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which covered the north and middle of England, might easily 

 be assumed. It has, however, occurred to me as singular, 

 that the marine drifts are found only in the northern parts 

 of the Cotteswolds and the Severn Valley ; and as there is no 

 evidence to show that the Cotteswolds were submerged during 

 the glacial period, and particidarly as the valley has been since 

 denuded to a considerable extent, I am disposed to suggest 

 the existence of an estuary, rather than a strait, between the 

 Cotteswolds and the Malverns, the estuary, of course, opening 

 northwards, the marine drifts being the remains of its beaches. 

 It would, however, be difficult to observe upon the denudation 

 of the Severn Valley without considering the origin of the 

 drifts scattered over its surface; and in so doing, I should be 

 trespassing upon ground already occupied by one of our most 

 esteemed colleagues, who is devoting much time and attention 

 to the subject. I shall only, therefore, allude to them incidentally, 

 and where it is absolutely necessary to do so. 



The escarpment of the Cotteswolds doubtless existed prior to 

 the submergence of the country northwards, though not perhaps 

 in its present form. The drainage of the Welsh hills and the 

 Midland Counties was at that time in the direction of the 

 Bristol Channel: there must therefore have been a river valley 

 between the Cotteswolds on the one side, and the Malverns and 

 the hills of the Dean Forest on the other, and its south-eastern 

 boundary, considering the direction of the dip of the Lias and 

 Oolites, would be a line of cliffs. Who can prescribe the limits 

 of this ancient river valley, or tell us how much of the present 

 Vale of Gloucester it occupied in those bygone ages ? Can we 

 restrict the channel of that ancient Severn to the course which it 

 now follows, or say that it never approached the present 

 escarpment of the Cotteswolds ? Is it not possible that the 

 Marlstone at one period, and the Lias Limestones at another, 

 might have given an incHnation to the river in the direction 

 of the dip of these beds, and consequently of the escarpment, 

 while the overlying Marls and Supra- Liassic Sands could have 

 offered but little resistance to its erosive power? In this 

 view of the subject I think if, without carefal consideration. 



