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short and crisp. At all times, it is easily to be separated into very 
thin laminae, or splinters ; especially if it lie exposed any time to the 
heat of the sun ; which, like the fire, makes it crackle, separate, and 
fall to pieces. 
“ The texture of this fossil consists of a number of laminEe, or 
very thin plates, lying upon each other horizontally, in which small 
protuberances sometimes appear, like the knots of trees ; but, upon 
examination, they are only mineral nuclei, which occasion this in- 
terruption in the course of the laminae; and pieces of spar have 
been sometimes found in the middle of this wood coal. Though 
the texture of this coal is laminated, yet it does not appear to have 
any of those fibrous intersections, which are observed in the grains 
of all wood. This coal easily breaks transversely, and the sepa- 
rated parts, instead of being rugged and uneven, are generally 
smooth and shining, in which even the course of the lamin® is 
hardly discernible. 
“ When this coal is put into the fire, it crackles, and separates 
into laminte, as the cannel-coal does into irregular pieces ; burns for 
some time with a heavy flame ; becomes red hot, and gradually 
consumes to light white ashes. Though the transverse crevices, 
made in it by the fire, give it the external appearance of a wooden 
brand, yet, if quenched when red hot, the unconsumed part does 
not look like charcoal, but seems to be almost as smooth and solid 
as when first put into the fire. 
“ The thick heavy smoke, which arises from this coal when burnt, 
is very foetid and disagreeable ; entirely different from that aromatic 
scent of the bituminous loam, which is found adhering to it ; but 
much resembling that of the asphaltum or the bitumen of the Dead 
Sea. The most shining and solid pieces of this coal have not the 
least degree of electrical attraction.” 
Notwithstanding the resemblance, which this fossil bears to 
wood, especially when viewed in detached pieces ; yet the Doctor 
