W. M. Fontaine — Conglomerate Series of West Virginia. 377 



in the upper Devonian of the Alleghany region on the east 

 border of the basin. In this upper Devonian we find abun- 

 dant red shales, which in physical character cannot be distin- 

 guished from those of the Umbral. None such are found in 

 the Cincinnati anticlinal on the west border. It would also 

 seem from what has been given above, that the quarter from 

 which the greatest part of the sediment came, was the east, 

 while the coals grew from the west. 



If we may draw any conclusions from the data given above, 

 we may believe that the coal-bearing rocks accompanying the 

 conglomerate were formed in a comparatively restricted basin, 

 which commenced in the northeast corner of Alabama, and 

 extended as far northeast as Randolph County, West Virginia. 

 Its deepest part was probably along a northeast line which 

 passes east of the Cumberland Mountains, and crosses New 

 River near the center of Raleigh County. The strata occupy- 

 ing the interval between the Devonian and the lowest of the 

 "Lower Productive Coals" are on New River in this region at 

 it the forma 



the 



deepest part of the depression. 



As to the character of the coal found on New River, in the 

 series in question, it is a semi-bituminous coal, a fair example 

 of which may be found in the seam mined and coked at Quin- 

 nimont. An analysis of this seam furnished me by Mr. Morris, 

 shows the fol owing : Carbon 75-89 ; vol. matter 18-19; ash 4-98 : 

 water -74 The coke contains: Carbon 98-85 ; ash 6-15 ; sulphur 

 •23. This small amount of bituminous matter is noteworthy 

 when we consider the undisturbed condition of the coal beds. 

 This disturbance is no greater than that found in the highly 

 bituminous coals of later age in other parts of the State. We 

 must explain this loss of volatile matter in some other way 

 than by mechanical action. 



Plants. — There are onlv two horizons which have yielded me 

 phmts. These are the Quinnimont coal seam, or coal No. 9, 

 and coal No. 5, or No. 14 of the Piney River section. At the 

 locality which I shall give as horizon of coal 5, Quinnimont, this 

 coal bed does not show, owing to the imperfect exposure, but 

 the shales containing the plants occur at the horizon of coal 5. 



I cannot pretend to have made anything like an exhaustive 

 search for plants, even at these horizons. "l made my explora- 

 tions on foot, armed only with a small hammer and satchel as 

 the implements for procuring and transporting specimens. On 



