ScHARFF — On the Origin of the European Fauna. 443 



afterwards lie does not mention. During later Pleistocene times, 

 he continues, Southern and Eastern Britain were inhabited by an 

 abundant Mammalian fauna, while ice and sea acted as barriers 

 to their free migration into Ireland and Scotland. This is a 

 very important point and one with which I thoroughly agree, viz. 

 that a barrier prevented the fauna during later Pleistocene times from 

 invading Ireland and Scotland. As Prof. Dawkins looked upon the 

 Pliocene Forest Bed as early Pleistocene, it is a mere change of phrase- 

 ology to speak of the barrier as having existed throughout what we 

 now call Pleistocene times. At the close of the Glacial Period the 

 British Islands stood, according to Prof. Dawkins (p. 151), at least 

 600 feet above their present level, and were joined to the mainland. I 

 cannot quite agree with him here. The whole west coast of the British 

 Islands must have been at a higher level than it is at present through- 

 out the Pleistocene Epoch and joined to IS'orway, not separated as he 

 indicates on the map. No doubt there is a deep hollow running 

 along the south-east coast of that country, but it becomes shallower 

 as we go north towards the Atlantic. The hollow, however, is 

 probably of recent origin, as has, I think, been suggested by Prof. J". 

 Geikie. 



That the bulk of our recent fauna migrated to Ireland at this time 

 is evidently Prof. Dawkins' belief, though I cannot find that he 

 expresses a definite opinion on the subject. Prof. J. Geikie solves the 

 problem of pre-Glacial or post-Glacial migration without much trouble, 

 for he remarks (35 a, p. 505) : " As neither our animals nor our plants 

 could have existed here" (in the British Islands) "during the last 

 Glacial Epoch ; it follows that they must be of post-Glacial age." 

 Similarly, Mr. Kinahan informs us (51 J, p. 6) that the great northern 

 ice-cap, which was moving south over Ireland, crushed all before it. 



The evidence as to the existence, however, of a fauna in Southern 

 England at any rate, daring the Glacial Period, is so overwhelming 

 that I can hardly believe that many naturalists will accept Prof. 

 Geikie's views. Nevertheless, there are certainly some who do, and 

 among them Mr. Clement Reid, the distinguished author of the 

 " British Pliocene Deposits," who remarks (72 J, p. 300) that, "in the 

 Britain of the present day, we may study the re-peopling of a country 

 over which everything had been exterminated." 



Though Mr, Carpenter (165) admits that what he has termed the 

 "Celtic fauna" of Ireland is much older than the Teutonic, he 

 seems disposed towards the view that the migration took place " in 

 Pleistocene times, as the ice passed away." He concurs therefore 



K.r.A. PROC, SEE. III., VOL. IV. 2 I 



