14 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



most of the glaciated territory as that of land ice has resulted io 

 the neglect, especially by the geologists of the United States, of the 

 evidences of deep marine submergence in Canada and New Eng- 

 land. With the emphasis on land glaciation we have discounted or 

 ignored the former obseiwations of the " diluvialists " and '* ice- 

 bergists," and have minimized the amount of land depression during- 

 the removal of the ice sheet, and have neglected its study. 



The writings of Robert Bell, J. W. Dawson, R. W. Ells, Robert 

 Chalmers and A. P. Low contain much reliable data concerning the 

 occurrence of marine organisms at high altitudes and of broad sand 

 plains and extensive deep clays, all pointing to widespread and 

 deep oceanic waters. A few of the writings of the authors named 

 above, and of A. P. Coleman for the Ontario district, are listed in 

 the bibliography. A good resume of the studies up to 1897 is given 

 by Ells (143). The Canadians found evidence of submergence to 

 1000 feet or over as far west as IMontreal and the Ottawa valley. 

 Sir William Dawson's claim of shore features at a height of y^O 

 feet on Mount Royal is probably true, for it now appears that the 

 marine waters passed over the summit. The marine plane is 800 

 feet at the south end of Lake Memphramagog. 



7 Testimony of Former Students 



All the earlier geologists in referring to the features of the Hud- 

 son valley assumed their estuarine character. As early as 1843 

 Mather listed the larger deltas north of Newburgh and Fishkill, 

 and in his summary said: "It is considered evident that a vast 

 inland sea once occupied what may be called the basin of the St 

 Lawrence and Hudson valleys since the period of the drift deposits."' 

 (28, page 157). 



In 1891 F. J. H. Merrill published two papers in description of 

 the Hudson deposits and recognized their estuarine character, and 

 the delta origin of the Albany- Schenectady plain. His figure for 

 the submergence at New York City was 80 feet, which is correct 

 for the north end of ]\fanhattan island. In tliis paper he noted the 

 terraces on Staten island, and correlated them witii the broad sand 

 plains of the south side of Long Island and with the plains in the 

 Hudson valley. He seems to have been the first geologist to appre- 

 ciate the relationship of these detached features. And he showed 

 his insight and appreciation of the problem by giving the first 

 explanation, and a true one, for the absence of beaches. This 

 point will be considered later. 



