ABSTRACT
FoRANUMBERofyearsDutchgeologistswereverydoubtful abouttheapplicationoftheAlpineglacialnamestotheclimatic fluctuationsrecordedinthePleistocenedepositsofHolland (ormorestrictlytheNetherlands)andaccordinglytheyintroducedanumberoflocalstage-namesforuseuntilsuccessful correlationcouldbeestablishedwithneighbouringcountries. TheschemeasawholewasdevisedbyProfessorsI.M.vander VlerkandF.Florschtitz(1950,1953),althoughsomeofthe stage-nameswhichtheyusedhadbeenproposedbyother authors.ThebasisoftheDutchsubdivisionofthePleistocene ispalaeontological,andthereforemoreinkeepingwiththe classificationofdepositsofearlierperiods.Thestratigraphyof thePleistocenehasusuallybeenanexceptiontothegeneral rule,andbasedongeomorphologicalevents(egglaciations) toagreaterextentthanonfossilcontents.
