Worcester daily spy., 1872-06-15

CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE.-There can be
no doubt that, for instance long before the age
of ice, the whole north of Europe was much
warmer than it is now. Take Greenland, for
instance. Disco island lies in Batfins Bay, off
the west coast of Greenland in latitude 10 de-
greSs, far within the Arctic circle. Now certain
strata of rock there, older than the ice, have
not been destroyed by the grinding of the ice
cap; and they are full of fossil plants. But of
what kind of pantS2 Of the same families as
now grow in the warmer parts of the United
States. Even tulip tree has been found among
them. Now, how is this to lie explained?
Either we must say that the climate of Green,
land was then so much warmer than now that
1t had summers probably as hot as those Of New
York, or we must say that their leaves and
stems were hoated thither from the United
States. But if we say the latter, we must allow
change in the shape of tie land which is
enormous. For nothing now can Goat north-
ward from the United States into Bafin'S Bay
The polar current sets out of Bafln'S Bay south
ward, bringing icebergs down, not leaves up,
through Davis Straits. And, in any case, we
must allow that the hills Of Disco Island were
then the bottom of a sea; or how would the
leaves have been deposited in them at all2 So
much for the change Of climate and land which
can be proved to have gone on in Greenland.
1t has become colder. Why shonld it not
some day become warmer? Now for England
1t can be proved, as far as common sense can
PiO'S any tulHS5 thai EllSldHu WAS, DciOrS the
age of ice, much warmer than it is now, aud
grew gradually cooler and cooler, Just as while
the age of ice was dying out it grew
warmer again. Now, what proof is there of
that? This Underneath London-as | dare
say, many of you know-there lies four or five
hundred feet of clay; but not ioeelay. ANYTHING
but that, as you will see 1t belongs to forma-
tion late, (geologically speaking), but somewhat
older than those Disco island beds. Aud what
sorts oil fossils do we find in it2 In the first
place, the shells, whiuh are abundant, are trop-
lcal-Nautlli, Cones, and such like, And more,
fruits and seeds are found in it, especially at the
| Isle OF Sheppey, And what are theyP Fruits
OF Nipa palms, form only found now at river.
| mouths in Eastern India and the Indian islands. .
| Anona seeds, gourd seeds Acacia fruits-all
| troplcal again; and Proteaceous plants, too--of
| an Australian type, Surely your common sense
| would hint TO you that this London CLAY must
| be mud laid down of the mouth of a tlouical
| river. But your common sense would be nil
| but certain of that when you found. as Won
would find, the teeth and bones OF crocodiles
and turtles, who come to land, remember, TO
lay their eggs; the bones, too, of large man.
mails, allied to the tapT OF india and South
America, and the water-hog of the Cape, If ali
| these do not mean that there was TROPICAL eli
| mate and tropic river running into some sea
or other where London now stands | musl give
| up common sense and reason as deceitful and
useless faculties, and believe nothing, not even
| the evidence OF my own SENSES" IOiCn Geolo.
gU" dy Charles Kingsley.