SUPEKFICIAL DEPOSITS. 227 



possibly took place when the climate had grown somewhat 

 milder. As the land went slowly down the raised beaches 

 were formed, and as they also sank beneath the water, tidal 

 currents and floating and shore ice covered them with loam 

 and rock fragments, which were also spread out long distances 

 seawards. 



But this is only a provisional hypothesis, and has not, so 

 far at least, much positive evidence to support it. However, 

 this much at least seems sure, that these islands were partially 

 or totally submerged during the quarternary period, and that 

 after this submergence they rose again with the rest of the 

 area that had been under water to a height considerably above 

 the present level, and that this time of elevation or part of it 

 was coincident with the Neolithic period. The peat and 

 forest beds give evidence of this higher level of the land. 



Let us hope that further study of our superficial deposits 

 may lead to a better knowledge of the quarternary geology, 

 not only of our island, but of the whole channel area, and I 

 look forward with great interest to the results that may be 

 expected from the careful and systematic work that is now 

 being done by the Guernsey Society of Natural Science. 



