332 PREHISTORIC EUROPE. 



always spoken of as Pleistocene, were really synchronous with 

 our glacial and interglacial deposits. They were all laid down, 

 in fact, during one and the same prolonged period ; a period 

 characterised hy several extraordinary changes of climate, and 

 certain considerable modifications in the outline of sea and land. 

 When therefore I use the term " Pleistocene Period " in future, 

 it will be understood as comprehending all the great cycle of 

 changes embraced in what is known as the Ice Age or Glacial 

 Period. 



In times anterior to the Pleistocene Period, that is to say 

 during the Pliocene Age, Europe was occupied by a flora and 

 fauna which were destined to become profoundly modified before 

 the advent of the first glacial epoch. The rich and abundant 

 vegetation of the Miocene was still represented by many iden- 

 tical or nearly allied species, although the palms and other 

 characteristic forms had disappeared. It was the same with the 

 fauna. Many of the most typical Miocene families had vanished, 

 but the mastodon survived down to nearly the close of the 

 Pliocene Period. The climate, we can safely affirm, was more 

 genial than the present, and appears to have been extremely 

 equable. This is clearly evinced by the character of the Pliocene 

 flora. Not only was this richer in genera than that of our own 

 day, but some of those genera were richer also in species. The 

 flora was likewise singularly uniform, according to Count Saporta, 

 who remarks that the environs of Bologna, Tuscany, the district 

 round Lyons, and Cantal, were occupied by the same species. 

 The great forests, he says, seem to have covered vast areas, 

 occupying the plains, the borders of rivers, and extending up 

 the valleys even to the crests of the mountains, without much 

 change of character. The ivy, the platanus, the liquidambar, 

 various maples, and many walnut trees, elms, hornbeams, laurels, 

 sassafras, and others, ranged from Central Italy to the heart of 

 Prance. It was an abundant vegetation, composed for the most 

 part of great trees, some of which were Miocene plants, destined 

 soon to become extinct ; some again were special forms belong- 

 ing to genera which are now exotic ; others were species which 



