WISCONSIN (ante), for the most part is a great plain, varied only by the cliffs bor dering the rivers and lakes, and elevated from 600 ft. to 1500 ft. above the ocean. The highest lands are those along the sources of the tributaries of lake Superior, which, near the Montreal river, are 1700 ft. to 1800 ft. above the sea, gradually diminishing west ward to about 1100 ft. at the w. line of the state. From this great water-shed the land slopes rapidly toward the lake, and more gradually toward the s. to the lower Wiscon sin river, whence there is another slope toward the s., drained mostly by the waters Of Rock river and its tributaries. In the s.w. part of the state are elevations called " mounds" of considerable height. These are Blue mound, in Dane co., which is 1700 ft.; Platte mound, in Grant co., 1281 ft.; and Sinsinawa, also in Grant co., which is 1169 ft. above the sea. The rivers which discharge their waters into lake Superior are the Montreal, Bad river, Bois Brule, and St. Louis. They are all short, and have a de scent of about 800 ft. in a length of 30 or 40 miles. The Menominee, Peshtigo, Oconto, Pensaukee, and Fox or Neenah rivers run into Green bay. The last named is an impor tant stream, rising in Green lake or Columbia co., and flowing so near the Wisconsin river that a short canal connects the two and makes navigation possible between Green bay and the Mississippi. Other rivers are the Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, and Milwaukee, which are tributaries of lake Michigan. The Mississippi, as stated above, forms a part of the western boundary of the state, and receives within the state the St. Croix, Chippewa, Buffalo, Trempealeau, Black, and Wisconsin rivers, as well as several smiler streams. The coast-line is about 120 m. on lake Superior and 200 m. along lake Michigan. The geology of the state is the series of rocks extending from the Lau rentian to the Devonian period. In the n. central portion there is a large area of archwan rocks, having an extreme length e. and w. of nearly 240 m., and a breadth n. and s. of 160 miles. These rocks are metamorphic in origin, and consist chiefly of granite, gneiss, syenite, diorite, and other hornblendic and allied rocks, quartzite, porphy rite, and a variety of schista and slates. South, s.w., and s.e. of this tract, and again on the lake Superior slope, appears the Silurian period, which prevails over all the rest of the state, several beds of the upper and lower Silurian having been identified as be longing to the well-known New York series of paleozoic groups. In the s.w. the Galena limestone prevails; and in the n. are handsome Laurentian limestones or marbles, blue, red, dove-colored, and variegated. All these rocks are older than those of the coal forma
tions, and consequently no coal is found in the state. Lead ore is the most important mineral product, and this is found chiefly in Grant, Lafayette, and Iowa counties. Iron ores are found in large quantities at Iron ridge in Dodge co., at Ironton in Sauk co., at the Black river falls in Jackson co., and in the Penokee iron range in Ashland co., near lake Superior. Magnetic ores also occur in the archnan region in the vicinity of the Menominee river, in the n.e. part of the state. Native copper is found in limited quanti ties in the n. part of the state, and copper ores have been discovered in fissures in Iowa and Crawford counties. Two ores of zinc, associated with the lead, have been smelted at Mineral Point. The soil of the greater part of the state is arable and very fertile. Much of the northern portion is covered with forests that furnish many millions of feet of lumber annually. The prevailing trees in this region are the lofty white pine, bal sam, hemlock,. and other cone-bearing evergreen trees. The southern half of the state is partly praine, though here and there are islands of timber, or, as they are sometimes called, " oak-openings," the trees being mainly the burr oak. The zoolozy of the state embraces 62 species of mammals, over 300 birds, 19 species of reptiles, and over 100 mol Tusks. The elk is occasionally found ; and deer, beats, beavers, the fisher, wolf, otter, wild cat, and porcupine are not uncommon; while the rabbit, squirrel, striped gopher, mole, bat, and field-mouse exist in great numbers. The larger birds are the golden and bald eagles, great white owl, quail, partridge; the spruce, willow, prairie, and sharp-tailed grouse; woodcock, wild goose, ducks, pelican, and loon. The lakes and rivers abound with fish, especially the whitefish, lake-trout, siskewit, muscalonge, perch, pickerel, and sturgeon. The climate of the state is considered, notwithstanding the long and severe winters, healthful. The mean annual temperature of the southern and more settled portion is 46°; mean temperature of winter, 20°; of spring and autumn, 47°; and of .sumener, 72°. Snow usually falls in the n. before the occurrence of heavy frost, and continues to cover the ground until spring, protecting the roots of plants from freezing, and hastening the growth of vegetation in the spring. The annual quantity of rain and melted snow is about 32 in.; and the barometer varies in its extremes from 28 to a little above 30 in., the mean being about 29.5 inches.