Originally published during the early part of the twentieth century, the Cambridge Manuals of Science and Literature were designed to provide concise introductions to a broad range of topics. They were written by experts for the general reader and combined a comprehensive approach to knowledge with an emphasis on accessibility. First published in 1913, this small volume by Clement Reid was among the first attempts to survey the ancient layers of land surfaces and forests that lie submerged along the coasts and estuaries of Britain. The inconvenient position of these submerged forests made them a little-studied subject, but Reid's consummate and still relevant work shows that they are full of interest for geologists, botanists, zoologists and even archaeologists.