The Origin oi Bitumen — Morgan 49 
ordinary condition. An examination of the natural deposits, 
however, generally indicates the improbability of a pre- 
viously highly heated state and in some instances even the 
impossibility of such a condition. We cannot assume the 
existence of conditions generally prevalent within the earth 
which may be considered to duplicate those required in the 
artificial production of bitumens. Quite the contrary the 
burden of proof rests upon him that would maintain that 
the laboratory apparatus and its conditions are not in all 
probability extremely unlike natural conditions. 
Under these circumstances much time and thought 
have been expended in the endeavor to ascertain whether 
unquestioned evidence could not be obtained to show from 
what kind of matter natural deposits have been derived. 
Hence many natural deposits have been carefully studied, 
and while many things point to one origin or another, the 
evidence can hardly be considered as conclusive. Thus 
Wall pronounced the celebrated "pitch lake" of Trinidad to 
be of vegetable origin because of remains of vegetation in 
all stages of change present in the pitch. Jones found in 
the same pitch unquestionable animal remains ; hence such 
an origin is at least not improbable. Later Richardson 
examined the "lake" and concluded that it was of inorganic 
origin. 
Fraas observed petroleum oozing from a coral reef in 
the Red Sea and concluded that the coral polyps are to- 
day being changed into bitumen. Binney noticed the same 
phenomenon about a peat bog in England and concluded 
that the peat is being decomposed at the present time into 
petroleum. Both of these are isolated instances. No other 
known coral reefs or peat bogs show evidence of similar 
changes although conditions seem to be identical. Neither 
occurrence was thoroughly studied to ascertain what evi- 
dence might be found indicating another origin. 
The occurrence of bitumen in fossils has hitherto been 
of no value as a means of furnishing direct evidence as to its 
origin inasmuch as investigation proves that the bitumen 
need not, and often could not, have been derived from the 
organism with the remains of which it is to-day associated 
The discovery of a fossil &gg, partly filled with asphalt, in 
