288 
the seam; it may be said to be a mass of highly carbonized 
vegetable tissue, with a small proportion of hydrocarbon. 
The structure of the next bed is most interesting, and was 
clearly defined in the microscopic sections made of it. At 
the top, just under the parting, sections showed well preserved 
scalariform tissue, (Figs. 5 and 6). Lower down a number 
of small spores, (Figs. 4 and 37) were found. Very little of 
the material was carbonized, but was either in the form of 
or passing into hydrocarbon. 
The “Four Feet” is a further illustration of the necessity 
of taking stratagraphical sections of the seams of coal to 
be examined when attempting to ascertain the structure. If 
this be not done very imperfect information may be gathered. 
It was while submitting the microscopic sections of this 
last seam to Sir Witi1am Dawson that he suggested to me 
that possibly important results might be obtained by the 
microscopic examination of a seam in different parts. An 
opportunity of this was afforded me by Mr Woopuerap, colliery 
manager to the Low Moor Iron Company, near Bradford, 
Yorkshire, who, by the kind permission of the Company, sent 
me a portion of the “ Better Bed” coal intact for a thickness 
of ten inches from the top; I therefore determined to examine 
it inch by inch. I was fortunate in the selection of this seam, 
as it has been rendered famous by Professor Huxiey, who from 
it deduced what may be termed the spore theory for the 
formation of coal. The section of the seam, as sent me by 
Mr Woopueap, is as follows :— 
SECTION OF THE “BETTER BED” SEAM OF COAL, 
LOW MOOR IRON COMPANY’S COLLIERY, 
NEAR BRADFORD, YORKSHIRE. 
Ft. In. 
Shales ... 
Coal (Laminated) eee Pree US CGY : 
Coal... “se Saag 64 Itt, 10m 
Seat Stone (oredepelay) 1 0 
The lustre of the first three and a half inches at the top was 
dull, the remainder, with the exception of a layer half an inch 
