HAMILTON SCIENriFiC ASSOCIATION. 133 



This universal law of life and death seems to pervade through- 

 out the whole material universe, and we have in coiisequence stars, 

 or worlds, in different stages of development. 



Thanks to the invention of the telescope and spectroscope, 

 we have ocular demonstration of the life history of many of 

 these other worlds than ours. 



The heavens abound with examples of infant worlds in 

 their embryonic stage. These are the nebulae of wliich thousands 

 are accurately mapped and catalogued. Then we have stars in the 

 prime of life and vigor like Sirius, Vega and Altair. This class, or 

 type, is known as " Sirian Stars "and embraces more than half of 

 all the other stars. Following in the order of development we 

 have stars which have reached their full maturit}^, and are just 

 turning the hill of life, as we familiarly say. Of these our own sun 

 is an example, so is Capella and Arcturus, and stars of this class 

 are generally known as " Solar Stars." The stars nearest to the 

 solar system are mostly of this type. After these we have numerous 

 examples of real old age, and even death itself in some of the great 

 orbs around us. 



The latter have, of course, lost all their former light and heat 

 (like our own moon), and they may be regarded as a menace to the 

 worlds of light and life. 



After this short review of the condition of things above, I 

 think we are in a better position to comprehend the awful doom 

 that awaits the solar S5'stem when "the heavens shall pass away 

 with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, 

 the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up." 

 This is what will actually occur if the sun encounters one of those 

 black bodies wandering in space, for the collision will have most 

 disastrous effects. The sudden accumulation of heat in the sun 

 will be so great that the earth's atmosphere will ignite and the 

 whole crust will melt, while every vestige of life will be swept 

 away . 



The question arises whether, in the vast realms of nature, 

 similar catastrophes as we are discussing have ever arisen in some 



