REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I917 113 



east and southwest direction. Its northern and southern shore is 

 composed of rock and sand, while the remaining portions are formed 

 of fine sand diversified by gravel and boulders. 



To the north are the Saint Regis lakes. Upon the lower lake is 

 situated the famous hotel of Paul Smith's. To the south the three 

 Saranac lakes are grouped. On the northern shore of the upper or 

 the most westerly lake of the group is Saranac Inn, ore of the more 

 fashionable hostelries in the region, with a splendid view of the 

 water. 



In fact, lakes and ponds are characteristic of the region about 

 Lake Clear. In attempting to arrive at a better understanding of 

 the relations between the geology and the flora of the region we must 

 trace the geological events that brought about these conditions. 

 The lakes and ponds in the district are dwarfed remnants of larger 

 bodies of water that once played an important role. These ancient 

 lakes were in part brought about by the great continental ice sheet 

 which came out of the north and dammed the valleys, thus flooding 

 the area. On the melting of the glacier they drained away, leaving 

 only here and there mere remnants in depressions in the glac'al 

 sands or in rock basins. 



We must consider the events that occurred before the ice invas'on 

 to appreciate the mode of development of the structure and rela- 

 tions of the different rock masses to one another, and the results 

 of the forces that have sculptured the rocks into the various forms 

 which are today nature's stage setting. But any understanding of 

 rock structures, the formation of the valleys and the mountains 

 necessitates a review of the rocks themselves, the number of the 

 rock units and their mode of injection, alteration and deformation. 

 The logical sequence is to begin at the dawn of geologic history 

 and trace step by step the events as interpreted by the geologist. 



In beginning at the base of things it is obvious that our knowledge 

 of the events that occurred in the far distant past is at the best but 

 fragmentary and so the attempt to outline the history is 1 fraught 

 with great difficulties. 



The Rocks 



One of the attractions which the Adirondacks offer to geologists, 

 no matter whether professional or amateur, is that they present, 

 perhaps, the oldest rocks and mountain masses of which we have 

 definite knowledge anywhere in the world. It gives one a sense 

 of satisfaction to put one's foot upon a rocky ledge and say: " This 

 rock was formed long before the Alps existed; long before the 



