644 
tion of the vegetable accumulation occur- 
ring upon the surface, it is to be replied 
that this would not account for the accum- 
ulation of clay, but rather it needs the 
accumulation of clay to arrest the soluble 
iron in its downward progress. Whatever 
may be true of that upper and more wavy 
film of reddish material, it cannot well be 
maintained that stratum No. 2 is of a dif- 
ferent origin from that of the thicker strata 
3 and 4, the last of which rests directly on 
the acknowledged glacial gravel. In case of 
these it cannot be maintained that they 
are the results of a progressive oxidation 
proceeding from the surface downwards, 
since they are distinctly separated by the 
strata of yellow sand. There must have 
been something in the original deposition 
to have determined the relation of these 
differently colored strata to each other, and 
that original stratification has not been to 
any great extent disturbed by subsequent 
agencies. 
If these red bands are the results of oxi- 
dizing agencies connected with vegetable 
deposits, they must still be placed long ante- 
rior to the accumulation of vegetable mould 
which is now upon the surface ; for in many 
eases Indian pits are found in which the 
vegetable mould is entirely unaffected by 
oxidizing agencies; and, as this farm is 
known to have been occupied by the whites 
two hundred years, we have a partial meas- 
ure of the slowness with which vegetable 
matter decomposes in this soil. 
Furthermore, if the action of tree roots, 
worms and other small animals were so 
great in breaking up and destroying the 
lines of stratification two or three feet be- 
low the surface, as some have supposed, 
these clayey strata must be very recent, 
else they would have been completely ob- 
literated. But their integrity is a complete 
answer to the theory that the soil down to 
a depth of four feet is everywhere necessarily 
disturbed through the lapse of long periods 
SCIENCE. 
[N.S. Von. VI. No. 148. 
of time. In the present case every attempt 
to account for the clayey strata 2, 3 and 4 
otherwise than by the agency of water is 
beset with insuperable difficulties. There 
are none of the marks of those other sup- 
posed agencies left to indicate their activity. 
Whereas, with the acknowledged floods of 
water rising to within a few inches of these 
deposits, it is easy to believe in the exten- 
sion of this agency in building up the de- 
posits of the superincumbent fifteen inches. 
If any one denies this natural and easy ex- 
planation he is bound to bring forth rea- 
sonable evidence to the contrary. To ad- 
duce complicated hypotheses involving in- 
adequate and unknown causes of which 
there are no signs present, is not sufficient. 
The evidence that the implements found 
below stratum No. 2, forty-one inches be- 
low the present surface, and only five inches 
above the action of acknowledged glacial 
floods, belong to the deposits of the glacial 
floods is sufficient, I believe, to convince 
any one who comprehends all the facts. At 
any rate, it is in the highest degree hazard- 
ous to assert that the problem of their age 
is insoluble, and that no trustworthy infer- 
ence concerning it is possible. For a short 
time the facts can remain open for the ob- 
servation of others. Let any one who is in 
doubt visit the locality and see for himself. 
Professor Libbey of Princeton University 
spent the afternoon of September 14th with 
us on the ground when all the exposures 
were open to inspection. These he photo- 
graphed and carefully examined with ref- 
erence to all the questions involved. In 
respect to them he writes as follows: 
“Princeton, September 20, 1897. I take 
pleasure in putting on record my opinion 
with reference to the deposits which we 
studied together last week. There is no 
doubt in my mind as to the origin of the 
deposits in which the various implements 
were found. The lower gravel layer im- 
mediately below is undoubtedly due to 
