92 



to the passage of local glaciers from the chief centres of dispersion 

 in the Highlands of Scotland; North Wales, the Lake district and 

 other mountainous centres. For the reasons given I must therefore 

 disagree with the supposition of the great Scandinavian ice-sheet, in 

 accordance with the views of all the older geologists, who followed 

 the teaching of Sir Charles Lyell and his compeers. Although for 

 a time many have been diverted to the more extreme views of Prof. 

 Geikie and his followers, we have others who are still content to 

 postulate a local glaciation for England, amongst whom were Sir 

 William Dawson and the late Duke of Argyle, whilst still living and 

 working are Professor Bonney, Sir Henry Howorth and Prof. 

 Hughes of Cambridge, with many of lesser distinction." Well- 

 known to us locally is Mr. Spicer, science lecturer to the Oxford 

 University Extension, and a geologist of more than local repute. 

 He is of opinion that the main sheet glaciation died out 

 near Buckingham, whilst in the Chilterns and in the Thames 

 Valley and along the Berkshire downs there is no evidence of 

 strong glaciation at all, but rather of sea-borne ice and local ice- 

 patches on the re-emergence of these valleys. Previous to 

 subsidence there was very serious glaciation of the ridges right 

 down to Devon. He allows that there was sheet-ice along the 

 Pennines, but as the ice did not fill up all the valleys in Yorkshire, 

 the thickness was not very great. At the Ouse the ice broke into 

 bergs and floated south, and on re-emergence of the land the 

 climate was getting warmer. Mr. Spicer concludes : " The mistake 

 usually made is in supposing the land was stationary during the 

 glacial period." This opinion, expressed in a private letter to me, 

 I think gives us the moderate view of a thoroughly up-to-date 

 geologist, who has investigated these questions on the spot, and 

 carefully formed his opinions. One of the most eminent of 

 German geologists, Professor Kayser, although he adopts an 

 advanced attitude for his own country, modifies it in our case. He 

 writes! : " Although England was completely covered by ice in the 

 Ice Age, yet, with the exception of the south-east part, which was 

 covered with Scandinavian ice, it was covered by its own glaciers 

 radiating from the centre of the country. The ice scratches are 

 everywhere directed from the centre of the island to the coasts, and 

 allow of no doubt on this point." 



If this be the true view, we cannot agree with Dr. Colley 

 March in his positive statements on this subject on page 72. 

 Similarly on page 74, the idea of the Bristol Channel being 

 blocked by ice cannot be accepted, neither can there be any 

 reason for dragging a Scandinavian ice-sheet further south to the 

 shores of Dorset. This portion of my task then is ended. I have 

 endeavoured to show the facts so far do not support this theory, 

 and that our county of Dorset may be admitted to have escaped 

 the indignity ot having ever been smothered by a mighty covering 

 of ice " made in Norway." 



*See also Mr. David's paper on ice-action in parts of Wales in J. G. Soc, 



xxxix, p. 39. 

 f Text Book of Comparative Geology, p. 385. 



