164 DISCUSSIONS IN CLIMATOLOGY. 



Castanea have been found in one clay patch, with Iriartea 

 and Gleichenia; none of these have been found elsewhere. 

 A tri-lobed leaf is peculiar to Studland; the Alum Bay 

 Aralia, the peculiar form of Proteacece, the great Ficus, and 

 other leaves occur at Alum Bay only. Each little patch at 

 Bournemouth is characterised by its own peculiar leaves. 

 Such a distribution can only result from the proximity of 

 the trees from which the leaves have fallen. The forms of 

 most temperate aspect are best preserved, so that, to be 

 logically applied, the Drift theory requires the palms, &c, 

 to have been drifted upwards. To suppose that most 

 delicate leaves could have been brought by torrents 400 

 miles from Mull or 200 miles from Wales, and spread out 

 horizontally in thousands, without crease or crumple, on the 

 coast of Hampshire, may be a feasible theory to Mr. Searles 

 V. Wood, Jun., but will not recommend itself to the majority 

 of thinkers." * 



Were there Glacial Epochs during the Tertiary 

 Age ? — Many geologists, especially amongst those who 

 are opposed to the theory of recurring glacial epochs, 

 answer this question emphatically in the negative. 

 This belief as to the non-existence of glacial conditions 

 during the Tertiary period is, of course, based wholly 

 on negative evidence ; and this negative evidence, 

 though strong, is by no means perfectly conclusive, 

 and certainly not worthy of the weight which has 

 been placed upon it. In Chapter XVII. of ' Climate 

 and Time ' I have endeavoured to show that, although 

 much has been written on the imperfection of geological 

 records, yet the imperfection of those records in regard 

 to past glacial epochs has not received the attention 

 which it really deserves. 



It must be borne in mind, however, that it does not 

 follow from the physical theory of secular changes of 



* "Geological Magazine," 1877, p. 138. 



