[DOWLING] THE FORMATION OF COAL 27 
In the decay of seaweed Phillips' gives results from seaweed from 
Santa Barbara which was left to decay in water. The gases given off 
at three periods were as under :— 
Ist. 2nd. 3rd. 
CO, 18.23 Dr A7 53.44 
CH, 0.30 0.28 0.08 
EL 62.24 48.97 42.02 
N. 19.23 18.28 4.46 
100.00 100.00 100.00 
An experiment by Frankland and Jordan’, gives, for grass left to 
decay under water, an evolution, in 3 days of the following:— 
CO: 84.63 
O. 0.13 
H. 6.90 
Combustible gases 2 bi 
N. 5.83 
The change indicated in the case of seaweed is an early liberation 
of large quantities of hydrogen and nitrogen, a similar result to that 
which might be expected from animal remains and one which suggests 
that there is not as wide a difference in composition between low types 
of aquatic plants and animals as one might suppose. The liberation of 
hydrogen might also at first be partly due to decomposition of water in 
the oxidation of the tissue. In the later stages this hydrogen loss is 
reduced and the production of carbon dioxide rises. 
In the case of the decomposition of grass under water, evolution 
of carbon dioxide is the principal result, although free hydrogen seems 
to be present and tends to reduce the hydrogen content of the resultant 
mass. This loss of hydrogen would probably not be kept up for any 
length of time and the process of decay would actually result in an 
increase in the carbon and decrease of oxygen percentage. 
The simple heating of vegetable matter such as hay, manure, etc., 
indicates an alteration comparable to a slow combustion. That the 
alteration results in the increase of carbon has been demonstrated by 
Mr. A. Strahan* in analyses of the fresh material and the darkened 
compact masses from hay ricks. The analyses for ash free material are: 


! The Am. Chem. Journal 1894, p. 427. 
2. Journal Chem. Soc. 43 295 (1883.) 
3 Memoir Geol. Survey England & Wales. ‘The coals of South Wales.’’ 
