Abstract
IT is apparent from Prof. Le Conte's description of the prairie mounds (NATURE, vol. xv. p. 530) that the drift mounds figured and mentioned by me (vol. xv. p. 379) have quite different origins. The prairie mound would seem to be somewhat similar and have the same origin as a tussocky bog or mountain. The formation of a tussocky bog has been described in “Valleys and their Relation to Fissures, &c.,” p. 14. A tussocky mountain is similarly formed very hot weather cracks the peaty up for soil forming deep fissures; while subsequent weathering changes of portions between the fissure into small hills. I lately saw on the coast of Wicklow a considerable area of Æolian drift of this hummocky nature; the hillocks being about four feet high. They were so regular as to have the appearance of being moulded from one model. These could not possibly have their origin in fissures; but they seemed to have a connection with bunches of bent, round which the wind collected heaps of sand. But again why should the bunches of this grass grow at regular intervals? In the same neighbourhood some of this Æolian drift is piled in long parallel ridges, about five or six feet high, and having quite an artificial look. These evidently are wind formed; but how it is hard to conjecture, as they run oblique to the prevailing and most effective winds.
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KINAHAN, G. Hog-Wallows and Prairie Mounds. Nature 16, 7 (1877). https://doi.org/10.1038/016007a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/016007a0
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