THE MUSEUM. 



A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. 



Vol. II. 



ALBION, N. Y., APRIL 15, 1896. 



No. 6 



^otes From the Mohawk's 

 County. 



p. M. V.-\N EPPS. 



IV. 



A DOOMED LAKE. 



All night loDg he sailed upon it. 

 .Sailed upon that sluggish water. 

 Covered with urould of ages. 

 Black with rotten water-rushes. 

 Rank with Hags and leaves of lillies, 

 Stagnant, lifeless, dreary, dismal. 

 Lighted by the shimmering moonlight, 

 And by will-o'-the-wisps illumined." 



— Longfellow. 



Although, as mentioned in the Mus- 

 eum for March, there exists in this 

 region many swampy areas that in 

 former times have been lakes of vary- 

 ing size and contour, yet it is seldom 

 we meet with one in which the actual 

 process of occlusion or invasion by veg- 

 etable growth can be seen and studied. 

 In nearly all and with very few excep- 

 tions the process has been completed 

 ages ago. Yet many small lakes 

 abound which still retain approximate- 

 ly intact their ancient shore lines, and 

 which under present physiographical 

 conditions would seem destined to re- 

 main as beautiful lakes for ages yet to 

 come. Prominently among these are 

 Ballston Lake, Round Lake and Lake 

 Luzerne; Thompson's, Lawson's, and 

 Efnor's Lakes; Lake Saratoga, Lake 

 Desolation and scores of others which 

 dot the southern Adirondack region. 



Why then were not all of these lakes 

 metamorphosed into dreary and deso- 

 late bogs.' Why should some of the 



larger have perished while many lesser 

 ones yet remain.' Their immunity from 

 the fate which befell their unfortunate 

 fellows is owing to different reasons. 

 Probably with some the great depth of 

 water near the shores has prevented 

 any considerable growth or lodgement 

 of sphagnum or rushes, and in such the 

 ice of winter has destroyed all growth 

 of a preceding summer. But with 

 others the accident of direction and 

 consequent exposure to the prevailing 

 winds has been a inost important fac- 

 tor in their preservation, Such lakes 

 as have a moderately level tract to the 

 westward, or whose longitudinal direc- 

 tion is from east to west, or such as 

 by reason of size or length are exposed 

 to the prevailing winds, have no doubt 

 been preserved from closure by the 

 size of the waves generated, making it 

 impossible for water-growing plants to 

 obtain any permanent growth or in- 

 crease unless it be in sheltered nooks 

 or bays. 



As a very instructive instance of 

 lakes of this class could be mentioned 

 Lake Saratoga. Having a length of 

 about six miles, with an average 

 breadth of a mile, and situated longi- 

 tudinally from northeast to southwest; 

 its surface is swept by every storm 

 from the west and southwest, raising 

 such waves as only those who have 

 had the pleasure .' of being out amongst 

 could believe possible on so small a 

 body of water. 



