﻿NIAGARA 
  FALLS 
  AND 
  VICINITY 
  Gj 
  

  

  Within 
  the 
  old 
  channel 
  thus 
  outlined, 
  which 
  was 
  much 
  broader 
  

   than 
  the 
  modern 
  channel 
  below 
  the 
  falls, 
  accumulations 
  of 
  stratified 
  

   sands 
  and 
  gravels 
  were 
  formed 
  in 
  the 
  more 
  protected 
  places, 
  much 
  

   as 
  such 
  deposits 
  are 
  formed 
  in 
  streams 
  today, 
  where 
  sands 
  are 
  swept 
  

   into 
  protected 
  areas. 
  With 
  these 
  sands 
  and 
  gravels 
  were 
  swept 
  to- 
  

   gether 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  those 
  mollusks 
  which 
  lived 
  in 
  the 
  river 
  water, 
  

   and 
  many 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  now 
  found 
  living 
  in 
  the 
  

   tipper 
  Niagara.^ 
  Most 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  thus 
  swept 
  together 
  were 
  prob- 
  

   ably 
  of 
  dead 
  individuals, 
  though 
  living 
  ones 
  may 
  also 
  have 
  been 
  

   carried 
  into 
  these 
  growing 
  deposits. 
  Many 
  excavations 
  have 
  been 
  

   made 
  in 
  these 
  ancient 
  deposits, 
  fragments 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  preserved 
  in 
  

   various 
  places 
  between 
  the 
  former 
  and 
  present 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  

   The 
  most 
  notable 
  of 
  these 
  and 
  the 
  one 
  longest 
  known 
  is 
  on 
  Goat 
  

   island, 
  perhaps 
  a 
  quarter 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  inland 
  from 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  cliff, 
  

   at 
  the 
  Biddle 
  stairway. 
  In 
  the 
  section 
  opened 
  here, 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  

   material 
  is 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  coarse 
  and 
  rudely 
  stratified. 
  The 
  pebbles 
  

   are 
  subangular, 
  often 
  quite 
  angular, 
  while 
  some 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  scarcely 
  

   worn 
  at 
  all. 
  Blocks 
  a 
  foot 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  diameter 
  are 
  not 
  infrequent, 
  

   the 
  material 
  being 
  generally 
  limestone 
  from 
  adjoining 
  ledges, 
  

   though 
  fragments 
  of 
  sandstone 
  and 
  of 
  crystalline 
  rocks 
  are 
  not 
  un- 
  

   common. 
  Occasionally 
  a 
  lens 
  of 
  fine 
  sand 
  occurs 
  which 
  shows 
  

   cross-bedding 
  structure, 
  the 
  laminae 
  pointing 
  in 
  a 
  northwesterly 
  di- 
  

   rection. 
  The 
  shells 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  cross-bedding 
  planes, 
  con- 
  

   forming 
  with 
  them, 
  and 
  indicating 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  spread 
  there 
  by 
  

   the 
  current 
  which 
  moved 
  the 
  sand 
  grains. 
  Among 
  the 
  coarse 
  ma- 
  

   terial 
  the 
  shells 
  are 
  mixed 
  indiscriminately. 
  In 
  many 
  cases 
  tlie 
  

   gravels 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  loose 
  type, 
  with 
  scarcely 
  any 
  sand 
  between 
  them, 
  

   indicating 
  deposition 
  by 
  a 
  powerful 
  current. 
  Along 
  these 
  zones 
  air 
  

   and 
  water 
  have 
  most 
  readily 
  penetrated, 
  and 
  a 
  deposition 
  of 
  iron 
  

   oxid 
  has 
  been 
  formed 
  which 
  stains 
  both 
  pebbles 
  and 
  shells. 
  The 
  

   shells 
  are 
  generally 
  very 
  fragile, 
  and 
  commonly 
  show 
  signs 
  of 
  wear. 
  

   Gastropods 
  are 
  most 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  Goat 
  island 
  gravels. 
  

   _In 
  Prospect 
  park 
  several 
  excavations 
  formerly 
  exposed 
  these 
  

   gravels. 
  The 
  deposit 
  here 
  consists 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  gravel 
  with 
  the 
  

   pebbles 
  moderately 
  rounded, 
  though 
  occasionally 
  subangular, 
  and 
  

  

  ^For 
  descriptions 
  and 
  illustrations 
  of 
  these 
  shells, 
  see 
  chapter 
  5. 
  

  

  