178 BRITISH CICADA. 



examples have come to light from the Norfolk cliffs ; 

 but more have been fomid at Diirnten in Switzerland, 

 and in the lignites of Chambery. 



Mr. Scudder has described two coleopterous insects 

 from the interglacial deposits of Scarbro' Heights 

 near Toronto. This period of the world's fauna 

 approaches so nearly to our modern era that we 

 may anticipate the occasional overlapping of ancieut 

 and recent species. 



Sir C. Lyell pointed out, many years ago, that at the 

 time when the Swiss lignites were forming, and the trees 

 of the forest beds of Norfolk and Cromer were flourishing, 

 a gradual elevation of land occurred over a large part of 

 the North and West of Great Britain ; some portions 

 rising to the height of 500 feet above the sea-level. 

 Subsequently this land sank, forming a veritable local 

 deluge; and then the dry land of England, Scotland, 

 and Ireland, and a large part of North Europe was 

 principally represented in the form of islands, by 

 mountain -tops. Immense glaciers slid down from the 

 North and the West, and the attendant cold killed 

 most of the tree- and plant-life. But again the sea- 

 bottom was raised, and, in some places, to an elevation of 

 perhaps 1400 feet. At this time, probably the shores 

 of Dover and Calais were not separated by sea. Such 

 unsettled conditions were eminently unsuited for the 

 preservation of insect-life, and indications of their 

 remains, accordingly, are very rare. 



Ingenious speculations have from time to time been 

 at work as to the possible existence of a vast ancient 

 continent stretching westw^ards from Europe, but now 

 submerged. Such a continent would, if it existed, help 

 to bridge over or, at anyrate, form some mediate station, 

 and allow an intercliange of the fauna and flora of the 

 Old and New Worlds, includiDg Greenland. 



The ancient Egyptian priests taught that such a 

 land existed beyond the Pillars of Hercules ; and the 

 Greeks, through Plato, expanded the notion into the 

 fabled Atlantis. A recent writer states his belief that 



