220 PROP. E. HULL, P.R.S., ON DR. NANSEN's BATHYMETRICAL 



The deduction that Professor Hull draws from these submerged 

 valleys is that there has been an enormous oscillation of the vast 

 oceanic margins in comparatively recent glacial periods. If the 

 valleys descend to 7,000 feet that would seem to indicate that the 

 adjacent lands have been 7,000 feet higher than they are at the 

 present time to give time and conditions for the surface denuda- 

 tion to produce these river valleys. That would raise the Pyrenees 

 region and the whole of the Western Europe to a height a long way 

 above the snow line ; and that being so there would be glacial 

 conditions existing over a vast area of the western portion of the 

 European and African continents ; and that might be recognised as 

 the cause of the " glacial period." It would seem to be the most 

 important part of the deduction that Professor Hull seems to draw 

 from his examination of the sea bottom of the western coast of our 

 Continent, and it would appear to be the point of greatest interest 

 in this communication. 



Mr. Howard. — I venture to express the interest which I feel 

 in these investigations, because it is impossible these river valleys 

 should be there without some cause. It is inconceivable that any 

 modern current should cut in that way. It must be either the 

 result of water or ice, more probably, I would venture to suggest, 

 of glaciation, more like the cut of glaciers. That would entirely 

 agree with the idea of an enormous elevation. If the mountains 

 were all that number of thousand feet high it would involve the 

 glacial period ; but there has been a very great change of elevation 

 within a comparatively short period of time. The difference of 

 elevation has taken place within a comparatively short period of 

 geological time. 



APPENDIX. 



Professor Spencer in his essay (No. 1 1 of the list below) has 

 given a most useful list of papers dealing with the subject of 

 sub- oceanic phenomena on the American side of the globe ; and 

 with the object of showing what has been written on the same 

 subject on the European side, the following list, which though not 

 quite complete, will assist in providing investigators interested in the 

 references. 



