THE GLACIAL PERIOD AND THE EARTH-MOVEMENT HYPOTHESIS. 241 



would then form a great gulf round which a warm ocean- 

 current would circulate. The temperature of that sea, there- 

 fore, would be raised and the prevailing westerly and south- 

 westerly winds of Europe would be warmer than now. How- 

 ever much such warm moist winds might increase the snow- 

 fall in North Britain and Scandinavia, we cannot suppose they 

 could have much influence in Central and Southern Europe, 

 and in North Africa ; and still less could they affect the climate 

 of Asia Minor and the mountainous regions of the far east, in 

 most of which evidence of extensive glaciation occurs. And 

 how, we may ask, could the postulated geographical changes 

 bring about the glaciation of the mountainous tracts on the 

 Pacific sea-board ? In fine, we may conclude, that however 

 much the geographical changes referred to might affect 

 North-Western Europe and North-Eastern America, they are 

 wholly insufficient to account for the glacial phenomena of 

 other regions. The continuous research of recent years has 

 shown that the lowering of temperature of glacial times was 

 not limited to the lands which would be affected by any such 

 elevation as that we are considering. A marked and general 

 displacement of climatic zones took place over the whole 

 continent of Europe ; and similar changes supervened in 

 North America and Asia. Are we then to suppose that all 

 the lands within the Northern Hemisphere were extensively 

 and contemporaneously upheaved ? 



We may now consider another form of the earth-move- 

 ment hypothesis. It has frequently been suggested that our 

 glacial phenomena may have been caused by the submer- 

 gence of the Isthmus of Panama, and the deflection of the 

 Equatorial Current into the Pacific. But it may be doubted 

 whether a submergence of that Isthmus, unless very 

 extensive indeed, would result in more than a partial escape 

 of Atlantic water into the Pacific Basin. The Counter Current 

 of the Pacific Avhich now strikes against the Isthmus might 

 even sweep into the Caribbean Sea, and join the Equatorial 

 on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. But putting that con- 

 sideration aside, what evidence have we that the Isthmus of 

 Panama was submerged during the glacial epoch? None 

 whatsoever, it may be replied. It is only a pious opinion. 

 Considerable movements of elevation and depression of the 

 islands in the Caribbean Sea would seem to have taken 

 place at a comparatively recent date, but those movements 

 may quite well belong to Pliocene times. Whether they be 

 of Pliocene or Pleistocene age, however, no one has yet 



