68 Mr. Henry Wilde on the 



of planetary distances, it is assumed (i) that elementary 

 species have been formed from the further condensation of 

 the nebular substance into the typical molecules H, H2, 

 H3, H4, H5, H6, H7 ; (2) that the series of elements have 

 been formed by the successive condensations of the typical 

 molecule at the head of each series in multiple proportions ; 



(3) that the atomic weights of each series of elements are 

 multiples of the typical molecule at the head of the series ; 



(4) that the ordinal number of the typical molecule deter- 

 mines the quantivalence and other analogous properties of 

 each series of elements under it. 



That relations such as I have indicated exist between 

 the nebular and elementary condensations, represented by 

 the planetary distances on the one hand, and the atomic 

 weights of well-defined series of elementary substances on 

 the other, will be evident on comparing the numbers in the 

 following tables : — 



0.0.4= 4 Mercury. 

 1x3 + 4= 7 Venus. 

 2x3 + 4= 10 Earth. 

 4x3 + 4= 16 Mars. 

 8x34-4= 28 Ceres, Pallas, &c. 

 16x3 + 4= 52 Jupiter. 

 32 x 3 + 4 = 100 Saturn. 

 64 x 3 + 4 = 196 Uranus. 

 The numbers expressing the relative distances of the 

 planetary bodies from the sun and from each other are 

 obtained by multiplying successively the difference (3; 

 between the distance of the first and second members of the 

 system by a geometric series, and adding to the products 

 the constant distance (4) of the first member. 



Now, if the atomic weight of the second member of the 

 alkaline and silver series of metals (Na = 23) be multiplied 

 successively by an arithmetical series, then will the 

 products, minus the atomic weight of the first member 

 (Li = 7), be the atomic weights of all the elements belonging 

 to that series. 



