DAVIS : RIVER TERRACES IN NEW ENGLAND. 



317 



the stream of Figure 31 be supposed to have returned from a swing to 

 the eastern side of its valley floor. It will now be at a lower level than 

 before and will therefore be halted somewhat in advance of the defended 

 cusp previously developed. Figure 33 shows the blunt cusp of a slip- 

 ping meander thus determined. Another swing out and back having 

 been accomplished, Figure 34 shows the work of a compressed meander, 



Fig. 33. 



Fig. 34. 



A, which for a time was held up-valley from a third exposure of the 

 long-sloping ledge ; but the stream was then withdrawn from its round- 

 about course by a short-cut, after which a sweeping meander wore out 

 the three short curves, B, down-valley from the ledge ; and still later 

 the next down-sweeping meander, C, trimmed off the terrace front close 

 to the ledge preparatory to slipping past the obstacle and pushing still 

 further back the down-valley side 

 of the terrace front. Another 

 stage is shown in Figure 35. Here 

 the eighth westward swing of the 

 stream is recorded (compare Fig- 

 ure 25). Part of the plain formed 

 by the second swing happens to 

 be still preserved, but not of the 

 first and third. All the later 

 swings, fourth to eighth, are well 

 indicated. A strongly-compressed meander of the eighth swing has 

 trimmed off all the terraces a little distance up-valley from their ledges, 

 and would have trimmed them still closer but for being withdrawn by 

 a short-cut. A later meander of the same swing is less successfully 

 wearing away the down-valley extension of the terraces. 



It is evident that an infinite variety of terrace patterns may be ex- 



Fig. 35. 



