134 PREHISTORIC EUROPE. 



within the limits of the temperate zone, but they appear to agree 

 better with the fauna and flora of its northern than of its south- 

 ern provinces. The fossil mammalia may also, from their general 

 association and distribution, be considered to have inhabited 

 cold countries, so that there is a balance in favour of a severer, 

 but not of an extreme, climate." 



As regards the low-level gravels the fossil evidence is some- 

 what more abundant. The shells upon the whole maintain 

 their general northern character, but the group contains a few 

 more southern land and freshwater species, which seem to indi- 

 cate a less extreme climate. " The profusion also of the land 

 and freshwater testacea, and the greater variety and abundance 

 of animal life, support this latter view." The mammalian 

 remains include the species mentioned above as occurring in the 

 high-level gravels, as also Rhinoceros megarhinus, cave-bear, 

 cave-hyaena, cave-tiger or lion, bison, musk-sheep, hippopota- 

 mus, etc. Mr. Prestwich thinks that there is nothing in this 

 assemblage of animals that would lead us to infer other than a 

 rigorous climate. He suggests that the hippopotamus may have 

 been furnished with a woolly coat to protect him against the 

 cold, just as was the case with the mammoth and the ticho- 

 rhine rhinoceros. I have already discussed the evidence of 

 the mammalia as to the climate of Pleistocene times, and shown 

 that all the animals could not have occupied the same feeding- 

 grounds at the same time. One fatal objection to Mr. Prest- 

 wich's suggestion in regard to the hippopotamus is based upon 

 the aquatic habits of the animal. It is hardly possible that it 

 could live in a country whose rivers were liable to be frozen 

 over every winter. The presence of the northern forms is clearly 

 indicative of cold climatic conditions, during the continuation 

 of which the vegetation must have been poor and scanty, not 

 more varied and abundant than that which characterises the 

 " barren grounds " of North America and the tundras of 

 Northern Europe and Siberia. The hippopotamus was not 

 likely to occupy a country with such a climate. Mr. Dawkins 

 well remarks, " It could not have endured a winter sufficiently 



