198 THE CHAIN OF LIFE. 



climate much more severe than that of the British Islands at 



present. 



A striking result of recent discoveries is the fact that in 

 Cretaceous and Miocene times, and probably also in the inter- 

 vening Eocene, a very warm climate prevailed in the extreme 

 Arctic regions, and trees of temperate latitudes grew there 



Fig. x6S'—Cittnamomum Schenchzeri (Heer). Miocene. England. 



freely. In the recent Arctic expedition, Captain Fielden 

 found in latitude 8i° 40', within 600 miles of the Pole, a bed 

 of lignite from twenty-five to thirty feet in thickness, asso- 

 ciated with remains of plants such as now grow only in 

 temperate latitudes. 

 " From the character of the plant-remains, Dr. Heer infers 



