90 Correspondence — Riisticus expectans. 



lecturer's part. It may be so witli other people too. I cannot think 

 it is with Prof. Huxley, for the lecture on coal given by him at 

 Bradford, December 28, 1869, as reported in "Scientific Opinion," 

 is one of the best lectures I ever read, — unpretending, clear, simple, 

 comprehensive, and indeed perfect ; and, however full of information 

 on coal and coal-spores it may be, it does not break out into any 

 wild notion of universal spore-coal, nor supply anj^ jack-o-lantern 

 lights of false science. Nor do I see any symptoms of this spore- 

 madness in Messrs, Morris and Carruthers, if I have read their 

 writings aright. They and their fellow- workers have long ago told 

 us what kind of plants bore the spores that are found here and there 

 in the coal ; and they must indeed feel glad to find that the lecturer 

 assures us that he thinks it is not at all difficult to trace some 

 analogy of the extinct Lycopods with a living order of vegetation ! 



Do tell me, Mr. Editor, how far I may go in for the coal-bitumen 

 and the coal-spore doctrines in my geological conversations next 

 year, when, as usual, I intend to turn over a new leaf; indeed, I 

 think, quite a new branch of anthracology ! 



Mr. Dawkins has given us the spores of his new theory ; but he 

 cuts away the roots of Lepidodendron and the leaves of Sigillaria. 

 Am I to lay aside the teachings of Dawson and others, and, after 

 reading Dr. Hooker's memoirs of 184:8, omit everything till I come 

 to Mr. Carruthers's late excellent papers, and Prof. Huxley's and 

 Dawkins's lectures, with the chapter on coal in Lyell's " Elements " 

 for my entremets'^ If so, I fear I may get the spore-fever too ! 



Dear Mr. Editor, there are other geological troubles in my mind- 

 life. "What am I to do about fliints ? I will not make a resume of 

 my " Phases of Faith " in Silicification. They might be as heterodox 

 as other people's "Phases." Let me say, however, that I did not 

 heartily believe in Ehrenberg's dissolution of Diatoms for the 

 making of flint. I thought that the decomposed felspars and the 

 many mineral springs would do as well ; and I did not believe that 

 the silex ever stuck round a sponge like glue on an apprentice's 

 fingers. I did think there had been a pseudomorphism of silex 

 after carbonate of lime in every limestone, even on the sides of joints 

 in chalk ; and I hoped for some good experiments to back up my 

 fancy. But now I am driven back to the dissolution of diatoms 

 and siliceous spicules, with regenerated silex, where never a diatom 

 nor sponge need have been, just because the zoologists have found 

 plenty of diatoms, polycystines, and siliceous sponges in what \hej 

 are pleased to call the " Chalk-mud " of the deep Atlantic ! Further, 

 I am told to believe that Toulmin Smith's membranous Ventriculites 

 were once siliceous, but gave up their hypothetical silica in the 

 muddy chalk, to suit, I suppose, the last new idea that zoologists, 

 thinking to benefit geology, have brought up with the sounding-lead ! 

 What a uniform consentaneous sacrifice the Ventriculites must have 

 made ; as neatly plundered of their supposititious silica as the French 

 villas are cleared of lamps and pianos by the Prussians. 



The diatom-mania has led us before now through Salpas and 

 Whales' coprolites, to full-grown flints ! And with this warning 



