OLD RIVER BEDS. 47 



gneiss hills of Pelham; thence through the east part of Amherst, into Leverett, 

 where it runs along the east base of Mettawampe (Toby), and thence along the 

 east part of Montague, to the mouth of Miller's river. In the south part of 

 Amherst, at a later period, when the waters had sunk below the gorge at the east 

 end of Norwottuck, I suspect that the current ran along the north base of Hol- 

 yoke, and entered the present bed of the Connecticut, opposite Northampton. At a 

 period somewhat later, I think another bed ran from this same place along the 

 west side of Amherst; thence to Sunderland, at the foot of the higher terraces, 

 where, at the north of the village, it coalesced with the present bed. 



In Hatfield, somewhat north of the village, is a distinct ancient bed of postdilu- 

 vian date, but of no great extent. 



In the east part of Leverett, is a valley which was probably once the bed of 

 Connecticut river, earlier, without doubt, than the bed so distinct along the foot of 

 Mettawampe. The two unite at Amherst on the south, and in the north part of 

 Leverett on the north. 



In Vermont and New Hampshire, I have not examined the Connecticut with care 

 enough to discover its ancient beds, save in two places. In Claremont, I think it 

 formerly ran about two miles east of its present bed, from which the old bed is 

 separated by a hill of considerable height. In the southwest part of Piermont, 

 also, I thought I discovered an abandoned bed, but had not time to explore it 

 carefully. 



Opposite Mount Holyoke, in Hadley, is an example (referred to above), of a 

 recent change in the bed of the Connecticut, of considerable extent. Formerly 

 the river made a curve here of three or four miles long, while its actual advance 

 towards the ocean was only about 100 rods. Ten or twelve years ago, during a 

 freshet, a passage was cut through this neck, and since that time, the stream has 

 left its old channel, which is fast filling up, and across which Connecticut River 

 Railroad now runs. 



2. In Orange, New Hampshire. 



On Plate III, a distinct ridge of mountains is represented as running from 

 Bellows Falls, in New Hampshire, to the White mountains. It is not intended 

 to convey the idea, however, that such a continuous ridge exists : but only that it 

 is the summit between Connecticut and Merrimack rivers, from which tributaries 

 of those rivers run in opposite directions. In that summit, in the town of Orange, 

 is a depression in the range, through which the Northern Railroad passes, at an 

 elevation above Connecticut river, at West Lebanon, of 682 feet, and of 830 above 

 the Merrimack. Here pot-holes of great size indicate the former passage of a 

 stream of water for a long time, from the Connecticut into the Merrimack valley. 

 In other words, it seems to have been one of the outlets of the waters of the Con- 

 necticut valley, where they stood at that height. But this is hardly a case of the 

 change of a river's bed, since no correspondent stream now exists. Two small 

 brooks, commencing in the peat swamps lying on each side of the ridge, and run- 

 ning, one easterly and the other westerly, are all the representatives remaining of 



