THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. . 141 



Tupted body of fresh water. I was particularly anxious to ascertain 

 if the apparent drainage was owing to a recent coastal elevation of 

 the island. I have already adduced proof that Anticosti is undoubt- 

 edly rising, while the continent to the south along the Atlantic 

 coast is said to be gradually undergoing a marked depression. 



The Marl Lake is quite shallow at the edges all round, the shore 

 line sandy in patches. In the centre I found it scarcely exceeded 

 six feet in depth. I was quite astonished at the immense thickness 

 of the marl deposit ; even a few feet from the margin a pole twelve 

 ■feet long was thrust through it without finding the bottom bed. On 

 removing a portion of the peat soil adjacent, clear proof was ob- 

 tained in several places that the former body of water was much 

 greater than now. It has simply shoaled up and shrunk to its pres- 

 ent dimensions by means of the countless myriads of fresh-water 

 shells extracting the lime for the purpose of forming their habita- 

 tations in much the same way as the coral reefs are raised to the 

 surface. However, the marl lake molluscs differ from the coral in- 

 sects, they do not form a consolidated mass, as was clearly shown 

 by the pole so easily penetrating in the way it did. Dr. Geikie 

 considers that many of the plains in the United Kingdom were 

 originally lakes. The same may be said of the mosses or bogs in 

 Ireland, In numerous instances I noticed shell marl underlying 

 the peat, but the average thickness was inconsiderable, a few feet 

 perhaps ; when dry it was not unlike chalk. 



Mr. Robinson, who accompanied me on my second visit to 

 Marl Lake, had but little difficulty in getting the light skiff back to 

 the village by the brook, which connects it with the bay. During 

 my stay at Anticosti, a lad brought in some fine speckled trout from 

 the brooklet which flows from the lake beyond, seen at a distance 

 only, into the one we explored. 



I ascertained at the South Point Lighthouse that another lake 

 was discovered some two miles inland. The keeper kindly volun- 

 teered to accompany me. By following bear paths and wading 

 through swamps, we at last arrived at our destination. I found the 

 Little Marl Lake also had a rich deposit of shell marl, admitting, 

 however, of no comparison with that near English Bay, Strongly 

 acidulated springs, I believe, were only capable of dissolving the 

 enormous quantity of lime in solution in the latter. May not this 

 •explain why cattle, as was stated, frequently appear to be reluctant 



