recently found in the Maremma of Tuscany. 373 



our peats, and that it has probably passed into this state 

 only in consequence of the slow and molecular modifications 

 produced on it by the action of the central heat, the tempe- 

 rature of which, in remote times, manifested itself at the sur- 

 face of the globe much more powerfully and uniformly than 

 in our days, we will perceive that it is sufficient that, in cer- 

 tain countries, the action of subterranean fires should be pi'o- 

 longed more than in others, in order that true coal should 

 be formed in positions hitherto regarded as abnormal. And 

 this is quite conformable to the laws of nature, for we still 

 see, in many countries, and particularly in many parts of 

 Italy, the efiFects of an actively- existing igneous action ; and, 

 to refer to no other than the territory of Maremma, we plainly 

 perceive that it has been severely plutonised in times pretty 

 recent, insomuch that the influence of internal heat is still 

 more sensible there in our times than in any other country. 

 This also appeared from M. Pilla's observations, who, by de- 

 scendino- the pit at Monte Massi, found that the temperature 

 increased with astonishing rapidity. 



It is not, therefore, extraordinary that the territory of Ma- 

 remma should be found, in the time of the miocene era, in 

 the particular conditions wdiich subjected it to a temperature 

 analogous to that of the coal-formation era. It is to this 

 cause, altogether of a local kind, that M. Pilla, along with 

 M. Elie de Beaumont, Savi and Collegno, ascribes the reduc- 

 tion into coal of a combustible which, in other cotemporary 

 deposits, is met with in the state of stipites, lignites, or even 

 of peat. 



The mining of such a repository of combustible matter ought 

 not, therefore, to be more difficult than that of any other 

 coal-mine ; and the probability of success is so much greater 

 from the deposit appearing to be of very considerable extent. 

 It is henceforth with coal as with granite, which at first 

 was believed to be the lowest and most ancient of all the for- 

 mations ; afterwai'ds its emersion was proved to be posterior 

 to the existence of organised beings, and a granite has been 

 found even contemporary with the tertiary epoch. Perhaps 

 the coal of Monte Bamboli is destined to produce a similar 

 revolution in our geological opinions. — {Annates dcs Mines, 

 Quatrieme Serie, tome xii., p. 361.) 



