METEORIC STONES AND SHOOTING STARS. 



supposed lunar origin of these bodies gave them the name of 

 " MOON-STONES," the hypothesis we refer to conferred upon them 

 that of " SUN-STONES." Diogenes Laertius records an opinion 

 which prevailed in Greece, that the meteoric mass of ^Egos 

 potamos fell from the sun ! Pliny, deriding the supposition, 

 charges Anaxagoras with having predicted the fall of aerolites 

 from the sun. Humboldt suggests the probability that the fall 

 of aerolites during bright sunshine, and when the moon was not 

 visible, may have led to the idea and name of sun-stones. 



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