Evolution and Devolution of the Elements. 31 
atoms, it will be necessary to enter more fully into the 
question of rings, to which we have already alluded. 
As was stated in our preliminary description o£ the process 
of evolution, we consider that originally all matter was in the 
form of corpuscles, and that some of these corpuscles arranged 
themselves into stable integral systems, these systems being 
the four elements : hydrogen, proto-bery Ilium, proto-boron, and 
helium. Each of these elements began to collect round it 
more corpuscles, and this continued until another stable 
system was formed, capable of separate existence. The 
system or assemblage of corpuscles around the central atom 
may be regarded as having certain properties, and a more or 
less definite shape. We denoted this assemblage by the term 
" ring," it being understood that we make no assumption as 
to its true form. We, however, consider each ring to have a 
definite structure, and certain properties depending on that 
structure : in fact we conclude that all the principal chemical 
properties of each element are entirely determined by the 
structure of the ring. 
Now each ring may be supposed to consist of two parts : 
(a) the main assemblage of corpuscles, to which the ring owes 
its mass, size, and shape, and (b) a certain number of cor- 
puscles which are attached to the rest in a slightly different 
manner. They may be perhaps regarded as satellites to the 
main ring, although their connexion is probably much closer 
than that suggested by this illustration. For the sake of 
distinction from the other corpuscles we will apply the term 
" electron " to them. 
From a general study of these electrons there is undoubtedly 
a tendency possessed by them to form into systems of eight, 
or multiples of eight, during the process of evolution. These 
sets of electrons constitute, in some way or another, electrically 
neutral systems. For example, we feel convinced that all 
phenomena of chemical combination are due to this tendency. 
Thus, if an atom with two electrons is brought into 
immediate contact with one possessing six, the two electrons 
will leave the first atom, and form a very stable system of 
eight electrons around a second atom ; and, as we say, upon 
this fact depends the combining power and the valency of 
each element. A fuller discussion of this may well be deferred 
until we have entered into the process of evolution in greater 
detail. 
It will be advantageous in doing this to take a specific instance, 
and for this purpose we will take the element hydrogen. As 
our Table shows, we consider that hydrogen is the progenitor 
of all the alkali metals. Now the hydrogen atom is a 
