GEOLOGY. 309 



palm tribe formed a large portion of the coal, and was a large source of 

 the hydro-carbons of that period. I think that my specimens completely 

 prove the existence of fungi in great quantities in the coal period, and 

 that other appearances, extremely puzzling to me at present, will turn 

 out to be the remains of large plants of this peculiar growth. Goeppert 

 has stated, in some of his recent works, that the remains of filices are 

 seldom or never found in the coal itself; there are, however, fine 

 impressions of the veins of the Cyclopteris, and perhaps of Xeuropteris, 

 on the coal itself ; and they are so clear and distinct as to forbid any 

 idea of motion in the mass, until the whole had taken a solid form. 

 Specimens of Sigillaria and Lepidodendra are by no means uncommon 

 in anthracite. All the surfaces have the well known beautiful polish. 



" I am quite persuaded that much light will be shed on the subject 

 of the coal formation by the pursuit of this nearly untrodden path ; but 

 to arrive at just conclusions requires a considerable knowledge of 

 dynamical causes, and also of physiological botany, particularly of the 

 vegetation of tropical countries. In the course of my own studies, I have 

 had rather to depend on specimens of recent palms, ferns, &c., which I 

 could dissect myself, than on anything to be found bearing much on 

 this subject in publications ; and I am convinced that the personal 

 examination and comparison in this and in every other subject of natu- 

 ral history is the only way that leads to discovery or truth." 



In a communication to Silliinan's Journal, Sept. 1851, Mr. Tesche- 

 macher makes some additional remarks on this subject. In 1846, the 

 Natural History Society at Haarlem, Holland, adjudged a prize to Dr. 

 Goeppert, for a dissertation on the prize question proposed by them : 

 " Whether the beds of coal were composed of plants which grew on 

 the spots where these coal beds now exist, or whether the vegetation 

 grew in other places, and was floated or brought there by other means." 

 A copy of this dissertation, with the plates, is now in the library of the 

 Boston Society of Xatural History, and from its examination it appears 

 that Dr. Gceppert, for the purpose of elucidating the subject, has been 

 pursuing the same course with the coal from various beds in Germany, 

 as Mr. Teschemacher has with the coal of Pennsylvania since 1843. And 

 although the main question has received the same solution from both, 

 namely, that the plants grew where the beds of coal now exist, and 

 were solidified amongst other conditions under that of absolute rest, yet 

 some differences in regard to minor points exist between the two ex- 

 perimenters. In relation to these Mr. Teschemacher says : " Without 

 the inspection of regular series of specimens, presenting various details, 

 it is impossible to arrive at satisfactory conclusions on many points 

 of this occult subject, and it has several times occurred that a single 

 specimen has thrown unexpected light, not obtained by the inspection 

 of fifty others of nearly the same appearance. My specimens of Sigilla- 

 ria, Lepidodendra, and Sagenaria, are numerous, and there are various 

 appearances, representing the internal structure of some of these gigantic 

 vegetables, which, if they can be recognized as such, would cause consid- 

 erable astonishment. AVhen this subject shall be taken up and studied 

 by scientific men, whose minds are well prepared, and who are pos- 



