Pa 
HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
Campripar, Massacuusetts, Ocrosper 30, 1936 Voit. 4, No. 5 
THE PEEL METHOD IN PALEOBOTANY 
BY 
WitiiaM C. DarRAH 
Tue peel method of making microscopic preparations 
has become popular in many paleontological laboratories 
since its development ten years ago. The possibilities of 
diverse applications of the method have not been realized, 
because it has been primarily used in the study of coal- 
balls. Coal-balls are fossil-bearing dolomitic nodules 
found in association with a small number of coal beds. 
Professor Walton’ devised a method of making serial 
sections for English coal-balls. Professor Leclercq’ has 
been using the Walton method with excellent results on 
Belgian coal-balls. Doctor Roy Graham* made certain 
modifications in order to adapt it to Lllinois coal-balls. 
Other investigators’ have used Graham’s procedure for 
calcified animal remains. 
By this method successive films of nitrocellulose are 
peeled from a smoothed surface of a petrifaction. The 
fossil must first be attacked by an acid in order to remove 
the rock matrix and cause the carbonized cell walls to 
stand out in relief. Then a solution similar to collodion 
"C. R. Congress Adv. Strat. Carb. Heerlen, pp. 749-754. 
“Ann. Soc. Geol. Belg., vol. 52. 
*Stain Technology, vol. 8: 65-68. 
“Am, Midl. Nat., vol. 16: 410-412. 
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