254 Proceedings of Indiana Academy of Science. 
were suggested from the name, ‘The Cut-off’, applied to a sag-like opening 
or col in the south half of section 35, which appears on Siebenthal’s map of 
Monroe County published in 1895. In this paper the liberty is taken of 
making the term apply specifically to the sag, the expression “The Cut- 
off Col” being used. Since the col has resulted from a physiographic action 
in which a formerly continuous stream was divided into two sections, the 
term “Cut-off”? has been applied to each section, the upper section or stream 
being named Upper Cut-off Creek and the lower section or stream being 
named Lower Cut-off Creek. The physiographic action which divided the 
parent stream into Upper and Lower Cut-off creeks was lateral planation 
or the side-wise swinging of Salt Creek in the process of widening its 
valley. This process took place in such a degree that Salt Creek actually 
invaded the territory of the parent Cut-off Creek and the upper part was 
diverted. Thus this case of planation piracy may well be called “Cut-off 
Piracy”. 
Evidence of Diversion of Upper Cut-off Creek—That the valleys of 
Upper and Lower Cut-off creeks were once one continuous valley and the 
drainage of the present two stream systems was once a unit, is seen in the 
present courses of the streams and the existence of the low sag which sep- 
arates them. Upper Cut-off Creek, arising in the southeastern quarter of 
section 36, flows west bearing slightly to the northward. In the southeast 
quarter of section 35 near Phillips School, it turns abruptly through a flat- 
bottomed opening and passes northward over the flat flood plain of Salt 
Creek to Salt Creek channel near Fairfax. (Figures 1 and 2.) Lower 
Cut-off Creek heads in a great sag, here called the Cut-off Col, one-fourth 
mile west of where Upper Cut-off Creek debouches upon the flood plain of 
Salt Creek. (Figures 3 and 4.) After extending west for three-fourths of 
a mile the valley of Lower Cut-off Creek turns southward and opens 
into Salt Creek valley. The upper part of Lower Cut-off Creek valley is 
directly in line with the valley of Upper Cut-off Creek. It may be said that 
Upper Cut-off Creek has no valley after making the abrupt turn north- 
ward through the opening at Phillips School, as it there debouches upon the 
Fig. I. View showing Upper Cut-off Creek where it turns abruptly north- 
ward through the narrow, flat-bottomed opening at Phillips School. 
