370 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



process proceeded, were pounded into small spaces, when eventu- 

 ally tliey died, and were buried.^ The character of the channel 

 and its accumulations would appear to suggest such conclusions ; 

 as the form is so similar to those in our flow-bogs or sloughs, 

 while the steps (troubles) in the floor of the coal are similar 

 to those under such peaty accumulations. Moreover, all of the 

 channel accumulations are, for the most part, sedimentary, except 

 perhaps the Bottle coal. This coal is peculiar ; its name having 

 arisen from the great similarity, both as to appearance and frac- 

 ture, between it and bottle glass. Its origin is puzzling ; as al- 

 though in some places it appears in mass, in others it is mixed 

 up irregularly with the members of the regular stratified accumu- 

 lations ; and nowhere, as far as I could see, has it a lining struc- 

 ture to suggest that it was either a sedimentary deposit or due to 

 the annual growth and decay of vegetation.^ 



At the time Mr. Meadows published his classification of the 

 Leinster coals, he endeavoured to frame a scheme of correlation 

 between them and those of the Tipperary or East Munster coal- 

 field ; but a comparison between the Sections 1 and 2, Plate XIY., 

 demonstrates how fruitless any such attempt must be. 



On examining the different published records of the Tipperary 

 field, it will be seen that all coals, no matter how valueless, are given 

 a place and a name — thus giving them an undeserved value. 

 While, on the other hand, in all the records of the Leinster field, 

 more or less of the minor coals are left out, although they are just 

 as important and continuous as the minor coals in the Tipperary 

 field. This, therefore, is a unique feature in Section 2, PL XIY., 

 as in it all the minor or Crow coals that are continuous, being 

 recorded in the different sections of pits and bore-holes, are given 

 in their proper places. This appears expedient, as they are very 

 valuable indications to the colliers as to the depth at which they 

 will probably find the different coals which they overlie. 



I would here again specially mention, as has already been done 



^ The above seems to be now the general idea in reference to the Jarrow Channel ; 

 as I have heard very similar notions expressed by Messrs. Edge, Meadows, and Dobbs. 



^ It has somewhat the appearance of a chemically formed, or partly chemically 

 formed, rock. This, however, may have been induced by the"' metamorphic action 

 that has more or less changed the rocks of these and the majority of the Irish 

 Coal Measures. 



