to 
“I 
as 
GLACIAL SURVIVALS.* 
FRANK ELGEE, 
Middlesbrough. 
THE question of Glacial Survivals is one of interest to geologists, 
zoologists, and botanists alike, because of its relation to the Ice 
Age which their investigations have established, and on account 
of the light it throws on the distribution of animals and plants. 
It may at the outset, however, be advisable to define 
precisely what is meant by ‘Glacial Survivals.’ In pre-glacial 
times our country was inhabited by animals and plants similar 
to those of to-day, with the addition, however, of species now 
extinct or living in other lands. With the approach of the 
glaciers of the Ice Age these would either be driven out, 
exterminated, or contrive to exist on ice-free regions. In the 
following notes an attempt will be made to ascertain if survivals 
of the pre-glacial animals and plants may still be traced in our 
present fauna and flora. 
In a former paper + the possibility of some species of insects 
and plants having survived the Ice Age on the unglaciated region 
of North East Yorkshire was suggested. In the present 
communication it is proposed to consider in more detail the 
conditions under which organisms may have survived the Ice 
Age within the British Islands, as well as to bring forward 
further facts and inferences referring to our own county. The 
following notes simply endeavour to point out posszbz/itzes with 
regard to Glacial Survivals which may render the study of 
certain areas much more fascinating and interesting. 
Opinions respecting the fauna and flora of Britain during 
the Glacial Period must, of course, largely depend upon the 
views held regarding the temperature and condition of our 
islands during that geological episode. So far as the latter is 
concerned it seems necessary to accept the land ice theory. 
The evidence is all against the submergence hypothesis, and 
the great feature of Mr. Kendall’s work in Cleveland lies in 
the fact that the land glaciation of Britain receives absolute 
proof in his wonderful extra-morainic lake phenomena. 
Admitting, therefore, the former existence of enormous 
glaciers and ice sheets within the British Islands, it seems 
necessary to admit an arctic temperature. There is, however, 
some disagreement on this point, but I think that for the 
* Read at the Robin Hood's Bay meeting of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ 
Union. 
+ ‘ Naturalist,’ April, 1907, pp. 137-143. 
Naturalist, 
