THE SIBERIAN MIGRATION. 217 



part of the Pleistocene Epoch was so cold, that the 

 whole country was buried underneath one immense 

 mer de glace, through which peered only the higher 

 mountain-tops (p. 67). If this was the state of climate 

 in close proximity to the Atlantic, it must probably 

 have been still more severe on the European con- 

 tinent. Now at the present time Siberia has the 

 reputation of being the coldest country in the world, 

 and the mercury of the thermometer is said to remain 

 frozen for weeks during winter, even in the south. 



With the prevailing dampness in pleistocene times 

 the snowfall throughout Siberia would have been 

 much heavier than at present, though it would have 

 modified the temperature to some extent. Under 

 such circumstances Southern Siberia could not have 

 been a desirable place of residence for large mammals. 

 It would have been necessary for the Mammoth and 

 the other species referred to, to wander farther into 

 the extreme south of Asia or Europe to find a 

 suitable refuge during the arctic conditions which 

 are supposed to have prevailed in Northern Europe. 

 To quote Professor J. Geikie's own words (p. 706): 

 " They (Mammoth, etc.) would seem to have lived in 

 Southern Siberia throughout the whole Pleistocene 

 period, from which region doubtless they originally in- 

 vaded our Continent. But with the approach of our 

 genial forest-epoch (penultimate inter-glacial stage) 

 they gradually vanished from Europe, to linger for a 

 long time in Siberia before they finally died out." 

 It is suggested, therefore, by the author that the 



