34 



tata, Ok his laceia, Orobanclie uniflora, Orontium aquaticuni, 

 Polygala viridescens, Polygala sanguinea, Quercus falcata, 

 Ranunculus reptans, Sarothra gentianoides, Sparganium sim- 

 plex, Sparganium natans, Stellaria palustris, Heteranthera 

 reniformis, Helianthus struraosus. 



T. R. Beck read a communication on the bituminous coal 

 of Tioga, (Pennsylvania.) 



A quantity of this mineral was received in January, 1825, 

 from Mr. William De Zeng, of Geneva, with the following 

 account of its topographical situation. 



" It is found at and near the south branch of the Tioga 

 river, in the town of Covington, Wayne county, Pennsylva- 

 nia, and about thirty miles south from" Painted Post, and fifty 

 miles south west from Elmira, (both in Tioga county,) in the 

 state of New-York, following the course of the river. It was 

 first discovered about the year 1796, by a Mr. Benjamin Pat- 

 terson, while crossing the country with a party of German 

 emigrants. In the course of a hunting excursion, he found 

 the coal on the top of a hill, where the wind had blown over 

 trees by the roots." 



Though the existence of this coal w r as thus known for years 

 in the vicinity, yet the abundance of wood throughout the 

 surrounding country, and the want of a good navigable con- 

 veyance to distant markets, had hitherto prevented much at- 

 tention to it. Blacksmiths near the spot have however used 

 it with success for some time. 



The colour of the Tioga coal is velvet black, and its lus- 

 tre shining. It is soft and easily frangible, soiling the fingers. 

 Indeed, in external appearance, it is difficult to distinguish it 

 from what is generally styled Liverpool coal.* 



The experiments on its specific gravity and constituents, 

 which were merely approximations, showed a striking simi- 

 larity between it and the best kinds of British coal. 



An ounce in powder was put into an iron retort, and the 

 heat of a portable furnace applied. Gas .soon appeared which 

 had the peculiar smell of carburetted hydrogen, when obtain- 

 ed from bituminous coal, although there was less of petroleum 

 floating on the surface than is usually observed. When two 

 gallons were obtained, the process was stopped. Having been 

 passed through water only, it was of course not pure, but it 

 burnt with a yellow flame, occasionally mixed with blue. 

 When washed with lime water, the flame could not be distin- 

 guished from that of carburetted hvdrogen, made in the com- 



