ALBANY-SAGO RIVEH SERIES. 249 



valley of the Androscoggin to near Bethel Village, where it turned south 

 along the low valley in which was once surveyed a route for a canal from 

 Bethel down the valley of Crooked River to Sebago Lake and thence to 

 Portland. This valley lies a short distance west of Bethel Village, on the 

 west side of the hill lying south of Bethel called Paradise Hill. There is 

 considerable reason to suspect that there is an osar-plain of fine matter in 

 the bottom of this valley, disguised by some valley drift. At one time 

 there was an overflow of the Androscoggin south through this low pass, 

 also down another valley which leads south from the broad Bethel intervale 

 past the east base of Paradise Hill and joins the other valley just south 

 of this hill. The intervale was then a lake 3 or more miles wide. The 

 alluvial plains that fill these two valleys which lead south from near Bethel 

 may possibly be wholly fluviatile drift, formed during this overflow of the 

 Androscog'gin southward, j-et I provisionally mark a glacial stream as 

 flowing down the Androscoggin to Bethel and thence' southward. There 

 may have been glacial overflows from the Sunday River and Bear River 

 valleys. In Albany, near the top of the low pass that leads south from 

 Bethel, gravel unmistakably glacial is found, and continues in the form of 

 bars, ridges, and terraces down the valley of Crooked River to North Water- 

 ford. The gravels have been considerably eroded by the sti-eam, and it is 

 uncertain whether the original form of these deposits in northern Albany 

 was that of a broad osar-plain extending across the valley or whether there 

 were two or more distinct ridges. In the southern part of Albany and the 

 northern part of Waterford there is a well-defined two-sided ridge of gravel 

 and cobbles in the midst of the valley, and in a few places there are two 

 such ridges, bordered by plains or terraces of rather fine sand and gravel 

 having nearly horizontal stratification. These extend across the valley, 

 which is near a half mile in width, at two places, but in most of its course 

 is but little more than half that breadth. 



The alluvial drift of the Crooked Rivei' Valley is of composite origin. 



1. We have a broad deposit of glacial gravel taking the form of a 

 broad osar, Avith some distant osar ridges in the midst of it. 



2. There must have been considerable stream wash from the rather 

 steep hills which border the valley, especially as there are few lakes and 

 ponds in the region and the floods are rather violent. The drainage basin 

 is rather small, however. 



