BY T. W. EDGEWORTH DAVID. 490 



the author has not met with any reference to such a hypothesis. 

 Mr. Dixon states, as an objection to the " Seed-and-spore-Theory," 

 that kerosene shale is not of a resinous composition. If, how- 

 ever, the kerosene shale of New South Wales be analogous to the 

 Tasmanite of the Mersey River Coal-field in Tasmania, which is 

 of approximately the same geological age, it may be composed of 

 sporangia or spores without '^eing of resinous composition, avS 

 Mr. E. T. Newton, F.G.S., in describing the Tasmanite, or White 

 Coal of Tasmania says"^ that the apparent resinous particles which 

 microscopic examination proves to be sporangia, are in reality not 

 resinous, as they are insoluble in alcohol, ether, or bisulphide of 

 carbon. This objection is therefore partly if not wholly answered 

 by the results of Mr. E. T. Newton's experiments. 



If, therefore, kerosene shale is formed chiefly of sporangia, it 

 has analogues in this Tasmanite, and in the well-known " Better- 

 Bed " Coal Seam near Bradford, England, which latter, as 

 described by Professor Huxley,! is chiefly made up of spore cases 

 and spores. 



Further light may be thrown upon the origin of kerosene shale 

 by careful microscopic research, a means of study, which up to the 

 present has never been systematically applied to the oil shales and 

 coals of this colony. 



The above theory is advanced by the author in a tentative 

 manner, open to subsequent correction, and is chiefly based on his 

 recent observation of the frequent association of abundant small 

 spherical bodies like sporangia or seeds with the kerosene shales 

 and cannel coals of this colony. 



The author is indebted specially to Mr. John Waterhouse, M. A., 

 of West Maitland, for kindly procuring him the specimens of 

 sporangia (?) fireclay and cannel coal exhibited this evening, to 

 Messrs. C. S. Wilkinson, R. Etheridge, Jun., and J. J. Fletcher, 

 for many useful references and suggestions, and to Mr. P. T. 

 Hammond of the Mines Department, for drawing the accom- 

 panying plate. 



*Geol. Magazine, 1875, Dec. 11, Vol. II., p. 339. 

 t Critiques and Addresses, pp. 94-97, 1873. 



