THE MUSEUM. 



175 



Cyprae argus Eyed Cowry, New Caledonia. 

 Cuts show both front and back of shell. 



as might have been washed from 

 above, beneath the soil. The rock has 

 not the angular appearance ordinarily 

 found when the soil is removed from 

 similar rock. Instead, it is rounded, 

 apparently by the action of the ele- 

 ments, to which it seems to have been 

 long exposed. 



Ascending still higher, at an eleva- 

 tion of about one hundred feet above 

 the wave lines, we find another series 

 of wave lines, larger, and more dis- 

 tinct than the first. These prove that 

 the lake must have had, at two differ- 

 ent periods, two distinct levels; and 

 showing, moreover, what an examina- 

 tion of the chasm does not reveal, that 

 a second and higher barrier must have 

 existed, cotemporaneously with the 

 lake when at its higher level. No trace 

 ■of the second barrier is now to be 

 found. Between the two series of 

 wave lines, the appearance of the 

 mountain is such as to lead to the con- 

 clusion that it has at some time been 



washed bare of all soil and partially re- 

 covered by the slow process of nature. 

 Its position with reference to the val- 

 ley is such that if a barrier did former- 

 ly exist which raised the waters of the 

 river to the height indicated by the 

 upper series of wave lines, and that 

 barrier was suddenly removed, the 

 rushing waters would have borne 

 directly against it and a complete de- 

 nudation must have resulted. 



Six miles above Middlesex village, 

 at the junction of Winooski river with 

 Worcester branch and upon both sides 

 of the latter stream, is the city of 

 Montpelier. From levels made by the 

 engineer in charge of the construction 

 of the railroad, it has been ascertained 

 that the lake when at its lowest level, 

 covered the greater part of the busi- 

 ness portion of the city. A short dis- 

 tance below the city the river receives 

 the waters of Dog river and a little 

 ways above it is joined by those of 

 Steven's branch. About seven miles 

 northeasterly is a mountain locally 

 known as Long Meadow Hill; the foot- 

 hills of which reach to Montpelier and 

 form a watershed between the Win- 

 ooski river and Worcester branch. 

 Towards the later stream the sides of 

 the mountain are steep and precipitous, 

 but towards the river they slope more 

 gradually and the mountain divides it- 

 self into numerous, radiating spurs, ex- 

 tending towards the east and south. 

 The spur which reaches Montpelier is 

 about one hundred and fifty feet above 

 the old lake when at its lower level 

 and extends toward the angle formed 

 by the union of the two streams in 

 such a manner as to have formed a 

 jutting promontory into the lake when 

 it was at the higher level. 



Now when two streams meet and 



