81 



Mr. Bouve remarked, that since the publication of the 

 " Vestiges of Creation," facts had come to hght decidedly 

 opposed to the theory of transmutation of species on which 

 that work was based. In a similar way it would seem that 

 the theory of the progressive development of species was 

 destined to be modified if not overturned. As an illustra- 

 tion, he offered for the examination of the Society a num- 

 ber of specimens of fossil palms, or palm-like plants, from 

 shales underlying the Pennsylvania coal. The shales were 

 immediately over a conglomerate containing no coal in that 

 locality, the conglomerate lying next above the old red 

 Sandstone. Mr. Bouve presented the specimens, together 

 with specimens of Fucoides, Sic, to the Society. 



Mr. Teschemacher, after examining the specimens, said, 

 that some of them presented characters resembling those of 

 the Ferns ; others, however, he considered as undoubtedly 

 Palms. He regarded the discovery a very interesting and 

 important one. 



Dr. Jackson stated, that analysis of the insoluble portion 

 of the coal from Hillsboro', N. B. shows that it differs from 

 simple coal, only by fractions of one per cent. This insolu- 

 ble portion constitutes 80 per cent, of the whole mass. 

 Analysis, therefore, does not give a test by which to dis- 

 tinguish the true coals from bitumens. 



Dr. Smith, at the request of Dr. Jackson, presented his 

 views on the subject of coals, which he had made a special 

 study. He had himself given particular attention to the 

 study of Lignite, He noticed the characters of the various 

 kinds of coal known to commerce, and in speaking of the 

 recently discovered coal of Hillsboro', about the real cha- 

 racter of which there had been of late so much discussion, 

 he said, that it approaches much nearer to true coal in its 

 properties than Lignite, which is now admitted by Geolo- 

 gists as a genuine coal. 



Prof. Wyman exhibited the brain and spinal chord of the 



PROCEEDINGS B. S. N. H. 6 NOVEMBER, 1851. 



