137 
Covrespondeuce — Mr. J. S. GardneY. 
At Weybourn I Lear that tke sea broke through tlie beacb and 
flooded the Coastguards’ cottages. 
None of the fisbermen can remember a single tide doing so mucli 
barm. I believe a yard is ratber more tlian the estimated yearly loss 
of laod. And Mr. Upscker informs me tliat he reckons bis loss of 
land during tbe past sixty years to be tbirty acres at tbe very least. 
Geolog ic ai. Survey, CromeR, Clement Heid. 
14 th Februar y, 1877. 
THE TROPICAL FORESTS OF HAMPSHIRE. 
Sir, — I have no wish to enter into any discussion witb Mr. Searles 
Wood, jun. ; but be bas, it seems to me, written to you upon a 
subject on wkich, notwitbstanding his large störe of geological 
knowledge, be appears to be quite unacquainted. Tbe supposition, 
alluded to in my lecture at South Kensington, that oscillations of 
climate might partly account for tbe varied cbaracter of tbe Bagshot 
Floras, is partly based upon and supported by strong negative and 
some positive evidence, of alternating warmer and colder conditions, 
not glacial; contained not only in Englisb Eocene, but all Tertiary beds 
throughout tbe world, altbougb tliese seem to have escaped Mr. Wood’s 
appreciation. No glacial conditions are necessary to explain any- 
tbing connected witb tbe Eocene Floras ; but Mr. Wood cannot surely 
suppose that tbe Bagsbot leaves from tbe London basin and those 
from Bournemoutb and Alum Bay indicate an equal temperature ; or 
that the Fauna of the Thanet sands, Woolwicb beds, and London 
Clay, or tbe Bracklesliam, fleadon, Bembridge, and Hempstead 
beds do not make plain to us that the climatal conditions during 
the deposition of our Eocene series differed widely at each period. 
The second bypothesis, that of the existence of a mean annual 
temperature whicb permitted tbe growth of sub-tropical and more 
temperate forms side by side, is supported by abundant evidence, and 
is tbe one by whicb Ettingshausen, and almost eveiy Continental 
geologist who bas devoted himself to tbe study of Tertiary Floras, 
can best explain tbe universal admixture of tbese forms at that time 
in all our, at present, temperate climates. Mr. Searles V. Wood, 
jun., bowever, states that both tbese theories are “ remote from tbe 
truth,” and proceeds to make some extraordinary mis-statements 
in the process of giving wbat he believes to be tbe true explanation. 
After expressing tbe total tliickness of tbese beds, whicb reacli 
nearly 1000 feet, as “ upwards of 200 1 feet,” be goes on to say that 
tbe vegetable remains have been drifted, and are not in situ. 
Mr. Wood can never have personally worked at tbese beds, or 
even examined collections made from them by otbers, or be could 
not have so failed to comprebend wbat be bad seen. 
He appears not to be at all aware of tbe published work and the 
conclusions of those who have studied tbese beds in England, or the 
similar leaf-bearing Eocene and Miocene beds abroad ; neither can 
be have beard or read tbe Statements made by me in my lecture, or 
in an appendix to it communicated to the Geologists’ Association. 
1 This was a Printer’s error; Mr. Searles Y. Wood, jun., correctly stated the 
thickness at 2000 feet, see his letter at p. 141. "We regret the mistake exceedingly. 
Edit. Geol. Mag. 
