No. 17] FOURTH BIENNIAL REPORT IJ 



disturbed all deposits of the earlier ice sheets, as to leave no recog- 

 nizable remains of them. There is need, however, of thorough 

 study of precisely this question. There is need also of careful 

 examination for the purpose of tracing in more detail the history 

 of successive stages in the final recession of the ice sheet. During 

 the summer of 1907 Professor H. E. Gregory of Yale University 

 devoted considerable time to field work in the study of the Glacial 

 formations of the state. As a preliminary result of this study, a 

 bulletin on the Glacial phenomena of the Naugatuck Valley will 

 be ready at an early date. In the Geological Map of Connecticut, 

 which was published as Bulletin No. 7, surface geology was en- 

 tirely ignored, the map representing only the bed rocks which lie 

 beneath the mantle of drift. It is expected that Professor Greg- 

 ory's work will result eventually in the preparation of another 

 general map of the state showing the surface geology, and a vol- 

 ume of text tracing with some approach to completeness the 

 history of the Glacial period in our state. 



Dr. Freeman Ward of Yale University has been engaged a 

 part of the time for two summers in special studies of the glacial 

 geology of the New Haven region. It is expected that he will 

 present, at an early date, a paper on that locality, while his work 

 will also contribute material for the general work on the Quater- 

 nary geology of the state which is expected from Professor 

 Gregory. 



The melting away of the great ice sheet left the surface of 

 Connecticut and of the adjacent country dotted with innumerable 

 lakes and ponds, many of which have already become obliterated. 

 One of the processes which have led to the disappearance of 

 these ponds is the accumulation of the debris of vegetation, con- 

 verting the ponds into peat bogs. The peat is not only of great 

 scientific interest, both to the geologist and to the botanist, but 

 possesses considerable economic importance, having uses as a fuel 

 and as a fertilizer, and being capable also incidentally of employ- 

 ment for various other purposes. Attention has recently been 

 called to the economic value of peat by the investigations of 

 the United States Geological Survey, which have shown its 

 special fitness for use in the gas-producer. It was, therefore, 

 deemed desirable to make a special investigation of the peat de- 

 posits of Connecticut, and this was rendered practicable by the 



