73 
Kentucky,” in which he described a number of observations 
which he had recently made in the vicinity of Mount Vernon 
and Livingstone. This account will be found in the Annals, 
Volo xi-No.d: 
November 8d, 1878. Business Meeting. 
Dr. B. N. Martin in the chair; thirteen persons present. 
After the transaction of ordinary routine business, Prof. D. 
S. Martin reported progress in the matter of preparing a 
memorial to the Secretary of the Navy, recommending the 
appointment of one or more naturalists to accompany the 
Trans}t Expedition to the stations in the Southern Hemisphere. 
Dr. R. P. STEVENS described some observations made by 
himself, upon the so-called “carbonite,” or “ natural coke,” 
of Richmond, Virginia, which is associated with the Triassic 
coal, in some portions of the field that lie north of the James 
river. The theory generally held in regard to the genesis of 
this singular material, and which originated with Prof. Wm. 
D. Rogers, ascribes it to an alteration of the coal by a trap- 
dyke, stretching over and across it, at or near this point. No 
such dyke, however, can be detected in any section or shaft. 
No rock in the series is changed ; the fossiliferous roof-shale, 
between the coal-seam and the supposed overlying trap, 
shows no signs of alteration, even when resting on the coke. 
Moreover, the seam in which the coke occurs, which is some 
eight feet thick, is full of alternations ; sometimes it is coke all 
through, sometimes coke and coal interlaminated, sometimes 
coke above and coal below, or vice versd, and sometimes the 
seam runs out, the shale coming down and cutting it out. 
It seems hardly possible, especially in the absence of any 
observable dyke, to retain this hypothesis longer. Some 
other explanation of the change must be scught. It may 
possibly be found in the decomposition of sulphides in the 
vein itself. 
