greatest velocity of any of the stones projected from the crater was only 1250 feet to a second. Observations on the Peak of Teneriffe, in 1798, gave 3000 feet. Although Laplace, at the end of his work ('Expos. du Syst. du Monde', ed. de 1824, p. 399), cautiously observes, regarding aërolites, "that in all probability they come from the depths of space," yet we see from another passage (chap. vi., p. 233) 6that, being probably unacquainted with the extraordinary planetary velocity of meteoric stones, he inclines to the hypothesis of their lunar origin, always, however, assuming that the stones projjected from the Moon "become satellites of our Earth, describing around it more or less eccentric orbits, and thus not reaching its atmosphere until several or even many revolutions have been accomplished." As an Italian at Tortona had the fancy that aërolites came from the Moon, so some of the Greek philosophers thought they came from the Sun. This was the opinion of Diogenes Laertius (ii., 9) regarding the origin of the mass that fell at "gos Potamos (see note, p. 116). Pliny, whose labors in recording the opinions and statements of preceding writers are astonishing, repeats the theory, and derides it the more freely, because he, with earlier writers (Diog. Laert., 3 and 5, p. 99, Hübner), accuses Anaxagoras of having predicted the fall of aërolites from the Sun: "Celebrant Græci Anaxagoram Clazomenium Olympiadis septuagesimæ octavæ secundo anno prædixisse cælestium litterarum scientia quibus diebus saxum casurum esse e sole, idque factum interdia in Thraciæ parte ad gos flumen. Quod si quis prædictum credat, simul fateatur necesse est, majoris miraculi divinitatem Anaxagoræ fuisse, solvique rerum naturæ intellectum, et confundi omnia, si aut ipse Sol lapis esse aut unquam lapidem in eo fuisse credatur; decidere tamen crebro non erit dubium." The fall of a moderate-sized stone, which is preserved in the Gymnasium at Abydos, is also reported to have been foretold by Anaxagoras. The fall of aërolites in bright sunshine, and when the Moon's disk was invisible, probably led to the idea of sun-stones. Moreover, according to one of the physical dogmas of Anaxagoras, which brought on him the persecution of the theologians (even as they have attacked the geologists of our own times), the Sun was regarded as "a molten fiery mass" ([Greed words]). In accordance with these views of Anaxagoras, we find Euripides, in 'Phaëton', terming the Sun "a golden mass;" that is to say, a fire-colored, brightly-shining matter, but not leading to the inference that aërolites are golden sun-stones. (See note to page 115.) Compare Valckenaer, 'Diatribe in Eurip. perd. Dram. Reliquias', 1767, p. 30. Diog. Laert., ii., 40. Hence, among the Greek philosophers, we find four hypotheses regarding the origin of falling stars: a telluric origin from ascending exhalations; masses of stone raised by hurricane (see Aristot., 'Meteor., lib. i., cap. iv., 2-13, and cap.