Trans. N. Y. Ac. Scé. . 74 Dec. 19, 
American Journal of Science. The moisture is taken at 212° Fahr., 
and the analysis is evidently of the fresh material. 
To obtain a fairer comparison, and if not strictly accurate, yet suffic- 
iently so for our purpose, I have computed the percentages with the 
moisture eliminated. 
Volatile Fixed 
Matter. Carbon. Ash. 
; 
TRipe Peat cette is. a= Cio ace h ete sie | 68.115 4.932 | 26.953 (White) 
YEA GIACEIILHO TS meters aie <5: cis sete peaets= i=. | 22.993 4.806 | 72.201 (White) 
3.) Uranstormed heatestt ith ii. eee ne. | 59.560 27.891 | 12.549 (Pink) 
4. ss) (State:Cbemist)\.. 6. scatters sri-cu | 29.559 12.069 | 58.372 
BituminousiC oalsecs. ifte: .Sactesiaseeies 4 5-1-1 £90810) 60; 40. to 70. 3 to6 
From this.table it will be seen that the composition of the transformed 
peat, number three, is about that of a very “fat’’ bituminous coal, that 
is, One containing a large proportion of volatile combustible matter, 
such as are desired for making gas. In number four, the volatile matter 
and the fixed carbon have nearly the same proportion to each other. 
The very large amount of ash in these samples is to be expected, on 
account of the small size of the peat-swamp, which allowed much inor- 
ganic matter to be blown or washed in over the whole surface. But 
the varying amount of ash would indicate that the peculiar physical 
character of the peat was not due to the amount of inorganic matter. 
The ash of numbers one and two was white, while that of number three 
was decidedly pink. This color probably indicates iron; which may 
possibly afford a clue to the cause of the transformation. The presence 
of considerable iron either inherent in the mass itself, or derived from 
the surrounding mass by something like concretionary action, would 
probably hasten the decomposition ; bearing upon this point, the large 
amount of inorganic matter without iron in the peat contiguous to the 
transformed peat is remarkable. The physical characteristics are un- 
doubtedly due to the finely divided state of the carbon, mingled with 
the water and volatile matter. But, however produced, we have here 
something that is apparently coal, in the midst of peat that is not yet 
coal. 
Except as this substance illustrates a degree or phase of peat decom- 
position, it is not likely to have any bearing on the formation of coal. 
The decomposition of a buried peat-bed under great pressure probably 
involves the whole mass at the same time, and does not proceed by the 
expansion of such centres of decomposition as are here found. 
Samples have been placed in the hands of Mr. Spencer B. Newberry, 
of Cornell University, who is making a full chemical examination. 
