460 



The NortJi Sea. 



part of Europe was buried iu a deep coved ug of ice and snow 

 under which the highest mountains of Scotland and England 

 were buried several feet deep, and which still bear the marks 

 where the moving glaciers passed o\'er them. It is estimated 

 that this covering was, at least, ten thousand feet in thickness.' 

 Unfortunately, the results of detailed work in different areas 

 do not enable the matter to be dealt with in this easy way. 

 For instance, the evidence of the extra-morainic lakes which 

 Prof. Kendall has shewn in England and Scotland is difficult 

 to account for on the ten-thousand-feet-ice-cap theory. It is 

 also possible to find e\'idence in the held to shew that this 

 alleged enormous thickness of ice was not able to over-ride the 

 cliffs at Bempton, which are under five hundred feet in height. 



Later, the fiord was blocked at its mouth, the waters were 

 ponded up, and eventually burst through the Chalk Wolds 

 ' and the Humber outfall was opened out. The Chalk Chffs 

 that extended from Flamborough to the Humber were also 

 cut awaj',' we read. But, as sections and borings prove, the 

 Chalk Chffs are stih there, though, hke parts of the old Humber 

 bed, they are buried beneath the drifts. 



Similarly the author accounts for the formation of the 

 Straits of Dover by the ice-bergs and waters formed at the 

 close of the glacial period bursting through the barrier, and 

 thus separating England from the Continent. As a matter of 

 fact, how^ever, this separation took place at a much earlier 

 period as has been shewn over and over again, on both geological 

 and palaeontological evidence. 



In the same w^ay it is pointed out that ' an examination 

 of the oldest charts to w^hich reference can be made shews that 

 these sand-banks [off the Wash, Norfolk, etc.] have maintained 

 their present position for the last century and a half.' This 

 may be so, but we doubt very much indeed whether ' it is there- 

 fore fair to presume that they have been in existence ever 

 since the time when this sea was stamped with its present 

 form ; and owe their origin to the torrents that were poured 

 into the sea at the termination of the glacial period, and the 

 great rush of water that took place when the barrier at the 

 southern end was breached.' 



In speaking of the alleged depression of the land since the 

 glacial period, as thought to be indicated by the so-called 

 * submerged forests ; ' the deposits containing remains of ' bears, 

 elephants, etc., cannot be post-glacial, or these animals were not 



Naturalist, 



