4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



to Toronto, following Yonge street in the main, but diverging where 

 that line seemed ill-suited for the preservation and exhibition of old 

 shore lines. To my surprise my observation was almost entirely 

 negative, the only shore line recognized being the one described by 

 Fleming. Below that level I cannot say that I saw the slope at a 

 point favorable for such ob.servation, but above 1 70 feet, and thence 

 to the height of land between Lakes Ontario and Siracoe, the facili- 

 ties for observation were exceptionally good. The ground traversed 

 is cleared of forest, and 1 .saw it after the crops had been harvested. 

 The superficial tormation is drift, which has an undulating topo- 

 graphy, graduating near the height of land into the humraock-and- 

 kettle type. It is eminently fitted to receive and preserve a recoi'd 

 of wave action, and the facilities for oVjservation were exceptionally 

 good, certainly far better than when Roy and Lyell made their excur- 

 sions through the forest. In a court of law the evidence of several 

 witnesses who saw an occurrence far outweighs that of a single wit- 

 ness who did not see it, and I therefore do not disj>ute the classic 

 oVjservations of Roy and Lyell. But I publish my unsucce.ssful 

 attempt in the hope that others may repeat it, or else may find the 

 phenomena I failed to discover, and give me references to the precise 

 localities. 



Mr, Ives stated that his attention having been drawn to the 

 curious conflict of testimony on the subject, he had referred to 

 the brief notice of Mr. Roy's communication to the Geological 

 Society, which occupied only one page of its proceedings. He 

 drew attention to the fact that Lyell in his Travels in North 

 America speaks of Mr. Roy's " endeavor to explain the 

 phenomena by supposing the existence of a vast inland sea," 

 and seems to imply that his communication had not carried 

 conviction. Mr. Ives also pointed out that when Lyell accom- 

 panied Roy on horseback, several hours' ride through almost 

 impenetrable bush, he had no opportunity of verifying the 

 measurements of the latter. He states that he took Mr. Roy's 

 work to be reliable, but differed from him as to the mode in 

 which the lodges were formed, attributing to them a marine 

 origin as opposed to Roy's theory of a vast lake. 



In connection with the reference to the paper of Mr, Sand- 



