July 10, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



63 



existence during the Tertiary. Having out- 

 lined his plan, lie examines the kinds of evi- 

 dence. Two lectures are devoted to the testi- 

 mony of caves, in which the investigations are 

 summed up with critical notes upon the re- 

 ported observations. He indicates clearly the 

 gaps in the record, but he emphasizes the asso- 

 ciation of paleolithic man with an extinct 

 fauna and flora, the definite proof of successive 

 extreme variations in the continental climate, 

 the differing types of men during the several 

 stages and their notable gradation in civiliza- 

 tion as proving the great length of time which 

 has elapsed since the first cave man appeared 

 in Europe. The testimony of river drift de- 

 posits, especially those of Great Britain and 

 France, is the topic of another lecture. The 

 complex problem involves the deepening of 

 valleys by river-cutting, the deposition of 

 gravels, the origin of loess. The difficulties 

 here are conceded frankly, but the deficiencies 

 in this record do not coincide with those in 

 that of the caves; the two records are supple- 

 mentary. 



The testimony of glaciers, as one would 

 expect, is discussed in abundant detail. In 

 this portion, composing nearly one half of the 

 volume, the wholly new material derived from 

 the author's later studies in many regions is 

 very great. The movements of glaciers, their 

 scouring and eroding power, their extent, the 

 nature and distribution of moraines, the trun- 

 cated valleys of the Alps are discussed in the 

 light of recent determinations by the author 

 and others. All go to show the immensity of 

 the period during which man has been on this 

 globe. The comprehensive study of local and 

 general features, which is presented in these 

 four lectures, contains much that can not fail 

 to interest American glacialists, for some of 

 tile phenomena cited from Great Britain and 

 the Continent are familiar topics in our liter- 

 ature. 



Having laid his foundation, the author, in 

 his closing lectures, sums up Pleistocene his- 

 tory as relating to man. The terms for the 

 epochs differ in several cases from those given 

 in the Great Ice Age, some changes having 

 been made in the interest of accuracy and 



euphony. The epochs as defined in this volume 

 are these: 



First Glacial epoch, the Scanian of northern 

 Europe, the Giinzian of the Alps; First Inter- 

 glacial epoch, the Norfolkian; Second Glacial 

 epoch, Saxonian of northern Europe, Mundel- 

 ian of the Alps; Second Interglacial epoch, 

 the Tyrolian (replacing Helvetian) ; Third 

 Glacial epoch, Polonian (replacing Polandian) 

 of northern Europe, Eissian of the Alps; 

 Third Interglacial epoch, the Diimtenian (re- 

 placing Neudeckian) ; Fourth Glacial epoch, 

 Meeklenburgian of northern Europe, Wur- 

 mian of the Alps; Fourth Interglacial epoch, 

 the Lower Forestian; Fifth Glacial epoch, the 

 Lower Turbarian; Fifth Interglacial epoch, 

 the Upper Forestian; Sixth Glacial epoch, the 

 Upper Turbarian. 



The oldest human remains are assigned to 

 the first interglacial ejwch; the Chellean and 

 Acheulian stages to second; the Mousterian 

 stage began during the third glacial and ended 

 during the third interglacial ; while the Aurig- 

 nacian, the Solutrean and Magdalenian stages 

 were within the fourth glacial. Paleolithic 

 man's disappearance was abrupt and with 

 him the associated fauna passed away. Neo- 

 lithic man's appearance seemed to be equally 

 abrupt and the modern fauna accompanied 

 him. A partial bridge over the gap is afforded 

 by the Azilian stage of southern France and 

 Germany, which belongs very near the Lower 

 Forestian or fourth interglacial epoch ; at that 

 time, Neolithic man was in Scotland. 



Professor Geikie's work does not lend itself 

 readily to review for it is a model of directness 

 and compactness in statement. The discussion 

 is judicial; facts are presented so skillfully 

 that they appear to form a consistent argu- 

 ment and when the conclusions are reached, 

 they have been anticipated by the reader as 

 the only ones possible. Among glacialists 

 there are those who will continue to dissent 

 from the author's subdivision of the Pleisto- 

 cene and from the extreme length of time 

 which he assigns to that period; but all must 

 agree with his final statement that when one 

 considers that man has seen all those changes 

 of climate, which caused repeated succession 



