FLINT IMPLEMENTS FOUND IN KENT’S CAVERN. 363 
submergence. . . . During this last period the passage of the 
Germanic flora into the British area took place, and the Scandi- 
navian plants, together with northern insects, birds, and quadrupeds 
retreated into the higher grounds. . . . 
‘Fourthly, the next and last change comprised the breaking up 
of the land of the British area once more into numerous islands, 
ending in the present geographical condition of things. There 
were probably many oscillations of level during this last conversion . 
of continuous land into islands, and such movements in opposite 
directions would account for the occurrence of marine shells at 
moderate heights above the level of the sea, notwithstanding a 
gradual lowering of the land. . . . During this period a gradual 
amelioration of temperature took place, from the cold of the glacial 
period { just described] to the climate of historical times.’ * 
In the foregoing quotation, two topics are introduced—the 
forest of Cromer, and the extent of the submergence during the 
inter-continental period, to which it may be well to devote a few 
remarks. 
The Forest of Cromer is now represented by a bed at the base 
of the sea cliffs near Cromer, in Norfolk, consisting of clay en- 
closing stumps of trees with roots outspread, and reposing on a 
floor of solid chalk. It was my good fortune to study this ancient 
submerged forest several years ago in company with the Rev. J. 
Gunn, F.c.s., who has devoted much time and attention to it, 
and has made a large and valuable collection of its fossils. The 
following brief description of it, however, has been mainly com- 
piled from the writings of Sir C. Lyell: 
The forest has been known and studied by various geologists 
during a great number of years, and has been traced from Cromer 
to Kessingland, a distance of more than forty miles; but only 
portions of it are visible at any one time, as in order to expose it 
to view a vast body of sand and shingle must be cleared away by 
the force of the waves. As the sea is always gaining on the land 
in that district, new sets of trees are brought to light from time to 
time, so that the breadth as ‘well as the length of the ancient 
forest land seems to have been considerable. The forest must have 
existed for a long time, since, besides the erect trunks, some of 
* «The Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man.’ By Sir Cuaries 
LykEtu, Bart., M.A., F.R.s. Fourth edition, 1873, pp. 331-2. 
