THE SPROUT HARDWOODS REGION 



343 



and in the central lowlands of Connecticut, gently rolling land 

 is characteristic. In the northern, and especially in the western 

 part of the region, the country loses this gently rolling character 

 and becomes quite hilly. 



Extensive stretches of level plain also occur in the central 

 lowland. The level or rolling country of this plain is, however, 

 broken in a most striking and picturesque manner by small 



'^^^m^s^ 



Fig. 126. — General view showing the distribution of the forest in the sprout hardwoods 

 region. In the left center is seen a small knoll occupied by the old field type. The 

 other wooded areas are of the mixed hardwoods type. 



areas of rocky hills and mountains, which rise abruptly from 

 the general level, in some cases reaching an elevation of over 

 six hundred feet. Differences in the underlying rock account 

 for the varied topography of the region, granites, gneisses, and 

 schists prevailing over the greater part of the area, especially 

 the highland portions. In the central lowland of Connecticut 

 the bed rock is a soft red sandstone, which has been worn 

 down more rapidly than the rocks of the highland areas. Soft 

 rocks also occur in the Narragansett Basin. The isolated hills, 

 rising abruptly from the central lowland, are intrusions of hard 

 trap rock. The West Rock Ridge, near New Haven, and the 



