EVOLUTION IN THE SUNS 77 



The evidence of the heavens corroborates that 

 given by terrestrial disruption by high tension 

 electricity in a vacuum, by the evidence of the 

 X-ray bulb, and by that of the radio-active 

 disintegration of the atoms possessing high 

 atomic weight. 



The whole tale of elemental evolution holds 

 together, is consistent, and leads to new dis- 

 coveries. This is the distance which stellar 

 observation and the study of radio-active 

 matter take us on our journey ; from this point 

 the way lies amidst ordinary chemical com- 

 binations of the elements amongst one another 

 to form molecular combinations or chemical 

 compounds. There is no breach of continuity 

 as we enter this zone, the same laws of inter- 

 action hold, but greater specific differences 

 in the forms of matter arise ; there is more 

 chemical individuality, and there are new 

 conditions of energy manifestation. 



Thus, such a well-known substance as water, 

 as the temperature is elevated, would break 

 up into the two elements, hydrogen and 

 oxygen, which compose it, long before such a 

 temperature as that of the coolest of the stars 

 mentioned above had been reached. There 

 exists a temperature, however, at which a 

 mixture of steam (or gaseous water) can 

 exist alongside of its two constituent gases, 



