— 183 — 
This fossil isa very near relative of Mesosaurus tenuidens, Ger- 
vais, from the Lower Karroo, or Ecca series of South Africa. 
Farther north in the state of Sio Paulo, Mesosaurus is replaced by 
Stereosternum tumidum, Cope, the remains of which abound in the 
black shales and limy beds occurring inthe Iraty zoneof that state. 
Frequently the petroleun in the Iraty shale has been oxidized into a 
substance (Albertite?) resem}ling coal as exhibited on the fazenda of 
Col. Antonio Ribeiro dos Santos, 13 kilometers north-westward from 
Lages in Santa Catharina, where the supposed «coal» occurs in narrow 
vertical fissures in the black shale. 
At Limeirain the state of Sao Paulo, this material has been trans- 
formed into natural coke by the heat of the eruptive rocks (diabase) 
which flowed over it in a molten condition, metamorphosing the 
oxydized petroleum or (Albertite ?) into coke. 
The following analyses of the shale, (Albertite ?) coke, etc., 
exhibit the chemical constitution of the same: 
I I[ II 
Moistuve < 2-40 0 @ wee oY we Soe HB BeOS = 3.95 0.35 1.58 
Volutile Malter. « 2 «© «© «© % # = & * @ & © =» 4s 19.40 4A 15 5.30 
Fixed: Carboy: 3 4 owe et we 8.91 57.33 76.27 
Wshhe Gy ed lot bes bree ee ae BE BS a ASR ee GL Pe 67.74 4.17 16,37 
100.00] 100.00) 99.57 
5.68 16.00 2.09 
Sulphur . $ ew ee A ge eh ees 
Phespiewus 2 4 © & # Carr sto ar ey ae 0.06 0.01 _ 
Carbon. . . 2. + 6 « ae a oe ee ee ee 16.36} 68,19 
Hydrogen. . . : ar Ts : “ea Ms 3.67 7.22 
Oxygen . 2. + s+ . 7 a ee ee 8.22 5.904 
Nitrogen . 6 © 6 @ ee we ua ee a oe 0,50 4.54 
Sulphur . 6. 6. 2 8 ee ee Soy Sat a wg 3.54 16.00 
Ash. . ad Hod say at, prbus) Lins oes ae a ee ee 67.74 1.17 
100,00} 400.00 
Petrolono. «© «© « * ® « © © © © © @ © # © » 8 7.30 4,44 
Asphaltine . ee OR eh ee Bh eee meee 
Non bituminous organic matter . . « - ee ae ee 24. a) 
ISH. we ORS GR Re eR Oe we 67.74 1.17 
100,00] 100,00 
i _ 14567 
B. T. U. Calorimeter. 2. 2. 2. . 2 es eng. 38, Se 1 
B. T. U. Calculated. 2. 6 6 8 ee ee ee 14483 
I. Iraty black shale from shaft near Bella Vista, Rio Grande do Sul. 
II. (Albertite?) from lraty black shale near Lages, Santa Catharina. 
Ill. Natural coke from Iraty black shale horizon, near Limeira, S. Paulo. 
