116 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



the auroral curve, to be so nearly alike that one curve differs very little indeed 

 from the other. 



It seems almost certain that the disturbed condition of the suu must produce 

 magnetic and auroral disturbances, or that some common caupe produces all three. 



Careful observations have established the fact that there is a periodicity, 

 somewhat irregular it is true, but still a periodicity, from one maximum of those 

 phenomena to the next following, the period being eleven years and a little over, 

 and the curves of all three phenomena are so nearly alike that the coincidence is 

 unmistakable. 



These coincidences require to be examined with care, and we should find 

 which is the cause of the different phenomena, or if some cosmic condition may, 

 or may not, produce all of them. 



Are there any facts which show if the magnetic storm is caused by the out- 

 break of spots, or whether they are both the effect of some common cause ? 



There are two important facts which seem to me to help us to answer this 

 question. 



(1) Many magnetic storms have occurred when no spots have existed on 

 the sun. 



(2) Large spots have broken out and run their course, and no magnetic 

 storm has been observed. 



It seems from these two facts that the many synchronisms which undoubtedly 

 exist, must be chance coincidences, and not that the sun-spot caused the magnetic 

 storm. 



Let us now look at the aurorse which are also numerous at the time of sun- 

 spot maximum. First : We frequently get magnetic storms when fine aurora are 

 visible, and we sometimes get magnetic storms when no aurora is visible here, but 

 we never get a fine aurora without a magnetic storm coincident with it. 



This seems to show that the aurora may cause the magnetic storm, but that the 

 magnetic storm cannot cause the aurora. 



And even the magnetic storm which sometimes exists when no aurora is 

 visible here, may be the result of the descent of auroral matter somewhere near. 

 Mr. Stupart speaks of a distinct auroral display observed by him when returning 

 from the North-West, and though we had no aurora here, the chronograph 

 showed a disturbance of the needle at the same time. 



For the cause which produces the three phenomena we must look into 

 the space in which the solar system exists, and the space through which it moves. 

 Is it possible to find what the disturbing cause is ? 



I do not think that we can say with certainty ; but there are reasons which 

 lead me to think the disturbing element is to be found in the cosmic or meteoric 

 matter existing in space, and which must be revolving in orbits around the sun 

 and possibly in a far less degree around the planets also. 



Proctor in his "Other Worlds," Chapter ix., proves clearly enough that the 

 solar system, especially near its centre, is crowded with meteors of all sizes, 

 from almost invisible particles to masses of many tons weight. (Page 191. , 4th 

 edition) he says : "we recognize how erroneous that opinion is which an eminent 

 astronomer recently expressed, who asserted that the united weight of all the 

 bodies other than the planets in the solar system must be estimated rather by 

 pounds than by tons." His reasons are convincing, and lead justly to the 

 conclusion " that the aggregate weight of the various meteoric systems circulating 

 around the sun must be estimated by billions of tons rather than by ordinary 

 units. ' ' 



Can we not go a step further? I have long thought that the atoms of the 

 chemical elements may and do exist in space ; if so, such would be as obedient to 

 the laws of motion as larger masses are. In fact, all aggregations of j)hysical particles 

 (which in my papers on " Moving Matter " I have called atoms) will be subject to 

 the same laws as large masses or worlds. 



And perhaps we need not stop here. I have long thought that the chemical 

 atoms are themselves aggregations of smaller particles, and these again of particles 

 smaller still — the ultimate particles, or primitive atoms — those being the units of 

 which all masses are built up ; and that the chemical atoms are formed in space 

 and should be regarded as of celestial, rather than of terrestrial origin. 



