348 THE ILLINOIS GLACIAL LOBE. 



A few small tracts of elevated land occur along the west border of the 

 morainic system in southwestern Michigan. Such tracts in Geneva, Bangor, 

 and Watervliet townships, Van Buren County, have extreme elevations of 

 50 to 75 feet above the bordering plains. The swells rise one above another 

 in passing from the plains to the highest portions of these tracts and the 

 border is less abrupt than in the larger tracts above mentioned. 



There are a few points where very sharp knobs were noted which rise 

 60 or 80 feet above the border portions of the moraine. These occur in Wat- 

 son Township, Allegan County; in the vicinity of Great Bear Lake in Van 

 Buren County; on the south side of Pawpaw River, near Lawrence, and in 

 several places along- the eastern border of the morainic system in Van Buren 

 and Berrien counties. 



In the Michigan portion of this morainic system marshes are a very 

 common feature, there being usually several inclosed among the morainic 

 knolls in each township. Lakes are also a common feature from northern 

 Berrien County northward. They are in some cases two or three square 

 miles in area, but usually occupy less than a square mile. So far as known 

 they are shallow and, like those of the Illinois portion, are bordered by 

 marshes which seem to have been formerly covered by lake water. There 

 are also lakes along the eastern border of the morainic system indenting the 

 gravel plain. These are conspicuous in northwestern Cass and southern Van 

 Buren counties. 



DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MICHIGAN PORTION. 



The Michigan portion of this morainic system was examined in more 

 detail than the remainder of the system because its surface contours are 

 more variable and because it had received very little attention from the 

 earlier students. It seems appropriate, therefore, to present the following 

 detailed discussion of the topography of this portion. The area first con- 

 sidered lies in central Allegan County, and the discussion is then extended 

 to points farther south. 



In T. 2 N. the moraine consists of two well-defined ridges separated 

 by a till plain. A line passing across the morainic system from west to east 

 shows the following features: West of the western ridge is a broad plain 

 covered with sand called the " Pine Plain." This plain stands 50 to 75 feet 

 above Lake Michigan. In passing eastward from it an abrupt rise is made 



