INORGANIC EVOLUTION. 211 



Fainter. Proto-iron and proto-titanium. 



10. Piscian Stars. 



Predominant. Flutings of carbon. 

 Fainter. Arc lines of metallic elements. 



A glance at the foregoing table shows us the following 

 facts : 



1. That beginning with the hottest stars known, which 

 are composed almost altogether of hydrogen and dissoci- 

 ated hydrogen we find that as the temperature decreases 

 one after another of the chemical elements makes its ap- 

 pearance until, when we arrive at 9, the Arcturian Stars, 

 the elements rival in their number those existing in our own 

 sun. 



Now, since a star has but few elements when it is hot 

 and many when it is cold, the natural and reasonable ex- 

 planation is that the many have evolved from the few. 



2. Next, we find that the metallic elements appear first 

 in the dissociated condition and afterwards in their normal 

 form. Thus, in Group 1 we have proto-calcium which after 

 existing in the intervening groups appears finally in Group 

 7 in its normal condition as the calcium which we know on 

 earth. Again, silicon appears in the proto-form in Group 

 2, in both the proto and normal forms in Group 3, and in 

 the normal form alone in Group 4. Iron appears in the 

 proto form in Group 4, faintly in the normal form in 

 Group 7, and predominantly in the normal form in 

 Group 8. 



It is evident that this fact greatly strengthens the valid- 

 ity of our explanation. For if with decrease of temperature 

 the elements are evolved out of simpler substances, of 

 course the dissociated forms would appear first. It would 

 be a serious blow to the whole hypothesis were we to find 



