394 Sir William Turner [March 26, 



existence considerable district ice sheets and extensive valley-glaciers 

 in the Highlands and Southern Uplands. Scotland at this stage was 

 partially submerged, and many of the Highland glaciers reached the 

 sea and gave origin to icebergs. The submergence slightly exceeded 

 100 feet, and the marine deposits formed at the time are charged with 

 arctic shells and many erratic blocks and debris of rocks. On a sub- 

 sequent elevation of the land, the beach formed at this level consti- 

 tuted a terrace, well marked on the coast line in many districts, and 

 now known as the 100-foot beach. 



There is good reason to believe that the elevation referred to was 

 of sufficient extent to join Britain again to the Continent. It is to 

 this stage that the great timber trees which underlie the old peat 

 bogs of Scotland are referred. The peat with its underlying forest 

 bed passes out to sea, and is overlaid in the carse lands of the Tay 

 and the Forth by marine deposits, which form another well-marked 

 terrace, the 45 to 50 foot raised beach of geologists. 



'^I'hus the elevation of the land that followed after the formation of 

 the 100-foot beach coincided with an amelioration of climate and with 

 the presence of an abundant vegetation, and large mammals, such 

 as the red-deer, the elk, and the Bos primigenius roamed through 

 the woods. While these conditions obtained partial submergence 

 again ensued, and the sea rose to 50 feet, or thereabouts, above its 

 present level. Within recent years it has been shown that during 

 this period of partial submergence glaciers reached the sea in certain 

 Highland firths, which would seem to show that the climate was hardly 

 so genial as during the preceding continental condition of the British 

 area, when that region was clothed with great forests. Ere long, 

 however, elevation once more supervened, and the sea retreated to a 

 lower level. Here it paused for some time, and so another well- 

 marked terrace was formed, that which is known as the 25 to 30 foot 

 beach. 



There is not any evidence of the presence of man in Scotland 

 during the formation of the 100-foot beach or terrace, but one can 

 speak with certainty of his presence there during tlie period of forma- 

 tion of the later beaches. If one could put oneself into the position 

 of an observer, who at the time of the 40-50 foot submergence had 

 stood on the rock on which Stirling Castle is now built, instead of 

 the present carse lands growing abundant grass and grain, and studded 

 with towns, villages, and farm-houses, one would have seen a great 

 arm of the sea extending almost if not quite across the country from 

 east to west, and separating the land south of the Forth from that to 

 the north. In this sea great whales and other marine animals 

 disported themselves, and sought for their food. Abundant evidence, 

 that this was the condition at that time in the Carse of Stirling, is 

 furnished by the discovery during the present century of no fewer 

 than twelve skeletons of whalebone whales belonging to the genus 

 BalaBuoptera or Finner whales, imbedded in the deposit of mud, blue 



