NOTES ON THE LATE COLLECTING SEASON 



landward ; indeed the process appeared to me to be so rapid 

 as to lead one to believe the low lying fields to the south 

 adjacent may be submerged before many years, unless a 

 shifting sand barrier is thrown up in front for their protec- 

 tion. People here are slow to believe that the land to the 

 north is rising. The conclusions of the United States 

 scientific men on the point admit of dispute. 



On the receipt of a letter by the writer some years 

 since from one who published several interesting com- 

 munications regarding this slow elevation, Prof. Gilbert, 

 the well-known United States geologist, considering that 

 the Chicago canal lately opened, which conveys a portion of 

 lyake Huron water through the Mississippi channel, might 

 prove injurious to inland navigation, he was surprised to 

 find the water of I^ake Ontario was actually higher than for 

 many years. It seems hard to account for the circumstance 

 when we remember there was no unusual rainfall this year, 

 or deep snow last winter. The farmers who own property 

 near the lake, and are now fully satisfied that its water is 

 rapidly encroaching on their land, have arrived at the con- 

 clusion that it is at least five inches higher this year in June 

 than it has been for several years, since their attention was 

 first called to the matter in question. The writer has been 

 informed that in recent years the suggestions of England's 

 field geologists regarding the rapid sea encroachment has 

 led to some attempt to arrest the progress. 



I certainly was disappointed in not finding a few more 

 Ohio Orthodesmas on the lake shore last summer. There 

 was little change in the shingles from the previous years, 

 and my handi-work in the shape of broken material was 

 noticed for a considerable distance from the camp. 



The writer called the section's attention last session to 

 some species of Feldspar (Orthoclase) found in the glacial 

 drift at Winona. On proceeding last June to Grimsby 

 from the camp by a byroad near the Hamilton & Beamsville 

 railwa}^ line, he discovered a massive^ erratic boulder close 



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