f>R Miscellaneous. 



I was not disappointed, for I found that many of the masses of 

 partly burned coal readily separated into numerous laminae, on almost 

 all of which, when magnified, vegetable structure could be detected, 

 and on many of which the tissues were preserved in a state of un- 

 hoped-for perfection. 



Several varieties of structure presented themselves, the most in- 

 teresting of which however were well-characterized dotted or scala- 

 rlform ducts, in a most perfect state of preservation, and forming 

 somewhat rectangular plates, which are often several inches long and 

 one or more broad. These specimens, whose beauty and perfection 

 can scarcely be exaggerated, present all the original markings of the 

 vessels with a distinctness which leaves scarcely anything to be 

 wished for. They may be examined either as opake objects, in 

 which case the silica appears in relief against the black coal, and 

 shows the form and markings of the tubes very finely ; or still more 

 satisfactory results may be obtained by melting some inspissated 

 Canada balsam upon a plate of glass, and while melted touching it 

 to a surface of the coal upon which the ducts had been previously 

 found to exist. When the balsam has hardened, the coal may be 

 pulled off, and it will be found that it leaves fixed upon the balsam 

 a thin layer of silica, containing perfectly preserved dotted vessels, 

 which when viewed as transparent objects are nearly as distinct in 

 their markings as if freshly obtained from a recent plant. I have a 

 large number of specimens, and hope to find means to place them in 

 the hands of all interested in such researches. 



Besides the dotted vessels, which appear to be something very 

 different from the " prosenchymatous cells of wood " obtained by 

 Schultz, other tissues occurred, among which were small masses of 

 woody fibre with no definite markings, also layers appearing to be 

 composed of the cells of the epidermis of the stem of some plant, and, 

 rarely, traces of tissue presenting what appear to be the remains of 

 stomata. All these require a more careful study before any very 

 definite conclusion can be drawn from them. 



A few inferences appear however to be fairly deducible from the 

 examination already made, viz. — 



1 . It appears that almost every layer of the coal is composed of 

 vegetable matter, which still retains very distinct remains of the ori- 

 ginal organic structure, and which consequently could never have 

 been reduced to a homogeneous pulp. 



2. The plants from which the coal was chiefly formed do not ap- 

 pear to have been allied either to the Coniferce or the ordinary Dico- 

 tyledonous or Monocotyledonous plants. Their nearest analogues 

 must probably be sought among the Acotyledons, among which Ferns 

 and Lycopodiacece present similar vascular bundles, composed chiefly 

 of bothrenchymatous tissue*. 



3. Even allowing for the effects of compression, it does not appear. 



* Since the above was written, I have observed that Ad. Brongniart, in 

 a recent Number of the ' Annals,' maintains that Stigmaria, S'igillaria and 

 Lepidodendron, as well as Noggerathia, arc all allied to the Gymnospermous 

 Dicotyledons. 



