128 
so tlie yellow matter in the coal may probably be 
changed into paraffine by the heat employed in distillation. 
Dr. Schorleimer, F.E.S., Avho has been so kind as to 
examine the microspores found in the Muiredge splint coal, 
is of opinion that they are not composed of paraffine, but 
some other hydrocarbon. This may, therefore, change into 
paraffine by the application of heat in a similar way to what 
the yellow matter in Boghead coal does. 
The macrospores are about 320 times the size of the 
microspores and constituted the germinating spores, while 
the microspores were the fertilizing agents, both having 
been contained in one cone. 
Several specimens of fine bright soft coal, between 2 and 
3 inches in thickness, taken from the outsides of Sigillaria 
and other fossil trees, were exhibited. In these there was 
no appearance of charcoal, spores, or vegetable structure, 
and in every respect they resembled the black shining 
parts of soft cherry and caking coals, which generally 
afford no distinct traces of vegetable structure. Hence 
from his observations he was led to conclude that soft or 
cherry coal was chiefly composed of the bark, cellular tissue, 
and vascular cylinders of coal plants with some macrospores 
and microspores. 
That caking coal had much the same 'composition, except 
that it contained a greater proportion of bark in it. 
That splint coal had a nearly similar composition, but 
with a great excess of macrospores. 
That cannel coal, especiaJly that yielding a brown streak, 
was formed of the remains of different portions of plants 
with a great excess of microspores, which had long been 
macerated in water. 
These conclusions were arrived at merely as to the com- 
position of the different kinds of coal. No doubt each seam 
would be materially affected by the nature of the roof, 
whether the latter was an open sandstone or a close and air- 
