in the Champlain and Terrace Periods. ° - 465 
ing to know the depth of the stratitied drift in this basin; it 
is probably couet than the height of the highest terraces north- 
ward above the river. 
From the oak of John’s River, the Connecticut hasa rapid 
descent for twenty miles, falling from 830 to 460 feet above 
the sea. Its general course is deflected to.S. 70° W. along this 
distance, beyond which the direction of the upper is again fol- 
lowed in the lower valley, with but slight deviation, to Massa- 
chusetts line. The noticeable features of the valley along 
these rapids are, that it is deep and narrow, with sloping sides 
of till, and destitute of the level alluvial terraces and intervals 
which occupy a large width everywhere else along the river. 
Where any modifi ed drift’ does occur, it is coarser than usual, 
being generally gravel, sometimes imperfectly rounded or 
water-worn, and its surface has commonly an irregular slope. 
The river flows in a nearly continuous descent over coarse till, 
showing abundant bowlders, but with scarcely any exposure of 
solid ledges. The falls farther south are produced by ledges; 
and the channel, except at such falls, is composed of gravel, 
sand or silt, which is also the case along the nearly level upper 
val The irregular surface left by the ice has been here re- 
vated toa channel of nearly regular slope with no abrupt falls, 
cut through the till, which still covers the ancient bed in which 
the river flowed before the glacial panad. 
In a direct distance of 119 miles from the mouth of Pas- 
sumpsic River, which is near the foot of these rapids, to the 
Massachusetts line, the river flows 187 miles, descending from 
460 to 180 feet above the sea, or two feet to the mile. The prin- 
cipal falls in this distance are Beard’ s falls, at Barnet, five feet; 
McIndoe’s falls, ten feet; Dodge's falls, three and a half miles 
south, five feet; at Woodsville, about ten feet; White River 
falls, between Hanover and White River J unetion, thirty-five 
feet; Sumner’s or Quechee falls. oe miles below the mouth 
of Quechee River, five feet; and Bellows Falls, forty-nine feet, 
—making a total ot 119 feet, and 1o igs an average descent, 
excluding falls, of one and one-sixth feet per mile. 
ified drift of this lower valley is sor vatars well 
developed, and occurs in extensive terraces and various heights, 
three or four often on each side, the upper one alae usually 
from 150 to 200 feet above the river, while the lo se is the 
interval or meadow. The largest plains are rig of the 
upper terrace or of still higher tributary deltas These areas 
are generally of a clayey, moist, saponin sil ee in con- 
Am. Joon. Sc1.—THIRD ~~ Vou. XIV, No. 84.—Drc 
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