BY FRITZ NOETLING, M.A., Ph.D., ETC. 24Q 



north than nowadays. The northern Hmit of the icebergs 

 reaches in the meridian of Tasmania up to Sodeg-. lat. ; 

 that is to say, it is only 483 miles from the southern 

 point of Tasmania (i). It is not too rash a conclusion 

 to assume that during the glacial period the icebergs 

 drifted some 7deg. further north, and probably stranded 

 on the south coast of Tasmania. Considering all this, 

 we can assume that Tasmania had during that time per- 

 haps the climate of the Kerguelen islands ; that is to say, 

 a bleak, cold, and moist atmosphere, for the greater part 

 of the year enveloped in a dense fog. There was no 

 vegetation so to speak but moss and low shrubs. The 

 button grass plains, as seen on the West Coast, and on 

 the plateau near Barn Bluf¥, are perhaps the representa- 

 tives of the flora that covered the lower elevations dur- 

 ing the glacial period. 



It is impossible to assume that human beings, even 

 if equipped with all modern requirements, could exist 

 under such climatic conditions, and we must therefore 

 assume that the advent of man in Tasmania must have 

 taken place after more congenial conditions had been 

 established ; that is to say, after the glacial period. 



If we could correlate the last Tasmanian glacial 

 period with any one of those recognised in Europe, we 

 w^ould have gained an important step. Unfortunately 

 we have no certain data to go upon. All observers, in 

 particular Montgomery, agree that the glaciation can- 

 not be but of very recent date (2). It is probably not 

 wrong to assume that the maximum of glaciation of the 

 northern hemisphere coincided with that of the southern 

 one, though one might perhaps argue that because the 

 conditions of the southern hemisphere are the reverse 

 of those of the northern, the glaciation of Tasmania 

 coincided with an interglacial period of the northern 

 hemisphere. I do nfet feel inclined to support such a 

 view because it is more probable that those factors 

 which produced the ice age acted simultaneously all 

 over the earth and not alternately. 



(i) An i8-knot steamer sailing from Hobart would reach this 

 line in about 24 hours. 



(2) I can fully confirm this view. Near Barn Bluff the 

 country looks as if the ice had melted away only yesterday. 



