Wave-formed Cuspate Forelands. — Tarr. 5 
up to its base, and part way out on the spit, to influence the 
wave, which then reaches it in a direction normal to its length. 
So by growing outward, the direction of the shore is actually 
changed, and hence the mode of wave action. Passing diag- 
onally to the old land, the wave now strikes the foreland at 
right angles. Of course an equilibrium will be maintained: 
the change in direction of the shore will not be so great that 
the wave-brought materials cannot be disposed of, though if 
it were the pebbles would be deposited at the base of the spit, 
and thus lessen the angle between the oldland and the new. 
However, as the spit grows outward, the 7ieccssity of trans- 
portation of wave-derived fragments decreases. On the new 
land the waves beat directly, and as they wash directly on and 
off the beach they grind the pebbles to and fro, keeping them 
in nearly the same place. Both sides of the spit then become 
mills in which the pebbles are ground. Before long thev are 
so worn down that the undertow and shore currents can carry 
the ground-up fragments, though their place is speedily taken 
by others. .;.'■• • ■^\ 
Hence, as the spit grows outward, the p'ebbjqs, that are 
supplied have to run the gauntlet of" WaVe'atl!ct(:k''fr6itl waves 
washing directly on the shore ; and the longer the spit grows, 
the less chance is there of pebbles being carried very far to- 
ward the end. In the first stages of the spit development many 
pebbles would be carried to the end, and deposited, rapidly 
lengthening the new land. Then the number would rapidly 
decrease as the length of the spit increased, and finally the 
number that reached the end would slowly decrease, when 
the spit would lengthen with extreme slowness. In this stage, 
of all the fragments driven to the base of the spit, only a small 
portion would escape comminution and widespread scattering. 
This part, carried on to the end would finally be so slight 
in amount that the spit would actually cease to increase in 
length ; for the supply at the end would not exceed the abil- 
ity of the waves and the currents to carry it away, and dispose 
of it in some other place. 
In this stage the spit might be changed to a hook, bend- 
ing toward the south; for the waves and currents from the 
nortJi would be able to drive the materials around the end, 
after the ability of the south waves to do so had ceased. In 
