NATURAL HISTORY. 
from Teignmouth and Exeter. We may next no- 
tice the Peat, which occurs to a considerable extent 
im many parts of this formation, and is used as fuel 
in the neighbourhood—it occupies beds often of 
considerable extent, from 5 or 6 feet, to 50 or more, 
It may be considered as a congeries of vegetable 
matter, im which the remains of organization are 
more or less visible—the long stringy fibres of the 
Sphagna and other bog mosses, form the principal 
portion of that within our limits ; it increases an- 
nually, often to the thickness of many inches; in 
some of the deeper part of the bogs on Hightor and 
the neighbouring Downs, it is occasionally found, 
enclosing portions of the trunks and branches of fir, 
birch, alder and hazel; as well as leaves, hazel 
nuts, fir cones, &c. Peat when of good quality is 
tolerably compact, and cuts into solid masses— 
when inferior, which is generally in proportion as 
you approach the surface, it shews a considerable 
degree of elasticity and resistance to the spade. 
There are immense deposits on Dartmoor, especially 
inthebed of Cranmere pool, the source of mostofour 
Devonshire streams, of a black, compact, and very 
superior quality, but it has never been made avail 
able to any extent beyond supplying the scanty 
population of the district with fuel, for which pur- 
pose, it is cut in square junks of 8 or 9 inches during 
the summer months, and after standing some weeks 
en the surface to dry, is taken to the Homestead 
and usually stacked. Porcelain Clay—small runs 
of this occur at Spitehwick, Horridge, and one or 
