282 
EASTMAN. 
was published by Prof. Peter A. Browne , of La Fayette 
College. 
The author devoted the first and larger portion of his 
paper to proving the solidity of meteors. 
The latter portion of his essay was confined to the exami¬ 
nation and rejection of all the theories previously advanced, 
which, briefly stated, were : 
1st. Dr. Halley’s theory that meteors were nothing but a 
stratum of inflammable vapor, gradually raised from the 
earth and accumulated in an elevated region, which sud¬ 
denly took fire at one end and the progress of the flame 
along the stratum produced the apparent motion of the 
meteor. 
2d. The theory in Luke Howard’s Meteorology that hy¬ 
drogen gas dissolves various bodies, even iron, and that is 
evolved, mixed with carbon in the gaseous state, from the 
earth in large quantities, is collected in vast fields in the air, 
is fired by electric explosions, and, the gasses burning out, 
they let fall the earthy and metallic contents precipitated 
and agglutinated as we find them in aerolites. 
3d. Prof. Soldani’s theory that meteoric stones are gener¬ 
ated in the air by a combination of mineral substances which 
had risen as exhalations from the earth. 
4th. Dr. Reynolds’ theory, previously given in this paper. 
5th. Dr. Blagden’s theory that meteors are electrical phe¬ 
nomena. 
6th. The theory of Patrick Murray that meteors originate 
in the local atmosphere of the earth, and their explosions are 
due to electrical action. 
7tli. The theories of Brewster and La Grange that meteors 
are bodies thrown off from the earth by volcanic action. 
8th. The theories of Hutton and La Place that meteors 
are thrown from volcanoes in the moon. 
9th. Newton’s theory that they proceed from the tail of a 
comet. 
10th. They are terrestrial comets—a theory maintained by 
Professors Clap and Day and by Carvallo. 
