498 The Formation of Cape Cod. ‘[August, 
tory of this section reaches from a period when the sea had about 
its present temperature; next it becomes much colder ; sand and 
fine gravel are accumulated to a depth of more than fifty feet, 
probably brought by rivers from the summer meltings of the ice- 
sheet; this finally reached its outmost limit, overspreading the 
north half of the island; at its retreat the coarser materials 
which it held were dropped; forests sprang up as the climate 
became mild again; and lastly, the sea has eaten away the east 
portion of these deposits, while the sand of its shore has been 
swept by the wind over their top. 
Heights of the later terminal moraine, on the Elizabeth islands 
and Cape Cod, are as follows; highest portions of Cuttyhunk, 
Nashawena, Pasque and Naushon islands, about one hundred and 
seventy-five feet above the sea; the Quisset hills, west of Fal- 
mouth village, about one hundred and fifty ; station of the U. S. 
Coast Survey, one mile east of West Falmouth, one hundred and 
ninety-eight; the Ridge hills, extending thence to the angle of 
this series near North Sandwich, one of them being called Pine 
hill on the State map, one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet ; 
south-west from Sandwich village, about two hundred and twenty- 
five; Bourne’s hill, a Coast Survey station two miles south-south- 
east from Sandwich, the highest point of the whole series, two 
hundred and ninety-seven; the Discovery hills, including the 
last and extending eastward, two hundred and fifty to one hun- 
dred and fifty ; Shoot Flying hill, one-half mile north-west from 
Great pond in Barnstable, about two hundred; German’s hill, in 
Yarmouth, one hundred and thirty-eight ; Scargo hill, in Dennis, 
one hundred and sixty-six ; railroad summit at Brewster station, 
one hundred and twenty-five, and Mill hill, in Orleans, about — 
one hundred and fifty. 
This moraine forms the entire chain of the Elizabeth islands, 
fifteen miles long with an average width of one mile. Their con- 
‘tour throughout is very irregular, with no well-marked trend of 
the elevations, which are roughly outlined hills and ridges of 
variable height, enclosing many crooked and bowl-shaped hol- 
lows which often hold small ponds. Their material is glacial 
drift with abundant angular boulders of all sizes up to twenty or 
thirty feet in diameter. In a few places this unmodified till was 
seen enclosing or passing into stratified gravel and sand. The 
Me _ surface exhibits all the characteristic features of the upper till, 
