126 SUPERFICIAL GEOLOGY OF DUNDAS VALLEY. 



GLACIAL MARKINGS. 



Had the glacial period anything to do with the formation of the 

 valley ? 



Professor Spencer says " that Dundas Valley is not of glacial 

 origin is almost too apparent for consideration. The surface of the 

 adjacent country is often covered with ice markings, but the striae 

 are not parallel to the axis of the valley." This is Professor Spencer's 

 view, while on the other hand Mr. George J. Hinde, in an article in 

 the Canadian Journal, vol. xv, page 407, asserts that Dundas valley 

 is altogether of glacial origin. He says, after speaking of the old 

 channel at St. David's : "Valleys of a similar character are to be 

 met with in other places in this escarpment of Niagara dolomite • 

 for instance the one at the western extremity of the lake in which the 

 town of Dundas, Ont, is situated; another one occurs at Owen 

 Sound : in all these cases there is no evidence of streams having 

 been the means of forming these wide-mouthed valleys, whilst both 

 near Dundas and Owen Sound there are plain traces of glaciers hav- 

 ing passed up them. The fact of the existence of ancient stream 

 beds leading from the south-west end of Lake Erie, in the direction 

 of the Mississippi valley, and showing that the pre-glacial drainage of 

 that area followed that direction, militates against the theory of a 

 Niagara Falls existing of pre-glacial or inter-glacial date ; to which 

 this old valley has given rise." * 



The axis of the valley is about N 70 E, and from the following 

 table we see that on the two sides of the valley the striae are in differ- 

 ent directions. In the township of West Flamboro', of the four sets 

 of grooves, one of them, S 69 W, is within one degree of the axis of 

 the valley. In the same place, two other sets cross in the direction 

 of S 74 W and also S 24 W. In the upper part of the same town- 

 ship the striae S 49 E largely diverge from the axis of the valley. In 

 the Township of Ancaster, two sets of striae, one S 71 W, and the 

 other S 59 S W, have been recorded. The striae S 59 W passes 

 along the top of the lower escarpment and apparently was a prime 

 agent in forming this escarpment. These Townships lie on the two 

 sides of the valley, and the direction of these markings would make 

 them converge further up towards the head. 



In the Township of Beverley six sets of striae varying from S 46 



* Glacial and inter-glacial strata of Scarboro' Heights. 



