76 
from the direction of the present Atlantic, Avhich discharged 
itself into the sea over the southern part of Hampshire. We 
may see by this that the geographical conditions of these times 
were altogether unlike those of the present day. In the Isle 
of Sheppey the London Clay contains a bed of drifted vegetable 
remains, associated Avith the jaws and bones of mammalia and 
reptiles, while the beds of Eocene age in Hampshire have 
furnished us Avith a rich collection of the mollusca AA’hich 
inhabited the sea-bottom of the period, so that Ave can form 
a vivid picture of the natural condition of England in Eocene 
tunes. All the fossil remains conspire to prove that the climate 
of the period of the London Clay Avas in these latitudes as warm 
as that of the present tropics. The mollusca are of similar 
genera to those noAV inhabiting tropical seas j the vegetable 
remains are those of jralms and other trees characteristic of hot 
climates ; Avhile the reptilian fossils bear similar testimony ; 
serpents, exceeding in size the largest existing Boas and Pythons, 
Avith Crocodiles, Alligat<rrs, and Turtles, airimals that naturally 
suggest to us much Avarmer conditions than those of England at 
the present day. Here then Ave have another gap in the geological 
record of prodigious extent. Within a feAV feet of each o°ther 
AA e find, first, strata, Avhich Avere deposited under Arctic conditions j 
and secondly, others containing tropical fossils. The records of 
the geology of Suffolk— of the history of this part of England 
liom the era of the Eocene to that of the Pliocene forest and 
crag beds, an interval of time of Avhich Ave can form no idea — 
are hopelessly lost. In other parts of Europe, in India, and in 
America, hoAvever, Ave have beds of intermediate age, and con- 
taining very rich stores of fossil Avealth, but Ave should consider 
ourselves very unfortunate if Ave had to piece out the history of 
England during 400 or 600 years Avith a feAV fragmentary records 
from Hindostan and North America. 
We have discussed that period in the earth’s history Avhen the 
ardio cold pushed its way doAvn to our OAvn latitudes. During 
this eailiei epoch, Avhen t ropicctl heat obtained in our temperate 
zone, the polar climate Avas also less severe, so that a rich and 
varied flora occupied those regions Avliich are noAv undergoing 
continuous Avinter. It seems probable that many of tlie genera of 
exotic trees and shrubs recently introduced into this country from 
