322 D. Bell — The Great Ice Age and Submergence. 



Chapelhall. — We allude to Cliapelhall, near Airdrie, which for 

 some forty years has been the " .stock " instance to prove a sub- 

 mergence in Scotland of about 500 feet. In the preceding edition 

 of this work, Dr. Geikie made much of this instance, referring to 

 it repeatedly as clearly proving submergence. " Evidently," he 

 said, " this shelly clay marks an old sea- bottom, when the sea 

 rose not less (indeed certainly more) than 526 feet above its present 

 level." And he proceeded, to point out the great series of changes 

 to which the section bore witness: (1) "a time when the great 

 central valley of Scotland brimmed with glacier ice"; (2) a time 

 Avheu " a free ocean flowed over the site of the district in question " ; 

 and (3) a time when "another mighty ice-sheet again overflowed 

 the land." ^ 



This Chapelhall section was thus of capital importance to Dr. 

 Geikie in working out the details of the Glacial period ; and, as 

 we have seen, he made much of it. What does he say about it in 

 the present edition? Absolutely nothing! It is dropped out of 

 view entirely, without a word of explanation ! 



We submit this is apt to be extremely puzzling to his former 

 readers. They will naturally wonder why Chapelliall is now so 

 completely set aside and ignored. Of course, if they have any 

 curiosity in the matter, they may learn from other sources — but 

 why not also here? — the simple facts. The meagreness of the 

 evidence on which this instance rested having been pointed out, 

 and doubts having been expressed as to whether, in any case, the 

 "deposit" was "in place," a re-examination of the locality was 

 made by a committee appointed for the purpose. The result was 

 entirely negative ; no trace of the " shelly clay " could be found. ! ^ 

 This accounts for its total disappearance from Dr. Geikie's book. 

 Still, as we say, its absence might have been alluded to, and a brief 

 la Memoriam inserted where it once figured so largely. It seems 

 scarcely becoming to let one's favourite facts thus sink out of sight — 

 ' ' Without the meed of some melodious tear ! ' ' 



But, " fortunately " (as another eminent writer used to say when 

 facts were found to suit his theory) — "fortunately," since his last 

 edition was published, another instance has emerged on which, now 

 that Chapelhall has "collapsed," Dr. Geikie can still take his stand 

 in maintaining a submergence of about 500 feet. That instance is 

 Clava, in the valley of the Nairn, near Inverness, which now takes 

 the place of Cliapelhall superseded or defunct. Dr. Geikie makes 

 up for his reticence regarding Chapelhall by a full and particular 

 account of Clava. If we may adapt a well-known Scotch story, 

 it is now the " a'e button," which has to bear a quite enormous 

 "responsibility." It must therefore be looked to with some degree 

 of care. 



Clava. — This shelly clay was described by Mr. J. Fraser some 

 years ago^ as occurring underneath Boulder-clay- at a height of 



1 Second edition, pp. 175-6. 



^ See Trans. Geol. Soc. Glas., vol. ix. Eeports Brit. Assoc, 1894. 



^ Trans. Edin. Geol. Soc, vol. iv. 



