80 



caused by rupture of the weak annular vessels crossing the 

 leaves ; like those traversing the leaves of almost all the Palm 

 tribe. Such are these specimens. 



Now this opinion involves the decision of the mooted question, 

 of the existence of the Palm tribe in the fossil flora of the coal 

 period. My own idea is from this as well as from other appear- 

 ances, that the Palm tribe formed a large portion of the coal, 

 and was a large source of the Hydro-Carbon of that period. On 

 this subject of fissures a book might be written, but 1 wish on 

 this occasion to be as brief as possible, and certainly only to put 

 forward this idea as one which still requires much study. I 

 think the specimens before the Society completely prove the 

 existence of ferns in great abundance 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. 



Goppert 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 Cyclopteris, 

 and perhaps of Neuropteris 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, 

 and all the surfaces have the well-known beautiful polish. 



I am quite persuaded that much light will be shed on the sub- 

 ject 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 

 the kindness of friends to send me specimens of recent palms, 

 ferns, &c., which I could dissect myself, than on any thing to 

 be found bearing much on this subject in publications ; and I 

 am convinced that the personal examination and comparison in 

 this, as in every other subject of natural history, is the only way 

 that leads to discovery or truth. 



Mr. Teschemacher then applied these observations to prove 

 that the new coal, called by Dr. C. T. Jackson, Asphaltic coal, 

 belonged in reality to the true coal formation, — comparing the 

 specimens with each other. 



