﻿498 
  T- 
  BELT 
  ON 
  THE 
  STEPPES 
  OF 
  8IBEBIA. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Hulke 
  believed 
  that 
  the 
  author's 
  view 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  

   deposits 
  was 
  correct. 
  He 
  thought 
  that 
  the 
  plains 
  of 
  Hungary 
  were 
  

   of 
  a 
  similar 
  nature, 
  their 
  freshwater 
  deposits 
  having 
  been 
  formed 
  

   in 
  consequence 
  of 
  the 
  stoppage 
  of 
  the 
  Danube, 
  changing 
  what 
  had 
  

   been 
  a 
  dry 
  plain 
  into 
  a 
  vast 
  lake. 
  The 
  effects 
  described 
  by 
  the 
  

   author 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  produced 
  by 
  a 
  rise 
  of 
  land 
  in 
  the 
  north. 
  

  

  Prof. 
  Ajststed 
  remarked 
  that 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  under 
  con- 
  

   sideration 
  might 
  be 
  estimated 
  roughly 
  at 
  3,000,000 
  square 
  miles, 
  

   and 
  asked 
  whether 
  this 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  a 
  fresh- 
  

   water 
  lake. 
  If 
  so, 
  whence 
  did 
  the 
  water 
  come 
  and 
  where 
  did 
  it 
  go 
  ? 
  

   He 
  thought 
  such 
  a 
  phenomenon 
  of 
  very 
  unlikely 
  occurrence. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Belt, 
  in 
  reply, 
  said 
  that 
  he 
  was 
  glad 
  to 
  find 
  that 
  the 
  marine 
  

   theory 
  had 
  had 
  no 
  supporters. 
  He 
  maintained 
  as 
  a 
  fact 
  that 
  if 
  a 
  

   barrier 
  were 
  placed 
  across 
  the 
  country, 
  the 
  numerous 
  rivers 
  would 
  

   soon 
  flood 
  its 
  whole 
  surface. 
  

  

  