12 Proceedings. 



miles, and its altitude will average over 1300 feet above the Gulf of Mexico. 

 There are in all this area no prominent ridges of high land, and, consequently, 

 no uapid streams. This area is almost wholly forest covered, and a large 

 portion of the pine forests of the state are included here. 



The entire surface is drift covered, the material for this mantle, which 

 is often 250 or more feet thick, coming from the pre-Cambrian area of the 

 central and northwestern portions of the state, and from these same rocks 

 and the Cretaceous beds which once undoubtedly covered the western and 

 north-western portions of Minnesota. Swamps are numerous and extensive; 

 the brooks and creeks draining them are sluggish; tlie annual rainfall is 

 about 27 inches per annum. Thus the water which comes from this territory 

 to Minneapolis would naturally contain a diversity of mineral constituents 

 and much organic matter. 



May 6, 1884. 



Twelve persons present. 



Rev. Dr. H. C. Hovey was elected a member. 



C. W. Hall, chairman of the section of geology, in introclncing 

 the programme of the evening gave a brief sketch of the geological 

 work of the different members of the section during the past year. 



''An Account of chains of Glacial Lakes in Martin County, 

 Minnesota,'' was given by Warren Upham. These Lakes, the 

 speaker maintained, show suggestive features to our seeking a key 

 to the position of the moraines in that part of the state, and to 

 the removal of the superabundant waters which must have been 

 present at the melting away of the lobes of ice reaching towards 

 central Iowa from Minnesota and Dakota. 



Mr. Upham then discussed ''the Glacial Moraines of Minne- 

 sota." 



The speaker arrange<l these moraines into the following lines of hills 

 and knolls, each line representing a moraine, and each moraine named after 

 the locality where it is especially prominent: 



a Altamont; 



& Gary; 



c Antelope hills; 



d Kiester; 



e Elysian; 



/ Waconia, Carver County ; 



g Dovre^ 



h Fergus Falls ; 



i Leaf Hills; 



j Itasca; 



k Mesabi. 



He now holds that there are no medial or interlobate moraines in the 

 state; all are lateral. 



