DR. ANGUS SMITH ON PEAT. 335 



dation we may suppose all the woody matter to be removed, 

 leaving no trace of woody structure ; or we may suppose 

 that the lighter oils from the peat carried away in solution 

 some of the heavier hydrocarbons and left them in the 

 earth in masses, or perhaps carried them into hollows 

 where the one evaporated and the other was left. The 

 numerous varieties of the pitch and resin species, including 

 elaterite, may find a similar origin. 



The part soluble in ether was found much softer in the 

 mosses tried than in the peat; there is here therefore a 

 clear proof that some oleaginous substances were either 

 carried off or hardened ; and as it was shown that some of 

 the substances rich in hydrogen may have been removed, 

 we must fix on those most easily carried by water, oils and 

 soft fatty substances. As the peat decays or diminishes 

 in bulk, there will be less power of retaining oily matter, 

 and it will be driven out from want of fine fibrous material 

 to harbour it. 



After concluding that the resinous or pitchy matter of 

 the peat had grown in the plant when fresh, and was not a 

 product of decomposition, it was an easy step to coal; 

 whether a correct one or not is to be learnt. 



In a lecture by Prof. Dawkins we find a short history 

 of the discovery by Prof. Morris of spores and sporangia 

 in coal, with the labours of Mr. Carruthers and Prof. 

 Huxley upon the subject. He says, " There can be no 

 doubt that the bituminous matter of coal is derived nearly 

 altogether from the spores and sporangia of fossil vege- 

 tables allied to the club-moss. And if we come to examine 

 what the character of the club-moss is, we can easily un- 

 derstand how the bituminous material in coal is derived 

 from like objects .... Our bituminous coal derives its 

 bitumen from this altered resinous matter, which was first 

 of all stored up in fruits of that kind, and afterwards 

 altered by the subterranean heat into bitumen, thus form- 



