electric an.l innfjiu'tic currents on tlio formation und <Urection of tho mountain masses 

 and niinoral vfins; but their slow pei-severini; action on the ultimate atoms of matter 

 lias heen placed beyond a doubt by the formation of rubies and other gems, as well as 

 other mineral substances, by vtdtaic electricity." AVliat tlowers are to the ve^^etable 

 Avorld, gems are to the mineral, lioth of them are embodiments of the beautiful ; but 

 the latter are of a piuvr substance, and, if slower of growth, only the more imperishable. 



A science of color must bo based upon a correct theory of light. We believe the 

 foundations of such a theory already exist. The carefully-conducted though much con- 

 tested experiments of Von Reichexbacii tend to show that all polarised bodies — such 

 as magnets, crystals, and the like — give off a subtle liglit of their own, which becomes 

 visible in a dark room to persons of a sensitive nervous organisation. We certainly 

 know that the earth radiates a light of its own, as exhibited in the beautiful corusca- 

 tions of the aurora-borealis and the zodiacal light; — the explanation of this phenom- 

 enon being, that our planet is a large magnet, through which, as in all polarised bodies, 

 there is a constant passage to and fro of electrical currents, which ray off in light from 

 tlie poles. It will ere long be discovered that every planet is luminous, although its 

 light maybe overpowered by that of some larger orb — even as a taper's light is unno- 

 ticed in the full blaze of the sunlight ;* and one of the most fundamental canons in 

 optics will be, that every body radiates more or less of light when its particles are in a 

 state of electrical vibration. The sun and its planets being in opposite states of polar- 

 ity, a constant magnetic efflux is flowing from each to the other, — this efflux occasions 

 a thrill, or vibrating motion, in the ether which fills the interstellar spaces, — and the 

 result of this nbratory motion on the eye is light ; just as a spark, or continuous stream 

 of light, is the concomitant of a similar flux from an electric machine. 



Under the full blaze of the sunlight, the earth throbs as with a million pulses 

 Those substances which are most ethereal in their atomic structure, such as glass and 

 crystals, vibrate most readily and most powerfully ; but all things, even the most 

 amoiphous in structure, join more or less in the electrical pulsation — transmitting, 

 reflecting, and modifying into colors, the limpid light which streams from the sunny 

 skies.f When the sun sets, tins vibratory motion of the earth's surface to a great 

 degree ceases, is feebly kept up by the cold radiance of the moon, or fades into almost 

 quiescence beneath the tremulous light of the stars. Put out the stars, and all seems 

 absolute darkness. But is it so ? We trow not. Draw the thickest curtain of cloud 

 over the sky, — let neither moon nor star, nor feeblest glimmer of the violet-colored 

 skies of night break the darkness ; and yet, while men grope and stumble, and call to 

 their aid the appliances of luciferous art, myriads of the lower creation — birds of the 

 air, fish of the sea, and prowling and creeping things without number, ply their life as 

 easily as if with them it were not night blit day. What does this show, but that liglit 

 and darkness are but relative terms, — that what is night for man, is day for other 



♦The great Herschel expressly admits the correctness of this important and self-obvious, though littlc-thoiighl-of 

 truth, -when speaking of the systems of Double Stars, and of the revolution of sun round sun, he 8.iys— "Each accom- 

 panied with its train of planets and their satellites, closely shrouded from our view by the splendor of their respec- 

 tive suns." — Otit/ineg of Astronomy, Chap. xvi. §S47. 



tThis vibriitory action is indispensable in the processor vegetation; and. in regard to the prodigious effect of this 

 vibratory influence of the solar rays, Prof. Gkf.gory says: " It has been calculated that the mechanical force exerted by 

 upon tlie amount of wood growing on one square foot of surface, in the course of a year, correspond 

 be r<-quired to raise a weight of 4SC,00(l pounds to the height of one foot ; and this is only 1-11 th of the whole effect 

 sun'sTays, of which only l-6th reaches the plant, and half of that is \osi."— Handbook of Organic Chem 



