THE ENTOMOLOGISTS 
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
No. 213.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1860 [Price Id. 
ASTEROIDS. 
Whilst travelling in the Midland 
Counties we lately overheard a curious 
conversation amongst our railway fel- 
low-travellers on the subject of the 
asteroids. 
We scarcely know how the conver- 
sation originated, but our attention 
was attracted by a middle-aged indi- 
vidual exclaiming with some em- 
phasis, — 
“ Sixty ! impossible ! ! ” 
When - any one asserts that a thing 
is impossible one’s curiosity is naturally 
aroused, and we immediately set to 
work to discover on what topic our 
fellow-passengers were disputing. 
“ Oh ! it’s not impossible, because 
it’s the fact ; they weren’t found all at 
once, but by degrees, first one and 
then another; for a long time there 
were only four known, but now there 
are actually sixty, and they are all 
between Mars and Jupiter.” 
“ But, my dear sir, as I was saying 
the thing is impossible; it’s not in the 
nature of things. I can understand 
half-a-dozen big planets ; that’s all easy 
and sensible enough ! but sixty little 
ones is past a joke, and I won't be- 
lieve it.” 
“ Really, sir,” was the reply, “ I 
hardly know how to argue with you ; 
* 
these asteroids (as the little planets 
are termed) are perfectly well known 
and acknowledged by '‘all astronomers, 
who have devoted their attention to 
the subject, and they have been dis- 
covered gradually, some by one astro- 
nomer and some by another.” 
“Well,” replied the objector, “all I 
have to say is that the thing’s un- 
reasonable, and contrary to all my 
notions of the heavenly bodies, and I 
won’t believe it.” 
“ But I think, if you will just reflect 
a moment, sir, you must admit that 
as astronomers are rather numerous 
now-a-days, and these asteroids have 
been discovered by a number of dif- 
ferent observers, each of whom we may 
naturally suppose to be rather jealous 
of the reputation of other astro- 
nomers, each reported discovery has to 
be scrutinized by a number of critical 
and not very friendly eyes, and unless 
it were really well founded would soon 
be consigned to oblivion.” 
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