90 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



Kant, Herschel and others, holds up before 

 us this grand hypothesis, and if we seek 

 our explanation here, these perplexing 

 questions will soon cease to trouble us. Let 

 us then, keeping before us the facts just 

 stated, trace the development of the solar 

 system from "the beginning," usingthe neb- 

 ular hj-pothesis for our guide. 



We begin with an almost infinite mass 

 of igneous vapor, whirling in space. As 

 this vast mass cooled and condensed, the 

 outer portion, called the peripheral por- 

 tion, attained a velocity so great that it en- 

 tirely' overcame the power of gravity. As a 

 consequence, the peripheral portion became 

 detached in the form of a ring — as water 

 is thrown from a revolving grindstone. 

 The ring continued its rotation about the 

 mass till its own oscillations caused it to 

 break into pieces. These pieces gathered 

 themselves in the form of another globe, 

 revolving around the first. In the progress 

 of time, the principal mass, continuing to 

 condense, threw off another ring, which 

 likewise became a globe. This process 

 was repeated from time to time, and the 

 globes thus formed became the planets, and 

 the remaining mass is the sun, which is still 

 cooling and shrinking, and may 3'et throw 

 off other rings. 



Let us now turn to the detached globes. 

 The larger are farthest from the sun, be- 

 cause they were detached when the whole 

 mass was largest. Each began to repeat 

 the process of condensation. Some of the 

 larger ones, from the same cause that 

 brought themselves into existence, threw off 

 rings which eventually became their sat- 

 ellites. Owing to difference in size and 

 velocit}' some planets threw off more than 

 others. Saturn, for instance, threw off 

 eight rings, one of which still remains un- 

 broken. Our earth detached but one, and 

 then became too solid to repeat the process. 

 Mercury, Venus, and Mars — all smaller 

 than the earth — attained the solid form 

 before the peripheral portions could become 

 separated. 



We might cite various other facts that 

 help to prove the truth of the nebular 

 theory. We will mention hut one. The 

 spectroscope reveals to us the presence of 

 certain minerals in the sun, which are iden- 

 tical to those found on the earth. Are we 

 not justified in assuming that this fact alone 



is sufficient proof that the earth and sun 

 were once a part of one great mass? 



Some have objected to the nebular hypo- 

 thesis, because they think it conflicts with 

 the teachings of the Bible. It does noth- 

 ing of the kind. On the contrary', it agrees 

 perfectly with the bibical account of the 

 creation. What better description of a 

 vast infinite cloud can we find, than is con- 

 tained in these words "without form and 

 void." The hypothesis only supposes that 

 " God has brought the world into existence 

 by the use of second causes, exactly as He 

 brings a plant into existence." The maples 

 around about us have all undergone "de- 

 velopments." The delta of the Mississippi 

 is undergoing "development." Man^' islands 

 of the sea owe their existence to the law of 

 development. All nature is governed by 

 this law. God has evolved the solar system 

 according to method, exactl}' as He evolves 

 a tree from the seed. The nebular hypo- 

 phesis only assumes to lake us back to the 

 beginning of natural development. There 

 it leaves us; and, as Alexander Winchell 

 writes: "we dare go no farther; we can 

 go no farther. If science leads us here, she 

 deserts us at this point, and leaves us to 

 lean only on the arm of Omnipotence. Be- 

 3'ond is onl^' God. The beginning of the 

 history of creation does not stretch into in- 

 scrutable eternities. We discover the firm 

 rock of support from which all existence 

 hangs. It is the 'Rock of Ages ! ' We feel 

 comforted and strengthened in knowing 

 that 'in the beginning God created.'" 



The Amethyst Locality of Burrillville, R. 1. 



Mineral collectors of this state have 

 long been aware that crystals of amethys- 

 tine quartz of singular clearness and puritv 

 have been found at a place known as the 

 " Battey Farm" in the town of Burrill- 

 ville. 



Nearly forty years ago, wliile an exca- 

 vation was being made on this place for a 

 barn cellar, many quarts of these cr3'Stals 

 were found and given awa}' or preserved in 

 the family. 



Some of these were of rare beauty and 

 would have graced anv cabinet. 



