Ne\v York State Museum Bulletin 



Entered as second-class matter November 27, 1915, at the Post OSie at Albany, N. Y., unler 

 the act of August 24, 1912 



Published monthly by The University of the State of New York 

 No. 193 ALBANY, N. Y. January r, 1917 



The University of the State of New York 

 New York State Museum 



John M. Clarke, Director 



THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS 



BY WILLIAM J. MILLER 



Professor of Geology in Smith College 

 Member of the Staff of the Nezv York State Museum 



PREFACE 



Among the thousands of people who visit the Adirondack moun- 

 tains each summer, many are real lovers of nature and would 

 welcome a brief scientific treatment of geographic and geologic 

 features of the region. Most Adirondack visitors, however, have 

 little conception of the origin and history of the mountains, though 

 they are often good observers who find numerous interesting but 

 frequently very puzzling things arriong the relief features and the 

 rocks of the region. During the last ten summers, while engaged 

 in the state geologic surveys of various portions of the Adiron- 

 dacks, hundreds of people have asked the writer if there were not 

 some popular scientific account of the natural features of the 

 region. This brief volume has been prepared as an answer to these 

 inquiries. To those who have found the charm of the Adirondacks 

 it is my earnest wish that this book may, in simple language, 

 explain how the more obvious and accessible physical features of 

 the mountains came to be as we see them today after profound 

 revolutionaiy changes through tens of millions of years of history. 

 If a fuller knowledge is desired of a portion or all of the Adiron- 

 dacks, the principal publications thereon will be found listed in 

 the appendix. 



Whoever writes upon the geology of this region is under abund- 

 ant obligation to his coworkers in the same field. The foundation 



