BEVAN — ON THE ANTHRACITE-COAL. 
75 
rippling waves of ocean as he rose from his eastern couch, and purpled 
the sea as he sank behind its western waves : the silvery light of the 
crescent moon danced on the wandering surface of the waters, and the 
tremulous sea, " meek as a slave before his lord," silently followed the 
bidding of night's pale queen in this far-off geological epoch ; — but sun 
and moon are alike silent when we question them as to the times and 
seasons at which these " sea-mats " of the Carboniferous Period were 
living things sporting in their beams. Motion entirely fails to convey 
to us any knowledge concerning geological epochs. These epochs are 
written only in the lives of species ; and how long conditions suitable 
for forms of life obtained, is still a question of which even the elements 
for calculation are not yet arrived at. 
ON THE ANTHRy\.CITE-COAL OF SOUTH WALES. 
By Dr. J. P. Bevax, F.G.S. 
There is probably no mineral, of all the many that contribute to 
England's commercial greatness, which is so varied in kind, chemical 
composition, and appearance, as coal ; and an interesting volume 
might be written on the different forms under which it is extracted 
from the earth, under the names of brown-coal, culm, cannel-coal, 
bituminous coal, anthracite, and the like. Next to the bituminous 
coals of Great Britain, the most important are the anthracites or 
stone-coals ; and of these I propose to give a short sketch, especially 
as relates to their development in the coal-basin of South Wales. Of 
their importance commercially there can be no doubt : for, on referring 
to the " Mining Records " published during last year, I find that 
960,500 tons were raised in this basin alone, for the purpose of sup- 
plying 18 blast-furnaces in the counties of Brecon, Glamorgan, and 
Caermarthen. 
The peculiarities of anthracite have been known for a very long 
time j for even old Leland speaks thus of it : — 
" At Llanelthle, a village of Kidwelli Lordship, a vi miles from 
Kidwelli, the Inhabitans digge coles, elles scant in Kidwelli Land. 
Ther be ii manner of thes coles — Ring-coles for smith be blowid and 
waterid — Stone-coles be sometime waterid, but never blowen ; for 
