Coal-Jin ding. 645 



bean goose of Bewick). The former breeds in different lo- 

 calities of Northern Germany ; e. g. on the Lake of Badez, in 

 the duchy of Anhalt Zerbst, where M. Pannier of Zerbst 

 has observed them for the last thirty years. This species 

 commonly arrives about the beginning of March, in little 

 flocks, and migrates to the south in August. During the 

 winter, it has been observed on the lakes of Switzerland. 

 Pennant says that, when taken young, these geese are easily 

 made tame; and they will even breed, and become quite 

 domesticated, as proved by an instance at Sandersleben, in 

 Zerbst, where M. Mathei has kept and reared many for the 

 last twenty years. They yield, when paired with the tame 

 goose, hybrids that are capable of propagating their variety: 

 but a tame gander can more easily be associated with a wild- 

 goose than vice versa. It is probable that the tame goose has 

 originated from this species. The second species of wild- 

 goose that is found in Germany does not breed there. It 

 arrives with the beginning of wintry weather, often as early as 

 October, in large flocks, alighting in the corn fields to feed 

 upon the green blade ; and, if the winter is mild, stays till 

 March ; if not, migrates farther to the south. It passes the 

 nights on the ice of lakes and swamps, where sometimes thou- 

 sands of oval-shaped depressions may be found together, 

 caused by the heat of the birds. Those that have been 

 caught old have never bred in captivity. — W, Weissenbom. 

 Weimar, July 18. 1837. 



Coal-Jinding. — In the mysterious business of coal-finding, 

 we are warranted in making any reasonable experiments 

 which may lead to a recovery of the range of the whole series 

 of coal-measures, and in drawing inferences for our guidance 

 in the choice of places of trial, from the most remote pheno- 

 mena which seem to favour our purpose; for the seemingly 

 abrupt terminations of some of our coalfields are certainly the 

 most difficult problems in geology. Here, the practical man, 

 with a vast field of experience by the side of him, is at a loss 

 how to proceed. What, therefore, has he to do but to seek 

 out all the analogous cases, and, even if not strictly analogous, 

 to learn, if he can, by the known the way to the unknown. 



Now, there ai*e certain partial interruptions to the regular 

 courses of the coal-beds in the great northern run of the coal- 

 measures which extends through Derbyshire and Yorkshire, 

 which may help to elucidate the mysteries at the two extre- 

 mities of that long coal district, and to satisfy us whether they 

 really are terminations, or only great and unusual deflections 

 in the ranges of those strata, deeply hidden and unexplored, 

 and which, better known (perhaps only by experiment), mav 



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