ARTICLES 591 



New South Wales, where the ice-marks and moraines have a 

 very fresh appearance. 1 



This antipodean evidence is important under (4). 



(2) A Beginning of Glaciation about 22,000 B.C. — This fits 

 in reasonably with the general opinion of geologists of the last 

 generation, who, though they had no idea of a recent glacial 

 period, recognised that glacial periods were alternated by genial 

 periods " every 10,000 or 12,000 years." 



There is the further evidence supplied by the existence of 

 pre-glacial forests in lat. 75° N. (St. Patrick's Island), 2 the 

 remains of which testify by their present woody condition to 

 the fact that they cannot be extremely old geologically, though 

 preserved for many thousands of years from decay by the 

 sterilising effect of dry cold on mycelium of fungus and 

 bacterial organisms. 



Prof. G. F. Wright, in his Ice Age in North America, describes 

 remains of forests of cedars recently released from their ice 

 covering standing upright in the soil with humus about their 

 roots amid glacier surroundings in Alaska, which induced him 

 to believe that they were flourishing " before even the glacial 

 period itself." 



Since the publication of the conclusions of Swedish geolo- 

 gists that the glaciation of Sweden was recent, and that Stock- 

 holm was under ice some 15,000 years ago, Dr. V. Hoist has 

 made further independent research. He showed me his cal- 

 culations made before I had acquainted him with Drayson's dis- 

 covery. These gave the date for the oncoming of the glaciation 

 as 23,000 years ago, and 6,900 years ago for its passing away ! 



.As flint implements of a type that is not paleolithic have 

 been found under glacial deposits at West Holstein, and, I believe, 

 in the Channel Islands, and neolithic axes in Minnesota under 

 similar deposits, 3 the date of 22,000 B.C., startling as it may be 

 to certain schools of opinion, furnishes a better solution of the 

 difficulty than can be obtained by any other theory as to the 

 minimum date to be assigned to them. 



(3) A Rapid Melting of the Ice between 6000 and 5000 B.C. — 



1 Australian Association for Advancement of Science, vol. x. 1904, pp. 200-204. 



' This is an interesting indication of the extent of polar regions to be opened 

 up before the autumn of the next glaciation. We are at present at mid- June of 

 the cycle. 



3 The Minnesota Historical Society, 1906-u. Report by N. H. Winchell on 

 the Aborigines of Minnesota, 



