© as. * . - = . 
‘Brief Remarks on some indigenous Roses. 243 
“to regulate times and seasons:*’ so that from thenceforward 
they might be exactly calculated by its regular influence upon 
the motions of the earth. 
Time is measured by the motion of bodies ; and their velocity 
is quicker or slower according to the diameter of the rotatory 
body, and the quantity of force acting upon it. The planet 
Jupiter takes only about ten hours to perform one revolution 
upon its axis, which comprises a morning and an evening, and 
astronomers call this a day. The moon, again, employs about 
1600 hours in making one rotation upon her axis, comprising 
also a morning and an evening, and this period is denomi- 
nated a day, Hence also, in the phraseology of Moses, the term 
day, in each of the successive periods ef the Genesis, properly 
denotes one rotation of the earth upon its axis, without any re- 
gard to the length or duration of the time ; ie as the motions 
of our earth have been from the first moment dependent upon 
the sui, its influence upon the earth was at first extremely weak, 
Hence the diurnal rotation of the earth and progress in its orbit 
were then inconceivably slow ; but the velocity of both motions 
She increased till the end of the fonrth day, when the sun 
vas perfected. The space of time, therefore, in each of the four 
first days ot revolutions of the earth was of indefinite length, and 
each had *‘ an evening and a morning.” Hence these revolutions 
were true solar days: but every period or day differed from another ; 
because the rotatory velocity of the earth was continually ac- 
celerated from the first moment till the end of the fourth day. 
The quantity of time therefore, or duration of any one preced- 
ing minute, or hour, was greater than any that succeeded ; so 
that the first minute of the first day may have been equal, in 
duration or length of time, to a month or a year, compared with 
the last minute of the fourth day, the rotatory velocity in this 
minute being so much quicker. Thus it is evident that the 
four first days or rotations of the earth were periods that dif- 
fered in their length, and their duration is indefinite. 
I am, sir, 
. Your very obedient servant, 
Wycombe, April 9, 1816. Anprew Horn, 
7 
Lil. Brief Remarks on some indigenous Roses. By 
M. J. Wixen, Esq. of Newcastle. 
To Mr. Tilloch. 
Sin, — Txoven of late years the study of betany appears to 
have given way in a great measure to the more novel pursuits of 
2 mineralogy 
