54 The Bible of Nature 



idue of diffuse nebulous matter is added to the 

 sun or to the planets. The prominent features 

 of this theory are (1) that it starts from a parent 

 nebula of a spiral type, like most of those now 

 existing; (2) that it supposes this nebula to con- 

 sist of small bodies, like infinitesimally small 

 planets; and (3) that it does not suppose any 

 fundamental change in the dynamics of the system 

 after the nebula was once formed. 



Even to-day the work of creation continues, for 

 stars are being born out of the fire-mist; even to- 

 night it may be that a new star will be seen taking 

 her place as a debutante in the splendid cosmic 

 assembly. Some stars are growing cooler and 

 more complex, recapitulating the history of our 

 own earth; others seem to be growing hotter and 

 less complex, perhaps suggesting what may hap- 

 pen here also in days to come. 



Stages in the History. The earth, then, probably 

 had its beginning as one of the rings swirled off 

 from a great nebular mass, the centre of which 

 gradually condensed into our sun. It was once 

 a rapidly rotating molten planet one of many, 

 for it may be noted that over five hundred planets 

 large and small are now known, though Hegel 

 tried to prove that there could not be more than 

 seven. It probably had a deep atmosphere, part 

 of which afterward condensed into the waters 

 that cover the earth. Its molten ocean was pro- 



