766 GLACIAL FORMATIONS OF ERIE AND OHIO BASINS. 



Eden, and thence to Hambm-g. There is a eomphcated series of ridges from 

 near Eden to Hamburg which apparently occupy the interval from the 

 lower up to the higher ridge. At Hamburg there are two beaches which 

 differ nearly 20 feet in altitude. The lower and weaker one, known as 

 Cooper ridge, leads westward from Hamburg about 2 miles, directly away 

 from the upper beach, following the crest of a ridge on the north side of 

 Eighteenmile Creek. The upper or main ridge leads northeastward past 

 Abbotts Corners, Websters Corners, Spring Brook, and Elma. Center to 

 West Alden, crossing Cazenovia Creek at Spring Brook, Buffalo Creek at 

 its bend 3 miles northeast of Elma Center, and Cayuga Creek about a mile 

 southwest of West Alden. On each of these streams, as well as on smaller 

 streams, there are prominent deltas at the points where the beach crosses, 

 and the beach itself is exceptionally strong throughout this part of its 

 course. The lower ridge was traced only about 2 miles northeast from 

 Hamburg and is reported to be ill-defined l^etween there and West Alden. 

 About 3 miles southwest of West Alden weak, sandy ridges were found 

 back of the main ridge at a slightly higher altitude, but they seem to be of 

 very limited extent and their significance is not clear. The main beach 

 from Hamburg to Alden, like the Arkona beach of the western end of the 

 Erie basin, stands only about 50 feet below the Belmore beach, but it is a 

 stronger shore line. 



At West Alden there is a separation into two distinct beaches, one of 

 which leads eastward through Alden along the inner face of the Marilla 

 moraine into Grenesee County, where it dies out in a narrow plain standing 

 between the Marilla and Alden moraines. The other beach bears north- 

 ward through Alden Center, and thence northeastward past Crittenden, and 

 comes to Tonawanda Creek at Indian Falls. The outer shore or beach 

 seems to be a few feet higher than the inner, at least railway levels at 

 Alden and Crittenden bear out this interpretation, the altitude at Alden 

 being about 12 feet higher than at Crittenden, but at the point of separation 

 near West Alden there is scarcely 5 feet difference. 



The outer beach is remarkably strong clear to its terminus. It 

 consists near Alden of a series of overlapping ridges trending northeast to 

 southwest, which were apparently built up in succession from east to west. 

 They are rather sand}' but contain also considerable gravel, so that they 

 can not be the product of wind alone. 



