PBEFACE 



THE geological phenomena which , ggestecl to me 

 the hypothesis of a comparatively recent Submergence 

 of Western Europe and of the Mediterranean coasts 

 arc described in papers read before the Geological 

 Society in 1892, 1 and before the Eoyal Society 

 early in 1893. 2 In those papers I confined myself 

 to the purely geological questions; but as the 

 hypothesis seemed to have a bearing upon ques- 

 tions relating to the Tradition of the Flood, I 

 brought the subject to the notice of the Victoria 

 Institute, in a paper which that Sock'/ has done 

 me the honour to publish in their Journal of 

 Transactions for 1894. It was not, however, 

 possible to include within the compass of one 

 evening'^ communication the many considerations 

 connected with so wide a subject, which are 



1 "On tV Raised Beaches and < Head ' or Bubble-drift of the 

 South of England, etc.," Quart. Journ. GeoL Society, vol. 48, 

 p. 2G3. 



2 " On tlr Evidences of a Submergence of Western Europe and 

 of the Mediterranean Coasts at the close of the Glacial Period," 

 etc., Phil. Trans., for 1893. 



