134 KANTS UNIVERSAL NATURAL HISTORY. 



when it was floating around in the highest regions of the 

 solar world, only sank to the sun after the completely- 

 finished formation of the whole system, by a late fall with 

 weakened motion, but yet bent from west to east; and 

 by means of this kind of circulation they may have 

 intersected the extended plane of the sun's equator ; 

 and by accumulating there on both sides and stopping in 

 that region, they may have occupied an expanded plane 

 in this position, in which, partly through the repulsion of 

 the sun's rays, and partly by the circular motion actually 

 attained by them, they now maintain themselves constantly 

 at the same distance. This explanation has no other value 

 than what may be assigned to an hypothesis ; and it makes 

 no claim to more than a favourable consideration. The 

 judgment of the reader on the various views presented 

 may turn to that side which seems to him most deserving 

 of acceptance. 



