui in the eastern \)i\vis of North America 
during the autumn of ]S!ll. In this paper 1 shall especially de- 
scribe and discuss the results of the last luinu^d investigations, 
but as these point to a very close analogy with the ••oiresponding 
phenomena in northern Eui'ope.'-it seems appropriate to give lirst 
a general view of tlie lattej'. 
1 NVKSTKi.VI IONS IN EiROPK. 
During the summer of 1 SS:i I spent three mouths in Spitzlier- 
gen studying the glacial deposits and the raised benches. 
Though these were very instructive for tlu' study of the origin ()f 
Hhore-lin«'s in general, the conditions weie not favoi-able for an 
accurate del«'iinination of the iippeiniost maiine limit, the laud 
b<'ing rather mountainous. preci[)itous, and destitute of till. 
Since that liuu' F have us<'d every opportunity to discover and 
detiU'mine the marine limit in Sweden. The nietlio<l I have used 
is the following; On every locality. I start fi'oiii the liiglu'sl 
level at which uiuloubted marine deposits nml fossils are found 
in that part of the country: with the aid of the topographic map 
\ select above the named level a drift-c«)V(M-ed hill of sullicient 
bight with moderate slope and with :i situation as open a> possi- 
