796 



SCIENCE. 



[N.S. V0L.XXIL No. 572. 



that rock fissures had been opened could not 

 be regarded as resting upon a valid basis. 



Observation has shown that in the salt 

 marsh lands of the coast the underlying 

 portions of the sod are continually under- 

 going decay with the formation of large 

 quantities of sulphuretted hydrogen, with 

 which there must also be associated cer- 

 tain amounts of the light carburetted and 

 possibly also of the phosphuretted hydrogen. 

 Personal experience has shown that such gas^s 

 are stored in the decaying turf in large quan- 

 tities, being often held in pockets, so that 

 when the turf is cut they may escape in such 

 volume as to drive one away for the time. 

 It is also known that any decaying vegetation 

 will produce similar results, and two explana- 

 tions were, therefore, suggested as offering a 

 solution of the problem: (1) that there was 

 an area of buried marsh such as is known to 

 exist in places along the coast, and that its 

 decay had given rise to combustible gases; 

 (2) that the accumulations of organic debris 

 in the formation of the beach had been pro- 

 ductive of the results observed. 



That one or both of these causes would 

 offer an adequate explanation was adopted as 

 a tentative hypothesis, and an examination of 

 the beach was proceeded with. It was found 

 that the superficial layer to a depth of about 

 one inch, consisted of freshly washed sand 

 with which there were mingled fragments of 

 marine plants and even fragments of land 

 plants. Successive accumulations are thus 

 transferred from the superficial layer to that 

 below, which was found to be about six inches 

 in thickness, and to consist of sand filled with 

 all sorts of organic debris, including marine 

 plants, fragments of wood and bones. More- 

 over, this layer was perfectly black, and when 

 washed it exhibited very small, carbonized 

 fragments of zostera and other marine plants, 

 fragments of wood with a distinct surface 

 charring, and bones of animals, the surface 

 of which was like ebony. Below this layer 

 there was a deposit of beach pebbles mingled 

 with sand, and as this formation continued 

 to the limits which it was possible to reach 

 with the implements at hand — about two feet 



— the conclusion was reached that such was 

 the lower construction of the beach and that 

 no buried marsh was present. This naturally 

 led to the final conclusion that the six-inch 

 layer, rich in organic matter, was entirely 

 responsible for the production of inflammable 

 gases which had been accumulated there until 

 favorable conditions for their release were 

 presented. 



An explanation of the spontaneous combus- 

 tion of these gases is not difiicult. The light 

 carburetted and the phosphuretted hydrogen 

 are well known to ignite spontaneously wher- 

 ever produced in marsh lands, thus giving rise 

 to the well-known ' will-o'-the-wisp,' ' Jack-o'- 

 lantern ' and the ignis fatuus, ' corpse candle,' 

 etc., which are well known to the folk-lore of 

 England. That sulphuretted hydrogen was 

 also present has been abundantly shown, and 

 since this would naturally be set on fire by the 

 other gases, it is possible to reach a complete 

 explanation of a phenomenon which must have 

 occurred at more or less frequent intervals in 

 the past, though escaping observation through 

 lack of combination in those circumstances 

 which would bring it under direct notice. 

 It would seem, however, that the possibility of 

 such combiistion on a rather large scale offers 

 a most reasonable explanation of many forest 

 fires, the origin of which it has hitherto been 

 impossible to account for in a satisfactory 

 manner. j^ ^ Penhallow. 



BOTAKICAI, LaBOKATOEY, 



McGiLL Univeesity, 

 November 17, 1905. 



' THE COLLAPSE OF EVOLUTION.' 



To THE Editor of Science : One of your 

 correspondents, two months or so ago, sent you 

 an outline of an argumelit against the doc- 

 trine of evolution delivered as an address by 

 Rev. L. T. Townsend, professor emeritus in the 

 theological department of Boston University. 

 The paper may now be had as a separate.^ 

 This pamphlet contains so much in the way of 

 new and surprising information, that it is 



^ Bible League, Credo Series, No. 2, National 

 Magazine Co., Boston and American Bible League, 

 82 Bible House, N. Y. 



