706 Transactions of tee American Institute. 



flame. It contains some sulphiirets. It can be mined very easily, T)nt 

 artificial roofs must be made for these mines. As it is near the shore, 

 boats can be brought quite near it to load. This lignite is more modern 

 than the Pennsylvania coal, and probably belongs to the age of rep- 

 tiles, many of their tracks have been found in the Triasic roc;ks. 

 How is it that we cannot find any of the bones of the animals that 

 we suppose have made them ? Only parts of skeletons, with short 

 arms and long claws have been discovered, and the tracks alluded to 

 would seem to be made by them. The long legs denote them to be 

 of the warm-blooded species. The legs of these animals, it would 

 seem, were about eigliteen inches long ; thej had two feet, with a 

 trail behind. ISTearly perfect skeletons have been found in Kew 

 Jersey. Yet much larger ones have been foimd in Colorado terri- 

 tory, being there some thirty-four feet long. This coal came into 

 existence simultaneously with or just after the great reptilian period. 



Fossil Yertebka of a great "Whale. 



A fossil bone was exhibited, concerning which the chairman said 

 that it "measures two and a quarter feet in circumference, and is a 

 portion of the great skeleton lying in a branch of the Tar river, Korth 

 Carolina, at a point a few miles south of Enfield, Halifax county, 

 where it has been used for many years as a foot bridge across the 

 stream. The specimen shown was presented to the American Insti- 

 tute by the Rev. Wra. H. Ivnapp, upon whose farm most of the 

 skeleton now lies, and who states that its length is two hundred and 

 forty feet. The specimen has been examined by Mr. Waterhouse 

 Hawkins, who pronounced it to be the vertebra of a whale of 

 enormous size, and further ventured to express the opinion that all 

 the organic remains found extending over a length of two hundred 

 and forty feet did not belong to one animal, although only a personal 

 examination of the locality would enable him to speak decidedly on 

 the point. On being asked whether it might not be the skeleton of a 

 member of the saurian or lizard species, he replied in the negative, 

 inasmuch as the bone bears marks of having belonged to one of the 

 mammalia." 



New Emery "Wheel. 



Dr. "Warren Rowell presented a new emery wheel, made of glue 

 and emery, formed in a mold. Before the emery is quite dry, it is 

 taken out of the mold and dried, which requires about a month. The 

 wheel is sharpened with a damp sponge. 



