324 NATURE AND ORIGIN OF THE LOESS. 



CHAPTER 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 SWITZER- 

 LAND 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 FOB THE ADVANCE 



AND RETREAT OF THE ALPINE GLACIERS HIMALAYAN MUD OF THE 



PLAINS OF THE GANGES COMPARED TO EUROPEAN LOESS HUMAN RE- 

 MAINS IN LOESS NEAR MAESTRICHT, AND THEIR PROBABLE ANTI- 

 QUITY. 



Nature and Origin of the Loess. 



TNTIMATELY connected Avith the subjects treated of in 

 -'- the last chapter, are the nature, origin, and age of certain 

 loamy dep6sits, commonly called loess, which form a marked 

 feature in the superficial deposits of the basins of the Rhine, 

 Danube, and some other large i"ivers draining the Alps, and 

 which extend down the Rhine into the Low Countries, and 

 were once perhaps continuous with others of like composition 

 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 Maestrieht. I have visited the 

 localities referred to; but, before giving an account of 

 them, it will be dcsii-able to explain what is meant by the 



