Fossil Coal Plant. 375 



The clear watery solution which had separated from the ether, 

 contained an excess of the nitrite of silver, and gave with a hy- 

 pochlorite, no evidence of the presence of aniline. The brown 

 color and altered character of the phenol in this experiment, were 

 probably due to the action of the silver salt at a high tempera- 

 ture, which, like the nitrate in similar circumstances, seems to be 

 partially reduced. 



The reaction between an alkalamid and a nitrite, is one which 

 results in the production of a new saline genus in place of the 

 nitrite, and the formation of a new amid or an anhydrid amid and 

 water, for I have shown both from the decomposition of the 

 nitrite of ammonia, and from its atomic volume, that gaseous 

 nitrogen may be regarded as an anhydrid amid, represented by 

 NX.* The proper amid of nitrous acid, (NHO ? ,NH 3 ) - H 2 = 

 N a H 2 O is, like carbonic acid, decomposed at the moment of its 

 liberation into an anhydrid and water. 



As my official duties call me immediately to the field, I am 

 unable to follow out farther these researches upon the alkaloids, 

 but give my results, hoping that some other person may find 

 time and inclination to pursue the investigation. 



Montreal, May 29th, 1849. 



Art. XXVIII. — Description of a Coal Plant supposed to be new; 



by Charles Whittlesey, Esq., of Cleaveland, Ohio. 



I send herewith the sketch of a coal fossil made by Mr. Jehu 

 Brainard. an artist of this city, which is so singular and ele- 

 gant as to merit attention, and so far as my limited knowledge 

 of pakeontology extends, is not found in the books. 



It was first "observed by my brother, the Rev. S. H. Whit- 

 tlesey, about four years ago in the falling roof of the " Chesnut 

 Ridge" coal mine, discovered and opened by us in 1845, and 

 which is situated one mile and a quarter northwest by north from 

 the centre of Tallmadge, Summit County, Ohio. 



It is there called "the flower," and has a striking general re- 

 semblance to one, but has no botanical resemblance to flowers or 

 other parts of fructification. 



If this was originally an open pod, whether a flower or not, 

 there should have been seen among several hundred specimens 

 that I have examined, evidences of a circular or oval opening at 

 the edge or apex of the figure. These edges could not always 

 have been pressed together symmetrically so as exactly to cover 

 each other, and if there were two surfaces with interior organs 



See this Journal for May, 1848, p. *W, and for September, 1848, p. 172. 



