Dr. J. W. Dawson on Sjjore-cases in Coals. 321 



XL. — On Spore-cases in Coals. 

 By J. W. Dawson, LL.D., F.R.S.* 



When I was in London last spring, Prof. Huxley was kind 

 enough to show me some remarkably beautiful slices of coal 

 mounted by his assistant, Mr. Newton, and showing with great 

 distinctness multitudes of spore-cases and spores, some of them 

 very well preserved. He further stated to me his belief that 

 such material had been largely or mainly instrumental in the 

 production of coal. At the time I declined to accept this conclu- 

 sion, on the ground that the specimens probably represented 

 layers of coal exceptionally rich in spore-cases, and that even 

 in these specimens a large quantity of matter was present which 

 long experience in the examination of coals enabled me to re- 

 cognize as cortical or epidermal matter, which I had previously 

 shown, by my examination of the coals of Nova Scotia, to be 

 the principal ingredient in ordinary coal. I promised, how- 

 ever, on my return to Canada, to look over my series of pre- 

 parations of coal, with a view to the occunrence of spore-CAses, 

 and also to make trial of the somewhat improved method of 

 preparation employed by Mr. Newton, On my return I gave 

 the results of my examination to Prof. Huxley in a letter 

 quoted by him in the brilliant exposition of his observations 

 and conclusions in the ^ Contemporary Review' for November f, 

 which will probably give a tone to the representations of 

 popular writers on this subject for some time. While, however, 

 admitting the great interest and importance of Prof. Huxley's 

 observations, and prepared to contribute some additional illus- 

 trations of the occurrence of spore-cases in coal, I think it well 

 to direct attention anew to the actual composition of the sub- 

 stance, as proved by its mode of occurrence, and illustrated by 

 my own extensive series of observations on the coals of Nova 

 Scotia and Cape Breton, including the series of eighty-one 

 seams exposed at the South Joggins, the whole of which I 

 have examined in situ and under the microscope. 



The occurrence of bodies supposed to be spore-cases in coal 

 is, as Prof. Pluxley states, no new discovery, but in reality 

 these may be said to be the first organisms recognized by any 

 microscopic observer of coal — that is, if all the clear spots and 

 annular bodies seen in slices of coal are really spore-cases. 

 They were noticed by Morris as early as 1836, and they had 

 been observed and described long before by Fleming in Scot- 



* From ' Sillimaii's American Jom'nal,' April 1871. 

 t In tlie quotation the word " cubical " has been substituted for 

 " cortical." 



