In this essay he also discussed the anatomical conditions and mentioned initially reluctant ( also taking into account their integration in glacial loam-drifts ) that these bones probably " come from prehistoric times, probably from the diluvial period and therefore belong to an archetypal individual of our race . " Following his comments on the geology of the locality he suspected the effect that " these bones are ante-diluvial ( before the biblical flood ), forms of fossil human remains ".
32.
In this essay he also discussed the anatomical conditions and mentioned initially reluctant ( also taking into account their integration in glacial loam-drifts ) that these bones probably " come from prehistoric times, probably from the diluvial period and therefore belong to an archetypal individual of our race . " Following his comments on the geology of the locality he suspected the effect that " these bones are ante-diluvial ( before the biblical flood ), forms of fossil human remains ".
33.
At the society a year later, when retiring from the presidency, Sedgwick described his former belief that " vast masses of diluvial gravel " had been scattered worldwide in " one violent and transitory period " as " a most unwarranted conclusion ", and therefore thought " it right, as one of my last acts before I quit this Chair, thus publicly to read my recantation . " However, he remained convinced that a flood as described in Genesis was not excluded by geology.
34.
The problem of diagnosing diluvial sediments in a buried state, i . e . without any geomorphological control, may apparently be solved not only, if at all, by studying peculiarities of the diluvial texture, but by means of the microscopic lithological studies of the sediments of giant current ripples, i . e . mineralogy of fine fractions, grain shapes, analysis of accessories, etc . Then these correctly summarised data must be compared with various phases of the contemporary mountainous alluvium at the analogous sections.
35.
The problem of diagnosing diluvial sediments in a buried state, i . e . without any geomorphological control, may apparently be solved not only, if at all, by studying peculiarities of the diluvial texture, but by means of the microscopic lithological studies of the sediments of giant current ripples, i . e . mineralogy of fine fractions, grain shapes, analysis of accessories, etc . Then these correctly summarised data must be compared with various phases of the contemporary mountainous alluvium at the analogous sections.
36.
At this time, most of what Sedgwick called " The English school of geologists " distinguished superficial deposits which were " diluvial ", showing " great irregular masses of sand, loam, and coarse gravel, containing through its mass rounded blocks sometimes of enormous magnitude " and supposedly caused by " some great irregular inundation ", from " alluvial " deposits of " comminuted gravel, silt, loam, and other materials " attributed to lesser events, the " propelling force " of rivers, or " successive partial inundations ".
