74 The A tin /■/rait Geologist. August, 1894 
dence of the astronomer. Pro!'. G-eorge C. Comstock. They are 
accordingly known as the Capitol, University, and Observatory 
hills. Madison lies about a dozen miles east from the eastern 
border of the large driftless area of Wisconsin, which there is 
bounded by the outermost or Kettle moraine of the later drift. 
Toward this moraine the iee-sheet in the vicinity of Madison 
moved southwestward, as is shown by the courses of glacial 
striae on the somewhat infrequent exposures of the bed-rocks. 
Altitudes of these hills and others in Madison and of the 
contiguous lakes, Mendota or Fourth lake, close on the north, 
and Monona or Third lake and lake Wingra. close on the 
south, I have received from the contoured map of the city in 
the office of Mr. McClellan Dodge, the county and city engi- 
neer, and in part from Prof. Nelson O. Whitne} T . Further 
notes, as given in the following table, of the altitudes of the 
avenues of drainage from this district southward to the Pock 
river and from the watershed west of Madison and lake Men- 
dota westward by the Black Earth river to the Wisconsin, and 
the bights of the most prominent points within a score of 
miles northward and eastward, from which directions the gla- 
cial currents and drift of this area came, are derived from the 
reports and atlas of the Geological Survey of Wisconsin by 
Profs. Chainberlin and Irving and their assistants. 
Altitudes in Madison <in<l it* vicinity. 
Feet above 
the sea. 
Lake Michigan, mean surface above mean tide sea level. . . .581 
Hock river at Beloit, on the south line of Wisconsin 731 
Rock river al the mouth of Catfish creek (Yahara river), 
about 775 
Lake Koshkonong, about 781 
Lake Kegonsa, the First lake of the series tributary by Cat- 
fish creek to the Rock river 841 
Lake Waubesa, the Second lake 842 
Lake Monona, the Third lake, low water, the datum of the 
Madison city levels 843 
Lake Mendota. the Fourth lake 851 
Lake Wingra, shallow. wes,1 of lake Monona and tributary 
toil si; 
Madison, i lie eastern railway depots 849 
Madison, tin- western depot of the C. M. A- Si. P. railway. . .856 
Top of Capitol hill 918 
