242 PROCEEDINGS OP THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



cernible near the apex. The last of these is the greatest ; and it is possible that 

 the spit has acquired permanently the form of a hook." * 



Hooked Spits. — Cape Lookout t is cliaracterized by a spit projecting from the 

 point of the cusp vvhicli has a recurving barbed hook on its left side. Tlie curve 

 of the right side of tlie spit is continuous with tlie curve of the rigiit offshore bar, 

 and tliere is an offset from tlie right near the point of the cusp proper. On the 

 opposite side of the spit there are tliree minute offsets, also from the right to the 

 left. The offsets therefore indicate currents flowing in opposite directions upon 

 the two sides of the spit, botli moving from tlie right to the left. The form of the 

 barbed hook is evidence for a current moving from tiie sea toward tlie land at this 

 point on the left side of the cusp, because for its extension material must be carried 

 toward the point of the hook from some other locality, and since the hook curves 

 in toward the land and has a smootii contour on the outside and an irregular one 

 on the inside, transportation is inferred along tlie graded and not the ungraded 

 path. The form of the Lookout recurved spit indicates a current from the land 

 toward the sea on the riglit and one from tlie sea toward the land on the left of 

 the cusp. 



Capes Obitotchnaia and Berdianska'ia in the sea of Azov (Atlas Univ., 38) are 

 markedly hooked even on a small scale map. 



Messina spit, Sicily, is another hooked spit (Ital. and Sicil}-, 254). 



On the south side of Hjarnii island (Denm., Skanderborg), and southeast of 

 Nyborg (Denm., Nyborg), are two otlier examples. One forms the harbor of 

 Marstal, aided by artificial breakwaters, another lies five thousand meters to 

 the northwest of the city, and a third hooked spit is about the same distance to 

 the east (Denm , Svendborg). 



Another encloses New Dungeness harbor (C. S., 646). 



Serpent Spits. — Li certain places the currents may be so variable or periodically 

 shifting that the spits do not grow in a straight line or simple curve, but take a 

 serpentine course. In many cases this current irregularity may be due to the form 

 of the bottom, reefs, submerged ridges, etc. 



The type example of such spits is that of cape Etolin, Nunivak island, Bering 

 sea (C. S.. 896). 



Spelmo island has a somewhat similar serpent spit growing northward toward 

 the mainland (Denm., Faaborg). 



18. Stages of Development of Various Coasts. 

 Average Stage. — Taking the criteria as g-iven in this paper as a basis 

 of comparison, the maps of various regions have been studied and com- 

 pared with any available deseriptions ; and the regions have then been 

 classified according to the prevailing criteria shown. A few criteria in 

 any region may be in advance or behind the average development of 

 features, and such a region has been classed according to the majority 

 of its features. This classification is not as complete as could be desired, 



* G. K. Gilbert, 5th Ann. Rep. U. S. G. S., 96, PI. IX. 



t See page 180. 



