On Aerolites. 39 



star is six hours from tlie meridian, its zenith distance, which is 

 less than \)i)\ being the hypothenuse of a right-angled spherical 

 triangle, is therefore greater than the zenith distance of the pole, 

 which is only a side of that triangle. 



But another grand fault is — that it makes no provision for tlie 

 rapid change of polar distance to which this star is snliject. Had 

 it no other fault, this alone would render such a table vague 

 enough in the course t)f a very few vears. In some very respect- 

 able and scientific works a table of this sort is given, in which 

 the polar distance of the polestar (involved in the whole table) is 

 erroneous by 4"'6 at the time of pul)lication ; and as the error 

 increases nearly one minute in three years, it is not difficult to 

 perceive what confidence ought to be put in such tables. 



All the errors and delusions I have noticed are more or less in- 

 debted to tlie original system of copying the same things over 

 and over again, without ever inquiring whether they have a good 

 foundation, or indeed any foundation at all. Such is the con- 

 tented and unsuspecting disposition of modern authors, that they 

 can safely take each other's word for things which in less en- 

 lightened times would have required a demonstration. Suspicion, 

 the very bane of society, becomes an exalted virtue when applied 

 to science. I am, sir, 



Your most obedient servant, 



Henry Meikle. 



VI. On jlholiles. 

 To Mr. Tilloch. 



j~^ London, June 17, 1S19. 



Sir, — A mk very curious question of aerolites has lately been 

 introduced into yom- pages by MM. Capel Lotft and Acton; and 

 though 1 seldom indulge in speculative opinions on scientific sub- 

 jects, being more desirous of confining myself to a simple detail 

 of experiments and facts, I am induced to disrress a little from 

 that line in the present instance. 



You may remember that in one of my former papers I adverted 

 to a meteoric stone which fell at Pulrose in the Isle of Man. The 

 evidence which 1 collected seemed to attest the fact, and place it 

 beyond a doubt; and yet its physical characters of extreme levity 

 and scoriaccous texture, seemed to impose a doubt upon its iden- 

 tity with those stony masses which have at different times vi- 

 sited the earth ; and "this conqjarison, coupled with an examina- 

 tion of those aerolites which I had the opportunity of seeing in 

 many nuisetnns on the continent, did not tend to unhinge that 

 doubt. 



In this imcertainty of mind I turned over the leaves of the 

 C 4 JunrnaL 



