344 Mr Milne's Prize Essay on Comets. 



to tlie rest, and fully entitled to the first of Dr Fellowes' Prizes. We 

 also find, that, though the other Essays evince ingenuity, and considera- 

 ble extent of reading, yet we do not think ourselves warranted to be- 

 stow the Second Prize on any of them. We hope, therefore, that the 

 Senatus Academicus will sanction this decision ; and we farther propose 

 that our body should testify their regard for so estimable an alumnus as 

 Mr David Milne, by desiring him to print the Essay. Mr Milne has 

 already obtained the honour of A. M. 



(Signed) " John Leslie. 



" William Wallace." 



*' Extracted from the Minutes of the Senatus Academicus by 



" Andrew Duncan, jun." 



Having obtained a sight of Mr Milne's elegant memoir, (about 

 to be published), which contains the most complete description 

 and history of Comets in our language, we now lay before our 

 readers its Table of Contents, and an Extract, with the view of 

 enabling those interested in this very curious and important part 

 of the natural history of the heavens, to judge of its extent and 

 style of execution. 



" CONTENTS. 



PART I Physical constitution of Comets. — 1. Nucleus of 



Comets; 2. Envelope of Comets ; 3. Tails of Comets ; 4. Light of 

 Comets; 5. Examples of these Phenomena; 6. Opinioniiv respecting 

 their Nature. 



PART n. — Movements op Comets. — 1. Opinions relative thereto; 

 2. Orbits of Comets, Conic Sections ; 3. Orbits most probably El- 

 liptic ; 4. Difficulty of finding the Elliptic Orbit ; 5. Parabolic Me- 

 thod of Investigation ; 6. Elliptic Method of Investigation. 



PART III. — Influence of Comets and Planets on each other. 

 — 1. Perturbations in their Motions, occasioned by proximity ; 2. 

 Physical Changes caused by Proximity ; 3. Perturbations in their 

 Motions occasioned by a Collision ; 4. Physical Changes caused by 

 a Collision ; 5. Has such a Collision ever happened to the Earth ? 

 6. Will it ever happen to the Earth. 



PART. IV. — Comets in various stages of maturity. — 1. Dimi- 

 nution of the Substance of Comets ; 2. Herschel's Theory of Conso- 

 lidation ; 3, Are Comets habitable bodies. 



