Wiestling.] 482 [December. 



'' The lignite, when excavated, was solid, rang and glistened like 

 anthracite. Exposure to the air disintegrated it to a certain extent, 

 and impaired its lustre. It burns freely, with a bright flame and 

 intense heat, and proves excellent for generating steam. It cokes 

 beautifully. 



" When drying pieces of it (for experiment) on the stove, a 

 considerable quantity of oil fried out, and the empyreumatic odor 

 was very decided. This circumstance, in connection with the fact 

 of a heavy, greasy coating on our springs and streams (heretofore 

 credited to the iron ore), causes considerable speculation as to the 

 existence of petroleum at no great depth. 



"In the field lying between the 'Little Mountain' and South 

 Mountain, east of the English-bank, we have sunk a number of test 

 pits. In all but one, we have found ore near the surface. In this 

 exception, located about two hundred feet east of the English-bank, 

 at a depth of fifteen (15) feet, we encountered a black clay, similar 

 to that which immediately overlaid the lignite at the Pond-bank. 



" A number of circumstances combined to prevent our sinking the 

 pit any deeper at the time, though we intend developing what lies 

 beneath, in the early spring."] 



Mr. Foulke inquired whether or not any of the members 

 present had collected such evidence in relation to deposits of 

 iron, as would throw new light on the origin of such beds. 



Mr. Foulke referred to the discovery of the part which 

 infusoria had taken in the formation of silicious rocks, and 

 remarked upon the contributions of the United States Coast 

 Survey ; and said, that the fact of assimilation of iron by 

 minute marine animals, might suggest an analogy with 

 Ehrenberg's microscopic results in the origin of beds of 

 iron. 



Mr. Lesley remarked upon the appearance of encrinites 

 in strata of carbonate of iron, as interesting exemplifications 

 of the metamorphosis of encrinitic limestone deposits to iron 

 ore beds among the coal measures. 



Mr. Foulke recurred to the distinction between the exam- 

 ple of carbonate of iron and that which he had presented, 

 viz. : the formation of ore-beds in a manner analogous with 

 those of Ehrenberg's silicious rocks. 



