338 THE PLEISTOCEXE PERIOD. 



levels, and I am convinced that the evidence of the occurrence 

 of chalk is strong, and confirms me in my deduction. 



The flints occur in diminishing numbers as the higher 

 elevations are reached, but this is the natural result of 

 gravitation over a long period of time. 



Our Jersey fellow-workers also differ from me in the 

 relative ages and sequence of the raised beaches. These 

 differences of opinion I shall refer to in the proper places. 



I think most of our differences are capable of adjustment 

 could we work together more and discuss the variations 

 introduced by the local influence of rocks and their relative 

 rates of erosion, etc. 



I do not consider that my conclusions are necessarily the 

 last word ; on the contrary, I offer them more as a starting 

 point for the work of the future members of the Society, and 

 as embodying the observations I have carried on for so many 

 years. 



Stage 1.— Part 1. : 



THE CAVES, RAISED BEACHES AND THEIR , 

 PLATFORMS. 



The first point to which I have to devote space is a 

 consideration of the condition of the island when the beaches 

 in question were formed. 



The Channel must have been low ground from very early 

 times, and the south of England outlined in much its present 

 form. This part of the Channel also had its low ground 

 between the islands, all forming a low-lying plain with 

 hills surrounding it. Thus, the low portions between 

 Jersey and Guernsey are now under the sea, not because the 

 sea has eaten away all the land between these islands, but 

 because the land being low the sea has been able to cover it. 

 The same rule applies to the Channel which was fringed with 

 high land. The islands were, however, joined to France much 

 later, and their connecting valleys have been eroded compara- 

 tively recently, so that the sea margin was at one time kept 

 outside the Casquets on the north and the Minquiers on the 

 south ; but even at that stage the sea penetrated far up the 

 valleys towards the present coasts of France. Such portions 

 of the lowlands as the Russels, the Race, the Swinge and the 

 Deroute have been eaten into and their bottoms lowered. 

 Thus, Jersey was admittedly joined to France, and with the 

 Minquiers formed a promontory of France up to post glacial 

 times. Sark was a separate island for a geological age before 

 Jersey separated itself from the mainland, Guernsey formed 



