Ames Knob, North Haven, Maine. — Willis. 159 
AMES KOB, NORTH HAVEN, MAINE; A SEASIDE 
NOTE.* 
By Bailey Willis, X^ashington, D. C. 
Ames Knob is a mass of volcanic rock rising 106 feet 
above the sea, on the neck of land between the Fox Island 
thoroughfare and South Harbor, North Haven island, in Pen- 
obscot bay. Its petrographic character and geologic relations 
have been described by G. O. Smith, in his essay on the geol- 
ogy of the Fox islands, Maine. It is bounded on the north by 
a low plain cut on shales and limestones, of Niagara age, and 
its northern slope is a cliff resulting from the relatively great 
hardness of the igneous rock. The other slopes of the knob 
are of practically uniform rock, and variations in profile are 
attributable to conditions of attack, rather than of resistance. 
At an altitude of approximately 80 feet above the sea, on the 
southeastern and southern sides facing the Atlantic ocean, is 
a well-marked bench from which a steep facet rises to the 
summit of the knob. This bench, which has an average width 
of about 200 yards, is attributed to the action of waves cutting 
at rock level. The rocks in place exposed upon this bench and 
about its margin exhibit rounded glaciated profiles, but no 
longer bear striae, so far as observed. Hence it is inferred that 
the date of submergence to this level preceded or was nearly 
coincident with the latest episode of glaciation, and that later 
influences have removed the minor evidences of ice action. 
Upon this glaciated bench there are now deposits of glacial 
gravel having the characteristic forms of spits and bars, which 
are accordingly attributed to wave and shore currents. These 
deposits indicate the presence of the sea at this level after the 
retreat of the ice. 
The simplest explanation of the facts is that Ames Knob 
was submerged beneath the sea to a depth of 80 feet above the 
present sea level during and immediately after the latest glac- 
ial episode. 
"Abstract of a paper read at the late meeting, G. S A., at Washington, D. C. 
