ArchcBological Notes on Mi7mcsota. — Hershey. 293 
they are most abundant in the near vicinity of the outcrops, 
but it is a very puzzling feature of their distribution that they 
are so uniformly scattered over a broad area, often several 
miles distant from the river. Subsequently, when the Modern 
flood-plain formed a lower terrace near the main outcrops, a 
later race made on it a newer and characteristically different 
distribution of quartz fragments. This is more local in nature, 
and undoubtedly quite modern in age. It is probably the 
work of the Indian tribe which occupied the region just pre- 
vious to the arrival of the white man. To the former period of 
activity I would refer the quartz implements (?) found by Miss 
Babbitt, and also the chips found in the upper stratum at the 
same locality. 
The question of how the fragments of quartz may have 
been introduced into the subsoil of the glacial sand-plain, 
often to depths of several feet, is answered as follows : At 
various places on the higher terrace, notably in the vicinity 
of Pike rapids, the surface is studded over with a great num- 
ber of small elongated hillocks, with a slight depression on one 
side of them. Some of these depressions are still occupied by 
the semi-decayed stumps of large trees. The fact is commonly 
recognized by the neighboring settlers that these peculiar hil- 
locks and associated depressions are the sites of trees which 
have in the past been overthrown by the wind. On moraine 
hills along the Mississippi river above Brainerd, the same 
class of slight elevations and depressions was very prominent, 
and they are quite numerous. Indeed, they are not at all un- 
common ii| this portion of the state. Heavy storms have, 
during the past 2,000 years, perhaps overthrown the timber 
on every acre in this district. As Dr. Holmes and others have 
demonstrated, such a general disturbance of the soil could 
not help but introduce quartz chips to a depth of say two feet, 
and occasionally three feet, but never as much as five feet. 
The decay of tap roots of large trees might be responsible for 
some chips found at a greater depth than three feet, but such 
cases would be rare. My experience has been that practically 
all the quartz fragments which have been introduced from 
the surface are now found within two feet of it, except that 
they are scattered in the talus material on slopes. 
Before closing these desultory remarks on the quartz frag- 
