DR. ANGUS SMITH ON PEAT. 28] 



XXXVIII. A Study of Peat. —Part I. 

 Bv R. Angus Smith, Ph.D., F.R.S., F.C.S., &c. 



Read March 30th, 1875. 



When living for a short time on the edge of a peat-bog at 

 Loch Etive, and speculating on its age and the possibility 

 of learning from its thickness and condition the era of 

 some remnants of human industrial efforts, I came to the 

 following conclusions, published by the Society of Anti- 

 quaries in Scotland in 1870-71. 



Before quoting myself, I may remind the Society that 

 Mr. Binney had long ago brought forward to this Society 

 some interesting observations concerning peat. He men- 

 tioned specially two examples, described to the Geological 

 Society of Manchester (Trans, vol, iii. i860) : — the first at 

 Down Holland, near Ormskirk, giving out an oily liquid ; 

 and the second, with a brittle conchoidal fracture, bright as 

 pitch, and giving no flame on burning, called "jelly peat/' 

 He traced its analogies with coal, and gave a theory of its 

 formation. I cannot remember any thing very new in 

 relation to peat since that time, although a great deal has 

 been written as to its economic worth and management. 

 A few years ago I began to form some opinions, of which 

 I may give the origin. 



Age and Growth of Peat*. 



" Near the point we now are, the road divides into two : 

 one line goes straight forward to Connel Ferry ; the other 

 leads along the hill-side to Ardchattan up Loch Etive. 

 The plain between this and the Loch is a moss, called by 

 Dr. Wilson the Black Moss. On pages 91 and 106 of his 



* Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. ix. 

 SER. III. VOL. V. U 



