376 Mr. J. Croll on Geological Time, and the probable 



The view which at one time prevailed in regard to this point 

 was, that at the period of continental ice the land stood much 

 higher than at present, and that as the cold began to abate, the 

 land began slowly to sink and went down under the sea covered 

 with ice. The land, after remaining for a long course of ages 

 under water, ultimately emerged still covered with ice; but, the 

 cold continuing to abate, the general covering of ice began to 

 break up, and then followed the period of local glaciers. 



I have never been able to find any proof given, either geological 

 or physical, that at the time that the country was enveloped in ice 

 the land stood higher. Instead of a greater elevation of the land 

 during the period of ice, geological facts seem to prove the reverse; 

 for in every country where we have evidence of glaciation, we 

 have also evidence of a corresponding submergence of the land. 

 The two so constantly accompany each other, that many geolo- 

 gists have been led to suspect the existence of some physical 

 bond of connexion between them. We have good evidence, no 

 doubt, that the land in relation to the sea must have stood much 

 higher as well as much lower than it does at present, but we have 

 no evidence that the country was at that particular time covered 

 with ice. On the contrary, geological facts go rather to show 

 that the land was then covered with forests and peat-bogs, and 

 possessed an abundance of animal life. 



It follows from theory, as has been shown on former occa- 

 sions*, that during the cold periods of the glacial epoch the sea 

 must have stood much higher than at present, and during the 

 warm periods much lower. When certain considerations are 

 taken into account which were overlooked on former occasions, a 

 submergence to the extent of at least 500 feet may be accounted 

 for. Although the repeated submergence and emergence of the 

 land during Posttertiary times were probably due to oscillations 

 of the sea rather than of the land, still we have evidence that 

 there must have been local elevations and depressions of the land 

 during the glacial epoch ; for we find in some places that the 

 land was submerged to the extent of upwards of 1000 feet, while 

 in other parts it remained above water altogether. The oscilla- 

 tions of the sea-level resulting from cosmical causes would not 

 in any way interfere with upheavals and depressions of the land 

 resulting from volcanic or other agencies. 



It was evidently not the facts of geology, but the notion that 

 the cold of the glacial epoch must have resulted from a greater 

 elevation of the land, which gave rise to the opinion that the 

 country stood much higher than at present at the time that it 

 was covered with ice. In order to account for the cold of the 



* Phil. Mag. April 1866. 'Reader/ September 2 & 14, 1865; Novem- 

 ber 27, 1865. 



