HISTORY OF VERMONT. 151 



to account for the collection of water in such 

 places, wiiere there are now no appearances of 

 the kind. 



In their descent from the mountains, the 

 brooks and rivers must every where have form- 

 ed themselves into lakes, ponds, and small col- 

 lections of water : And it was not until after 

 long periods of time, that they could form for 

 themselves channels of such depth, as to dis- 

 charge the waters which had been thus collect- 

 ed. Some of these ponds vrere formed on the 

 sides of the mountains, and others overflowed 

 what are now called the meadows ; and many 

 of their ancient phenomena yet remain. The 

 waters have long since formed the channels, by 

 which they are now discharged into the ocean. 

 In such places, fossil shells are yet found : 

 they are the productions of former times, when 

 those places were covered by the waters de- 

 scending from the mountains ; then collected 

 into quantities for want of natural channels, now 

 drawn oif by the depth of the channels which 

 the waters have formed, and constantly render- 

 ed more and more deep. 



REPTILES AND INSECTS. 

 THAT class of animals, w^hich are distin- 

 guished by the names of reptiles, and insects, 

 are numerous in every part of America. They 

 abound the most, and are of the largest size, in 

 the hottest parts of the continent. In a climate 

 so cold as that of Vermont, they are compara- 

 tively of but a few species, and small in their 

 size ; but they exist in great nunjbers. The 

 following are our 



