VOL. XVI. (3) THE LOWER SEVERN 243 
follows a course parallel to that of the oolitic escarpment. 
The continuity of a line from the Upper Severn along the 
Avon Valley, and, over a very slight elevation, through to 
“the east coast at the Wash, suggested a probability that 
an outlet had at some time been found in that direction. 
All this led me to write as follows :—“If we could 
have it admitted that the trend of the country was orig- 
inally to the east, before the present valley was formed 
at all, following a slope as the Cotteswolds now dip; then 
one can imagine a stream flowing through the gap be- 
tween Malvern and May Hills, along the line of the 
Leadon, and escaping over the present Cotteswolds at 
Witcombe, first marking out one of the east-to-west 
streams of which apparent signs remain; then, as the 
increasing dip broke up the strata at the out-crop, the 
stream could no longer flow over, and would not cut 
through the escarpment if an escape were found to the 
south. This, the altered tendency of the dip to the south 
or south-west would help to form.” 
Thirteen years later, Professor W. M. Davis, of Harvard 
University, contributed a paper to the Royal Geographical 
Society (Geographical Magazine, Vol. V., Feb., 1895). 
He had come, quite independently, to the same conclusion 
as regards the passage of the Severn across the area 
of the present valley, eastward into the valley of the 
Thames. He, however, associated this view with a 
theory of river-development which, I may say at once, 
I am unable to accept. I regret this very much, as I 
have the pleasure of knowing him personally: he hon- 
oured me by a special visit ten years ago. His teaching 
has taken a remarkable hold on Geologists and notably 
on three important Members of this Club, all of them 
eminent in the geological world. My emphatic dissent 
will not, I hope, be regarded as indicating want of respect 
for their knowledge or their opinions. It is really a 
T 
