Here are some other things that could be explained more easily than they can be at present, through the ether and attraction being considered to be one and the same, than under any other conception we can form; but although we have a dim vision of such explanations in some cases, our knowledge of the sciences involved in them is not sufficient to warrant us in letting our dim conceptions see the light. Therefore all that remains for us to add is, that some things we have said of the ether may have to be so far modified now, but as they have had their part in leading us to the conclusions we have arrived at, they cannot be altogether suppressed. CHAPTER XV. PAGE 261 Construction of the solar system. Matter out of which it was formed. 262 Domains of the sun out of which the matter was collected. 263 Stars nearest to the sun. Table VII. showing distances. 265 Remarks on Binary Stars. Table VIII. showing spheres of attraction between the sun and a very few. 266 Sirius actually our nearest neighbour. Form of the sun's domains of a very jagged nature. 267 Creation of matter for the nebulæ, out of which the whole universe was elaborated. Beginning of construction. 267 The law of attraction begins to operate through the agency of evolution. 268 Form of the primitive solar nebula. The jagged peaks probably soon left behind in contraction. 269 How the nebula contracted. Two views of the form it might take. Comparison of the two forms, solid or hollow. 272 The hollow centre form adopted. The jagged peaks left behind. 273 The nebula assuming a spherical form. Shreds, masses, crescents separated from one side. 274 Probable form of interior of nebula. Compared with envelopes in heads of some comets. 275 Reflections on the nebula being hollow. Opinions of others quoted. 276 The matter of a sphere solid to the centre must be inert there. 277 Further proofs of the nebula being hollow. 278 How rotary motion was instituted. 279 Such a nebula might take one of two forms. 280 The form depending on the class of nebula. Planetary in the case of the solar system. A similar conception of how rotary motion could be instituted. In this chapter we proceed to consider how the original nebula was formed, and whether the solar system could be evolved therefrom in the manner shown in the analysis of Chapter V.