CHUBS' NESTS 



ALFRED W. G. WILSON 



of the numerous small streams tribiitarv lo tlic rpper ( )ua\va 

 River, the passing voyageur cannot fail in liavini^ liis attnition 

 drawn to curious conical piles of coarse gravel and j)el)ble.s which 

 occur along the river shores. Locally these piles of stones are 

 called "Chubs' Nests." The following notes are published in 

 the hope that they may prove of interest to American Naturalists. 



The accompanying plates will give a general idea f)f the shape 

 and character of these heaps of atones. They are ci.nical in form, 

 with a circular or oval base. The vnhinie of the travel of which 



they are built will var\^ from a g I sized wlieelharrow load to 



about a cart load. The individual pebbles vary in size; the great 

 majority would readily pass through a two inch ring. In a few 

 cases oblong pieces of schist al)out three inches in length were 

 noted but their cross section would not be more than one square 

 inch. The largest pebbles used in the construction of the lieaps 

 would weigh at least half a pound each; mo>t of the pebbles would 

 weigh less than four ounces each. Th(> rock material from which 

 the pebbles have been derived is often (juite different from the 

 rock of the immediate vicinity, showing that the pebbles have been 

 transported some distance to their present resting place. In a 

 number of instances it was foimd that the interior of the heap 

 consists almost entirely of small pebbles less than an inch in the 

 maximum dimension, the larger ones forming only an oiuer laver 

 over the whole cone. 



The dim<>nsions of two of these heaps of stones were as follows: — 

 Xo. I. Ha.e, h'ligth (;..-) feet, width o feet at one end (left of figure 

 1 and 1 fet>t at the other, height 21 in. Ik-, angular slope of the 

 side of the cone about 4S° t.. the vrli. al. This pile was built of 

 mixed pebbles, chiefly granite and mIum. See figtire l.i 



No. 2. Base, nearly circular and foiu' t'eet in diameter, height 

 22 inches, angular slope 49° 4.V. ( Sei> figu re 2. ) 



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