recently found in the Maremma of Tuscany. 371 



the fitness of this combustible for steam-boats. According 

 to trials made in the packet-boats, Eurotas, Captain Lescau- 

 da, and in the Lycm'gus, Captain Lavasseur, as well as those 

 made in an establishment of steam-mills at Livorno, it appears 

 that the coal of Monte Bamboli possesses all the properties 

 of true coal; and that, whether with regard to its calorific power, 

 the manner in which it kindles and burns, or the quantity of 

 steam it produces in a given time, this coal bears comparison 

 with the English coals of middling quality, and may conve- 

 niently supply the wants of navigation. Almost all who have 

 made trial of it bear testimony to its good quality, finding only 

 a single fault, that of running together a little, and leaving 

 much cinder ; but at the same time they express the opinion 

 that grates of larger size than usual may greatly favour its 

 combustion, especially when the workmen have learned to 

 dig it out in large pieces, and when a regular system of min- 

 ing will allow them to separate the parts of the roof and the 

 slaty veins which were mingled with the coal furnished for 

 these trials. 



The learned Professor concludes from all this, that the 

 substance found at Monte Bamboli is a true coal ; which, in- 

 deed, had been previously determined by other disting-uished 

 geologists, such as M. Paolo Savi,* and M. de Collegno.t 



But although the combustible of Monte Bamboli ofi'ers no 

 diflPerence, mineralogically speaking, from the English coals, 

 its geological relations are essentially different. The car- 

 boniferous beds of the Maremma evidently belong to the sedi- 

 mentary formations, and more especially to the miochie for- 

 mation. 



What is remarkable, is the analogy which exists between 

 this formation and the true coal-formation, such as it appears 

 in England ; for not only is the identity of the rocks, their 

 structure and disposition striking, but the analogy of their 

 origin is unquestionable. In the English formations we per- 

 ceive a mixture of marine and fresh-water shells, and the re- 

 mains of terrestrial vegetation ; here we likeviise find marine 

 fossils (^psammobia, buccinum, mytilus, ostred) and fresh-water 



* Meraoria per Bcrvire alio studio della costituzione fisica Jella Toscana, 

 p. 119. 



t Siur le metamorphisniu dcs roches dc Sediment, p. IS). 



