114 Canadian Record of Science. 
same island and extending in the direction of the present 
American channel in the St. Lawrence, and to within four 
miles of the south-west point of Wolfe’s Island. 
LAURENTIAN RIDGES. 
At this time, also, the Laurentian ridges, which are 
sO numerous in the rear townships, and are illustrated 
around Kingston in the clevations comprising Cedar Island, 
the Fort Hill, and the south side of Haldimand Cove, had 
already appeared. These ridges which in reality indicate, 
in their prevailing general north-east and south-west course, 
the direction taken by the vast internal forces which gave 
rise to their upheaval, have had much to do with giving the 
direction taken by the great glaciers of quaternary times, 
and have also shaped the original outline of many of the 
numerous lakes in the Laurentian country in the imme. 
diate rear of Kingston, however much the glaciers may 
have subsequently smoothed the roughness of this outline. 
The general course of the numerous elongated lakes lying 
here in the laps of these ridges, and near the border-land 
where the Laurentian and the higher formations meet, is a 
most pronounced north east and south-west, and I cannot 
think that their outline is to be attributed solely to softer 
strata having been worn away. It was rather that the 
ridges and intervening valleys gave the course to the 
glaciers, and, in that course, these valleys had their outlines 
smoothed and their depths somewhat deepened, and were 
thus prepared for their new position as the beds of lakes in 
the less elevated country of the present day. The lie of 
the lakes, in sections of the Laurentian country farther 
west, takes different directions—sometimes to the south- 
eastward and across the general line of glacial action—and 
it will, I suspect, be found, in such cases, that this lie of 
these lakes conforms to that of the ridges in the surround- 
ing country. 
ORIGIN OF THR ISLAND. 
Following the elevation of the land and the incoming of 
the glacial period, came probably the first outlining of the 
