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LVII. On Hypotheses proposed for explaining the Origin of 

 Meteoric Stones ; with Remarks on Mr. Murray's Letter 

 onAtroLiles inserted in Phil. Mag. for last July. By Mr. 

 H. Atkinson. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sir, — Among the various natural phaeiiomena recorded in the 

 pages of your interesting Magazine, few, perhaps none, have ex- 

 cited a greater degree of surprise in the beholders, or raised the 

 curiosity of philosophers to a higher pitch, than that of stones 

 having been ol)served to fall, apparently, from the clouds. A 

 phcBiioinenon so strange, and in appearance so completely at va- 

 riance with all the known laws of nature, could not fail, on being 

 sufficiently attested, most forcibly to arrest the attention of in- 

 quiring minds. Long indeed did philosophers deem it to be a 

 mere popular error. At last, however, such a mass of evidence was 

 accumulated, as commanded the attention of the most prejudiced, 

 and overcame the doubts of the most sceptical. And that stones 

 have really fallen to the earth, apparently from the heavens, how- 

 ever unaccountable it may still appear, is now ranked among es- 

 tablished facts. Where they come from, or to what they owe 

 their origin, are questions that have not yet been satisfactorily 

 answered, but which have given rise to much discussion ; and, as 

 might be expected in the absence of all direct evidence, various 

 hypotheses have been brought forward to account for so singular 

 a phaenomenon. This indirect method of prying into the secrets of 

 Nature by means of an assumed hypothesis, is so very convenient 

 to tlie majority of mankind, who in general are not very anxious 

 about the correctness of their conclusions, that we cannot won- 

 der at their adopting it. The facihty with which it can be ap- 

 plied suits the indolent ; — the scope it gives to the imagination 

 pleases the fanciful ; — and the opportunities it so liberally affords 

 of attracting public attention, render it a favourite v/ith the vain 

 pretender to a scientific name: but the danger of its leading to 

 error, is a serious objection in the estimation of the inquirer whose 

 aim is truth. Frequently, however, it is the only mode which 

 can be adopted with any prospect of success; and under proper re- 

 gulations, the risk of its leading to erroneous conclusions may, 

 in many cases, be greatly lessened, if not wholly avoided; so that, 

 in the hands of the judicious philosopher, this indirect method of 

 conducting his inciuiries becomes a valuable instrument; a key, 

 that opens to him many of the secret recesses of nature, which, 

 without its aid, must have remained shut up in impenetrable 

 darkness. 



When we thus contrast the great advantages that may be ob- 

 tained by a legitimate use of it, with the gross abuses to which 



the 



