BY MOLECULAR COALESCENCE. ID 
be looked wpon as the effect of gravity, but also as a proof 
of it. There is no question but these molecules or atoms 
are of inconceivable minuteness, and the spaces between 
them, when they first come into existence, icomprehen- 
sibly small; yet, as they are material existences, and the 
distances between them real spaces, they necessarily come 
within the scope of a power which is admitted to be of uni- 
versal operation. If this conclusion is madmissible, then 
the operation of gravity is not universal. The mode of 
formation of the first set of spherical particles of carbo- 
nate of lime being considered, it remains to offer a few 
remarks on the manner in which these coalesce to pro- 
duce the larger calculi. Now, as it has been demon- 
strated by Newton, that, in a sphere the total attraction 
resulting from the particular attractions of all its compo- 
nent atoms is the same with respect to any body drawn 
towards it, as if all the attracting particles had been con- 
centrated at the centre, these minute spherical particles, 
as sO many gravitating points, will be drawn towards each 
other with a force varying inversely as the squares of the 
distances between their respective centres; hence, being 
contained in a fluid medium of an equal density, or nearly 
so, in which all external sources of attraction will be 
counteracted, it is evident that they will, by their mutual 
attraction alone, form themselves into spherical collections 
or masses. Now, as every one of the spherical particles 
entering into the composition of each of these masses 1s 
built up of molecules, so disposed around its centre that 
every molecule is balanced and kept in its place by the 
attraction of some other molecule on the opposite side of 
the centre, no one of these particles can maintain its 
spherical form any longer than these conditions remain 
undisturbed. For it must follow that, when one of these 
