324 NATURE AND ORIGIN OF THE LOESS. CHAP. xvi. 



CHAPTEK XVI. 



HUMAN REMAINS IN THE LOESS, AND THEIR PROBABLE AGE. 



NATURE, ORIGIN, AND AGE OF THE LOESS OF THE RHINE AND 



DANUBE IMPALPABLE MUD PRODUCED BY THE GRINDING ACTION OF 



GLACIERS DISPERSION OF THIS MUD AT THE PERIOD OF THE RETREAT 

 OF THE "GREAT ALPINE GLACIERS CONTINUITY OF THE LOESS FROM 



SWITZERLAND TO THE LOW COUNTRIES CHARACTERISTIC ORGANIC 



REMAINS NOT LACUSTRINE ALPINE GRAVEL IN THE VALLEY OF THE 



RHINE COVERED BY LOESS GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE 



LOESS AND ITS HEIGHT ABOVE THE SEA FOSSIL MAMMALIA LOESS OF 



THE DANUBE OSCILLATIONS IN THE LEVEL OF THE ALPS AND LOWER 

 COUNTRY REQUIRED TO EXPLAIN THE FORMATION AND DENUDATION 



OF THE LOESS MORE RAPID MOVEMENT OF THE INLAND COUNTRY 



THE SAME DEPRESSION AND UPHEAVAL MIGHT ACCOUNT FOR THE 



ADVANCE AND RETREAT OF THE ALPINE GLACIERS HIMALAYAN MUD 



OP THE PLAINS OF THE GANGES COMPARED TO EUROPEAN LOESS 



HUMAN REMAINS IN LOESS NEAR MAESTRICHT, AND THEIR PROBABLE 

 ANTIQUITY. 



Nature and Origin of the Loess. 



TNTIMATELY connected with the subjects treated of in 

 J- the last chapter, is the nature, origin, and age of cer 

 tain loamy deposits, commonly called loess, which form a 

 marked feature in the superficial deposits of the basins of the 

 Rhine, Danube, and some other large rivers draining the Alps, 

 and which extend down the Rhine into the Low Countries, 

 and were once perhaps continuous with others of like com 

 position in the north of France, 



It has been reported of late years that human remains 

 have been detected at several points in the loess of the 

 Meuse around and below Maestricht. I have visited the 

 localities referred to ; but, before giving an account of 

 them, it will be desirable to explain what is meant by the 



