Pana 
IL. On Arctic Interglacial Periods. 
By James Croui, LLD., FR.S.* 
ae Interglacial Periods more marked than the Glacial. 
—In a former paper f, and also in ‘ Climate and Time’ 
(chap. xvi.), it was pointed out that in temperate regions the 
cold periods of the glacial epoch would be far more marked 
than the warm interglacial periods. In temperate regions 
the condition of things which prevailed during the cold 
periods would differ far more widely from that which now 
prevails than would the condition of things during the warm 
periods. But as regards the polar regions the reverse would 
be the case; there the warm interglacial periods would be 
more marked than the cold periods. ‘The condition of things 
prevailing in these regions during the warm periods would be 
in strongest contrast to what now obtains ; but this would 
not hold true in reference to the cold periods, during which 
matters would be pretty much the same as at present, only 
somewhat more severe. In short, the glacial state is the 
normal condition of the polar regions, the interglacial the 
abnormal. At present Greenland and other parts of the 
Arctic regions are almost wholly covered with snow and ice, 
and, consequently, nearly destitute of vegetable life. In 
fact, as regards organic life in those regions, matters during 
the glacial epoch would not probably be much worse than they 
are at the present day. Greenland and the Antarctic con- 
tinent are to-day almost as destitute of plant-life as they could 
possibly be. Although, in opposition to what is found to be 
true in reference to the temperate regions, the polar inter- 
glacial periods were more marked than the glacial, it does 
not follow that on this account the relics of the interglacial 
periods which remain ought to be more abundant in polar 
than in temperate regions. On the contrary, the reverse 
ought to be the case. In the polar regions, undoubtedly, 
there is least likelihood of finding traces of interglacial 
periods ; for there, of all other places, the destruction of such 
traces would be most complete. ‘The more severe the glacia- 
tion following a warm period, the more complete would be 
the removal of the remains belonging to the period. If in 
such places as Scotland and Scandinavia so little is left of 
the wreck of interglacial periods, it need be a matter of no 
surprise that in Arctic regions scarcely a relic of those periods 
remains. ‘The comparative absence in polar regions of 
* Communicated by the Author. 
+ Phil. Mag. May 1884, p. 375; American Journal of Science, Jue 1884. 
