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- 



