G. M. DAWSON — GEOLOGY OP MI DDT: ETON l-I.AXH. 427 



Parry sound, referred to by Mr Gilbert, and also at Wikwernikong on Manitoulin 

 island. Mure than forty years ago Mr Sandford Fleming, of Ottawa, wrote an ac- 

 count in the Journal of the Canadian Institute of the terraces around IJTottawasaga 

 bay, which had also been described by Professor Chapman; and I have made 

 profiles of the country to the southward of Georgian bay from lines of spirit-levels 



which [ ran. These showed lacustrine terraces at almost every height up to s e 



200 feet, but in the present state of our knowledge these facts might prove nothing 

 in reference to former outlets of Lake Huron, since the whole of the surrounding 

 area may have been slightly canted instead of having been uniformly elevated. 



These were some of the unanswered difficulties which have presented them- 

 selves to my mind while Professor Wright was reading his paper, and I think 

 t hat, apart from the upsetting of all the calculations of geologists based on the 

 facts presented by the Niagara gorge, they are sufficient to justify me in not ac- 

 cepting the Professor's hypothesis until further investigations have been made. 



The next paper was read for the absent author by Mr \V J Met ree : 



ON CERTAIN FEATURES IN THE DISTRIBUTION" OP THE COLUMBIA 

 FORMATION ON THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC SLOPE 



BY N. H. DARTON 



Remarks upon the [taper were made by R. I). Salisbury, Warren 

 Upham and W J McGee. 



In the absence of the author the next paper was read by R,. W. Ells : 



NOTES ON THE GEOLOGY OF MIDDLETON ISLAM), ALASKA 

 KV GEORGE M. DAWSON 



Middleton island is situated opposite Prince William sound, in that part of the 

 north Pacific which on some maps is named the gulf of Alaska. It is distant about 

 sixty-four miles from the mouth of the Copper river, the nearest part of the 

 mainland coast, and some fifty-five miles from the nearest points of any other laud 

 these being parts of the shores of Kaye island, Alaganik island and Montague 

 island. The three islands mentioned are all adjacent to the coast of the mainland 

 and separated from it by comparatively narrow waters. They lie in northeast, 

 north and northwest bearings respectively from Middleton island, which thus 

 stands alone and not far from the edge of the hundred-fathom hank or margin of 

 the continental plateau. 



Mr J. M. Macoun was landed on this island on June 15, 1892, by 11. M. S. 

 Nymphe, and occupied the few hours at his disposal there in making a paced sur- 

 vey around the entire shore of the island, either on the beach or along the summit 

 of the low bordering cliffs when walking on the shore itself proved to he impos- 

 sible. He collected some specimens of the material of which the island is com- 

 posed and made a few notes upon it, determining the heights of the dill's, etc 

 by means of an aneroid barometer. 



Mr Macoun does not profess to be a geologist, but on his return he submitted 

 his specimens to me, and it was at once apparent that these represented a true till 

 or bowlder-clay. The position of this island -lying as it 'Iocs so far to seaward 

 LXIT1 -Bull Geol. Soc. Am., Vol, I. 1892 



