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EDWARD C. JEFFREY 



samples, which in all cases led to the same conclusion: namely, 

 that spores are a practically unfailing constituent of ordinary coal. 

 The coals of Scania (Triassic) in Sweden have yielded results in 

 harmony with those already described for other countries and con- 

 tinents. Of oriental coals I have, through the courtesy of the 

 United States Bureau of Mines, been able to examine several from 

 Japan and China. These revealed the same unfailing spore content 

 characteristic of other material examined. I have also examined 

 a number of coals from both the Queensland and New South Wales 



Fig. II 



Fig. 12 



coal fields of Australia, which in some cases showed a very high 

 spore content and in all instances contained these bodies. Coals 

 from Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, and Patagonia of various geological 

 periods yielded similar results on microscopic investigation. 



The almost universal presence of quantities of spores in coals 

 is a phenomenon not without significance in connection with our 

 views in regard to the origin of coal substance. In the case of 

 cannels, oilshales, and similar coals, the high spore content is inter- 

 preted on all hands as clear evidence of their formation in open 

 water. In contrast, however, to the views held in regard to the 

 origin of cannels and coals of similar organization are those 

 entertained in regard to the conditions of formation of ordinary 

 bituminous coals. These coals are regarded by the majority of 

 geologists and paleobotanists, both in Europe and in this country, 



