OTTER GREEK. 129 



River, before reaching Ira, where the river has cut through the Taconic range of mountains. In this cut 

 the accumulations are mostly in the form of moraine terraces. In West Rutland, near the celebrated mar- 

 ble quarries, this stream runs through a meadow, quite low and marshy, and there are no other terraces. 



It seems remarkable that this small stream should rise east of a range of mountains 1000 feet high, and 

 after flowing to the south for seven miles, suddenly bend its course at right angles and cut through the 

 mountain : especially when an obstruction of a few feet in the gorge would divert the stream southeast to 

 Otter Creek at Rutland. As this gorge runs east and west, contrary to the most usual direction of exca- 

 vated valleys in the State, and as it is in the region of curious and gigantic disturbances of the underlying 

 strata, we can but suspect that this valley through Ira has been formed in some other way than by erosion. 

 Perhaps it originated in a fault among the metamorphic schists. 



TERKACES UPON OTTER CREEK AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. 



Otter Creek rises in Dorset from Dorset Pond, which is also the source of the Battenkill, passes through 

 the whole of Rutland and Addison counties, and discharges its waters into Lake Champlain, in North Ferris- 

 burgh. The lower part of its course is over the Champlain clays, where its rate of descent is very small, 

 except at an occasional fall over ledges of rock. The upper part of its course is over an undulating coun- 

 try, near the western limit of the quartz formation, and its whole course is over calcareous rocks, except 

 when it crosses a range of quartz rock in Rutland. We will describe its terraces, commencing at its source, 

 contrary to our usual order of description, and speaking of the tributaries as we find them in our descent. 



The valley in which Dorset Pond is situated is remarkable for its narrowness and depth. One would 

 hardly imagine that upon such a low level would be found the water-shed of waters flowing to Long Island 

 Sound in one direction, and to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in another. Unusually large also are the moraine 

 terraces, or more properly the gorge terraces at the source of Otter Creek. 



In the town of Dorset, except a narrow meadow, there is but one short terrace belonging to Otter Creek, 

 and that is No. 4 apon the west side. In Mt. Tabor and Danby, there are scarcely any terraces, except at 

 their north parts. Moraine terraces take their place. In the northeast corner of Danby, Nos. 1, 2 and 5 

 are well developed. And to this point there comes an old river bed, on the east side of Otter Creek, from 

 a small river in the south part of Wallingford. Between this bed and the creek in Wallingford, Nos. 1, 2 

 and 4 are developed. Just above South Wallingford, ledges of rock form the banks of the creek, which 

 may be considered as the boundary between two basins of terraces. Through the rest of Wallingford it is 

 rare to see any terrace of much account, except the meadow. There is terrace No. 3 upon the west side 

 at South Wallingford, and a short No. 4 a mile north, on the opposite side ; and there are moraine terraces 

 upon both sides of the creek from North Wallingford to the village of Clarendon. In Wallingford the 

 valley is narrow and quite deep. It seems to have been formed by the ready decomposition of the rock, 

 for the belt of limestone upon which the creek runs, is often not more than a fourth of a mile wide, and 

 the adjacent rocks are ore of the hardest of all rocks, namely, quartz rock. 



The valley is much wider at the village of Clarendon. * Mill River here empties into Otter Creek. 

 This river rises in Mt. Holly, following the route of the Rutland and Burlington Railroad to the east line 

 rf Clarendon at Cuttingsville, when it turns west to Otter Creek. Between East Wallingford and Cut- 

 tingsville large terraces of gravel and sand are common, especially a large amount of moraine terraces. At 

 Cuttingsville it cuts through a high ridge of rock, forming a deep gorge, which has not been visited by any 

 member of the geological corps, though it is in full sight from the railroad. 



Between the villages of Clarendon and Rutland (Depot), we have marked on the map no terraces except 

 the first and second. These are unusually broad. No. 2 is traversed by two railroads in Rutland, and is 

 more than a mile in width. The great Railroad Depot in Rutland is situated upon the second terrace. 

 East of the village the coarse unmodified drift abounds. Upon East Creek, which joins Otter Creek near 

 the depot, two terraces may be seen upon both sides, even to the northeast corner of the town. Two 



* We use the names employed by the inhabitants to designate these streams, although it seems very incongruous to say that Mill Biter 

 empties into Otter Creek. 



