E. W. Binney. 45! 



1 Nearly all the coal seams more or less display evidence of common 

 coal plants, especially Stigmaria, Sigillaria, and Lepidodendra, pul- 

 verulent carbonaceous matter like charcoal, or show woody struc- 

 ture under the microscope. On the other hand, the roofs or 

 strata immediately above the seams of coal nearly always present 

 some evidence of currents of water. Sandstone roofs present 

 exactly such an appearance as a strong current of water flowing 

 over a tract of luxuriant vegetation would now produce, namely, 

 prostrate trees lying in all directions, mingled with sand.' 



1 The black shale roofs indicate even a more quiet and gentle 



flow of water than those composed of lime We find that 



the strong currents of the lower field were not favourable to the 

 formation of thick and numerous seams of coal, but that the 

 tranquil and quiet waters of the middle one were; while the 

 waters of the upper field, although equally quiet and tranquil, 

 having been charged with peroxide of iron and carbonate of lime, 

 were not favourable to the formation of thick and valuable seams.' 



' The occurrence of thick seams of coal lying amidst the most 

 tranquil of aqueous deposits, and the rareness of such seams in 

 the coarse gritstones of the lower field, seem to prove anything 

 but that the vegetable matter now forming coal was drifted into 

 the places where it is found ; else we should expect fully as great 

 if not a greater amount of vegetable matter, where we find evidence 

 of a stronger current.' 



' Wherever the plants grew the strata in which they were found 

 were no doubt deposited from water, and show no evidence of 



having been dry land When the deposits were in a 



plastic state the animals walked across it and left their tracks ; 

 subsequently the sun or air, by desiccating the clay, produced 

 wide tracks, and the water at length returning again filled both 

 the feet marks and cracks, and made a beautiful cast of them in 

 sand.' Mr: Binney describes some in this paper, and others found 

 by himself are described in a paper entitled, ' On some Trails 

 and Holes found in Rocks of the Carboniferous Strata, &c.' 

 ('Mem. Lit. and Phil. Soc.,' vol. for 1852.) 



It has sometimes been stated that Mr. Binney owed his fortune 

 to his knowledge of coal, because he was associated with Mr. 

 Young in the manufacture of paraffin oil, and because he had ob- 



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