DISTRIBUTION OF THE STARS. 179 



able. In 1796, he says, " The hypothesis of a uniform 

 distribution of the stars is too far from the exact truth, to 

 serve as a basis in this research." Again, in 1811, he 

 adds, "The uniform distribution of the stars may be ad- 

 mitted in certain calculations ; but when we examine the 

 Milky "Way, this equal distribution must be abandoned.' 11 

 And in 1817 he says, " Although an increased number 

 of stars in the field of the telescope is generally an indi- 

 cation of their greater distance, my gages refer more directly 

 to the degree of condensation of the stars" 



As to the second of the above conditions, viz., that in 

 his gages he was able to penetrate to the extreme limits 

 of the Milky Way, Herschel's views underwent an entire 

 change in the progress of his researches. In 1817, speak- 

 ing of some of his gages, he says, "It is plain that the 

 extreme penetrating power of the 20 feet telescope was 

 insufficient to sound the depth of the Milky "Way." 

 Again, in 1818, he says, " In these ten observations the 

 gages were arrested in their progress by the extreme faint- 

 ness of the stars. There is, however, no doubt respecting 

 the further extent of the starry region. For if in one of 

 the observations, a feeble nebulosity had been suspected, 

 the application of a higher magnifying power showed that 

 the doubtful appearance was caused by the blending of 

 numerous stars, too small to be seen by the aid of a lower 

 magnifying power. "We hence infer that if our gages 

 cease to resolve the Milky "Way into stars, it is not be- 

 cause its nature is doubtful, but because it is fathomless." 

 Thus we see that the hypothesis which Herschel an- 



