76 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. X. 



In Ohio, the Geological Survey considers that Maumee River 

 emptied into the Wabash. If the waters of Lake Erie ever 

 passed by this route into the Mississippi river when they were at 

 no higher level than at present, then there must be a channel 

 buried to a depth reaching at least 170 feet above the lake, as 

 that is the elevation of the divide between the upper waters of 

 these two rivers. 



The outlet of Lake Erie, indicated in this paper, is known at 

 many places along its route to have no rock-bed for a distance 

 below the surface of the higher lake, and to a probable depth 

 sufficiently great to empty Lake Huron. 



Again Mr. Carll has shown that the Alleghany drainage passed 

 near Dunkirk into the Erie basin at a place just opposite to its 

 outlet, as indicated by the present writer. 



Much of the Dundas valley is underlaid by stratified Erie clay> 

 which is known to extend to a depth of 60 feet below the sur- 

 face of Lake Ontario, according to Dr. Robert Bell. In the 

 upper part of the valley, streams have exposed some deposits 

 of unstratified clay filled with angular shingle, derived from 

 the thin beds of limestone forming the upper portion of the 

 Niagara Formation. In the eastern portion of the valley, the 

 Erie clay is overlaid un conform ably by brown Saugeen clay or 

 loam (stratified). In the upper portions of the valley the hills 

 are capped by brown clays or sands. But along some of the 

 hillsides excavated so deeply in the drift, we find old beaches 

 resting unconformably on boulder clay. 



Near the centre of the city of Hamilton, in the wider portion 

 of the Dundas valley, a well was sunk to the depth of over 1000 

 feet. This well revealed a most interestino; fact. Thoush known 

 to me several years ago, I did not apply it until recently to its true 

 bearing, since discovering the origin of the Dundas valley. Mr. 

 J. M. Williams sunk this well, at the Royal Hotel, in Hamilton. 

 He told me several years ago that he had to sink through 290 

 feet of boulders, before coming to hard rock, thus causing the 

 outlay of a large sum of money in excess of his calculations. 

 Unfortunately, this well-record has been lost by fire. At that 

 time, the fact was so fresh in his memory (improved by the ex- 

 traordianary cost of the well) that his statement could be relied 

 on, he being experienced in well-borings. The mouth of this well 

 is 63 feet above Lake Ontario, and therefore the hard rocks are 

 absent for a depth of 227 feet below the lake surface. 



