THE 



CANADIAN 



MTUEALIST AID GEOLOGIST. 



Vol. V. DECEMBER, 1860. No. 6. 



ARTICLE XLIX. -On certain theories of the formation of moun- 

 tains. 



No. 1. 



The causes of the elevation of mountains above the general 

 contour of the earth whether in the shape of isolated peaks or 

 continuous chains have always been favourite subjects for specula- 

 tion among physical geologists. In Europe the Alps situated as 

 they are in the very centre of the cradle of civilisation have natu- 

 rally received the greatest amount of consideration, while in Amer- 

 ica the origin of the long ranges of the Appalachians has been 

 ever since the dawn of science upon this continent, the all impor- 

 tant problem to be solved. It is principally upon the theories of 

 the elevation of these last mentioned mountains that we shall in 

 this paper make a few observations. 



The Appalachian system occupies a belt of mountainous country 

 extending from Cape Gaspe, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence, 

 south-westerly, through eastern Canada to the Province line near 

 Lake Champlain where it enters the State of Vermont and is then 

 continued in the same general direction to the State of Alabama. 

 The total length of the belt is more than one thousand miles and 

 its width from thirty to one hundred and fifty. It consists not o 

 a single line of peaks but of numerous long parallel ridges separ- 

 Can. Nat. 1 Vol. V. No. 6. 



