THK I'KIJ.MIAN SYSTEM 345 



region, and eastward to the borders of Russia. The northern part 

 of this continent seems to have teen a hilly and mountainous 

 region, wherein little deposition of any kind took place until quite 

 the later part of the period. Across the centre of the continent, 

 ami traversing its whole breadth from west to east, ran the great 

 Armoiicaii and Hercynian ranges, probably consisting of many 

 mountain ranges with intervening valley-like depressions. To the 

 south of these ranges the country sank to lower levels, and here 

 there were large lakes and swampy depressions in which the 

 Autunian deposits were formed. In these tracts and along the 

 valleys of the rivers which carried the rainfall from the hills to 

 the lower lands grew a rank flora of Carboniferous aspect ; and 

 here dwelt many kinds of Amphibia, both small and large, and 

 some primitive Reptilia, the larger of which doubtless fed on the 

 ii.-li which inhabited the lakes and rivers. Such is the picture 

 that we may form of Europe in early Permian time. 



The nature of the Saxonian deposits, and the great contrast 

 which they present to the underlying Autunian, indicates that a 

 great change took place ; and we may infer that this was caused by 

 a general uplift of the whole continental region, whereby the lakes 

 and marshes were drained, and its lower levels were converted into 

 broad plains separated by ranges of hills and mountains. This 

 change produced a corresponding alteration in the climate of the 

 country, so that its more southern parts passed from a condition of 

 great humidity with mild winters to one of comparative dryness 

 and very cold winters. 



Great terrestrial erosion and detrition was another result of the 

 upheaval, leading to the production of the thick deposits of sand- 

 stone and conglomerate which form the chief Saxonian accumula- 

 tions, and to the formation of breccias round the mountain ranges. 

 These breccias are in themselves strong evidence of peculiar climatic 

 conditions. They have been compared, both by Mr. R. D. Oldham 

 and by Professor T. G. Bonney, with the fringes of angular gravel 

 and breccia which flank the hill ranges of Persia and other parts 

 of Central Asia at the present day. 



Referring to the Permian breccias Professor Bonney 13 remarks 

 that the resemblance above mentioned suggests that the climate, 

 both of Germany and Britain, was also similar to that of modern 

 Persia, hot in summer but cold in winter. He also quotes Professor 

 Garwood as pointing out that the distance to which some of the 

 large blocks have been transported can be explained on the supposi- 

 tion of snow -slopes, without bringing in the agency of glaciers as 

 some have thought necessary. Professor Garwood had observed in 

 Spitzbergen that the talus-slopes on the hillsides were deeply 



