20 
PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY 
lower side of each meander, thus extending the normal, meander-built 
flood plain. The short-cut or cut-off destroys the normal curves and 
so causes the river to adjust itself to a new series as clearly demon¬ 
strated by Tower ( 04). The new channel instantly deflects the 
thread of the current, and causes the formation of sand bars just 
Fig. F. — Stream deflection due to cut-off 
of the river to the new meanders by the partition process 
successively parted by three sand-bar islands. 
Later stage of E in adjustment 
River has been 
above and below the short-cut or cut-off. The accompanying figure 
illustrates the change in the work of the current, initiated by cut-off. 
Tower (’04, p. 593), in describing the shallow water deposits result¬ 
ing from a cut-off, speaks of these deposits as “fills,” and says: “Fills 
may or may not be continuous with the former banks; for the sudden 
